<p>righteous,</p>
<p>I'd love to know more about what you mean. USMAPS is wonderful, but why are you glad that you're not at WP? Do you plan on going there next year? What did you miss in your research?</p>
<p>i think that being at the prep school is a nice transition to the kind of lifestyle that one would have to endure at west point. believe me, the hard part isn't the push ups, running, studying, or cleaning. the hard part is putting up with the politics, hypocracy, and routine. it isn't like going to work, putting up with crap and having a bad day then going home to shake it off. some things just don't make sense and you have to go by it.</p>
<p>as far as research... what i mean by that is to make sure that you (in general) know what you are getting yourself into.. i remember learning about west point and hearing that once you graduate you can get pretty much any job after your five years of active duty.. sounds nice. and of course, it wouldn't be such a huge deal if there wasn't any kind of sacrafice... but what i am trying to say is that there is a lot of information that is lost in translation, sort of speak. plus, i'm all about sacrafice, everyone at the prep school had to make them in order to get there. the difference is that we all chose what important things we had to sacrafice. once you are there, you do not think, you do. no question. </p>
<p>i know quite a few people including prior service kids, recruited athletes, and just regualr kids who got involved in something they didn't even see coming. now they are very upset and want to go elsewhere. especially the prior service kids. i thought that of all the people there, they would be most likely to stay.. i was surprised on that one.</p>
<p>not to dicourage anyone from pursuing their goal of joining "the long gray line" but justvmake sure you are settng yourself up for success- whether it be west point, rotc, or whatever..</p>
<p>overall, yeah- west point is tough and probably worth it in the end.. but it depends highly on the person.. i know a firstie who told me that if he could do it all over again he probably would have gone somewhere else.. he just "waited" and kept chugging along hoping to see the value and not be a "quitter".</p>
<p>so, prep school... good situation to be in because it is only a one year program that ends with no real commitment, free food, warm room, and a small (but steady) paycheck. when its over you can choose to go to usma or, as many prepsters have done, apply to other colleges and go there. for me personally, i have my own plans for my life- i have come to learn that west point (not the army) is not that interested in "my plans", they are more concerned about "their investment". i don't blame them, i would be too. i hope to do rotc at another college. for me.. i need to find the moderation of army involvement as well as achievement of my own plans.</p>
<p>whew.. but what do i know... i fell short and landed at the prep school.</p>