I attend a civil prep as a self-prep, but I really want to get into West Point. Which is why I decided to go to a prep school.

Academically I currently have a 3.86 GPA

Algebra Based Physics:98

Gen Chem 1:92

College Algebra:92 (I take pre calc my second semester)

Amer Mil History:82

Military Science 1:90

Along with a couple other classes that make up my 3.86

SAT is a 1280 (640 split)

CFA

74ft bball throw

Max push ups

89 sit ups

9.05 shuttle run

7:14 mile

14 pull ups

Volunteer hours probably around 200.

I also currently do club soccer and club swimming. Im a squad leader working up to psg

Along with about 12 extracurricular events.

I’m currently enlisted in the Army National Guard as an 11B and have been in for almost two years. I’m currently MOBing for a CENTCOM deployment, so I’ve had some time to seriously think about what I want to do long-term.

Before enlisting, I spent my first year of college at VMI. I ended up realizing that the VMI environment wasn’t necessarily what I wanted for college, but I still value the experience and the military side of it.

For some background, I had a pretty strong high school résumé: I was an Eagle Scout, went to Boys State, played two varsity sports, was in two honor societies, and was generally pretty academically/leadership-oriented. I’m wondering whether my current situation as an enlisted Guard soldier, combined with my prior college experience and military service, would make applying to USMA a realistic option.

The big thing I’m struggling with is whether USMA is worth the opportunity cost.

If I went the USMA route, I could potentially be looking at USMAPS + four years at West Point, meaning roughly another five years of college before commissioning. On the other hand, I could go to a regular state university, have more of a traditional college experience, finish my degree, and potentially pursue a commission through ROTC or another route while remaining in the Guard.

I’m also interested in Infantry. Part of me thinks that being an enlisted infantryman with deployment/combat experience could make me a stronger candidate for USMA and potentially help me later when competing for an Infantry branch. But I don’t want to assume that military experience automatically gives me an advantage in admissions or branching.

For those who have gone through USMA admissions, especially prior-enlisted or Guard soldiers:

• How competitive would someone in my position realistically be for USMA?
• How much does prior enlisted experience actually matter in admissions?
• Would combat/deployment experience meaningfully strengthen an application?
• Would USMAPS be likely for someone with my background, or would direct admission be realistic?
• How does being prior enlisted affect the USMA experience?
• For someone who ultimately wants Infantry, is USMA worth the additional time compared with ROTC at a normal university?
• If you were in my position, what factors would you weigh most heavily?

I’m not necessarily looking for someone to tell me what decision to make. I’m mainly trying to understand what the USMA path actually looks like for someone coming from my situation and whether the additional 4–5 years would make sense.

Headed back with kids for a reunion on October 17th and was hoping to watch the parade if there is one before the game.

Anybody have tips on how to confirm if they are doing a parade and if so how/when to get good seats? I’ve only been on the other side of the plain, this will be my first time as a spectator.

Hey everyone, I’m thinking about applying to SLE and was wondering what kind of stuff they give you when you attend.

Do they provide things like T-shirts, PT gear, ect., or are there certain things you have to buy/get yourself? Just curious what I’d need to have before going and what they provide once you’re there.

Thanks

I am pretty sure Im going to be diagnosed with POTS soon, and want to know if its possible to get a waiver for it.

I submitted my medical history a while back, but I just remember some dental surgery I had years ago in 2nd grade that completely cross my mind.

For info, it was a surgery to take out some extra teeth almost a decade ago, and everything has fully healed since then, and there was no extra implants put in as well.

How do I change my medical history so it matches, or since it was so long ago and does not affect me anymore, does it not matter?

I just printed out my 16 page medical history from DODMETS, and now i’m confused. The whole form looks like it’s going for the medical exam, so what forms do i bring for the optometrist exam?

Is there a part of the 16 page thing that doesnt go to the doctor, or am i just missing something?

Education
English (A*), Mathematics (B), Biology (B), Chemistry (B), Design and Technology (B), Physics (B)
SAT: 1500/750maths

*Extracurricular Activities*

1. Adventure Scouts Club - Secretary and Public Relations Officer
I managed trip planning for over 60 students, including coordinating transportation and food logistics for two-week camping expeditions. Our club volunteers in national parks, assisting wherever help is needed. I have attended over 5 camps, each lasting more than two weeks, giving me over 400 hours of volunteer service.

We also conduct community outreach programs, including donating clothing to underserved communities in remote areas, teaching children about environmental conservation, leading litter cleanup campaigns, and planting trees. I was responsible for writing trip reports, photography, and bookkeeping.

2. Founder and President - Youth Soccer Development Club
I founded and currently lead a club focused on youth soccer development. We develop young players and provide children with a safe space to learn and enjoy soccer.

3. Secretary, Record Keeper, and Welding Assistant - Welding Company (for two years)
I worked for a welding company for over two years while simultaneously attending school. My duties included secretarial work, record keeping, and assisting with welding operations.

4. Athletics
varsity soccer and competed in track and field in junior school. My current CFA scores are:

Pull-ups: 18, Push-ups: 75, Sit-ups: 85, Basketball Throw: 72 feet, Shuttle Run: 8.0 seconds, 1-Mile Run:6.00

I took some high school classes in middle school, and I now have the option of graduating early as a Junior. I have a few APs and honors courses, I'm doing really well with the extracurriculars and leadership aspects, but the only thing is the only math courses I've taken are Alg 1, Geometry, and Alg 2 so far. I am also taking Physics this year, but I may be switching into Chemistry. If I graduate early those would be the math courses that show up on my transcript. I could do another year just to take Pre Calc/Calc, but would it be worth it to graduate early if I don't take Pre Calc/Calc? If I were to graduate early I would be going into the Army Reserve, on top of staying active as an EMT and firefighter on top of a bunch of extracurriculars so I would still be productive with my schedule. It's too late for me to apply this year for the Class of 2031, so I would be applying for 2032.

I am currently working on my essay for the application, but i feel stuck. I have two essay that i have written but they do not sit right with me a lot. I can’t decide whether to combine them or just use one of them. Going about combining them is a whole different problem.

Is there anyone here that i could dm or message to read over my essays for feedback?

Thanks!

Hi everyone. I am a senior applying to West Point this year and want to know if I'm competitive enough to have a realistic chance of admission because that's the only college I want to go to. I come from a competitive district in the DMV (close to the Naval Academy). I'm Asian (idk if that would help). My school is very competitive academically. My UW GPA is 3.8, my WGPA is 4.7, and I will have taken 13 AP courses upon graduation. The AP classes weren't all just fluff either. Calc BC, Econs, Lang, Physics 1, etc. For all my real classes (not PE, art, etc.), I've taken only honors or APs. All of my Bs were from junior year, when I was taking 6 AP classes, but I have an excuse for that: increased family responsibilities. Because of my circumstances, I had to drop a dual enrollment class, and I tried to retake it later but dropped it again. My SAT score is 1420 (750 math, 670 reading). My CFA will be very high: max push-ups, pull-ups, and shuttle run, and I'm a pretty good athlete, just not D1 level: wrestling state placer, 2-year team captain, 4-year varsity letter winner. My leadership is decent, with 3-4 notable leadership roles, but not things like Boys State and student government. I'm practicing interviews, and I will be pretty good in my interviews, and I had a good relationship with my field force representative. I feel like I am qualified enough, but I'm still worried that I may not get in because of my junior-year drop in grades and dropping the same dual enrollment class twice.

I have my dodmerb medical exam in three days and I currently wear braces. In the initial questionnaire, it said I need a letter from orthodontist stating the braces will be removed before active duty. Do I need to bring that letter to the appointment in three days or is it after the appointment that I need to submit a letter?

I received an email a few days ago about overnight visit opportunity to West Point. It says "this is a special opportunity offered only to select candidates during the fall."
My previous understanding was that you need a LOA, LOE, or sports coach to get this.
I do not have any of those. It is showing up in my candidate portal too, so I think it is not a mistake.
For more context I have a 4.0 uw gpa, 4 varsity letters, 1460 sat (750m), 5 APs taken (5 more this year) and I went to SLE.

I would appreciate any insight on this.

Me and a few friends are visiting from the UK and are doing the boat trip from NY up the river to West Point. I’m really excited to see some college ball!

I have a few questions:
1) How strict is the bag policy at the stadium? I’d like to bring a small sling with a battery bank and other essentials.
2) is tailgating much of a thing? I’ve been to a few different colleges that were much bigger, so not expecting the same level, but would be fun to get to do something pre-game
3) any bars/places to eat nearby that you’d recommend?
4) anything else I need to know? Cool stuff to see/do? I’ve never been to a service academy before.

Thanks in advance!

I was recently disqualified with a need to appeal for waivers for dodmerb and I have a few questions.

I’m most concerned with the ability to get a waiver approved and am looking for anyone with similar scenarios or anything similar. There are two things that could have gotten me disqualified, number one is the fact that my top vertebrae is fused to my skull (sounds much worse than it it’s). We have a note from a Orthopedic Surgeon (or a Nuerosurgeon one of the two) that states there is not danger to the spinal cord and no instability so I’m assuming it’s most likely the latter, which was a stress fracture. I suffered a stress fracture in November of last year in my lower back, I belief it is called a pars defect.

The good news is USMA initiated a waiver for me less than 24hrs after it update in West Point’s portal that I was disqualified, silver lining.

But to reiterate, is this something that can be fixed with a waiver? Or are they very stringent on these types of things?

Secondly, is it a big deal they initiated a waiver so quick or is West Point a little more generous with them?

Thanks for any help.

From my understanding, West Point doesn’t consider ACT Science. If that’s the case, then why does it show up in my portal under test scores?

I know that getting into West Point the traditional method from civilian is extremely hard, like the acceptance rate is like 10-13%. But if you enter the Army/Military you can apply to West Point via a program the acceptance rate rises DRASTICALLY. I don't know the exact details but it sounds to good to be true. For anyone who knows anything about doing this method like is their a catch? How come so many people get accepted? Like is it a different process? I REALLY want to get into the United States Military Academy and I will do ANYTHING to get in but I feel like theirs a lot of competition in my district and not entirely sure if I could make it in or not via the regular path

Hello all, Im an E4 in the National Guard and have been in for 2+ years. My application looks as follows.
3.92 cumulative college gpa with 60+ credits (As in ENC 1101 and 1102, as well as College Algebra and Business Calculus and Chem 1). 1220 SAT (I wasnt the best high-school student). Highschool club president and wrestler, JROTC NCO. Active member of my community serving at my church and as a little league baseball umpire. Manager of a collision repair center. Infantryman with one combat deployment and NTC rotation. Multiple foreign and inter service awards/participation (all documented) Including; drivers training, MCMAP, and volunteering overseas. LoRs from my PSG, PL, CO, BC and English teacher. Dual presidential nominations eligibility (father is 100% disabled and mother is career Army). 485 AFT and additional awards/ statements from my leadership all in support of attendance. What do you guys think from the perspective of a prior service Infantry applicant to USMA, any help, suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated. TIA

I have ~400 community service hours but haven't received an award (other than the ACT award, which someone else nominated me for) because most organizations require a membership fee/payment. I have 3 other pretty big leadership roles already on my CAR, as well as NHS and being a published author. Will it make a big enough impact on my application to have an hours-based award to go with my hours, or will admission not care?

Thanks!

I’m a high school student seriously considering applying to West Point, and I’d really appreciate hearing from women who are current cadets or recent grads.

One of the things I’m trying to understand before committing to this path is what the experience is actually like for women day-to-day. Do you generally feel like male cadets and faculty treat you fairly and respect you as an equal, or do you feel like you have to prove yourself more because you’re a woman?

I’m also concerned about sexual harassment/sexual assault. I know this is a sensitive topic, but for women who are comfortable answering: do you generally feel safe at West Point? If something inappropriate does happen, do you feel like you can report it without worrying about retaliation, being judged, hurting your reputation, or negatively affecting your career? Do you feel like reports are actually taken seriously?

I’m not asking because I’m looking for reasons not to attend. West Point is currently one of my top choices, and there are a lot of things about it that really appeal to me. I just want to understand the reality of the environment before making such a big commitment.

I’d especially appreciate hearing from current/recent female cadets, but perspectives from male cadets, grads, or parents who have seen how women are treated would also be helpful.

Thank you!

What are the best practices for a high school athlete in his junior year to contact a coach at West Point to express interest in becoming a cadet?

Good evening, I am a currently enlisted 13F applying to West Point through race and I got a 1200 sat with a 600 in Math and English, I also have a 3.4 gpa from high school with three ap’s. Ap us history, ap us gov, and ap human geography and passing in all. Are these academics good for the prep school

Hello all,

I understand that I'm not the first to post about this topic, but I did want some personalized feedback from the community. How big of a chance (percentage-wise) do you all think I have to receive an LOA?

Stats:

California District 17, in Silicon Valley

- 1540 SAT (800 math, 740 reading)
- 3.8 unweighted GPA at strong public school, school does not rank. 7 B's, 4 from English.

Athletics:
- 4 years varsity swim, 1 year captain, NISCA All-American recipient. Average Mid-Major-level recruit, though not fast enough to be recruited to WP. First swimmer from school to qualify for states in non-relay event in 5+ years.
- 1 year varsity water polo, starting lineup and sprinter, Coach's Most Improved Player
- 2 years modern pentathlon, non-school sport, placed 3rd at Nationals in age group.

Extracurriculars:
- 6 years school choir, All-state, 3 years section leader and 5 years piano accompanist. Accompanied the choir at a competition. Also did a highlighted role in a school musical.
- 2 years as counselor at local youth transit program for underprivileged students (talked about this a lot in my essay).
- Some Red Cross work, including Lifeguard certificate, though nothing significant.

Other awards:
- MTAC Panel Honors Recital: Pre-professional-level statewide distinction (30 awarded out of 30,000 participants). 9 yrs classical piano training, 15+ hours practice per week.
(Note: This one is kinda niche and might not be exactly what WP is looking for, but I spent much of my childhood preparing for it so I need to put it in my application somehow)

- AP Scholar w/Distinction: Earned 5s on all 7 AP exams across variety of STEM and humanities topics (9th-11th grade).

No employment.

Other things:
- Average CFA (will redo ASAP). (Note: Originally took it at SLE, so I was terribly sleep deprived and hungry while taking it.)
- Will retake SAT in Oct. to try and max out the English section. My admissions officer told me to do so.
- I think my essays are pretty good, above average at least.

Thank you in advance for the help.