From elite military academies to ROTC, students find ways to fund education
“We’re looking for people who want to become leaders of character and quality. We’re looking for people who are not afraid to serve and want to be war fighters in our military,” said Air Force 2nd Lt. Carlie Walters, whose current assignment is at the Air Force Academy Admissions Office.
Service academies are some of the most elite places of higher education in the country. Why? They don’t just look at academics and extracurricular activities. They want leaders, physically fit and academically accomplished people who go above and beyond.
The United States Naval Academy published the statistics for their class of 2028 recently. A few factors that stand out are that 91% of their students were part of varsity athletics, further proving that physical conditioning is one of the outstanding admission factors.
Getting competitive scores on the mandatory fitness test is another crucial part of showing you have what it takes to serve your country on the highest level.
“It’s not just academics. So there’s academics, there’s physical fitness, there’s congressional nomination … and then you also need a letter of recommendation from an English teacher and a math teacher,” says sophomore Peter Dubord, a student at Minnehaha, who is interested in attending the United States Naval Academy.
Most colleges don’t require a congressional nomination, but service academies aren’t just any typical universities; they are elite. The congressional nomination, which is essentially a letter of recommendation from a congressional member or Vice President, is just one of the many factors considered when it comes to academy admissions. The nomination alone is very difficult to acquire.
It is crucial to remember that numerous factors are considered when determining who gets in.
“Push yourself as much as possible in your classes and challenge yourself. Don’t just take the easy class,” said Gabrielle Wamre (‘24), who attends the U.S. Army’s military academy, West Point, where she plays soccer. “Try new things, be involved in your community, and do volunteering.”
Dubord shares more recommendations, such as starting the application process early as it takes numerous months. He also states that all three of the classes service academies are looking for are options at Minnehaha Academy: calculus, physics and chemistry. Even more, chemistry and physics are both required classes.
ROTC
Another option is the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). This program is more scholarship-based, and military classes are taken as electives. Over 1000 colleges across the country offer some form of ROTC, according to Military Today.
ROTC is the better option for many students as the requirements are less rigorous and you still graduate as a second lieutenant.
With both ROTC and attending a service academy, you are guaranteed a job right out of college, and will automatically become a second lieutenant with the completion of your required coursework.
Dubord said he prefers the idea of a service academy because they will cover room and board, all of your education, and you are promised a stipend for your attendance.
While the journeys to both acceptance to a service academy or an ROTC scholarship are long and challenging, the rewards are bountiful. Students are guaranteed a career out of college, set up with the best health insurance, and taught more life skills than the average college student.
Many benefits are found with both options
Keep in contact with people who do both, and don’t be afraid to ask questions or for advice.
“The biggest advice that I would give is just don’t settle for being average,” said Lieutenant Walters. “So when you’re in high school and you’re trying to decide, ‘Hey, am I going to put in that extra hour to do that essay tonight and maybe instead of getting a B, get an A?’, those are the kind of people that we’re looking for. People that want to do the best that they could do.”