Enlisted soldier to USMA

Colleges and Universities A-Z Military Academy - West Point
1

Hi everyone,

What I’m about to type might be fairly long, but please bear with me, as I have very important questions!

I’m currently a high school junior, and I will be going to basic training in the army in the summer of 2017 to obtain my citizenship. As soon as I am naturalized, I hope to apply to attend USMA.

I’m wondering if according to my academic background as of now and the extracurricular activities I am involved in, I am qualified to be directly appointed to USMA (I’m a female btw).

So far, I’m valedictorian of my class with a weighted GPA of 4.7. The first time I took my ACT I got a 31 composite and 32 on writing (I will take it another time to improve). I’m involved in quite a bit of extracurricular activities that involve a heavy amount of community service, club organizations, and sports.

Since I will be in AIT when applying to USMA, I’m wondering if my chances are slimmer than normal civilians who apply to the academy. Am I at a disadvantage if I start 1-2 years later than “normal” undergrads?

I’ve done some research on their website, but I still have some lingering questions.

  1. Since I won’t be too far from graduating high school, am I allowed to submit letters of recommendation from my high school teachers? Or would I have to submit recommendation letters from general officers, battalion commanders, etc?
  2. Are there many instances where active duty soldiers apply to USMA and get directly appointed to USMA? Or are most soldiers considered for USMAPS?
  3. If everything goes smoothly with my naturalization process and I start applying in October, would that be too late? If my naturalization process doesn’t go as planned and I obtain my citizenship in let’s say, November, would I still be able to finish all the application and paperwork before the deadline on Feb. 28th? The later I start my application, would there be a slimmer chance I would get accepted as an enlisted soldier?

I know I’m looking a few years ahead, but I would GREATLY appreciate it if someone could answer my questions. Thank you in advance.

2

I’m in the Field Force doing volunteer admissions work for USMA and am a graduate. I think your chances of admissions after enlisting are strong. What I have been told is that USMA has several hundred spots reserved for active duty enlisted soldiers and they have never used up all these spots. Simply not enough soliders apply to USMA. You will not be at a disadvantage compared to students just graduating high school. In fact, I would argue that you are at a distinct advantage. There are not many 32 ACT class valedictorians enlisting in the Army and even fewer who want to apply to West Point. There was an admissions officer dedicated to helping active duty soldiers with USMA admissions. Given your situation I think it’s entirely appropriate for you to ask you question about recommendation letters. I am not that familiar with the process for active duty admissions but I do know your immediate commander has to approve your application