Wow! What a great thread! oneand five, thanks for starting it a very robust and polite discussion that has relevance to many potential cadets/mids.
Here's my 2 cents:
My daughter is a cow (junior) at West Point. My son is a senior in high school who is staring at the mailbox as he is on the NWL for WP. He has an AROTC scholarship to one of his top schools. He'll jump at the chance for a civil prep or USMAPS opportunity because it will help him reach his real goal - to be an Army officer - and to get the most intense training available.
From my daughter's experience I have come to learn that the cadets are *mostly* an amazing group of young adults. However, just like any place with 4,000+ people, you'll find a few who will make you
. You'll wonder what they are doing here, and why they chose an option when they show no commitment. It will be the same at USMAPS, USNA, USAFA, A&M, Harvard - you get the picture. They are normal people and shouldn't be idealized as perfect. And, yes, you'll encounter a couple jerks.
There is a long thread in the parents' forum on college confidential discussing the overnight visits. Some parents don't even want their kids to have the visits. Why not? Because they may shadow a great kid and the school won't be the best match. Alternatively, the school may be perfect, but the host wasn't a good match. And a decision is made based on a small peek into a small window.
My daughter decided not to visit WP for an overnight. At the time I was flabbergasted, thinking she'd be dying for any chance to visit. She explained to me that she was going there - no matter what. If it was a great visit, the visit wouldn't have an impact on her decision. If the visit was "horrible", it was a day and 1 bad day wouldn't make her change her mind about what she wanted to do with her life.
Every year we hear about cadet candidates visiting service academies for the all-important overnight visit. Cadets/mids "play" with them and tell them "don't come here", often with very colorful language. Some kids actually change their minds because of this behavior.
Your daughter sounds like a bright, motivated and dedicated young lady. It's great that she has you to support her decision and to help her come to the "best" decision. As it turns out, all her choices are fabulous. So, what should she do? (Finally, I'm getting to my 2 cents
) I would advise anyone to make the most informed decision possible. By reading this thread she'll get some interesting perspectives. Because she is so bright, she'll figure out that the negatives she observed at USMAPS are likely only a small part of the experience she would have there. Will she meet a few people who aren't very dedicated? Of course. Will she meet a few people she can't stand? Of course. Will she have a faculty member she doesn't particularly like? Of course.
There isn't a lot of time between now and 4/19, but I will suggest getting more information. Perhaps some people here can help her connect with current cadets at WP who attend USMAPS. She can tell them what she observed and she will surely receive honest feedback. (Send me a pm if she wants and I'll find a few cadets for you. Current cadets reading this may also consider reaching out.)
It's hard for a teenager to look at a year as an investment. But that's just what the year at any service academy Prep School is. The big questions are:
What do I want to do?
What's the best way to get there?
Certainly, follow your heart. But use all the decision-making tools at your disposable to come to the most informed decision possible.
Best of luck to your daughter. Please keep us posted. (Sorry for the stream of consciousness writing - I'm sleepy.)
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