On Wednesday night I returned to New York City (ahead of the snowstorm!) from the Centers of Influence Conference at the United States Naval Academy. Unfortunately, the conference was cut a little short due to weather--- and some counselors are now not leaving Annapolis until Sunday!-- but the time we spent there was certainly long enough to better understand the mission, unique collegiate experience, and tradition behind this truly remarkable institution.
First, let's be clear-- what is the Naval Academy? The Naval Academy is a military service college where students go through a highly selective admissions process based on meeting academic, physical, and medical criteria in order to attend. This leadership development college is designed to train officers for the Navy and Marine corps and is tuition free with the understanding that all graduates will serve their nation for at least five years after graduation. This is NOT the same as enlisting directly in the military, as graduates work diligently to earn a bachelor's degree during their four years at the Naval Academy. In fact, the Naval Academy has the #1 graduation rate in the country for schools who have both over 50% of their class graduating in the STEM fields and over 100 graduates a year. #2 is MIT. Unlike the other military service academies, half of the faculty at the USNA are civilian professors. After the five years of service is completed, some graduates continue on for a career with the military. Others rejoin the civilian workforce and pursue careers doing things like becoming lawyers, engineers, or working in the corporate technology sector.
The midshipmen on campus have a very very unique college experience, and it certainly isn't for everyone. There is mandatory Physical Training for all for two hours a day. There is no drinking on campus. Plebes (the Naval Academy's term for freshman) have strict curfews and limits on leaving campus. Meals are served family style in an extraordinarily efficient way where all 4400 midshipmen are in and out of the chow hall in 20 minutes (I ate with them, let me be clear, most of the eating was completed in about 10 minutes). All midshipmen are in uniform at all times. People looking to wear flannel pajama bottoms to class need not apply. Virtually every minute of every day is mapped out for all midshipmen, with class, meals, PT (Physical Training) fitting into a neatly organized grid. This allows midshipmen to maximize each hour of each day, showing them just how much they can accomplish in 24 hours. The curriculum is also full of preset requirements for all students, regardless of major, in things like naval science, chemistry, and calculus. All majors offered are based on the needs of the Navy. By law, at least 65% of the class must be majoring in a STEM field but liberal arts majors like Political Science, History, and Foreign Language also exist.
New initiatives at the Naval Academy include a new major in Cyber Security -- unique compared to other cyber security programs at other universities because it focuses on not just keeping data safe but also how to break into systems (this is, after all, training for the military where this type of skill could be of use to the US Government). In the past 10 years, there has also been an increased push to allow students to study abroad. Because of the nature of the training and the requirement that all midshipmen graduate in exactly 4 years, international study used to be off limits. But new programs now allow students to study at other Naval Academies across the globe, building partnerships and allies with mutually beneficial results.There is also a strong desire to increase the number of female midshipmen from the current level of 22% to a higher level of 30%.
Another attribute of the Naval Academy is the athletic teams. There are 33 varsity sports at the Naval Academy and Division I athletics is a major draw. If you've ever seen an Army-Navy game on TV, you know that school spirit and support of athletics is a keystone feature of the Naval Academy.
So, how does one get selected to attend the Naval Academy? Let me just say, it isn't easy. Each year approximately 18,000 students apply for one of the 1,200 spots in the entering class. In order to be qualified to be considered there are MANY steps. For more information about the steps you can visit http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/. Essentially students must follow steps to solicit a nomination, usually through their congressman. In addition to seeking a nomination, students must fill out an application, complete a physical fitness evaluation, and have a medical evaluation completed by a US medical review board doctor. For your reference, about 90% of midshipmen were varsity athletes in high school. On a student panel we listened to, two of the four midshipmen panelists were valedictorian of their high school class. The average SAT score of admitted students is a 1313 on the first two sections. Things like strong moral character are essential. Applicants must also submit a letter of recommendation from their high school English teacher and Math teacher, no other subjects are allowed. Once a student gets a nomination, they are then eligible to receive an appointment to the Naval Academy, aka getting in. Applicants are strongly encouraged to start this process as early as possible, as competition increases as the year goes on. Unlike a traditional college application that might be due January 1, if you submit your initial Naval Academy application that late in the cycle your chances of admission go from slim to none.
There are multiple pathways to being appointed to the Naval Academy. The majority arrive through the process listed above. But a few hundred midshipmen per year arrive after completing a PG year at the Naval Academy Prep School or a similarly affiliated foundation school around the country. Then there are also appointments given to individuals identified from the enlisted ranks who show the potential to be future leaders in the Navy or Marines.
Overall, it takes a very specific combination of leadership, scholarship, and a desire to serve to be a good fit for the Naval Academy. There are some enormous benefits -- like the free tuition, stipend, and guaranteed job for the first five years after graduation. There are also enormous challenges -- did I mention the 2 hours a day of required working out? I didn't mention Plebe summer, but google it. There is also an extremely high level of mental toughness required, especially for young people just out of high school. The sense that students feel lucky to attend though is palpable. You don't get the sense that many people come to the Naval Academy as their second choice option. I'm honored to have been selected to attend the COI conference and feel much better equipped to guide students interested in pursuing this option.
GO NAVY!
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