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(Based on 2005
Information) A GUIDE FOR STUDENTS
INTERESTED IN THE ACADEMIES BE
CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR. The primary mission of all service academies is to produce high quality, career oriented officers for the military. High school students will sometimes pursue a military academy because they are interested in: v A high quality education with all costs covered by the government v Prestige, glamour, and recognition for “getting accepted” v Pleasing the wishes of parents or others Most students will drop out within weeks if these are their motivations. Those who succeed have a burning desire to become strong leaders in the military. They accept and embrace the fact that they will be living a military lifestyle during their four years at an academy and for a minimum of 6-8 years following graduation. Gaining acceptance to a military academy will require considerable work for the student and his/her: v Parents v School officials v Liaison officers v State political leaders v Academy officials Therefore, it is wise for a student to thoroughly research
this postsecondary option as early as possible. Students are advised to read the following
materials, written by William L. Smallwood and published by Beacon Books, c/o
Schabot and Deagle Co., v The Air Force Academy Candidate Book v The Naval Academy Candidate Book v The Students are also urged to learn more about academy and military life by: v Studying the web pages for each academy (see the next page for these) v Requesting and reading each academy’s literature and course catalogs v Talking with military officers, active ore retired, about their lifestyles v Talking with current students at the academies v Visiting at least one academy to get a sense of the lifestyle and expectations A letter Concerning the Dear Parents and Students, Did you know the This information came from Lt. Col.
Jack Jessup a v Take math through Calculus and
sciences through Chemistry and Physics! v Take the ACT and SAT early and
often, at least by sophomore year. The
highest score will be taken. SAT
verbal and math should be higher than 600.
ACT should be higher than 28.
PLAN should be higher than 28.
Apply during your junior year in December for the summer seminar. Summer seminar is one of two weeks during
the summer where the student will stay on site at the v Have your scores reported to the
academy as well as your state’s US senators and representatives. v 98% of all Air Force Academy
Cadets have lettered in a Varsity Sport. v Must pass a rigorous physical
fitness exam. v Begin taking college prep
classes in their freshman year and maintain a high GPA. GPA of 3.90 usually, lower for various
minorities. v Be involved in a few clubs as a
freshman and sophomore and hold an office during Junior and senior year. v Junior year in February contact
the academies you’re interested in for application kits. v April of your junior year
contact one of your state’s senators and representatives for nomination. v Make an appointment your
assigned counselor in Guidance and stay in close touch. v Speak with the PHS ROTC officers
to make arrangements to talk to the admissions liaison officer for the Air
Force Academy. v . www.usafa.edu is the web address for the
Air Force Academy. Find out if there is a v The key is to be involved,
compete in a Varsity sport take college prep courses, introduce yourself to
the Contact a high school counselor for help in tracking down these resources or making these contacts. TO LEARN MORE, YOU CAN CONTACT THE ACADEMIES AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESSES. UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY Director of Admissions (800) 443-9266 HQ USAFA/RRS (719) 333-2520 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD ACADEMY
Director of Admissions (800) 444-5800 UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINES ACADEMY
USMMA Admissions (800) 732-6267 UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT
Director of Admissions (914) 938-4041 Building 606 UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY
Candidate guidance Office (410) 293-4361 US Naval Academy High
School Preparation ……… Gaining a nomination to a military academy is a very competitive process. A successful candidate must be strong in 4 categories: v Physical Fitness o Must pass a rigorous physical fitness exam. Must show evidence of athletic ability and/or a personal commitment to fitness. It also helps to show that you have worked on a team. v Leadership o Must show evidence of leadership ability. This can come through activities in your school, church, or community. v Academics and Test Scores o Must have a strong GPA based on the toughest college preparation courses our school offers. (See attached sheet for our high school’s recommended coursework.) Successful applicants are usually in the top 20% of their class. o Must score a minimum ACT of 24 and SAT 500 Verbal/ 550 Math. (To have a realistic chance of being selected, your scores usually have to be quite a bit higher than these minimum scores.) Try both tests- some people do better on one than the other. They’ll use your highest scores from either test. o Take the PLAN test in sophomore year and the PSAT in sophomore and junior years to practice for these tests. Start taking the ACT and SAT in December of junior year. Take them several times and practice in advance if necessary. June tests following junior year offer the last chance for test scores to arrive in time for fall deadlines. o Have your scores reported to the academies, as will as
your state’s v Mental toughness o Do you have what it takes to survive the first year in an academy? The upperclassmen will try to break you. They will be in your face, looking for your weaknesses and vulnerabilities. The stress will be incredible. You will be given more work to do than you can possibly complete. Read the books describing this. Visit the academies to witness this. Talk with people who have experienced this. You must be mentally determined and tough-minded to survive it. Note: If you are being sought after to play a sport, you may have some advantages in being selected, but you must still meet all the standards outlined above. They may also consider you for the academy prep schools. These work with you for a year following high school to strengthen you weak areas. v By Thanksgiving of junior year, ask you counselor about the summer programs for juniors at each academy. These programs give you a chance to experience the academies firsthand for a week. Applications are usually die in January. v Reread the chapters on application processes in the Smallwood books. Start a log or calendar, recording dates when each step has been accomplished. Keep your high school counselor informed of you progress. It’s important to have one central school person who is knowledgeable about current procedures, contact persons, etc. This person can help you avoid mistakes and insure that the other school officials are completing their tasks on your behalf in a timely manner. v By February of junior year, contact the academies you’re interested in for your application kits. v Each kit will explain that you must first earn a “nomination” to their academy from one of your state’s senators or your representative. (Note: once you’ve received such a “nomination’, the academy will consider you for appointment.” v By April of junior year, contact your state’s US senators and representative to request their nomination. v When these kits arrive, follow their directions carefully for each academy and each political leader. They will direct you to write letters to your senators and representative, requesting their nomination. Write these prior to the end of junior year. v Ask for letters of recommendation prior to the start of senior year if possible. Provide each school official with your resume, transcript, and a goal statement. Ask you counselor’s assistance in making sure these officials are familiar with the military academy process. Most political leaders want all documents by mid to late October. v Get to know the liaison officers for each academy. (A school counselor can help you locate their names and contact information. You can also find these out by calling the academies.) Ask for the liaisons’ advice and keep them posted on your progress. Interviews, physical fitness tests, and medical clearances will be scheduled in the fall of senior year via these officers. v Stay determined! Watching you deal with the stresses of the screening process provides clues to the academy officials as to how mentally tough you are and how much desire you have to reach your goals. v Be prepared for things outside your control. An example…the military sometimes faces quotas for a certain number of “pilot qualified” candidates in a given year. For instance, you might be the most highly qualified candidate from your sate, but if you’re not pilot qualified, you’ll be moved down the list behind candidates who are. v If you have any medical condition, you might save yourself a lot of time by letting the liaison officer know upfront. If your medical past is ultimately going to disqualify you, you might as well learn that BEFORE you go to a great deal of work. v If you prove that you “have the right stuff”, volunteer to return to our high school occasionally to share your insights with younger students. You’ll be the hero!
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Phone: 801-373-6550 Fax: 801-374-4880 |
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Provo High School 1125 N. University Ave. Provo, UT 84604 |
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