<p>hi,</p>
<p>my son is in one of the top boarding schools, we are international.
he will have to serve in 2 years in army before starting university.
my question is if the 2 year army considered by best universities in usa as community services?
is this experience to be viewed positively?</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>It will be viewed as a positive, maturing experience that sets your son above his peers.</p>
<p>Generally, I think Klements’ point is true. But in some cases it might be too maturing. Visits to campuses may be necessary to figure out where the chemistry would work and where it wouldn’t work to come in to a university as a freshman with two years in the military under your belt. I can think of lots of places where it would not be a good fit and where admission officers would see that and quickly eliminate an applicant…for the applicant’s benefit and to avoid a matriculation that’s highly likely to lead to a transfer.</p>
<p>DM, right you are–perhaps too maturing in certain instances.</p>
<p>I wonder if this is the S. Korean army…I only suggest this because I know a BS student who has to enlist next year upon graduation and is very conflicted with this mandatory assignment.</p>
<p>Okay so I scrolled through your previous posts and realised that you’re Singaporean. I believe there is a Singapore thread in the International Students forum and the people there will be better at advising you. </p>
<p>However, I don’t think it is considered. There was a similar thread and I think those who replied said it isn’t.</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I interviewed a former Singaporean Navy sailor at Harvard this March for our firm’s summer internship and we viewed his service very positively - on paper at first. But we were even more impressed after our interview given his maturity and presence that was far superior to many of his peers. His narrative had substance and was not simply a resume with a high GPA and extracurriculars at school. Even the manner in which he walked, spoke and listened were different/superior to his peers and the only explanation I could detect from his resume was the Navy.</p>
<p>Having served in the US army and having a son in a top boarding school I’ll tell you the notion of military service is more valuable not from an application stand point but rather, what it does to mature your child and make them a man or woman. Just my two cents but to your question yes it is looked on favorably during the initial assessment; thereafter, it is up to your child to confirm.</p>
<p>thanks exsrch</p>
<p>I might add this. I was an Army vet when I went to college, despite having graduated from boarding school (long story). In the Army, my pals included a Groton alum and a Middlesex alum, one of whom had come into the Army after a year at Dartmouth, and one of whom had come directly from BS. I have lost track of the Groton fellow, but the Middlesex guy is now a U.S. diplomat. When in Iraq last year, I became acquainted with a young Marine who had joined the Corps straight out of Exeter. So the two worlds of BS and the military do collide, although I will grant it is not the norm, nor was it in my day (BS class of '80). Cheers</p>
<p>Miltirary service is considered work experience but listed under extra curricular activities.</p>
<p>In the common app for 2011-12, there are two places for services. One specifically refers to US veteran but I wonder if you can fill in your country’s instead. </p>
<p>US Armed Services veteran status _____________________________________</p>
<p>The other place is EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES & WORK EXPERIENCE. There is a button specific to working after high school called PG. </p>
<p>You have an essay on common app and also essays for each school where you can provide lot more in depth information to make it important enough to be noticed.</p>