Many candidates make the mistake of applying to a single service academy. I did the same thing; I applied only to the US Military Academy at West Point and asked for a congressional nomination only for that academy. Luckily I was accepted, instead of being stranded without any back-up options. But what if I had not received the appointment to West Point? From what I’ve seen, here’s what every candidate should do regardless of their choice of service academy.

Apply to other service academies

This was unthinkable to me. Like a race horse galloping with blinker hoods, I only wanted West Point and that was it. However, you must convince yourself that all the academies serve the same purpose: to serve and defend our country. Although you can have a preference, you shouldn’t get too caught up with the various branches of the military. If you are a true patriot with a goal of becoming a leader in the United States Armed Forces, any officer training program at a service academy would suffice for your purposes.

So try to shake off your tunnel vision and apply to as many service academies for a back-up plan. Every academy gets thousands of applicants each year, and even if you are highly qualified, you may not make it because of the fierce competition among the candidates. You greatly increase your chances (by more than 75%) by applying to other service academies. This is a secret trick that is used by students applying to the Ivy League universities and also highly recommended by counselors at The Princeton Review.

Apply to civilian colleges and sign up for a ROTC program

Among the different paths to officer-dom, the most popular way is joining a Reserve Officer Training Corp program at a state or private college. If you don’t make it into a service academy, doing ROTC is a fine choice. There are several advantages to joining ROTC:

• Enjoy civilian life at a civilian school: dating girlfriends/boyfriends, hardcore partying, studying what you want.
• No-risk trial period to see if the military is right for you.
• Better academic environment in some cases.
• Significantly decreased possibility of hazing.
• Less strict observance of an honor code.

However, don’t be mistaken by the points above that life as a ROTC cadet is jolly and stress-free. The training and discipline in a ROTC program can be just as demanding as what is available at the service academies. Also, if you screw up by drinking-and-driving or lying to an officer, you will get kicked out of the officer training program just as quickly as you would at West Point.

In addition, becoming an officer through ROTC will not set you back in your military career, at all. Although many academy graduates dominate the top ranks, there are just as many ROTC graduates who make it; just look at Colin Powell who completed ROTC at the City College of New York.

Apply to the Prep School affiliated with your service academy

If you don’t make it to the service academy during the year of your application, the prep school is where the dedicated few trickle into. Many candidates quit after they fail and go off onto their alternative paths of life. But those who truly want to get into an academy take a sigh, strap themselves back up, and walk off to the prep schools. Here is more information regarding the prep schools:

• West Point (USMA) Prep School
• Naval Academy Prep School (also serves as prep school for the Coast Guard Academy)
• Air Force Academy Prep School
• Merchant Marine Academy Prep School at NMMI

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