<p>Okay, I know to get an appointment, you have to be pretty brainy. What I'm wondering though, is if academy cadets tend to be more the "brainy type" than the "gung-ho military type".</p>
<p>Our son is an ROTC cadet at Texas A&M and from talking to a friend at AFA, he says it sounds like A&M's military training is much more difficult but that at AFA it's the academics that are the real killer (once you get past your first summer). What do you think?</p>
<p>"like A&M's military training is much more difficult "</p>
<p>There may be short periods of time where the military training at aTm is more difficult, but I would attribute that to the fact that at aTm they can get away with more "hazing" type situations than they can at the Academies these days. With that being said, overall the military lifestyle at any of the academies is much more difficult than it will ever be at aTm. I don't know of many seniors in the corps of cadets from aTm that aren't allowed leave campus whenever they want. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the freshman cadets at aTm are forced to square corners or "chop" all around campus, as another example.</p>
<p>Where this sentiment may come from is that the people who leave the academies do so at a higher rate for academic problems than they do for "military training" problems. Although I have no statistics to back this up I would be that most cadets leaving the corps at aTm do so due to the military regimen. Another reason for this feeling may be that at the Academies everybody is in the same boat so it doesn't seem as bad; whereas, at aTm there is only a small minority of students in the corps and they see other freshman living "the life."</p>
<p>KP has great first hand knowledge of academy life. I would add that academy kids live the regimental lifestyle 24/7. The academics are one of the main reasons for some departing USMMA. They are tough and done in trimesters which takes 11 months vs. 9 anywhere else in the U.S.. Can't comment on AFA. But I'm not sure I could find a difference between gung ho military kids or brainy ones. They live both worlds everyday, so I dunno. I know mine just did 100 push ups along with some other PT. Sounds pretty tough to me. I'd die....</p>
<p>Snap & Pop those corners! LOL I noticed that the concrete at all of the entry doors at USMMA have a small round circles where they've been snapped & popped billions of times over the years.</p>
<p>Timely... I have a son at West Point as well as a son in the Corps of Cadets at TAMU. While I have not experienced either firsthand, from my vantage point the TAMU experience is nothing like the West Point experience which I would expect to be similar to the AFA. TAMU is more about tradition that about the military lifestyle. Both schools have their share of those that excel academically and those that have very militaristic personalities. The academic load at West Point is very difficult and depending on the major can also be difficult at TAMU. The difference is the academies expect those attending to graduate in 4 years. ROTC candidates also have this expectation; however, for most students at TAMU including those in ROTC, graduating in 5+ years is more the norm.</p>
<p>You post this in the Academy Parents section; not the Naval Academy [which is the brainiest of the academies] site. Your comments, therefore, seem to ask about academies in general. I can only comment about he Naval Academy.</p>
<p>I have a high-school classmate that is in the corps at A&M. Based on what he has told me, you cannot even begin to compare the two programs. Militarily or academically.</p>
<p>A&M is a really good regional school. While its graduates are rabidly loyal, the fact is that UT and many, many schools are academically superior in many respects. I don't want to diminish A&M, it is a good school. It is not, however, rated as a great school. [With a few exceptions, e.g. Veterinary School.]</p>
<p>Much of what he describes as "military training" in the Corps strikes me as somewhat juvenile. I suppose it is akin to hazing. First off: Consider that not all members of the Corps are in ROTC. Thus, not all members of the Corps intend to sign up for the military. I am taking 18 semester hours in addtion to my military requirements. My friend is taking about 12 -14 hours and his military commitments are nothing like mine. An Academy is a 24-hour a day lifestyle choice. The A&M Corp is something less.</p>
<p>I am deeply impressed that my friend made this choice. It is perfect for him and it has given him a direction that he did not appear to otherwise have in high school. I respect him for doing what he is doing; he says he wants to sign up for Navy ROTC and I hope that he does.</p>
<p>A Corps experience nothing like a USNA experience. It is, however, right for some people. [Now, when you compare the Corps to the AFA military requirements. . . .well, that's a different matter. ]</p>
<p>Getting back to what the Cadets and Midshipmen are like vice what the schools are like. </p>
<p>Most of the kids at all of the academies are pretty well rounded. There are going to be kids at both ends of the spectrum. But even brainiest kid is going to be pretty locked on and even the most gung-ho kid is going to be one of the smartest kids at his high school. </p>
<p>From an academic standpoint, all of these kids could have gone anywhere they wanted. </p>
<p>As for which academy is the brainiest, it is whichever one your kid goes to. Although, USNA did have the most Rhodes Scholars of any college in the country this year, and graduated the only NBA Most Valuable Player; West Point has had the most Presidents and Hiesman Trophy winners; USMMA has the highest percentage of corporate CEOs of any college in the country; CGA has a really cool sail boat; and USAFA has the best underground student publication -- <a href="http://www.edodo.org/%5B/url%5D">http://www.edodo.org/</a></p>
<p>I have a friend @ the AFA, and she'll always write to me explaining how ridiculously hard her classes are; not to mention boring. She's very bright, got an appointment without ever having played a sport. She's in recondo which helps her better prepare herself for the PFT and AFT, since she lacks lung capacity and struggles physically. Grades as Im told through my friend @ AFA is the killer (academically). The mil. knowledge which they're also graded on and drill counts towards their grades too just like the physical. Most of the time it's academically the cadets struggle with but sometimes it's physical or militarily. I know for sure all the mil. regulations/training one has to get use to for the 1st time can sometimes be the cause for leaving the academies; since they're living rigorously 24/7 and it's a very difficult adjustment.</p>
<p>Well, brace yourselves: hot off the "Proceedings" press: USNA is considering going from a 6 period/5 day academic week to a 7 period/5.5 academic week (with saturday morning classes) starting with the class of 2010. 2 years of foreign language is also being strongly considered. Just in case you were wondering if the academic rigors would be challenging enough! ;)</p>
<p>"to a 7 period/5.5 academic week (with saturday morning classes)"</p>
<p>I'm going to be the first to put my money down that saturday morning classes will never happen. I can see the 7 period a day thing, but weekend classes will never fly. First thought in my head was "are they going to not make atheletes take Saturday classes?" And what would they do with the inspections? move them to later in the day or Sunday? Oh my what the upperclass would do, haha.</p>
<p>Now that Jamtex has raised the red flag I have to respond - re: USNA being the "brainiest" of the Academies. Let's just look at the last two Academy graduates who became President - Dwight Eisenhower and Jimmy Carter. Dwight Eisenhower led our D-Day forces and conquered Europe. He is now being recognized by historians as being one of our good Presidents - one who was able to delegate authority to his subordinates. Jimmy Carter left our hostages in Iran for a year and gave us interest rates above 22 percent. With brains like that, let's hope the Naval Academy decreases the size of its classes. Carter delegated nothing - if you gave him a 500 page report to read, he read it. [yes, he's a nice man]</p>
<p>I happen to like John McCain. Given that Jimmy Carter ranked 59th in his class, it speaks well of McCain that he was 5th from the bottom.</p>
<p>Debating which Academy is the "brainiest" is like debating which of the Seven Sisters has the most portentous women.</p>
<p>Didn't West Point used to have saturday classes once upon a time?</p>
<p>Saturday classes in air conditioned buildings shouldn't be too bad. :)</p>
<p>I'm not sure when WP stopped Saturday classes but I know for sure they still had them late 80's, early 90's.</p>
<p>BigGreen: Carter's legacy will be his humanitarian efforts- they have been second to none. And if McCain was that close to being the anchor of the class, some would argue the really smart thing would have been to collect all those dollars! ;)</p>