<p>ok so I'm currently 17 years old and a junior in high school. I'm trying to figure out whether I should go to the navy or apply to the naval academy??? If I do go to the navy then after completing my tour go to the naval academy, do I still have to complete the 5 years active commitment required by the naval academy or by going to the navy make me already complete that??? If I go to the navy first does that make my chances higher to get into the naval academy?? I'm just a little confuse whether I should go to navy first then naval academy. someone please help :)</p>
<p>You also might want to consider Navy ROTC.</p>
<p>What is your actual goal? A career in the Navy? An inexpensive college education? Lots of time on and near the water?</p>
<p>Yes, you have a 5 year commitment, minimum. Longer if you go to flight school. If you think you’d like to be an officer in the Navy and think you might be competitive for USNA … why would you enlist prior to seeking that? </p>
<p>btw, they send 8 or 10 annually to med school. It is VERY challenging to get one of those 10, and if you go, the commitment is longer.</p>
<p>Replied to your other thread.</p>
<p>well I begin looking into the navy because as I search for a career as a CIA agent they don’t say they require military experience but it is a plus if you do have the experience. I know the navy has a really good intelligence program so that was the whole reason why I wanted to go the navy and still be able to go to the naval academy. and the inexpensive college is definitely a plus for me. whether I’m near or on water really doesn’t matter that much to me.</p>
<p>whistle pig 
thanks so much I didn’t know the sent people to med school. so do you think it’s a good idea to enlist in the navy right after high school or go to a university do pre med than enlist?? I’m just really confuse. I don’t want to waste time and the wrong decisions.</p>
<p>Viable candidates for USNA are top scholars and athletes and leaders. Prior service in Navy is very rare and not an advantage. Go to their website for best info.</p>
<p>You should apply to USNA if you wish to become an officer, leading sailors. Not as a stepping stone to CIA or medical school. You think that enlisting in the navy out of HS, then getting to USNA somehow removes your committment to serve as a Naval officer?</p>
<p>You’re confused on many fronts. Perhaps not the best situation if you wish to be a MD or a CIA officer – or frankly to be a leader of our nation’s sailors, to be blunt.</p>
<p>Well thanks for your help but I believe I’m very qualified to become a CIA agent or anything I want to become. Me not having any back ground in the military or navy, makes me a little confuse on some things. But only because I don’t want to make thethe wrong decision. I’m sure if I had a wonderful mother to help me out on my journey in discovering what I want to become I wouldn’t be so confuse.</p>
<p>Btw I am a all A student and I’m in the national honor society. I been on variety volleyball every since I was a freshman and my club team is ranked in the nation so while I do appreciate your opinion. I know what ever decision I do make I will do very well in.</p>
<p>I meant “varsity” I’m on my phone and Swype is messing me up lol</p>
<p>navyormedschool, I think you’re missing the point…USNA is NOT a stepping stone to become a doctor in the Navy, and it’s VERY hard/rare to be able to become a naval doctor from the Academy. And do you actually want to serve in the Navy, or are you just doing this to get experience to become a CIA agent? You owe 5 years to the military after graduating from USNA (assuming you’ll get in, which you never know if you will or not) so it’s not really a stepping stone to the CIA.</p>
<p>In fact, intelligence is a restricted line officer job, and USNA primarily produces unrestricted line officers. The only time it’s possible to be a restricted line officer is if you aren’t medically qualified for an unrestricted line job, but that’s pretty rare.</p>
<p>I agree with CE…you need to really sit down with someone and figure this all out. USNA, firstly, is incredibly hard to get into. IF you choose to apply, the process is already starting. Current juniors have been trying badly to get into NASS this summer (did you apply…if not or if you did not get in you might want to do a Cand. Visitation weekend). Many also applied to USAFA summer seminar and West Point SLE, solely to get some academy experience this summer. They have been working on getting recs lined up for teachers as they will need them this summer if they want to get the application in early, taking and re-taking the SAT and ACT, awaiting their candidate number from USNA, etc. The list goes on and on. For many juniors, they have been working on their package (LOTS of leadership, varsity sports, service, advanced math and science courses with top grades) since 9th grade. It is not a decision to be made lightly and NO ONE should assume that they will get in. It is terribly competitive. You have to have a plan B.
Almost everyone who applies has top grades, a varsity letter or two, a ton of service, Eagle Scout/Gold Award or Boys/Girls State, and on and on.
That being said, it is a great option if you can get in and if you want to become an OFFICER IN THE NAVY. This is being drilled into our 11th grader, who also has an interest in medicine. You cannot go to USNA expecting for sure to be sent to med school. Very few get to do so. If they do not send you to med school, are you prepared to serve 5 years in whatever role they give you…because that will be what you have to do.</p>
<p>Are you looking at other plan Bs, such as NROTC? There is WAY more to consider than I think you might be aware of (based solely on your posts and nature of your questions). We are totally new at this, but our kids have learned a mountain of information about USNA over the last 6 months from others who have been there, tried to get there and or are there now. Mainly they have learned from the BGO. IF you have not contacted your BGO yet, it is time to do so. The clock is starting to run for you juniors. It is NOT too late at all, but it is time to start reaching out to those directly in the know understand the process.</p>
<p>Finally, the boards are a great resource. Many on here can give you much more and better information than I am giving here…but I hope this helps!
T</p>
<p>Forgot to put in my earlier post, you’re going to be interviewed by your BGO (Blue Gold officer [like a liason between you and USNA]) as well as going to interviews to obtain a nomination, and they ask you questions in order to determine if you have a genuine interest in USNA and the Navy or not in order to “weed out”, if you will, the ones who don’t have a genuine interest/desire…and if you are indeed using USNA/Navy as a stepping stone to the CIA (as it seems you are) then they will find out, and you won’t get in. </p>
<p>Not trying to discourage you from applying, by all means, do if you have the desire too, but it really would just be a waste of your time and everyone else’s who’ll be involved with your application if you don’t truly have a desire to serve and be happy with USNA minus med school and CIA.</p>
<p>+1 to taben’s advice, great advice.</p>
<p>You should choose to attend USNA as a stepping stone to a career as a military officer, not to build your resume for what you think you will do later in life.</p>