<p>What are the criteria for being accepted to a service academy? I've noticed most of them have low to very low acceptance rates, yet their SAT ranges are quite low.</p>
<p>How would I go about grooming myself to attend a service academy?</p>
<p>I'm particularly interested in the Coast Guard Academy.</p>
<p>You better be in great physical shape.</p>
<p>You have to have some pretty good ECs to get a recommendation from your rep in congress.</p>
<p>You have to get a recommendation from the state congressdude?</p>
<p>actually -- my understanding is that the coast guard academy does not require a nomination. check with them, but I am pretty sure it does not.</p>
<p>first, decide if the CGA (or another service academy) is for you. It requires extreme dedication, you must be interested in the limited majors offered and be willing to commit to the service required after you graduate.</p>
<p>all service academies offer fantastic academic opportunities to those who choose to attend.</p>
<p>they look at candidates in three areas -- leadership, academics, physical fitness. </p>
<p>ask at the College Confidential service academy forum for some good suggestions -- <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/forumdisplay.php?f=86%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/forumdisplay.php?f=86</a></p>
<p>best of luck!</p>
<p>I didn't know they had that forum. Cool, thanks dude.</p>
<p>Are we talking physical fitness as in I better play varsity sports? Or as long as I can hurl the basketball and I've got a six pack I'm good?</p>
<p>varsity sports are very important (not a requirement, but it will definitely help). actual physical stats are also important -- number of push-ups, sit-ups, time running the mile, etc. </p>
<p>Before you can go to any service academy, you must past a physical fitness test -- you can check with the CGA to get the stats required.</p>
<p>Okay, my mile might not be perfect, 6:40s-50s usually.</p>
<p>I can do about 100 sit ups in a minute. Probably could do a thousand without stopping in between. I can do about a hundred pushups.</p>
<p>I've got the stats, I just don't play sports. Can't get myself to stop mouthing off to the coaches lol.</p>
<p>'''Can't get myself to stop mouthing off to the coaches lol.'''</p>
<p>GODFATHER - I hope your able to control your mouth then to a commanding officer of higher ranking student....................</p>
<p>If I respect a teacher/coach, I control my mouth around them.</p>
<p>GODFATHER - and if you are by any luck admitted to one of the service acadamies - then you will need to learn patience - to control the mouth even tho you may not LIKE the teacher/coach - cuz if you don't you will be gone - or at least be made pretty miserable - as the result of it. Sooo good luck to you</p>
<p>I may be mean sometimes, but I'm not stupid.</p>
<p>godfather -- are you a current senior or a junior or lower class? It might make a difference in some of the recommendations. let us know.</p>
<p>as far as varsity sports -- again, not a complete requirement, but they are looking for something like that. You will need something that demonstrates leadership qualities, respect for others, hard work, etc.</p>
<p>They also like to see things like Eagle award for boy scouts, civil air patrol, anything like that</p>
<p>I thought all service academies required recs from your rep in congress.</p>
<p>And as for great physical shape, I mean AWESOME shape.</p>
<p>For one of the fitness tests, to get a perfect score, you'll have to run a mile in 5:20. I've been playing soccer for 7 years and I can't even do that.</p>
<p>from the coast guard academy website -- <a href="http://www.cga.edu/differences.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.cga.edu/differences.htm</a></p>
<p>Princeton Review says the United States Coast Guard Academy is one of the best kept secrets in higher education. Thats because we are the smallest military service academy and the ONLY ONE THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE CONGRESSIONAL NOMINATIONS. As a result, you might not have heard of us until now. We are the only service academy dedicated solely to Homeland Security we protect the United States using law enforcement authority and military power no other service does that. </p>
<p>As far as selectivity -- </p>
<p>"The Coast Guard Academy is ranked among the nations elite undergraduate colleges. This is reflected in our highly selective admission process, which annually identifies the best 300 candidates from a nationwide pool of approximately 6,000 applicants. </p>
<p>What distinguishes those who are accepted? </p>
<p>Proven academic accomplishment, particularly in math and the sciences
Skill as an athlete
A record of service to the community
Motivation to embrace leadership development
An unwavering desire to serve their country and humanity"</p>
<p>As far as the physical fitness test -- <a href="http://admissions.uscga.edu/i2e/academy_admission/fitness_exam.asp%5B/url%5D">http://admissions.uscga.edu/i2e/academy_admission/fitness_exam.asp</a></p>
<p>The Physical Fitness Exam (PFE) is a measure of your physical aptitude. It consists of five elements worth a maximum score of 100 points each and must be administered in the following sequence:
Pull Ups (Males only) Flexed Arm Hang/Gravitron Pull Ups (Females only)
Two-minute Curl-Ups/Sit-Ups
Standing Long Jump
300 Yard Shuttle Run
1.5 Mile Run
There is a maximum rest period of five minutes in between the first four events. The 1.5 mile run must be performed no sooner than one day and no longer than seven days after the first four events. A minimum score of 200 points is required for admission to the Academy. Instructions for completing the exam are available for download when you apply to the Academy online. You can download the PFE Instruction booklet to help prepare you for reporting day. </p>
<p>As far as what you need to do to prepare -- </p>
<p>"Are there certain courses you recommend I take in high school to better prepare me for success at CGA?</p>
<p>A: It is highly recommended that you take a full compliment of college preparatory classes. Specifically, we require, four years of English and four years of mathematics. Additionally, we encourage three years of sciences (at least chemistry and physics) and recommend as many rigorous courses as offered by your school, e.g., advance placement or honors courses, international baccalaureate program, etc. "</p>
<p>check out the CGA website for tons of info.</p>
<p>If you are a junior, I highly, highly recommend that you consider attending the summer program -- <a href="http://admissions.uscga.edu/i2e/summer/index.asp%5B/url%5D">http://admissions.uscga.edu/i2e/summer/index.asp</a></p>
<p>one thing to consider -- most of the service academies are somewhat self-selecting. You said that if you have respect for someone you can control your mouth. Once in the service, that isn't your choice. There will be teachers and officers that you don't respect for one reason or another, but you still obey their orders -- you give up the choice to choose whether to respect someone when you sign up.</p>
<p>the service academies (and the service) is not for everyone. </p>
<p>I have generally found that kids who haven't done scouts, civil air patrol, rotc, and other such organized leadership type groups because they didn't like them -- and those who didn't do varsity sports because they didn't like the time commitment or organized sports -- may not have the personality to succeed in the service academies. it takes a certain type of person.</p>
<p>They like math and science people! I've got that in the bag. And I can do all the fitness stuff, except my mile is about a minute too slow. I have time to work on that though.</p>
<p>And I'd like people to please calm down about what I said in regards to respecting people.</p>
<p>If someone is in a higher rank than me, I respect them for attaining that rank before I did.</p>
<p>The only people I don't respect are teachers who insult people for not knowing something they hadn't even taught, or who brag about themselves more than teaching. And then there are coaches, the overweight and lacking intelligence kind.</p>
<p>I imagine the higher ups at coast guard academy had to pass the fitness test, and that they made the grades that took intelligence to get in. So I respect them.</p>
<p>Let me ask you this, why would I be interested in a college where I would potentially not respect those who taught me?</p>
<p>Oh and before I sound like a mean, ranting jerk...</p>
<p>Thanks hsmomstef, for that wealth of information.</p>
<p>Dang a 5:20 mile! Oh well, haven't tried it in a while.</p>
<p>you are certainly welcome for the information!</p>
<p>I hope I didn't come off too strong -- it is just that some kids get interested in the service academies because of the good reputation or the free education, and you really need to be a good fit. they will work your butt off and then some!</p>
<p>I live in colorado springs where the AFA is and the students there love it, but...some of the stories they tell really makes me wonder how kids who are not cut out for the military can do it. example -- it really isn't that unusual for regular college kids to skip a class or two or be late. Not at the academy. They say the air force is paying for your education, not you, and you will attend every minute. the class schedule is extremely rigourous, with a full complement of other required activities and physical fitness training, so your day is full. with lots of homework, you are up late and exhausted in class. you are not allowed to sleep in class. cadets who doze off or appear to, must stand at the back of the class for the whole period. New cadets (i think the first 6 months or more) are not allowed to contact friends or family and cannot leave the academy grounds, you aren't allowed any transportation -- so if it isn't happening on base, it isn't happening. i think later they can pool money with others and rent a taxi for a night.</p>
<p>there are so many rules on behavior, dress, activites, etc -- just at a time when many kid are wanting to make the decisions for themselves. I just like kids to keep this in mind.</p>
<p>personally, I think it would be great and as long as you go into it with your eyes open, you can do it! these experiences form a bond with your fellow cadets and those that went before you that stand the test of time.</p>
<p>best of luck!!</p>
<p>I actually started looking into them because I want to get more disciplined.</p>
<p>As of now I'd honestly describe myself as a cocky jerk with a gift.</p>
<p>I want to be that without the first two self effacing adjectives.</p>
<p>Does your school have an ROTC or and NJROTC? Because if they do, I would advise that you join one of them. Unless you are a senior, then I guess it's a little late for that.</p>
<p>My school has a crappy version of that. I'm a junior and my schedule is pretty much set in stone unfortunately. Is it imperative that I join one?</p>
<p>You don't have to, but I heard that you can enter a service school with a rank already if you did the program and had enough credits. Although I am not to sure how it works because I'm not in it. If you have recruiters that come to your school then just talk to them about it.</p>