Waiting on/already received an appointment. Now what?

M

minos

5-Year Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2018
Messages
35
Hello all! Since becoming active again, I remembered how much I used to browse these forums throughout my admissions process with USMA. If you haven't seen any of my previous posts/replies, I am currently '23. I received a direct appointment in 2019.

What I can definitely say is that I wish I had more insight into academy life and the Big Army before placing all of my eggs into one basket. Although I am likely only two or three years older than some of you candidates, there are many things you must wholeheartedly consider before attending USMA or a service academy in general. I will willingly disclose that I am pursuing voluntary resignation after completing this semester. However, this does not mean that I intend on defacing USMA in any manner. The reality of the situation is that USMA is the right place for some people, but not for others. Unfortunately, I have fallen into the latter category. But, my intention of this post is not to tell my life story.

After my most recent post and doing some soul searching to figure out what I want to do with my life, I realized that many candidates are not afforded a true opportunity to see what it means to be a West Point Cadet. Especially with COVID-19 now, I fear that many of you will make lukewarm decisions on whether you will deny your acceptance or decide to come. Admissions puts on a great show, don't get me wrong, but there are so many things at the Academy which you all are not exposed to in the glitz and glamour of West Point hype videos and brochures.

So, with all this being said, I would like to open up this thread to any questions you all have about USMA. It seems crazy to think that most of you will be just one click away from making the most influential decision of your teenage and young adult years. Do not take that lightly! You should reference most things you can get your hands on because this lifestyle truly is a commitment. And you should be sure and confident in making your choice, whatever that choice may be. Ask away!!
 
Without getting into too many personal details about your life, can you explain specifically why you are leaving USMA?

Having some context about why you have made this choice may be invaluable for others going forward.

Thanks!
 
Hi, I wanted to thank you for offering your help and advice to upcoming cadets.

What were some of the reasons behind your voluntary resignation? (If you don't mind disclosing, I appreciate your advice already!)
What are the biggest differences you felt or lifestyle changes felt at the academy for you?
Who would you recommend USMA to why or why not?

Thank you once again for taking the time to write and respond to these questions.
 
Would AROTC been the better route for you? Or not the military at all? Thank you for your willingness to help these candidates out!
 
I've heard that cadets and leadership often times are at tension? (especially with COVID). Can you elaborate on this further please?

I also am curious as to the different types of cadets? I know everyone there should be "the top of their class blah blah blah", but there are bound to be some douches. What has been your experience with other cadets?

Thanks in advance.
 
FiveByFive said:
Without getting into too many personal details about your life, can you explain specifically why you are leaving USMA?

Having some context about why you have made this choice may be invaluable for others going forward.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Sure! So, obviously deciding that I actually want to resign from USMA was no easy task. I understood that I was giving up a lifetime of open doors and opportunities, but after having been a cadet for 2 years, maturing a little bit, and gaining some perspective on the real world, I learned that attending USMA and becoming an Army officer closed many doors for me as well. When I made that revelation, I really had to take a step back and think about whether the outcome and endgame of the West Point path synchronized with where I wanted to end up in life down the line.

Before coming to USMA, I had many passions that were not congruent with the profession of arms. I had a fervor for social activism and politics. I knew that I wanted my voice to be heard and impact some facet of social justice. But, I put this off because I had an amazing opportunity to come to West Point and challenge myself. I suppose part of me really hoped that I could assimilate into that military culture, especially since I am the first in my immediate family to choose the military. But as I continued to develop as a leader and cadet, I found that I did not have that passion for leading soldiers and all of the army things that fall under that umbrella. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm perfect capable of doing those things, but it was more so a matter of whether I wanted to do it and allow this stuff to become my life. Eventually, I just decided that continuing down this route pretty much would lead me astray from the things that "light my fire". A change in career interests, I suppose?

I won't completely neglect that a significant part of me said yes to USMA because of the financial advantages (at least 75%). But I want to be very clear to candidates holding onto this rationale by a thread. USMA is not free. Everything comes at a price. There may be no dollar value associated with attaining your USMA degree and that's because you pay for it with your life. With your time. So take that into consideration when you make your final decisions. Hope this helps!
 
Would you say USMA is not for you if you're true passion is in entrepreneurship and creating impact on our society? I certainly want to be more dynamic and creative with my life and quite frankly I believe I'm talented in terms of that; I'm thinking you'll get more exposed to more of those things at a civilian schools than SAs. But I also want to serve my country as an officer though I don't think 20+ year active duty career is really the way I want to structure my life.
 
KUSA said:
Hi, I wanted to thank you for offering your help and advice to upcoming cadets.

What were some of the reasons behind your voluntary resignation? (If you don't mind disclosing, I appreciate your advice already!)
What are the biggest differences you felt or lifestyle changes felt at the academy for you?
Who would you recommend USMA to why or why not?

Thank you once again for taking the time to write and respond to these questions.
Click to expand...
Hey there! I'll take another stab at this and try not to repeat too much of what I already mentioned in the post above. I remember a while back, there was a thread posted by someone who decided to leave USMA before affirmation. I scanned that post and the website like a hawk. And the most important thing I took away from her post was this:

West Point is not the endgame. The Army is. West Point is merely an intense and very beneficial stepping stone to make you a more successful officer in the Army. If that end state does not align with what you want to accomplish in your life, I would definitely have to ask you to re-evaluate your perspective on making a decision. There are definitely people here who are confident that they want to lead soldiers. They want to be platoon leaders. And they manage to get through West Point because they know it will put them on the path that they desire.

Personally, I don't feel that I had to make too many lifestyle adjustments after coming to the Academy. I was always very disciplined, my high school curriculum was extremely rigorous, and I was never into the wild things like people my age. I was very mature. Or at least as mature as a 17-18 y/o thinks they can be. My biggest challenges were physical and while it took several months to overcome those challenges, I definitely did. Aside from this, however, I did not realize how important and integral a close family support system would be for me. Adjusting to that change is something I still struggle with. I am not a northerner, nor do I have family up north. So my family is pretty far away and that definitely sucks sometimes.

Who would I recommend USMA to and why or why not.....That is a very challenging question. I don't know if this will be the response you seek, but I think USMA can be for anybody. In terms of my recommendation, I'd say people who do the research and can confidently say that leading soldiers is what they want to do with their lives. I know this gives some inadvertent gray areas because it is very easy just to say "I want to lead soldiers" and I'm sure many people did in their essays. But I think people should go research what that really entails. I mean...it is such a demanding profession and your heart and soul have to be in it 100% because eventually, cadets-turned-officers impact the lives of others. Your decisions as an officer could determine who lives or who pays the ultimate sacrifice. When you accept your appointment, you have to understand that 4 years from then, there will be a platoon waiting for you and your leadership. Instructors have told me that soldiers will come to you at their very best and at their very worst. You must care for the Army. You must care for its people. And you must give it your all, day-in and day-out. You can't really half-a** this profession. You need to want to be there.

Let me know if there's anything else!
 
Armywestpoint2025 said:
Can you explain and provide some examples of these things?
Click to expand...
Absolutely. From your username, I will naturally assume that you are a prospective cadet for the incoming class. Understand that cadet life is not pretty. It is a grind. You will have fun times like you see in all of the videos and learn things of invaluable importance but at the end of the day, USMA is meant to break you down, find your greatest weaknesses, and build you back up. This isn't a summer camp. It's a leadership laboratory preparing young men and women to go out and defend the nation against our biggest threats.

I have seen people burst into tears after taking Survival Swimming class because they felt as though they nearly drowned (obviously they didn't).
I have seen people frustrated and having hard times because they can't keep up with the academic rigor.
I have seen people break down because they miss home and they wish things were one way as opposed to the next.
This place is not easy by any means.

Above all, I have seen so many people fail and fail and fail here. And then one day, they finally succeed. The Academy does what it is meant to do. I think these successes are what you see in the admissions videos, graduation videos, etc. They are polished products. But you must take into account that as cadets right now, we put in an immense amount of energy, time, and effort to become "leaders of character" and what you guys see. Diamonds in the rough is the short explanation of this spiel.
 
FrauTeufelshund said:
Would AROTC been the better route for you? Or not the military at all? Thank you for your willingness to help these candidates out!
Click to expand...
I think the better route for me would have been not the military at all. Even with all of the opportunities of being an officer, the career just isn't something I am interested in or fully invested in. If it gives any insight, when applying to USMA, I did not apply for any ROTC scholarships. I was just set on having USMA attached to my name and neglected all of the other details and implications associated with this path of life.
 
minos said:
Hey there! I'll take another stab at this and try not to repeat too much of what I already mentioned in the post above. I remember a while back, there was a thread posted by someone who decided to leave USMA before affirmation. I scanned that post and the website like a hawk. And the most important thing I took away from her post was this:

West Point is not the endgame. The Army is. West Point is merely an intense and very beneficial stepping stone to make you a more successful officer in the Army. If that end state does not align with what you want to accomplish in your life, I would definitely have to ask you to re-evaluate your perspective on making a decision. There are definitely people here who are confident that they want to lead soldiers. They want to be platoon leaders. And they manage to get through West Point because they know it will put them on the path that they desire.

Personally, I don't feel that I had to make too many lifestyle adjustments after coming to the Academy. I was always very disciplined, my high school curriculum was extremely rigorous, and I was never into the wild things like people my age. I was very mature. Or at least as mature as a 17-18 y/o thinks they can be. My biggest challenges were physical and while it took several months to overcome those challenges, I definitely did. Aside from this, however, I did not realize how important and integral a close family support system would be for me. Adjusting to that change is something I still struggle with. I am not a northerner, nor do I have family up north. So my family is pretty far away and that definitely sucks sometimes.

Who would I recommend USMA to and why or why not.....That is a very challenging question. I don't know if this will be the response you seek, but I think USMA can be for anybody. In terms of my recommendation, I'd say people who do the research and can confidently say that leading soldiers is what they want to do with their lives. I know this gives some inadvertent gray areas because it is very easy just to say "I want to lead soldiers" and I'm sure many people did in their essays. But I think people should go research what that really entails. I mean...it is such a demanding profession and your heart and soul have to be in it 100% because eventually, cadets-turned-officers impact the lives of others. Your decisions as an officer could determine who lives or who pays the ultimate sacrifice. When you accept your appointment, you have to understand that 4 years from then, there will be a platoon waiting for you and your leadership. Instructors have told me that soldiers will come to you at their very best and at their very worst. You must care for the Army. You must care for its people. And you must give it your all, day-in and day-out. You can't really half-a** this profession. You need to want to be there.

Let me know if there's anything else!
Click to expand...
Thank you for your response!
 
Jman0714 said:
I've heard that cadets and leadership often times are at tension? (especially with COVID). Can you elaborate on this further please?

I also am curious as to the different types of cadets? I know everyone there should be "the top of their class blah blah blah", but there are bound to be some douches. What has been your experience with other cadets?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Haha yes. Okay. So there's definitely tension between cadets and leadership right now. Much of it stems from the fact that we want to leave, take pass, OPPs, etc. It definitely doesn't help that we generally have no idea what's going on in the control room, so we feel rather afloat/adrift waiting for the big day we can all escape. Aside from the COVID-19 predicament, there typically is still some tension between the two groups, but it's mostly just cadets complaining about small things.

Different types of cadets. Well, there's definitely a ton of diversity here now and 2024's demographics are indicative of this. I think the mentality of "top of their class blah blah blah" is more of a myth than anything. From my experiences, there hasn't been anyone bragging about what they did in high school or before USMA. Coming to USMA pretty much insinuates that you are working on a fresh, clean slate. There are the occasional unpleasant cadets, but they are not that prevalent. If they are unpleasant, it's usually just because they are "power-tripping". Most cadets are respectful and mindful though. You definitely get a more mature population of young adults here.
 
foxtailsean said:
Would you say USMA is not for you if you're true passion is in entrepreneurship and creating impact on our society? I certainly want to be more dynamic and creative with my life and quite frankly I believe I'm talented in terms of that; I'm thinking you'll get more exposed to more of those things at a civilian schools than SAs. But I also want to serve my country as an officer though I don't think 20+ year active duty career is really the way I want to structure my life.
Click to expand...
In your predicament, I think your decision depends on how you are prioritizing your passions. If entrepreneurship is your #1, perhaps you should look into pursuing that and then doing reserves on the side, but this is merely a suggestion. I'd ask you to first ask yourself why you want to serve your country and be an officer, then move forward with your decision-making process after that. Maybe construct a pro/con list or complete a decision tree!
 
minos said:
Hello all! Since becoming active again, I remembered how much I used to browse these forums throughout my admissions process with USMA. If you haven't seen any of my previous posts/replies, I am currently '23. I received a direct appointment in 2019.

What I can definitely say is that I wish I had more insight into academy life and the Big Army before placing all of my eggs into one basket. Although I am likely only two or three years older than some of you candidates, there are many things you must wholeheartedly consider before attending USMA or a service academy in general. I will willingly disclose that I am pursuing voluntary resignation after completing this semester. However, this does not mean that I intend on defacing USMA in any manner. The reality of the situation is that USMA is the right place for some people, but not for others. Unfortunately, I have fallen into the latter category. But, my intention of this post is not to tell my life story.

After my most recent post and doing some soul searching to figure out what I want to do with my life, I realized that many candidates are not afforded a true opportunity to see what it means to be a West Point Cadet. Especially with COVID-19 now, I fear that many of you will make lukewarm decisions on whether you will deny your acceptance or decide to come. Admissions puts on a great show, don't get me wrong, but there are so many things at the Academy which you all are not exposed to in the glitz and glamour of West Point hype videos and brochures.

So, with all this being said, I would like to open up this thread to any questions you all have about USMA. It seems crazy to think that most of you will be just one click away from making the most influential decision of your teenage and young adult years. Do not take that lightly! You should reference most things you can get your hands on because this lifestyle truly is a commitment. And you should be sure and confident in making your choice, whatever that choice may be. Ask away!!
Click to expand...
Thank you for being open to questions that many cadet candidates would not normally be able to ask. What is your major? Does every major end with leading soldiers? With Covid, are cadets not getting more time at home? I thought I saw somewhere that cadets came home after Thanksgiving and did not return until mid January. That can be entirely incorrect though.

I wish you the best with this very difficult decision.
 
Rdms0127 said:
Thank you for being open to questions that many cadet candidates would not normally be able to ask. What is your major? Does every major end with leading soldiers? With Covid, are cadets not getting more time at home? I thought I saw somewhere that cadets came home after Thanksgiving and did not return until mid January. That can be entirely incorrect though.

I wish you the best with this very difficult decision.
Click to expand...
Hey there! I am an economics major. Regardless of what major you choose, if you complete your 47-month experience at the academy, you will branch into an officer position that leads a platoon. 2nd Lt = Platoon Leader.

This year, Cadets spent Thanksgiving at USMA in support of a longer Xmas break. I believe we left for leave around 13Dec and returned sometime in mid-January. This longer Xmas break also ate into our spring break, so we will not be having that off time this semester. I think they've tried to incorporate more study days into this current semester, but I am not completely sure of the logistics of that plan.

With COVID going on, we are pretty much locked away. Cadets are not permitted to leave post or have outside visitors come onto post. Just last weekend, we were given the privilege of going to on-post sponsor's homes. I didn't mention this a few posts up, but there is also some tension between leadership and cadets because faculty, staff, and workers leave post at will, but cadets remain stowed away. Do with that information what you will :).
 
Unfortunately I have never been to visit USMA because of COVID. How isolated does the campus feel? I know its possible to drive to NYC, but it seems that there really isn't much to do in the surrounding area when you have liberty as opposed to USNA, which is inside a city.

Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and experiences!

I think the nice thing about civilian schools is that there are so many people making YouTube videos and writing about their experiences at those schools online, so you can learn about the pros and cons of these schools from a wide range of people who usually aren't afraid to tell all. I'm sure it's a lot more difficult to do this at a SA because of the social media rules/stigma/time constraints, so it's harder for candidates to get the real scoop from sources other than the polished website or admissions representatives who want you to attend.
 
I heard from a Cadet that left WP but according to her, USMA faked the numbers of the covid cases to hold a football game against Navy while Cadets who tested positive were pretty much "locked" in isolation barracks. Are these kind of corruption prevalent at Point?
 
minos said:
Absolutely. From your username, I will naturally assume that you are a prospective cadet for the incoming class. Understand that cadet life is not pretty. It is a grind. You will have fun times like you see in all of the videos and learn things of invaluable importance but at the end of the day, USMA is meant to break you down, find your greatest weaknesses, and build you back up. This isn't a summer camp. It's a leadership laboratory preparing young men and women to go out and defend the nation against our biggest threats.

I have seen people burst into tears after taking Survival Swimming class because they felt as though they nearly drowned (obviously they didn't).
I have seen people frustrated and having hard times because they can't keep up with the academic rigor.
I have seen people break down because they miss home and they wish things were one way as opposed to the next.
This place is not easy by any means.

Above all, I have seen so many people fail and fail and fail here. And then one day, they finally succeed. The Academy does what it is meant to do. I think these successes are what you see in the admissions videos, graduation videos, etc. They are polished products. But you must take into account that as cadets right now, we put in an immense amount of energy, time, and effort to become "leaders of character" and what you guys see. Diamonds in the rough is the short explanation of this spiel.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the detailed response!
 
May I ask what specific occupation you are trying to pursue?

Also, the 8+ years of service after graduating from West Point is really the only things holding me back from 100% pursuing West Point... though I know that that's essentially the price we have to pay to actually attend and the end goal... I really cherish spending time with my family and friends so that post-graduate duties seem really daunting...

What was the hardest aspect of West Point for you (i.e. physical training, military training, academic rigor, strict rules, etc.)?

And thank you so much for opening up this thread!
 
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