have been searching avidly for my purpose in life ever since I started highschool. At the time, I thought it was football. I didn’t quite try my best in my first two years of high school as far as academics go. I just did what I could to get by in a decent manner ( mostly high B’s). Most of my focus went towards football. I started varsity my Freshmen year and was quite determined to be a phenomenal football player someday. My Sophomore year, I achieved the defensive player of the year award in my area. Unfortunately I suffered shoulder injuries from overtraining in both shoulders which put a total damper on the training I could do afterwards. I went to several doctors and none of them could offer a legitimate solution to heal them. This allowed me to take a step back and weigh out what I would do with my life if my shoulders never got better. In the first half of my current junior year, I stumbled across a military booth set up by our school cafeteria. I became interested in the military and began my research. By the end of the day, I knew that this was what I wanted to do. I was pretty adamant about that. Football was definitely still a passion of mine but I wanted to make military my new life goal. Specifically, I wanted to go to a military academy and serve my country as an officer. Upon looking at these academies, I love everything about them ranging from the environment of hard workers, to the customs and traditions, and ultimately to the sense of pride in our great country. But as I said above, my underclassmen grades…Are these to keep me from this aspiration of mine? Ever since becoming dedicated to the idea of joining an academy, I’ve made a plan to maximize my chances of being accepted. I guarentee myself that I will achieve a 4.0 this year. I do have college entry classes as well. I am in the honors course of study. I am confident that I will put in the necessary hours to get a high SAT score. I can ensure a such a SAT score. I can ensure a 4.0 this year and next year. But can I still get into the academy or will my Freshmen and Sophomore grades disqualify me? In no way shape or form do these years define who I am. When I set my mind to something, I do whatever necessary to ensure my success. I have no doubt about my success in the academy. But will I still have the ability to join? Recently I’ve had my shoulders operated on by a very successful doctor. I’m on the fast track to recovery and they shouldn’t ever be a problem again.
In regards to your shoulders- the medical portion of the application may hinder your chances of getting accepted. But the academies are looking for a “whole person” rather than a 4-year- 4.0. The fact that you were able to switch priorities shows initiative (and should be something you address in your interviews/ personal statements - as a weakness turning into a strength). Give the application process a shot, the worst they can say is “No.” And IMHO, the result is only part of your journey to becoming an officer if you have the determination you can find another way (NROTC scholarship/ plain old NROTC/ or enlisting and OCS). It’s the application process that is killer and is designed to weed out the people who don’t persevere, follow up, and keep their eyes on the goal. Again, I’ll repeat- Give it a shot; there’s more than one way to skin a cat.
Best,
A Fellow USNA Candidate (c/o 2021 hopeful)
Luckyme123,
I have a bit of a similar situation however very different. As a kid I had ADHD which did not help me focus in classes and made me go off in tangets during classes. Especially when it came to homework, I would not work to the fullest of my potential. However, after visiting the academy with my grandfather (Class of 1949 when I was in 4th grade (Pretty early), I decided to get myself off of my medication in order to become a stronger individual and so I could go to the academy. It took long for me to totally start this so I struggled a little bit with my gpa in 7th and 8th grade, even though all my teachers recognized me as intelligent student with a lot of potential. From then on in my grades started increasing and increasing every year. In 9th grade I had a weighted 92.5 average and took an AP course and got a 5. However, my total gpa was at a 91 which I believe is not good enough. Now I am currently in 10th grade and my weighted average this year is a 97 with 2 AP courses which will probably bring my gpa up to around a 94 setting up for a good junior year that will boost my class ranking. I do not know if talking about my early struggle with ADHD and the influence it will have on my application is a good idea because it might make the academy uninterested. What are your thoughts on the matter?
The Academy is looking for someone who despite their troubles is determined to succeed. Your ability to rise to the top (because a 97(out of 100?) GPA is really good!!!) despite your ADHD is an AMAZING feat. While on the other hand, taking about this in your admissions essay may be inadvisable, it is something that should be mentioned in a comments section as to what you have been able to do - your fight with ADHD and how you were able to be successful with out the medicine.
A little personal aside, I had “protracted hiccups”- a strange ailment that occurred in the fall of 10th grade and ended a year and a half after that, in which I could not stop hiccuping. DODMERB (medical people who determine your “qualification” or medical ability to be successful in service) chose to ignore this anomaly and instead focus on other issues on my file. My parents told me to focus on aspects of my life that I have had struggles in- leadership without recognition, etc. and that has worked for me.
The specific question USNA asks (this year’s prompt) is “What lead to your initial interest in naval service and how can the Naval Academy help you achieve your long range goals? Describe a personal experience that has led to your character development and integrity.”
Try to take a more light hearted turn (if that makes sense)- to focus on how you have developed as a stronger person in spite of having ADHD and how you won’t let it bar you from being determined and successful, maybe how you’ve used these skills to then make a difference in your community by mentoring, or how these skills have helped you to become a better leader because of reasons A,B,and C.
Good luck!
Luckyme123
(And keep in mind that there are other ways to become an officer instead of focusing solely on USNA- NROTC (regardless of a scholarship) is a fantastic route. )