Navy?

abrams

10-Year Member
5-Year Member
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Nov 29, 2008
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42
I'm considering going to the Naval academy after high school and i was just wondering if anyone has any comments on what i should work on (not asking what my chances are) to improve the likely hood on being accepted.

-solid 95-96 average through high school (currently junior)
-2 AP's this year(physics +us history) and all honors
-high honors each semester in HS (no class rank in my school)
-JV lacrosse in 9thgrade; JV then varsity lacrosse in 10th grade (sure i'll be on varsity 11th and 12th)
-alpine ski racing all thru high school
-summer week-long service trips (twice so far)
-active in church youth leadership group
-peer minister (private catholic HS)
-founded a science club in 10th grade
-history club
-SAT: 1970 650-MATH 680- writing 640- reading

that's all i can think of now lol

any input would be great! suggestions or anything....
 
Honestly, I think you're probably in a very good position to receive an appointment, but the way you phrased your inquiry makes me wonder if you're just thinking about it as a school or as your future. I've wanted to go to the Naval Academy since about the third grade-I want it, and I want everything that comes with it, including fighting and risking my life for my country. You've got to realize that you can't go to the Academy just because it's a good school. You've got to want to go there because you want what will come in the future, which is a commission into the Navy or the Marine Corps as an officer-a leader-and a commitment of 5+ years, depending on any extra training you may receive. You also have to realize that you are going to be expected to fight. You are going to be expected to live your life by the motto "Service before self." Do you really want that or do you want a good education? If you don't want that, consider an Ivy League or something like that because you are in an excellent position to go very far in your life; so far you seem to be a success story. But be very careful in your decision here. It is a much larger consideration than any normal civilian college. This is your life you're juggling here.

Good luck to you.
 
thank you for the positive comments!

but i have definitely always wanted to go to the naval academy and become a leader of men in the finest military of our day and age. i always have since, like you, i was a little kid (@ that point i didn't know the difference between officer and elisted but when i found out i obviously wanted to be an officer)

it has only been recently that i have become troubled about civilian vs. military education

i always assumed military was what i wanted to do but upon further reflection and visits to both N.A. and schools like RIT that i've doubted my inclination towards the military. the major force here is that there are more varied courses available in civilian schools...

that is why i may have sounded like i didn't know what i was getting myself into...but thank you for your concern:smile:
 
1. Take (and pass) Calculus / AP Calculus.

2. Work toward becoming Captain of you lacrosse team.

3. Stay healthy. :wink:
 
basically my worry about going to a SA is that once i'm done with my 5 years or however long i decide to stay i'll be "lost" and then get a crappy job somewhere that i hate... with the schools that i've visited like RIT they have amazing career placement programs (called sumthin like that) and immediately after you graduate you're basically guaranteed a job a a big company like Lockheed or S.R.C. or honda and all those big names...

do anyone know how the SA grads fare after they're done? do they get good jobs like a student @ RIT or wherever?
 
WOW abrams - you need to do more research as going to USNA will put you in the largest fraternity in the world and many extremely good opportunities will present themselves after you are finished serving, be it 5 and dive or a 20+ career. You will not be lost and you certainly will not be stuck with some crappy job. Most employers will take an Academy grad way over some Tech University grad. Be careful of what these career placement offices are telling you.

I worked for Lockheed - Academy grads were sought after hires. (And they started in much higher positions than your newbie from your Tech Universities like RPI/GT and the likes.)
 
i guess i do! lol didn't mean to offend anyone but i just never have come across any info on it :redface: but thanks for setting me straight...
 
Ditto on comments above.... service academy graduates, as well as officers from all commissioning sources, are highly sought after in the job market. There are placement firms who seek out junior officers leaving after their service obligation, on retainer to Fortune 500 firms. They know exactly what they are getting from a service academy graduate: someone who received a top-notch B.S. at one of the most competitive schools in the nation, someone who has more leadership/resource management experience from Academy time and Fleet/Corps time than any peer out of a civilian university, are healthy, fit and come equipped with a security clearance. The officer corps brings up junior officers to embrace challenge, accept responsibility, make decisions and execute a plan.

Now let's see... Ross Perot is a USNA graduate, he's done reasonably well in the business/tech world. You can probably think of many others who started their career as military officers. Those skills travel well.

Of the "family" of midshipmen we have sponsored here at USNA, who have completed their active service time and are now civilians, they had multiple job offers from Michelin Tires, United Airlines, Frito-Lay, Goldman Sachs, Lucent Technologies and many other fine companies who knew exactly the quality they were getting. Many times Academy grads are highly placed in these companies and actively seek officers fresh into the civilian world. The service academies all participate in the service academy job fairs across the country. The service academy network is powerful and tight.

Bottom line, if you have a reasonably successful career as an officer and want to work in business or technology, the doors swing open.

If you like being a straight-out scientist or engineer, yeah, the big tech schools are happy to get you placed with companies with tech or science positions, which may or may not be the management track to the corner office.
 
A SA background is a HUGE plus in the job market for many reasons. First, you have a first-rate education. Second, you know how to work and play well with others. Third, you've really worked and know the meaning of hard work. Fourth, you know how to lead and how to be led.

I'm in the legal field and SA/military experience is always considered a huge plus.

One thing that does trouble me -- it sounds as if you are already committed to leaving the mililtary after 5 yrs. That may well happen, and virtually all grads go on to civilian careers sooner or later. But if you enter USNA with the intent of doing the "five and dive," you are probably not going to have a very happy military "career." Just saying.
 
It's natural for you to be slightly unsure with this decision, and you should be lookng at all options. At this point in your young life this is one of the biggest decisions you will face and will affect your life for many years to come.

My suggestion is to relax a bit and plan out how you can find the answers to your questions. NASS is one of the best ways to find out if you like the military lifestyle. It's not totally representative on life at the academy but it gives you a taste of what is in store. After NASS I would reccommend a candidate visit in the fall. Gives a different view of the Academy with the full brigade in place and classes in session. Lastly visit several civilan colleges and evaluate what you feel will make you happy. Belive me the answer will come to you and you will not have to force it.

As to RIT, as a former grad a couple of decades ago: It's reputation is more known east of the Mississippi. Go west in to California and most people go what school did you say??? Just some perspective.
 
yeah i'm planning on going to NASS and im really looking forward to it. but you're right i'm definitly not going to rush this decision, it'll basically will determine what i do for the next 10 to 15+ years in my life lol but thanks for that comments all
 
One thing that does trouble me -- it sounds as if you are already committed to leaving the mililtary after 5 yrs. That may well happen, and virtually all grads go on to civilian careers sooner or later. But if you enter USNA with the intent of doing the "five and dive," you are probably not going to have a very happy military "career." Just saying.

I kinda agree with this and would like to add that the comparison of RIT and the USNA are not apples to apples. If you've visited RIT and think that the USNA's "campus life" is anything like that, you need to do an overnight at the Academy before even considering applying.
 
yeah i totally understand that. i've visited the na twice and i definitely understand they're apples and oranges lol
 
I'm going to agree with Midndad. NASS would be a good idea. I attended this past June. (provided they called me two days before asking if i could come, i got rejected at first) And I must say I learned alot from it, especially the physical part because I attend a school where physical fitness means almost nothing. good luck with your apps and I hope you get into NASS. I have to wait for any info from the NA. I still don't know if I'm academically Q'd yet.
 
abrams,

Some personal perspective.

Let me see...I graduated in 1989 with a BS in Ocean Engineering, lived in San Diego CA my first tour, earned an MS in Mechanical Engineering in Monterey CA, atteneded schools in Newport RI twice, second and third sea tours in Jacksonville FL and Virginia Beach VA, my last two tours I spent living overseas in the Middle East. Port visits have included: Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Oman, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Bahamas, Panama, Haiti, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, New York, South Carolina, Florida, and Hawaii. I have been through the Panama Canal twice. I am a Shellback. My Strike Team and I launched Tomahawks during combat operations. Besides my beautiful Destroyers and Frigate I have been on seven carriers with had to cat shots and three traps as well as flown in every helo the navy owns.

After those 12 years of fun I joined GE as Master Black Belt and am now a Sr. IT Program Leader for Genworth (a Fortune 500 company also) managing a $7.0M project portfolio.

You may want to do some research on companies like GE that specifically recruit JMOs into their workforce.

My fellow alumni include:
1 President of the United States
2 Cabinet Members
6 Ambassadors
21 Members of Congress
5 State Governors
5 Secretaries of the Navy
1 Secretary of the Air Force
4 Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
4 Vice Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
26 Chiefs of Naval Operations
9 Commandants of the Marine Corps
2 Nobel Prize Awardees
73 Medal of Honor Awardees
52 Astronauts

Let me check...nope...did not get lost and have not had a crappy job I hated yet.
 
can some one explain that one?

Service Secretaries are civilian political appointees chosen by the Administration. Someone could attend a service academy, serve in uniform, go into the civilian world and return to government service as a senior government official. At that level, knowledge of government policy and operations is very similar across the services.
parkhurst89 only gave you a snippet of the who's who of USNA grads. Many have gone on to become elected representatives at all levels of government. If you've seen "Charlie Wilson's War," he was a USNA grad, class of 1956, I think. In the film, he mentions his time as a naval officer and Annapolis a few times.
Same holds true for the other service academies. They are great launching pads.
 
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