<p>This is an interesting question that admissions asks candidates and I found the breakdown of answers surprising.
For the class of 2008:
37% desire to be an army officer
29% USMA's overall reputation
24% self development
18% academic program
19% leadership training
7% athletics
4% economics
3% family influences </p>
<p>This is a change from the classes of 2000-2005 where only 20% had the desire to be an army officer.</p>
<p>I wonder what the percentage was of those that didn't list a desire to be an army officer as their primary reason that were accepted.</p>
<p>I remember filling out that form when I visited last year. There was a box that said "Emphasis on character development." I checked that one instead of "Army career opportunities" because you can go through ROTC or OCS and get the same butter bars. </p>
<p>Why am I going? In a tiny little nutshell: I believe that the finest enlisted Soldiers in the world deserve to be lead by officers who have been pushed to their limits (and have had those limits stretched) and have had every ounce of potential squeezed out of them. I know that West Point will challenge me more than any other commissioning route; and since I know I am capable of graduating I feel that it is my duty to the Soldiers I will lead someday to take the hardest path.</p>
<p>I hardly go a day without thinking about combat. To me, it is an inevitable reality; and the fact that I only have about 5 years until I take responsibility for the lives of forty Soldiers is, in all honesty, frightening. Anyone else here watch war movies a little differently now that you've been accepted?</p>
<p>thats such a cliche answer. being at west point, and our minimal exposure to the real army, there is one thing we learn: west point produces the same quality officers as any other comissioning process. you can tell yourself that's not true, but any enlisted soldier or officer will tell you differently. and actually, west point 2nd luitentents have a bad rep going into the army already and that works against them. they probably have to do more to gain the respect of peers and subordinates. you are right about west point being the hardest commissioning process, but it doesnt make us any better. in fact that is why west point officer have a bad rep - because they sometimes go into the army thinking they are better, and that just isn't the case.</p>
<p>"I hardly go a day without thinking about combat. To me, it is an inevitable reality; and the fact that I only have about 5 years until I take responsibility for the lives of forty Soldiers is, in all honesty, frightening. Anyone else here watch war movies a little differently now that you've been accepted?"</p>
<p>no offense but thats pretty corny. i know you're thinking all 'honorably" now, but my biggest advice to you is to stop worrying about all that and have fun. key word - FUN, because you won't have much of that plebe year, and its really hard to see all of your high school friends having the time of their lives while your cleaning your room on a friday night for SAMI prep.</p>
<p>One man's corny and cliche is another's heartfelt enthusiasm. I admire your eloquence, futurewarrior.</p>
<p><em>exercises untold levels of self-control</em></p>
<p>I actually thought USMA's first mailing to me was a practical joke or mistake until I saw my name on the card.</p>
<p>It was love at first sight when I went to visit. It had everything I wanted in a college and it was the only one where I felt like I was coming home. Cornell, SUNY Bing, NYU, other Ivies, none of them had that vibe or click with me. I joked that I'd only go to Cornell for the ice cream, which is actually true. I'm not impressed with a school that has a 85% freshman retention rate just because it has lots of money and fancy architecture (just so y'all know I totally love USMA's gothic styling and at one point I was considering art school hence my appreciation of architecture)</p>
<p>...Also USMA's cheerleading team is nationally ranked and guess what...level 5 All Star, of course I want to keep cheering at the national level. </p>
<p>USMA is everything I want in a college...wow, I feel like an engaged person describing their fiance.</p>
<p>Hehe. Our Homer is "just another bitter Yuk". Nothing' personal. In fact, didn't you once agree that WP produces the best Army officers, Homer? You are being too humble. For every arrogant twit WP produces there are dozens and dozens and dozens are great junior officers. Cheer up...you'll be a great one, too. :)</p>
<p>"thats such a cliche answer. being at west point, and our minimal exposure to the real army, there is one thing we learn: west point produces the same quality officers as any other comissioning process. you can tell yourself that's not true, but any enlisted soldier or officer will tell you differently. and actually, west point 2nd luitentents have a bad rep going into the army already and that works against them. they probably have to do more to gain the respect of peers and subordinates. you are right about west point being the hardest commissioning process, but it doesnt make us any better. in fact that is why west point officer have a bad rep - because they sometimes go into the army thinking they are better, and that just isn't the case."</p>
<p>Not to inflame tensions or anything but I dont believe futurewarrior mentioned anything about west point officers being any better than others who take other oppurtunities to persue a commission. He just felt being in "the academy environment" would push him individually to become the best leader HE can possibly become for the enlisted men who will be serving him. </p>
<p>"no offense but thats pretty corny. i know you're thinking all 'honorably" now, but my biggest advice to you is to stop worrying about all that and have fun. key word - FUN, because you won't have much of that plebe year, and its really hard to see all of your high school friends having the time of their lives while your cleaning your room on a friday night for SAMI prep." </p>
<p>In response to seeing all your friends having the time of their lives, thats fine and all but when you accepted to go to the academy, you did know what you were getting in to. So any doubts or longings you have about the civilian lifestyle should have been settled and decided upon before you step foot on West Point. So Please take this with all due respect, Homer09, im not trying to bash you. I appreciate your service to our country by attending the academy.</p>
<p>My husband is a product of ROTC, but taught at West Point as a junior field grade...Homer does know what he's talking about, but futurewarrior will need all the passion he has for the academy and the desire to lead men honorably as he goes through West Point and on into the army. </p>
<p>On the Homer knows what he's talking about...some of the best are OCS guys. Some are the ones who joined off of wall street after 9/11. And many are ROTC. But West Point has it's own way of producing a true cross section of our army - with many wonderfully capable young men and women and those who still need a little polishing along the way - like any other commissioning source.</p>
<p>My own son has now been accepted into the Class of 2011 and is weighing the decision. He doesn't want to serve as a 20 year guy, but rather sees the academy as a way to serve his country while growing and maturing, and receiving an education. Has some great top schools to choose from too...it's a hard decision.</p>
<p>Futurewarrior, have you read "Absolute American?" Set while we were there. Many cadets in book now serving as captains. While it does seek out the some of the darker parts of West Point culture - if things haven't changed in 5 years, it's a very realistic look at life at West Point. (although I guess the war wasn't a factor when it was written)</p>
<p>spidermom: thanks and you guessed it. i am a bitter yuk, ha.
crazymiler - "In response to seeing all your friends having the time of their lives, thats fine and all but when you accepted to go to the academy, you did know what you were getting in to. So any doubts or longings you have about the civilian lifestyle should have been settled and decided upon before you step foot on West Point. So Please take this with all due respect, Homer09, im not trying to bash you. I appreciate your service to our country by attending the academy."</p>
<p>no offense, but you dont really know what you're talking about. you said "thats fine and all but when you accepted to go to the academy, you did know what you were getting in to. So any doubts or longings you have about the civilian lifestyle should have been settled and decided upon before you step foot on West Point." i guess you're the expert. you have NO IDEA what you're getting into until you actually get here. i for sure didnt know what i was getting into. please don't tell me "any doubts or longings you have about the civilian lifestyle should have been settled and decided upon before you step foot on West Point" because that is impossible. everyone has their doubts while they are here. if you haven't seriousely considered quitting than you are not normal. believe me, you will think about how much easier life would be on the outside and begin to wonder why you didn't try normal college.</p>
<p>don't let me discourage you. i think you SHOULD come here and this place produces great officers. i think you may have a common misconception of this place though. best of luck to you.</p>
<p>West Point isn't going to make anyone into someone they aren't. Who you are when you come out of that place still depends a lot on what you brought with you into it.</p>
<p>Bottom line: You get out of West Point what you put into it. This place is not a machine that automatically cranks out a good officer. If you decide you want to do the bare minimum and be a slug for four years, it is possible. If you really want to get better, though, the chances are there. WP is more of an environment that provides opportunities to grow, it's a cadets job to take advantage of them.</p>
<p>I went to West Point because I have a desire to serve my country. As a minority and as a woman, I understand that my nationality, American, has given me rights and privileges that counterbalance my ethnicity and gender. I have always marked down "other" on race questions. My opportunities to travel and to explore other cultures have exposed me to their darker sides: the deep set racism, the hostility towards those of mixed race, and their paternalism towards women. Yes, they have also led to an acceptance of other cultures, great experiences, and a stronger character, but they have made me fully aware of the debt I owe to America. </p>
<p>I am not a recent immigrant. On my father's side, my family has fought in every war since the Revolution. We were colonists before there was a "more perfect union." There is a history of military tradition there that stretches back through every generation. That history also inspired me: to follow in the footsteps of my family members before me. </p>
<p>During IAW, I remember the exact moment that I decided that West Point was The One, and the way for me. I was sitting in my room, writing in my journal, when Taps blew. As the sound of the bugle drifted over the Plain and bounced off the valley walls, the sense of peace and history and tradition coalesced, and I knew. I hand carried my application home at the end of the week. That September, when the world changed forever, my mother cried when she questioned my devotion to the Point. She wanted me to go to Harvard, take the scholarship, and stay safe. "Wasn't one soldier enough for our family?" Well, no. Not to me. </p>
<p>Note that "leading troops into battle" is nowhere in this. That's probably a good thing. I will not be getting a platoon any time soon. But I can do my damndest as a physical security officer and the anti terrorism officer. I can schedule first responder training, make sure that my soldiers have their hep b shots to protect them, and serve as a victim's advocate in cases of sexual assault. I can balance a budget, order paper towels and garbage bags, prepare to head back to school for more training, and make sure that the dogs sweep before VIP visits I am a staff officer. That does not entitle me to slack off. That is what is required of me right now. If and when I do get a platoon, I'll be ready. What you need to be prepared for is not "leading a platoon." It's selfless service and sacrifice, willingness to do what needs to be done, not what you want to be done.</p>
<p>I am not some paragon of military virtues. I thought I knew what I was getting in to, but I didn't. Not by a long shot. I had times of doubt and worry, and thought honestly about quitting several times plebe year. If you don't have thoughts of quitting, or envy, or outright jealousy of your friends in "normal college" you're not doing it right and you're not pushing hard enough. </p>
<p>It's easy, for SAMI, to send all your extra stuff out in the laundry and to take half a laundry cart of gear down to the trunk room. It's hard to just keep your room neat and orderly. If you get to the Academy and you think the inspections are worthless and you skate through them, you're going to suffer in the "Real Army" like the companies that are failing arms rooms inspections in my division right now. Learning to follow directions and do it right is valuable, but hard to do when you know your friends from high school are out having fun. </p>
<p>So, futurewarrior, think about your attitude. Temper it with realism. You are not going to graduate and walk straight into the real action version of America's Army, Halo, or Rainbow6. Even if you branch infantry, as my husband did, you may still be sitting at Ft. Benning and still be in TRADOC on the first anniversary of your graduation. He's not the only one, either. By the time you graduate, we may not even still be in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, or anywhere else. Your first deployment may be to Haiti, to help promote democracy (again), a far cry from your "inevitable reality" of combat. Heck, I'm worried about going the rest of my Army career "light on the right" because I'll be in Korea, on a staff, for at least the next two years.</p>
<p>Wow, this went on a lot longer than I planned. Sorry for the verbosity. shogun, you're right. West Point can't make something from nothing, you have to bring your own grit with you. Homer, you're almost there! Less than a hundred days and you can look forward to a summer of...Airborne? DCLT/CTLT? Your detail? PIAD? What are you up to? Mulan, learn the rocket! And "On Brave Old Army Team." Cheerleading tryouts are in August, focus is on learning routines, stunting, jumps, and tumbling. Or was when I tried out. Both times. And for everyone: no matter what your reason is for going to West Point, make sure it's for you, and your ideals, not for any other reason. It's never too late to realize that it was a mistake and you'd be happier at ____________. Think that through before you show up for Beast. The Academy doesn't choose anyone they don't think can graduate. Once you start, though, be prepared to see it through to the hat toss at the end of a beautiful 47 month experience.</p>
<p>Hey BZZZT- high five for being minority females! </p>
<p>Yea, I saw the Rocket on the Military Channel yesterday- pretty cool. I used to do tightrope and trapeze at circus camp as a kid, so I'm kinda used to strange bodily activities. So they're on a plank with some cinderblocks on top or something? </p>
<p>How many 8 counts on average are these cheerleading routines? My best "jump" is the Around the World which is left front hurdler, toe touch, right front, double toe to a back handspring- no banana...my home teams never believed in bananas (same coach for varsity and all star)</p>
<p>Part of my family earned their place here serving as mess chefs. If you saw any member of my family who has served or is serving on the street you would not see anything remotely Army about us. No one would ever guess, so it's not like we're born already Hooah for the Army. I think most of us off duty are just regular people with some sort of intense passion for something which is what I hope drives people to join.</p>
<p>I think my brief experience at a civilian college made me absolutely certain that USMA is where I want to be</p>
<p>PS- Mom of 07 Congrats, I might be seeing him this summer.</p>
<p>Maybe 20 8 counts of OBOAT, and another 20 of a dance routine. You're coming at tryouts at a much stronger place than I did :) I was never a cheerleader, but it was something the women in my family "did" in college, so I tried out on a whim! Fun, but not my thing, really. </p>
<p>And for the rocket - cinderblocks? I'm thinking of a 10 second football cheer...what are you thinking of?</p>
<p>momof07,</p>
<p>Yes I have read Absolutely American. My parents have as well, and we are all glad that the book explores the negative aspects of the academy culture as well as the positives.</p>
<p>bzzzt,</p>
<p>I do not want to write a letter to a couple stating that their son, who was my responsibility, is dead. Will I lose men if I see combat? Maybe. But if I ever have to write that letter, I better know that I was as prepared to lead that young man into combat as I possibly could be. Will West Point prepare me the best? Well, as others have stated, that depends. I just feel that based on my personal goals and mindset, West Point is the best for me. I have the utmost respect for anyone who feels that ROTC or OCS is a better fit for them.</p>
<p>To everyone else,</p>
<p>I am real sorry that my post has caused some blood pressures to rise. I'm just trying to explain my passion using English, and am finding it to be difficult.</p>
<p>I echo futurewarrior's comments about different ways of starting a military career. I have a couple of friends who believe that the only way should be enlisting as a private, then going through OCS. While they respect what I am doing, their attitudes scream their belief that I am going in the easy way, almost like cheating.</p>
<p>While I have no problem with enlisting, and I hold the utmost respect for anyone who has ever served or is currently serving in our armed forces, I believe that the service academies provide the best opportunity to become an officer in any branch of the military. Not that those who attend will come out the best officers, but that they have the opportunity to. I am sure that ROTC and OCS hold advantages that the academies don't, and vice versa, but IMHO, overall, for those who can get in, the academies seem to be the best way to go.</p>
<p>"While they respect what I am doing, their attitudes scream their belief that I am going in the easy way, almost like cheating"</p>
<p>ahhh.... youth..........</p>
<p>I want to go to West Point because I want to have a job that matters.</p>
<p>I want to avoid paper pushing as much as possible. And, if I must push paper, I'd rather do it for Uncle Sam and feel like I'm making a difference in the world as opposed to supporting the stock options of the executives of a company.</p>