<p>Sorry, 18 Delta. Bad choice of words on my part. Mostly out of disappointment for my friend.
Please accept my apology.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your advice.</p>
<p>My nephew is a current 3rd year midshipman at the Naval Academy, and doing very well, somewhere in the top 15% of the class. Based on reports from my brother, I second the observation that EFFICIENT studying is paramount. Just as in combat. Midshipmen are running full speed from pre-dawn to lights out. He reports it is exhausting just to watch.</p>
<p>There are many rewarding careers in the military outside the commissioned officer corps. Commissioned officers are expected to be very, very smart, quick on their feet, possess good snap judgement, creative – all attributes needed to make command decisions in the heat of combat, and affecting the well being and lives of hundreds of good men and women – and also not coincidentally, required attributes to get As in school and high scores on the SAT/ACT.</p>
<p>I wish the best for this young man. Just as a back-door admittance to a Top 20 university would not be a good fit for such a challenged learner, admittance to the Naval Academy would not be a good fit either. Not fair to the young man! Nobody wants to be in pressure situations without the inborn skills necessary to succeed!</p>