<p>To begin, I am a junior and high school, looking to attend a military academy. I already know with confidence that I can get accepted to any of the academies, but my problem lies with the choice. As of now, it's between USAFA and USMA. I am having trouble deciding which would be the best choice for me.
I have no intention of becoming a pilot. With this said I want to get a degree in Computer Science. Does one academy have a compsci program that is superior to the other?
Also, I don't want to come off as insulting, but from reading various articles and blogs on the internet it seems that the Air Force Academy is based more around high school students who excel greatly in sports. I know that sports play a large role in acceptance, but the USAFA looks like it accepts "MVP's" only from schools. I play first string on the football team at my school, but I am not the amazing player who makes all of the best plays.
Another question: is bodybuilding or lifting weights considered a sport by the admissions office, and is it an option as a sport a cadet could take part in while at an academy?
Thanks for reading this far (almost finished). Lastly, is it worth committing a minimum 9 years of your life (4 years at academy 5 years service)? My family is poor, and having a free education along with the honor of serving my country sounds wonderful. My grandfather enlisted into the Air Force, and from there worked for NASA for 41 years. After serving in the military, how susceptible am I to a good career?
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and any advice would be great!
-Matt</p>
<p>"Lastly, is it worth committing a minimum 9 years of your life (4 years at academy 5 years service)?"</p>
<p>Only you can answer that question.... The starting point is "why do you want to go to USMA?". If the answer is because you want to serve as an officer in the US Army - then you are off to a good start.</p>
<p>Matt,</p>
<p>Read everything you can about both academies. Both have very strong engineering/computer science majors. Also, apply to the summer programs. Being accepted to either or both will help give you a glimpse of what life as a cadet would be like.</p>
<p>Ann is right. Only you know if you want to be an officer. The 9 years is worth it if this is what you want to do. That should be the career goal at this stage of the process. If your answer is yes, after completing your required 5 years of active duty service, you can choose to remain or move on in your career. Career opportunities for officers leaving the military are excellent.</p>
<p>Best of luck to you.</p>