<p>I am trying to apply to a Military Academy such as USNA or West Point. What can I do my freshman year that can help my admissions?</p>
<p>Get excellent grades in a tough academic program and join a demanding sports team (and stick with it).</p>
<p>Second Hanna. It is important to be well rounded - activities in school or another organization, grades and sports.</p>
<p>I have a 4.00 unweighted right now..but it's only my freshman year. Also, I am going to do winter track and spring soccer for 4 years. I am also going to try to be an officer for key club and my class. I am looking at 3 other clubs to join too.</p>
<p>What do you mean "in another organization"? Are you talking about things church and boyscouts?</p>
<p>Judging from the students I know from our h.s. who've been accepted: challenge yourself academically and do your best in those classes, participate in a sport (any sport, and you don't have to be a superstar, just keep at it), music doesn't hurt, and participate in community service and be the type of student that teachers and counselors speak highly of. </p>
<p>The kids I've known have been good students (one straight A, one not), musicians (one symphonic orchestra, one jazz band), participated in athletics (one a state ranked tennis player, the other a so-so track and cross country runner) and both were students-of-the-month type achievers. The Eagle Scout tennis/orchestra student is at the Naval Academy; the cross country/jazz trumpet player (also piano) is accepting an appointment to West Point. He was not in Boy Scouts, but was active in his church youth group.</p>
<p>Eagle helps alot.</p>
<p>I'm not in the boy scouts and I don't really go to church. Is there something else that I can do outside of school and really helps on my resume?</p>
<p>The best things you can do to get into a military academy:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Do well in school. You really don't need all straight A's, but take the tougher courses offered at your school. If you're going to any of the Service Academies directly from high school, admission is even tougher for you than a prep school student or someone who has already spent time in the military. Average SAT score is roughly 1375/1600 for the incoming high school student to Air Force, Army, and Navy, about 1290 for Coast Guard, and about 1260 for the Merchant Marine Academy. Being a validictorian or salutatorian will help your cause as these are two components included in their class profiles.
Also, strive for national honor society. Those who are not included in national honor society are probably the prior enlisted sailors or prep schoolers.</p></li>
<li><p>Do well in sports while you're in school. It's hard to get in without some good credentials in athletics. Even if you're not all division or all state, being team captain is a plus. Concrete accomplishments are crucial, especially if you're thinking of joining a sports team while you're there. Passing the physical readiness test is a must if you're going to succeed at any of the academies, so start while you can before you get there.</p></li>
<li><p>Leadership. I say that in one word. These institutions are not necessarily taking the best leaders, but they are taking the people with the best leadership POTENTIAL measured in extracurricular or personal characteristics. Some promising activities are student government, eagle scout, team captain, involvement in city planning/politics, other activities such as city newspaper or school yearbook/newspaper editor. JROTC helps too.</p></li>
<li><p>Desire to serve. This will be displayed in your essays and personal interviews with congressmen and service academy liason officers. The Academy will be able to see your motivation by how early you get your application materials in. Your recommendations from teachers or coaches are very important. Start early and prepare for your future. Remember, the grueling application is part of the process to see who actually wants to be here.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Here is the class profile for the Naval Academy, Class of 2011.
<a href="http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/documents/Classof2011Profile.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/documents/Classof2011Profile.pdf</a></p>
<p>Fair Winds and Following Seas,
MIDN 3/c BMP</p>
<p>(We also have a Service Academy forum section here.)</p>
<p>Like the above posters said. Do well in school, participate in athletics, get some leadership experience, etc.</p>
<p>Air</a> Force Academy has a lot of stuff for USAFA</p>
<p>Be able to convincingly answer the question:</p>
<p>"Where have you demonstrated leadership? Do you take the lead when things are rough? Are people willing to follow you?"</p>
<p>Attending your state's American Legion Boys' or Girls' State (a week-long hands-on government learning experience for students just finishing their junior year of high school) is also an activity highly regarded for consideration. </p>
<p>If you don't see or hear anything in your high school guidance office about this, contact your local American Legion Post. If there is not one in your city, search the internet for your state's website and contact their state contact person. While most participants are sponsored by their local Am Leg., other civic groups can sponsor you. But best start checking into this the beginning of your junior year as it sometimes takes awhile to figure out who has the information and if your district is competitive with their selection, participants may be selected in late fall for the following spring/summer week. </p>
<p>Best of Luck!</p>
<p>JTLYK, one of my kids earned appointments to every military academy he applied to (USNA, USAFA, he didn't want to go to Westpoint) plus he received ROTC scholarships to top-ranked USNWR universities where he was also accepted. He was a 4.0 (unweighted) student until spring of his senior year (senioritis set in), and took nearly every academically rigorous course offered. He was not an eagle scout, not JROTC, not in student gov't, not a club president. What my family learned from his experience:
-- Take the toughest courses your school offers. Study, study, study and do very well.
-- Prepare yourself for the SATs. The better your scores, the higher your chances.
-- Sports. Do one or more sports consistently. Get physically fit. Push-ups, push-ups, push-ups.
-- Get to know at least two educators (e.g., teacher and high school counselor) in your junior and senior years, since you'll be asking them for recommendations. They are oftentimes more eloquent and better able to communicate what a top-notch student you are than a sports coach.
-- Consistency in what you do, not quantity of activities, is what many of the most selective schools are looking for. Stick with your sports team(s) for several years. Same thing for community service. Pick one volunteer group and stay with it. If church isn't for you, pick a volunteer activity that lets you help others selflessly. Put in lots of volunteer hours in your freshman and sophomore years because that's when you'll have the time and the inclination.
-- Leadership: there are other ways to demonstrate leadership for busy scholar athletes, if you're not the valedictorian or team captain. You don't have to do some time-consuming activity like the school newspaper. Instead, tutor tough academic courses for free. (Of course, this depends on the teacher recommending you to parents as a tutor.) Or if you're musical, give a concert performance or solo in a production. This also demonstrates leadership. In your junior year (early fall) apply to Boys' State. (Anonagron is right.)
-- Timetable ... Freshman year is when you have the most time for everything: academics and extracurricular activities. Take honors courses in preparation for your Advanced Placement (AP) classes. Sophomore year will still give you lots of time, since you'll only be able to take one AP course. Crunch time is junior year, when you'll likely be taking your toughest AP courses, while still trying to hang in there with sports and community service. It's okay to devote most of your time to academics, and miss sports and community service sometimes. Senior year requires you to do very well still in your fall semester. You'll only need a 2.0 avg your spring semester, so don't blow it.
-- Also, contemplate why you want to be a military officer. That is important.
-- Morals: a military officer is expected to be of high moral character. Live ethically. In this day and age of easy teen drugs and alcohol, remember that you can choose not to. Your peers will respect your wishes and not offer you these things.
-- Don't get married, as married candidates are not accepted. Avoid body piercing. Also, don't get a girl pregnant.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks guys for all the tips. I am now a sophomore. I am taking all honors and AP World History. I am going to participate in Key Club, Model UN, soccer, track, and volunteer at a local hospital when I'm 16. I didn't manage my time during freshman year so I didn't get much done but I hope I can make up for that during sophomore year. Thanks guys.</p>
<p>paulchullee -</p>
<p>If you can, get a job where people report to you. Preferably one in which your supervisor, or the owner, can write a letter of recommendation regarding your ability to manage others (the leadership component academies are looking for).</p>
<p>Leadership can also be demonstrated by founding, or becoming an officer, in a club.</p>
<p>They very much care whether others are willing to follow your lead.</p>
<p>Get Congressional Nomination.</p>
<p>runnermom, where did your son decide to enroll?</p>