<p>I should clarify (I was tired last night), the commitments for cadets who FINISH have changed recently, not sure if they changed requirements for people during colege. Two years sounds right though.</p>
<p>From West Point Admissions: "Upon graduation from West Point, you must serve at least five years of active duty and three years in a Reserve Component, a total of eight years. The active duty obligation is the nation's return on a West Point graduate's fully-funded, four-year college education that is valued in excess of $250,000."</p>
<p>If you start your junior year, you will have this commitment.</p>
<p>For anyone unfamiliar with the service academies, please know that admissions are extremely competitive. An applicant's academics must be very strong with demonstrated leadership experience. In addition, they must be able to pass a strenuous fitness test and comprehensive medical exam. Then they need to obtain a nomination usually from a member of Congress which is also highly competitive. They do not have to "know someone". There are interviews with Admissions and panel interviews for congressional nominations. It is a grueling process and then even more grueling if you get in.</p>
<p>One thing I've learned over the years is that half the things I worry about and stress over turn into vaporware of their own accord, so spending a lot of today fretting or arguing with loved ones over tomorrow is just a waste. </p>
<p>Unless I don't understand how military academy admissions work, I think you have until spring of senior year to pick your college. That's more than a year away and a lot can change in that time. This is not the time to be arguing with parents over where you're going to go to college. This is the time to be investigating all possibilities, eventually narrowing choices down to something manageable come application time. Keep all your options open by continuing to research schools of all types. </p>
<p>Application time is 9-12 months away, and decisions are later still. Why not call a truce with your parents and set a date in the future, say April 15, 2007, to resume the battle? At that point, you'll all have much more information before you.</p>