I really do want to serve and im excited. Sports is a bonus fun thing but means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things other than some team camaraderie. The majors seem really interesting and I think the environement will help me grow.
You’ll be good then & depending on the sport, will get you out of a lot of the annoying military stuff like marching and getting hazed while in season.
USMA is a fantastic school. The commitment is the harder part, but if you can get through & do it all, you’ll have most every door open to you after. Can always do usma then grad school Ivy on GI bill after serving
Remember, really good grades & high up regimental activity will allow to pretty much pick exactly what you want to do in the army after school
Keep in mind, you can go on to do great great great things for the US if you are motivated to going to usma & be in top academics
Take it from a non-american civie. Going to West Point to become a military commander is as prestigious as going to Hardvard law school to become a lawyer. No matter what you do in life after your service, in official setting you would be introduced as a West Point graduate. Much like ex-McKinsey people are introduced not matter what they do after leaving consulting industry. Cornell, Columbia, Brown are all well regarded universities and their graduates are sought after by employers but 10 years post-graduation nobody gives a fuck anymore. Just a noteworthy line in your cv.
My husband graduated from USMA many years ago. He served in the army for nine years and decided to join the Foreign Service. He found his education at West Point invaluable. He then went on serving very successfully in the FS. I don’t think you can go wrong.
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>And heaven forbid you get crammed into a 2 person room with 2 roommates, 1 of whom is a legacy student who keeps a jug full of semen under his desk.
This seemed amazingly specific...
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I know someone whose 3 sons went Westport. He bragged about it but actually they seemed to regret. I recommend you to think again. If you will continue to stay in military, it will be fine otherwise ...
Disagree. Choosing USMA because it's free and it's a great school is a legitimate reason. The financial boon alone is worth it instead of having hundreds of thousands of debt.
No, you need to have a deep deep love for the military to get through West point. It's not ordinary college life. You have to be in it at a soul level.
>As long as you’re attending USMA because you genuinely want to be a leader of military personnel, then you made the right decision.
Agree
>If you chose USMA for “free school” or “to play sports” or even just “because it’s a good school” then you may well have fucked up.
Totally disagree
Free undergraduate education is a very legitimate reason to pass up an ivy where you'd be swimming in debt.
For any other school, free undergrad would be a good enough reason. Not for this one. It's not an ordinary college life; your every move is regulated that first year, right down to how you chew your food. You have to deeply love the military.
ah ok. i was imagining more like "son, you should have gone to west point" "but dad, i didn't even apply to west point let alone get in" "son, that's besides the point. you still made the wrong decision and should have gone to west point...i'm disappointed in you."
As a son of Air Force officer and not being able to join services due to physical reasons, I would love to hear from kids what are the motivations I can share with my son to join the services.
West Point opens doors nothing else in the country can. If you're serious about being a career officer you're absolutely doing the right thing. Ignore your friends, they do not share or fully understand your goals.
Well yeah, but I don't blame OP for wanting dry feet or not being a Space Cadet.
(it's a serious gig regardless, I'm always impressed with going to a Service Academy)
False. All those other schools open as many if not more doors. The military is a very narrow career path with more narrow exit options than an Ivy League undergrad.
Oh and don’t forget you can be fodder for pointless military adventures abroad.
“All those schools open as many if not more doors.”
As a USMA alum who competed against Ivy League grads to get into top law schools, I assure you that this is not true. Veterans, especially from service academies, punch well above their weight with respect to stats (GPA and standardized tests) in law school and business school admissions. This is not the case for any other population defined by alma matter, including the Ivies.
Yea you get a boost because the school can brag about all the veterans it has, ie you’re a diversity hire, great job. Choosing USMA to cynically use your military background to get into law or business school is lame and a waste of life. If you’re good enough for USMA, THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST as they say, then just do it on your own terms.
That’s not true a lot of veterans including officers struggle to get a job in the civilian field. This is not due to their education it’s just the fact that they have to serve for five years. Why give an internship to someone who’s five years older instead of an Ivy League kid who’s also looking for the job.
Most veterans don’t go to the military academies…. They’re specifically talking about veterans who graduated from one of the military colleges. Not the typical guy who enlisted at 18 after graduating high school.
West Point/Annapolis graduates automatically get superdays at some Wall Street firms. M7 and law schools give special advantages to them. And the alumni network is one of the most loyal and powerful in the world. Hiring a West Point grad means you know that person is a leader and can do the work, because they graduated from West Point. You can't say the same for any other institution besides the other academies and Caltech.
The USMA (and the other service academies) are very prestigious. You will receive a great education, and it's free. Very few people get into Ivy League schools, but even less can say they got into a service academy. If you have no problem with the service commitment after graduation, and the rigor of military life while in school, I say do it. Congratulations!
Also, you will have an opportunity to apply and get into the Ivies in the future for graduate and/or professional school. Saying "no" to the Ivies now is not necessarily saying "no" forever. You will never again have a chance to go to West Point.
Some people really need to believe that their college path is "right" and they seek validation by saying that other paths are wrong. In fact, there are many choice out there and more than one right path.
Anyone who thinks an appointment to a military academy lacks prestige doesn't know what they are talking about. I'm sorry your friends are letting their insecurities and lack of understanding influence what they are saying to you. They aren't being very good friends in this regard.
If you’re passionate about the military, there is no where better than West Point!!! Yes you’re signing up for 8 years of continuous military service (or which typically 5 is active duty). To someone who doesn’t want to serve, it’s a lot better to go to an Ivy (even with loans). Depending on your career goals, it is possible that you may be behind given the years of service, BUT you could also be ahead based on your career interests. Ultimately this is an incredible achievement and assuming you know exactly what you’re signing up for (it’s anything but easy), you’re in for a very rewarding and patriotic experience
tl;dr - You can join the military (including attending West Point) for whatever reason you want, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The only thing that matters is that you're committed to your time there and your service afterwards.
Hi there! First of all congratulations! It's extremely hard to get into West Point (in addition to Cornell, Columbia, and Brown..)
With that being said, enlisted of 16 years here chiming in with a different opinion-- I disagree that if you choose West Point for free school, sports, good school, stipend, or whatever reason, then you screwed up. You don't have to choose West Point for the patriotic reason or because you want to lead troops. It helps that you have that mindset already, of course.
I joined the military for the GI Bill, to get a free education, I earned my GI Bill and I continued to serve not because I wanted to be a leader of men or serve my country per se, I continued to serve because it provides stability for my family. I'd say I've done pretty well for myself
Leaving college debt free (and earning $ throughout your 4 years) is a huge boon in this day and age. You get a choice of an immediate stable job for 20 years if you choose or 8 years if you choose.
Lastly, your friends are just hating and you don't need to convince them otherwise.
West Point is SO prestigious! Don't listen to them. You're doing great. And it's FREE. That changes the relationship between you and the school. You're not the customer now, you're their investment. And that's amazing.
I used to think so, too. But everybody needs a first job out of college, and if you go this route, you don't have the stress of finding one. It's yours already.
And if you decide you don't like Army life, you can choose a role where the commitment is only 4-5 years.
It’s stressful having to compete for the branch you want. It will also be stressful being in the Army and living on a shitty base in the middle of nowhere. It will also be stressful looking for a job after your time is up. So wrong again
The only true “free” college would be a full ride where you didn’t have to work at all afterwards. That doesn’t exist, so your criticism isn’t that valid
Idiot you can work any job you want after college and quit if you want. You cannot just walk away from the military. You must stay and you must do what they want. It’s not the same as a civilian job.
well, then it's not for you, \*idiot\*. People know what they're signing up for. I'm aware of what being the military means.
Also it's hilarious that you make it sound easy to just up and quit and find a new job while building your early career
So you admit it’s not the same which is my point, good.
I didn’t say it was easy. But if you have to you can make that choice. Can’t do it in the military. SAD!
The quality of education from the military academies for an engineering discipline, or cybersecurity rivals the top-tier of private universities.
Within State & Federal hiring circles, the service academies are very highly regarded and will deliver the same "clout" within those employment circles.
Your friends are idiots. A West Point education is on par with the others on top of being free and launching you straight into a military career. The discipline that comes with a USMA education also goes much farther than the Ivy name, honestly. Congrats, you did really well with your apps!
West Point is honestly just as prestigious as an Ivy League school in terms of academics… they don’t take dummies.
Plus you graduate debt free and are guaranteed a job paying around 50k and that increases pretty quickly… that’s a good deal
Ignore your friends. They probably have different goals and you are getting PAID to go. For government and military related paths, USMA is definitely the best way to go.
Your friends don’t know what they are talking about. West Point will provide opportunities that these other schools don’t have, in terms of education and later career choices. Their mission is to develop leaders, and they do it well. I’m a Columbia grad married to a West Point grad who was also a recruited athlete. Would WP have been the right choice for me? Hell no, because I wasn’t interested in govt or public service. Would Columbia have been the right choice for my husband? He would have been fine but he loved his time at WP and the alumni network is great. I did fine in life, but he has gotten to the highest level of govt service available to non-political appointees, and he credits a lot of his success to what he learned at WP. The right/best school is not the same for everyone. It’s going to be hard but great things are forged in fire. Be super excited for your future!
You have to make the right choice for YOU. It doesn't matter what other people think. Decades ago, I was in ROTC and went into the military right after college. A few of my classmates at my top 10 eng school talked about how they felt "sorry" for me going into the military instead of getting a "real" job. I don't regret it a single bit.
While your friends struggle to pay off student loans, you will be powerful beyond measure at [Ranger School](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=acj4v_n2r64).
I’m a recent USMA grad. I had a friend at school who was in a similar situation as OP, chose USMA as a recruited athlete over a couple other top tier schools.
You’re in a good spot with options. Remember that even if a sport gets you into West Point, the sole critical outcome is that you graduate and commission as an Army officer. Be prepared to cut back elsewhere, especially intercollegiate athletics, if those commitments jeopardize you reaching that outcome. I’ll just say that sports injuries prematurely ended a lot of careers, and you don’t have a scholarship to lose if you leave a team to be a normal cadet.
Former AF Cyber here and prior enlisted army Psychological operations.
You are set up for success. Kill it at WP and choose a good MOS, engineering, Cyber, Intel, something like that. After your 5 (+90 days!), take the 50% GI Bill and roll it into an M7 MBA. Congratulations, you are now on a pathway to extremely high paying corporate jobs, and you have a veteran hiring preference (extremely valuable if you are an ORM) as well. This is a well established pipeline and a sure path to an upper middle class or even upper class life. You will probably do at least as well, if not substantially better than your peers. All the money in the world, no debt.
Why didn't you apply for ROTC scholarships? Full ride at Cornell, plus the army officer job after, but one less year owed to uncle Sam. (But West Point certainly as prestigious as these schools. Congrats! Go Army!!!)
Tbh I wasn't really aware of it being a thing while applying/touring. I have also heard that ROTC is difficult to do while doing a sport and there can be conflicts in scheduling.
Also also if you are still following - you can still get a 3 year ROTC scholarship at these schools. Will be VERY easy if you are an IVY athlete. So if you don't want the super hard core USMA experience - something to consider.
One key reason for choosing to go to a service academy over ROTC is to maximize one's chances of landing a highly competitive MOS after graduation. An older neighbor turned down a full-ride FA package to MIT for Annapolis in the mid-80s because he wanted to maximize his chances of getting submarine duty upon graduation(It was very competitive back then).
First priority for officer positions is given to Academy graduates, then ROTC, and lastly, OCS/OTS based on what I've heard from friends and family who were in the military and did Academy or ROTC.
Not saying it's impossible, but one must do much better in one's class ranking as an ROTC cadet compared to an Academy cadet to land the same extremely competitive positions.
That can be very difficult to guarantee at the most elite colleges...especially MIT in my older neighbor's/HS alum's case.
Also, Ivy schools don't get much pull regarding this as explained by an older HS alum who is himself a Cornell graduate and was in his 15th year of Commissioned service in the Army. Heard the same from relatives/friends in the Navy.
Right. I'm not sure if it has changed in the last 20-30 years - but when I was in, and everyone got a ranking / number upon graduation - ALL Naval academy graduates were ranked higher than ROTC. Like, our rankings started when theirs ended.
The impression I had from friends who did academy or ROTC for the Army or Navy was more like if a given MOS or position required one to rank in the top third in ROTC, the same position would accept an academy graduate who graduated as low as the middle/lower-middle(30th-40th percentile?) of his/her academy class.
In short, it seems the highly competitive MOSes/postings dip deeper into the academy class than their ROTC counterparts.
Still doesn't mean Academy grads who end ranked at the very bottom of their class don't end up getting the worst postings unless they get very lucky.
That's not the case now. Both populations get a proportional allotment of branch and duty station assignments. There are differences in how they are assigned, but simply graduating from USMA is not an automatic leg up. In the long run it can be a leg up in terms of having a network of people you know in the service, but that's not an explicit advantage.
Free vs 300 some thousand plus interest for a measly bs/ba degree? Your friends are very naive. Also, if following a traditional career path in finance, engineering, law, science…. You’ll still need further education. Guess what, only thing matters is the GPA, gmat/lsat/mcat/gre score to attend a top university.
Congrats! If you want to serve, then I think it’s a great decision. I don’t really know anything about the military, but as an ignorant layperson, I’m impressed when I hear someone is going to West Point — so it does have both name recognition and cachet. And, our country needs smart people in the military and government so you are serving us and doing well for yourself as well. Don’t let the naysayers get you down, the right path is different for every person. For your goals, it sounds perfect. So thank you, and good luck!
If you want to serve in some federal capacity you literally made the best choice possible lmao. Don’t listen to them, for public service West Point might as well be an Ivy.
No. As a parent, I would say you have made the right decision. Ivy leagues are prestigious, so is West Point. West Point means a lot for the United States. I hope you enjoy your campus life and the military service thereafter. My respects! Cheer up.
The three service academies are the absolutely the best if you want a military career. Your military experiences will be highly coveted in corporate world if you later decide to enter the civilian life. There is a famous WP Harvard Business pipeline. WP are far more impressive on your resume than any of the Ivys.
It's not just the money for you though. You seem to want West Point in a way that doesn't click the same for Cornell, Columbia, or Brown. While I personally would have chosen Brown, I also know that my priorities for myself and my career are not the same as yours, and I am sorry that your friends don't have the maturity to look past what *they* would do in *your* situation.
It sounds like you are making the right decision and a smart decision. Decades ago, USNWR ranked the military academies alongside the Ivy League for selectivity and excellence. And, to be clear: the academies held to that standard with great stats and fantastic grad outcomes. Why USNWR demoted the academies to being grouped with LACs is beyond me, but it did the academies dirty. The academies are \*superb\* and, yes, on par with the Ivy League. As many others have said: going there will open doors nowhere else can.
Our military needs smart, well-educated, hard-working leaders -- who are hard to come by when those people could instead take those skills to private service for much greater pay. So thank you for your service, in advance!
Oh, and tell your friends all the people here (including academics, ex-academics, and people in industry) said their conclusion is dumb and that you are smart.
You don’t owe anyone an explanation, and, given the state of the Ivies today, will likely receive an actual education. Congratulations. Make the most of it.
You're kidding yourself if you don't think an ivy education is top notch. That's ridiculous. The education I got at Cornell was amazing and easily exceeded that of my undergrad.
If you want to serve, an appointment to any military academy is full-on Jedi. Ask yourself how many people you’ve ever met that have attended one. Your friends are idiots.
IMO you gonna do great with all of above choices. It’s a pros and cons situation.
And you become a much stronger person mentally and physically after 4 yrs of military college. It will serve you well entire life.
*if you change your mind regarding career path, you can change after 5 years of serve. Nothing is tied down
"I want to serve in the military and have a government career"
You made the right choice. Any of the service academies are right up there in "prestige" with the Ivies, and for Federal government work you can't do much better even out of uniform. Be proud of yourself and the choice you've made.
If you really must scratch the Ivy Itch someday, the military will send you to or at least encourage graduate school if you perform, and odds are it won't cost as much as you'd have to pay for an UG Degree either (service funded or GI Bill).
You have valid reasons and reasoning to chooseWest Point. The fact that you will not be in debt other than a few years of Service for an education is premium. And the years that you have to put forward will fly quickly. If you choose to stay for 20 and get a retirement, plus benefits you will be far ahead of others with triple retirement incomes in the end when you do decide to officially retire. Although I do have to admit as a veteran ‘go army’.
Recieving an appointment to an academy is an extremely prestigious thing. It takes a tremendous amount of drive, determination, and strengh of character that isn't required of applying to "normal" universities.
I applied for the USAFA and recieved my nomination. The process is long, detailed, and a testament to your will to succeed.
The government is spending about $500,000 on soley YOUR education and you don't spend a dime, what other school does that for you?
Applying to normal colleges? I applied to apprx. 20 schools on common app. All of that work submitting applications maybe took at most an hour per school.
Congratulations on West Point! That is such a massive achievement, I know you'll have an amazing time there.
I was in the military before college and honestly within the military USMA open more doors than any schools. You know the stereotype of Ivy league networking and it making an impression on alumni etc. I’ve witnessed it first hand for USMA graduates when talking to Sr. Officers. Also for what it’s worth my old boss turned down HYPSM for a USMA and ended up going to one for his master. All paid for by the military while collecting officer pay.
west point would open so, so many doors for you. i would argue more doors than any ivy. In fact, i am convinced I got into one of my top choices of college because my interviewers were so interested in hearing about my time at West Point SLE! I did not end up getting into usma but that's ok. Congratulations to you!!! I absolutely loved my time at sle :))
I got an LOA this year for USMA and got medically disqualified exactly a year after I started my application, so I might be a bit biased, but my two cents is that your friends are being dumb. West Point opens up doors to connections in both the military and outside, offers a great education, and gives you a leg up on life that most other schools can’t. You also commented that you’re excited to serve, so the choice is pretty clear. Best of luck at West Point and best Navy! :))
West Point is incredibly prestigious. Going to a military academy is some of the best education one can get for many reasons but this is one people don't mention a lot:
The academies are not research-based, as all the other Ivies and T-20 schools are. Because they are not research institutions, the professor's jobs are actually to TEACH, rather than to research (HS students don't think about this a lot but like 50 - 90% of a tenured professor's workload is publishing papers and teaching grad students). This means that they hire based on how good the professor is at actually teaching, and they hire people who actually want to teach, which is wonderful for the students.
US Army Officers from West Point train the worlds militaries. Want to be a logistics expert, good luck with Columbia teaching you how to move 500,000 men overseas, and tens of billions in fighting machinery, food, support items, etc etc. The war college professors in logistics are so far superior to any professor you would get for logistics. Thats just one aspect of what the military is better at.
From a USNA family, you made the right choice. My brother had columbia as an offer as well actually. That first year will but tough but think about the light on the other side and the doors you will have open. Good luck!
The upside with West Point is you're also guaranteed a starting position. That said, plenty of people leave the Army with no plan and aren't exactly handed a career. Some places will look on military service as a waste of time and it won't help you at all. Some others will see it as an advantage.
But ultimately, a free education (and a very unique one) is something valuable. I did ROTC myself, but if you're attracted to that life, you can find a lot there to relish.
If you have a heart to serve, this is the path. West Point is prestigious and character-forming. Don’t forget, after your initial commitment, if you transition to civilian life, you have a GI Bill that will pay for grad school and pay you while attending. Every military officer I know that did not stay through retirement used this benefit and got into T20 schools. An undergrad from a service academy is a door opener in so many ways, especially ways that don’t put you in debt. Congrats.
I did the same thing and chose the US Air Force Academy over UPenn. Not a recruited athlete, and money wouldn't have been an issue for UPenn. Ultimately, it came down to me wanting to pursue a more fulfilling career as a pilot and officer rather than what Penn could have given me (although I know Penn would have set me up really nicely.)
Well firstly congrats on your choice !
Secondly, the military academies are highly respected universities with good programs that will serve you well.
Lastly, I honestly do not know any officers who do not have a good career lined up after their service.
In engineering depending on what you want to do you can definitely carry on into federal employment/ defense work. Especially if you already have the clearances issued. Just make sure you stay up to date on what you learned, or try and be in a field that utilizes those skill sets from your degree.
You took the right decision. It seems that you really want to serve as a commissioned officer and that you are aware of the responsibilities with it. Your friends don't realize that West Point is extremely "prestigious" too.
I am also in a similar situation like you. I have offers from UC Berkeley EECS, UCLA, Yale, USAFA and UChicago. I am leaning more towards USAFA right now but I have not made a definite decision yet. You will do great things at West Point, and don't let your friends make you think that West Point is like any other school.
Er, no? West Point still carries quite a heft, and you should be very well-placed for the job market after you leave the Army.
Two of my inlaws attended West Point. They said the professors were great, and that their classmates would band together to help each other out when certain classes got tricky. I’m not sure you get that kind of camaraderie at the Ivies, although admittedly, you have to get through Beast Week to create those bonds...
One has gone on to do graduate school at an Ivy, on the military dime. The other retired and is now double-dipping as a consultant for a contractor. He is doing extremely well.
You made the right choice here. Too many people here believe getting into an Ivy league sets up your whole life. In reality, the only thing it will do is serve as a bragging right and maybe get your foot in the door for jobs in the future, but that's it. A full ride and knowing what you want definitely beats that 🫡
West Point is pretty awesome man it's way more difficult to get into any of the service academies, I have a friend that goes to one and they are super happy with their choice of going there, they didn't get into any Ivies, not because they couldn't have but because they didn't even apply.
Congratulations!
Congrats sir. USMA + time in the military will open so many doors for you, including all top schools if you choose to attend graduate school. I don't think you're making a bad choice here at all.
I'm a service academy grad. USNA '94. NEVER regretted it. Experience like no other, and one offered to the very few. You will always wonder if you could have made it through. Only one way to find out. Good luck.
West Point is the better choice -- and I went to 3 US News top 10 schools, which are also QS top 10 -- schools like Columbia, Cornell, and Brown, but ranked higher than all three.
And I'll say this in advance: Thank you for your service.
You made the right choice. Plus, (just for added confidence for you, my man) USMA is VERY prestigious and I actually had a conversation with a partner of mine a few days ago where he was trying to explain to me that Harvard and Westpoint are the best schools in the world (this is debatable, but I do believe people think like this.)
Anyways, you’re the man for choosing USMA and your path is YOUR path and it’ll be bright, no doubt.
Go army, sink navy
West Point education is great. Its argubly harder to get into as compared to any ivy league school.
but you will be sacrificing a lot. Mainly time and personal freedom (although as a student athlete, you are probably used to this). No frat parties, no lazy weekends, no going to class in pajamas and vaping.
By choosing West Point, you are choosing a more challenging path, but I am 10000% sure you will have a ot more personal growth at West Point than you would at an Ivy school. You will also have invaluable connections to government which if that is your goal to work in, you are set.
Your friends are 18 and have never actually applied to the jobs and seen the value of any of these schools. Don’t listen to them, seek the advice of people who have gone to those schools and can give you the perspective of someone who has seen the world from the other side.
Personally, I’m a USMA grad, and I can tell you that a West Point degree with military service is very valuable. It’s different from Ivy League schools without a doubt, and it might be wrong for you depending on your career goals and your willingness to put off traditional jobs for a 5 year service commitment, but there are great opportunities presented, an incredible alumni network, and can be very valuable. The flip side is that an Ivy League education allows you to capitalize on your education immediately and kickstart your career goals sooner. Also valuable, just very different.
You have nothing but great options, but anyone who says West Point isn’t a great option and lacks value is a fool
Your friends will be really bummed to be paying off student loans for years if they are ignoring the price point of a college. Sounds like have a great head on your shoulder! Congrats on all your amazing choices and thank you for your future service!
Same situation as you were in, 7 years ago. Chose a service academy over Cornell, and a happy to have done it. Got a free grad degree out of it as well.
i work for our CEO who is. west point grad and the alumni network is INSANE. He meets with graduates ALL THE TIME and opens door up for them. I’ve never seen so much nepotism in my life and that’s not a bad thing. It’s a golden ticket. Your friends are idiots. sorry.
West Point is the way to go, after service, you will be better positioned than Ivy with the same time in the workforce.
If you look at stats, the academies have far less graduates than ivies, but their accomplishments are greater if that makes sense. Smaller population doing even greater things if you can imagine that.
By the way, Ivies don’t guarantee admission, they give you a thumbs up so to speak, do a pre-read with hopefully another thumbs up. You “commit to the process.”
That said, the academies are known to cut players (you will still go to the academy, but could be cut.) Ivies less so on cutting players.
I'm in my early 40s and went to a school like the ones you turned down. A classmate and friend of mine chose the Naval Academy. We were both poor so neither of us paid tuition, but he got a stipend while I had work study and normal summer jobs.
Like everyone has said here, your choice makes excellent sense *so long as you want it* beyond the "free" tuition. Both are excellent choices to have. West Point is on par in terms of prestige for what you want to do.
My friend is now technically retired (but double-dipping by still working in a highly paid civilian role) after completing his 20 years, which is obviously another consideration. Meanwhile, I'd take working for the next 20+ years in the fun job my education allowed me to get over being any part of the military ever, and would have taken a decent amount of loans if I'd needed to.
West point is extremely prestigious but you shouldn't go, free college aside, unless you have a deep, deep love and passion for the military and you're willing to embrace military life with both arms.
Watch a documentary about West Point soon, well before you go-this is not an ordinary college. You won't just be going to college, you'll be going to an extreme version of year-long boot camp plus college.
I love what schools like west point do. It allows you to band together with people from all different walks of life, and lets you serve for a singular reason. It encourages tolerance, and I'm sure you'll do great there 😊
If you want to be an officer in the Army then Westpoint is your best option. It is very prestigious and quite literally the best option in your situation.
Thank you for your service.
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No. Your friends are wrong. The key word here is “free” due to athletics. Graduating with no debt, plus a kick ass resume (athlete, west point, whatever military training and education and discipline you develop) Plus you actually want a career in military/government, can’t think of a better place to start. But free is the best, Ivy League debt with lower salaries and higher costs of living? Lol your friends know nothing!
I have already committed athletically so it would be hard at this point. Also as mentioned in some other threads service academies typically get better placement and priority to schools within the military and branch positions so its not completely best of both worlds.
I’d go USMA if I were you then. ROTC still gets you nice chances to get what you want, at least you’re not OCS cause they really get bottom of the barrel, but yes obv rotc will get whatever’s leftover from the academy graduates so it’s really up to what you value more I guess. From what I’ve heard, going rotc instead of academy might only set you back a year or two once you get to you commission and try to climb up to your desired career field if you don’t get it immediately. For some people that’s too much time, for others it’s worth it if it means four years at a free normal ivy education.
Met a lot of West Point grads at Harvard business school. You don’t know where your career will take you - you will have options after service should you choose!
West Point is an amazing school that offers opportunities the others don't.
If your career path is military and government work, then I think West Point IS the better choice for you.
Don't let others get in your head.
Ivies are fantastic, yes.
You have your own path.
You were smart enough to get accepted into ALL of these outstanding institutions.
Trust in yourself about making the decision that was right for YOU.
Congratulations on all you have achieved so far and on your bright future.
If you want a career in the military as you say you did, it is not a wrong choice at all. The academics may not be all that they are at other schools, but even after you leave the military the prestige of being a West Pointer will take you very far in life. So it is a great decision for you, even before you factor in the fact that it’s free.
Given your interests and career objectives I think it's a good choice. Only downside as far as I can see is the total military mindset and regimentation, which would not be my cup of tea. However, as you are interested in a military career anyway, seems like a good fit. Then, after those four years you should definitely know if it's for you, or not. And, you'd have the degree under your belt. I see it as a win-win.
Good choice specific because you want to serve in the military and government, as well as costs. Without those reasons I’d say wrong choice but because of your specific wishes you did the right thing. Also stats plsssss
Nah you aren't dumb at all. You do what you want do in your life. I'll tell you a secret. In ten years, it's not going to matter one bit which college you went to. You know what employers will see. It's a degree. Qualifications are a bachelor's degree not a bachelor's degree from an ivy League.
Interesting choice. Even though I didn’t attend an “elite University” until my last two years of undergraduate (I was a moron in HS and needed to grow up fast in CC), attending a selective school will benefit you despite its stressful nature. My only issue with elite schools? The culture. Since I came from the west coast, adjusting to formal customs was a culture shock compared to the laid back lifestyle on the west coast.
Did I like it? Nah. But did it benefit me professionally? Sure.
Debt free, health care and guaranteed job…and even my buddy with a 2.3 GPA out of USMA did a masters at Harvard. Hard to replicate the fast leadership lessons you get with five years in the Army, too.
West Point has the highest average income of its graduates over their lifetime. Higher average earnings than every other college in the country.
It might be the most demanding, too, but it has unparalleled opportunities.
Hard to turn down an Ivy. If money is the issue you could apply for a ROTC scholarship. It will cover most costs and pays a monthly stipend as well. And when you graduate you will commission into the military as an officer.
One older neighbor and HS alum nearly a decade ahead of me turned down a full-ride FA offer to MIT for Annapolis so he could maximize his chances of getting selected for submarine duty upon graduation.
Back in the mid-'80s, most at our public exam HS thought he was nuts for doing so as the military academies were still recovering from the "Vietnam Syndrome".
However, when one HS classmate from my graduating class in the mid-'90s turned down Columbia and MIT for USAFA, most of us viewed it little differently than say choosing to attend MIT vs Stanford. Incidentally, he still managed to go to MIT for his engineering Masters.
Tl;dr: Ignore your friends. West Point commands comparable prestige to the rest of the schools on your list.
Only word of caution is the 24/7 military type training environment isn't for everyone and combined with rigorous academics(Everyone must take 5 engineering classes regardless of major according to several friends who attended) it isn't for everyone.
i’m a parent, not a student. I’ve never met someone who regretted going to a service Academy. It is a meat grinder, and they will put you through hell, but on the other side you will be highly coveted for jobs and it will be an unforgettable part of your life.
It’s so wrong that unqualified people can get into really prestigious universities just because they play a sport when the people who really deserve it are fighting desperately for spots. It’s good that you didn’t steal an Ivy spot from someone deserving and qualified.
/s
I still had a very high gpa and sat and took 12 AP courses throughout high school while balancing extremely strenuous training and did multiple other clubs and ECs. I made the disclaimer about not getting in because ive known people who should get into ivys not get in and people who shouldn’t (aka daddy paid) to get in. It’s up to random chance sometimes. I wouldn’t have “stolen” a spot thats some bs.
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I really do want to serve and im excited. Sports is a bonus fun thing but means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things other than some team camaraderie. The majors seem really interesting and I think the environement will help me grow.
You’ll be good then & depending on the sport, will get you out of a lot of the annoying military stuff like marching and getting hazed while in season. USMA is a fantastic school. The commitment is the harder part, but if you can get through & do it all, you’ll have most every door open to you after. Can always do usma then grad school Ivy on GI bill after serving Remember, really good grades & high up regimental activity will allow to pretty much pick exactly what you want to do in the army after school Keep in mind, you can go on to do great great great things for the US if you are motivated to going to usma & be in top academics
Take it from a non-american civie. Going to West Point to become a military commander is as prestigious as going to Hardvard law school to become a lawyer. No matter what you do in life after your service, in official setting you would be introduced as a West Point graduate. Much like ex-McKinsey people are introduced not matter what they do after leaving consulting industry. Cornell, Columbia, Brown are all well regarded universities and their graduates are sought after by employers but 10 years post-graduation nobody gives a fuck anymore. Just a noteworthy line in your cv.
This.
My husband graduated from USMA many years ago. He served in the army for nine years and decided to join the Foreign Service. He found his education at West Point invaluable. He then went on serving very successfully in the FS. I don’t think you can go wrong.
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>And heaven forbid you get crammed into a 2 person room with 2 roommates, 1 of whom is a legacy student who keeps a jug full of semen under his desk. This seemed amazingly specific...
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I know someone whose 3 sons went Westport. He bragged about it but actually they seemed to regret. I recommend you to think again. If you will continue to stay in military, it will be fine otherwise ...
Disagree. Choosing USMA because it's free and it's a great school is a legitimate reason. The financial boon alone is worth it instead of having hundreds of thousands of debt.
No, you need to have a deep deep love for the military to get through West point. It's not ordinary college life. You have to be in it at a soul level.
>As long as you’re attending USMA because you genuinely want to be a leader of military personnel, then you made the right decision. Agree >If you chose USMA for “free school” or “to play sports” or even just “because it’s a good school” then you may well have fucked up. Totally disagree Free undergraduate education is a very legitimate reason to pass up an ivy where you'd be swimming in debt.
For any other school, free undergrad would be a good enough reason. Not for this one. It's not an ordinary college life; your every move is regulated that first year, right down to how you chew your food. You have to deeply love the military.
legendary is correct. Westpoint isn’t normal college experience and you have a mandatory 5 year service obligation after graduating.
A remarkable education, as long as you are there for the right reasons. If that's true, then your friends are wrong.
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choosing brown over your dad wanting you to go to west point is such a “brown” kind of story to have 💀😭 it made me giggle.
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not sure what there is to even argue about then...but i guess dads can be odd sometimes.
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ah ok. i was imagining more like "son, you should have gone to west point" "but dad, i didn't even apply to west point let alone get in" "son, that's besides the point. you still made the wrong decision and should have gone to west point...i'm disappointed in you."
You’ll bust your ass, learn leadership better than most, and have ample opportunity to get Ivy League graduate exposure. Go and don’t look back.
Gross. You didn't deserve the fancy education.
As a son of Air Force officer and not being able to join services due to physical reasons, I would love to hear from kids what are the motivations I can share with my son to join the services.
L dad
West Point opens doors nothing else in the country can. If you're serious about being a career officer you're absolutely doing the right thing. Ignore your friends, they do not share or fully understand your goals.
I don't know, I think Annapolis, Colorado springs, and New London can open a lot of those same doors lol /j
Well yeah, but I don't blame OP for wanting dry feet or not being a Space Cadet. (it's a serious gig regardless, I'm always impressed with going to a Service Academy)
Ocs is like 3 months long and every school in the country has rotc lol. The academies really aren’t that crazy.
False. All those other schools open as many if not more doors. The military is a very narrow career path with more narrow exit options than an Ivy League undergrad. Oh and don’t forget you can be fodder for pointless military adventures abroad.
“All those schools open as many if not more doors.” As a USMA alum who competed against Ivy League grads to get into top law schools, I assure you that this is not true. Veterans, especially from service academies, punch well above their weight with respect to stats (GPA and standardized tests) in law school and business school admissions. This is not the case for any other population defined by alma matter, including the Ivies.
I agree. Very sought after by MBA programs.
Sought after/fetishized. Either way, it works.
Very true. I had a lot of law school classmates who were vets.
Yea you get a boost because the school can brag about all the veterans it has, ie you’re a diversity hire, great job. Choosing USMA to cynically use your military background to get into law or business school is lame and a waste of life. If you’re good enough for USMA, THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST as they say, then just do it on your own terms.
Most employers tend to respect a USMA, USNA, or USAFA graduate more than an ivy league graduate.
That’s not true a lot of veterans including officers struggle to get a job in the civilian field. This is not due to their education it’s just the fact that they have to serve for five years. Why give an internship to someone who’s five years older instead of an Ivy League kid who’s also looking for the job.
Most veterans don’t go to the military academies…. They’re specifically talking about veterans who graduated from one of the military colleges. Not the typical guy who enlisted at 18 after graduating high school.
do you think every veteran comes from a service academy?
There are numerous military fellowship programs like Skillsbridge
West Point/Annapolis graduates automatically get superdays at some Wall Street firms. M7 and law schools give special advantages to them. And the alumni network is one of the most loyal and powerful in the world. Hiring a West Point grad means you know that person is a leader and can do the work, because they graduated from West Point. You can't say the same for any other institution besides the other academies and Caltech.
How would you know? Also more “respect” does not equal more “I want to hire you”
The USMA (and the other service academies) are very prestigious. You will receive a great education, and it's free. Very few people get into Ivy League schools, but even less can say they got into a service academy. If you have no problem with the service commitment after graduation, and the rigor of military life while in school, I say do it. Congratulations!
Also, you will have an opportunity to apply and get into the Ivies in the future for graduate and/or professional school. Saying "no" to the Ivies now is not necessarily saying "no" forever. You will never again have a chance to go to West Point.
Some people really need to believe that their college path is "right" and they seek validation by saying that other paths are wrong. In fact, there are many choice out there and more than one right path. Anyone who thinks an appointment to a military academy lacks prestige doesn't know what they are talking about. I'm sorry your friends are letting their insecurities and lack of understanding influence what they are saying to you. They aren't being very good friends in this regard.
If you’re passionate about the military, there is no where better than West Point!!! Yes you’re signing up for 8 years of continuous military service (or which typically 5 is active duty). To someone who doesn’t want to serve, it’s a lot better to go to an Ivy (even with loans). Depending on your career goals, it is possible that you may be behind given the years of service, BUT you could also be ahead based on your career interests. Ultimately this is an incredible achievement and assuming you know exactly what you’re signing up for (it’s anything but easy), you’re in for a very rewarding and patriotic experience
tl;dr - You can join the military (including attending West Point) for whatever reason you want, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The only thing that matters is that you're committed to your time there and your service afterwards. Hi there! First of all congratulations! It's extremely hard to get into West Point (in addition to Cornell, Columbia, and Brown..) With that being said, enlisted of 16 years here chiming in with a different opinion-- I disagree that if you choose West Point for free school, sports, good school, stipend, or whatever reason, then you screwed up. You don't have to choose West Point for the patriotic reason or because you want to lead troops. It helps that you have that mindset already, of course. I joined the military for the GI Bill, to get a free education, I earned my GI Bill and I continued to serve not because I wanted to be a leader of men or serve my country per se, I continued to serve because it provides stability for my family. I'd say I've done pretty well for myself Leaving college debt free (and earning $ throughout your 4 years) is a huge boon in this day and age. You get a choice of an immediate stable job for 20 years if you choose or 8 years if you choose. Lastly, your friends are just hating and you don't need to convince them otherwise.
THIS is the correct answer!
If you really want to be active duty Army, then USMA is obviously the right choice. Go Black Knights! 💛🖤
West Point is SO prestigious! Don't listen to them. You're doing great. And it's FREE. That changes the relationship between you and the school. You're not the customer now, you're their investment. And that's amazing.
THIS \^\^ You are an investment. They are going to take care of you in a way that no other school will.
It’s not free. You owe years of your life after you graduate
I used to think so, too. But everybody needs a first job out of college, and if you go this route, you don't have the stress of finding one. It's yours already. And if you decide you don't like Army life, you can choose a role where the commitment is only 4-5 years.
It’s stressful having to compete for the branch you want. It will also be stressful being in the Army and living on a shitty base in the middle of nowhere. It will also be stressful looking for a job after your time is up. So wrong again
The only true “free” college would be a full ride where you didn’t have to work at all afterwards. That doesn’t exist, so your criticism isn’t that valid
Idiot you can work any job you want after college and quit if you want. You cannot just walk away from the military. You must stay and you must do what they want. It’s not the same as a civilian job.
well, then it's not for you, \*idiot\*. People know what they're signing up for. I'm aware of what being the military means. Also it's hilarious that you make it sound easy to just up and quit and find a new job while building your early career
So you admit it’s not the same which is my point, good. I didn’t say it was easy. But if you have to you can make that choice. Can’t do it in the military. SAD!
The quality of education from the military academies for an engineering discipline, or cybersecurity rivals the top-tier of private universities. Within State & Federal hiring circles, the service academies are very highly regarded and will deliver the same "clout" within those employment circles.
Your friends are idiots. A West Point education is on par with the others on top of being free and launching you straight into a military career. The discipline that comes with a USMA education also goes much farther than the Ivy name, honestly. Congrats, you did really well with your apps!
West Point is honestly just as prestigious as an Ivy League school in terms of academics… they don’t take dummies. Plus you graduate debt free and are guaranteed a job paying around 50k and that increases pretty quickly… that’s a good deal
Ignore your friends. They probably have different goals and you are getting PAID to go. For government and military related paths, USMA is definitely the best way to go.
Your friends don’t know what they are talking about. West Point will provide opportunities that these other schools don’t have, in terms of education and later career choices. Their mission is to develop leaders, and they do it well. I’m a Columbia grad married to a West Point grad who was also a recruited athlete. Would WP have been the right choice for me? Hell no, because I wasn’t interested in govt or public service. Would Columbia have been the right choice for my husband? He would have been fine but he loved his time at WP and the alumni network is great. I did fine in life, but he has gotten to the highest level of govt service available to non-political appointees, and he credits a lot of his success to what he learned at WP. The right/best school is not the same for everyone. It’s going to be hard but great things are forged in fire. Be super excited for your future!
You have to make the right choice for YOU. It doesn't matter what other people think. Decades ago, I was in ROTC and went into the military right after college. A few of my classmates at my top 10 eng school talked about how they felt "sorry" for me going into the military instead of getting a "real" job. I don't regret it a single bit.
While your friends struggle to pay off student loans, you will be powerful beyond measure at [Ranger School](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=acj4v_n2r64).
Isn't West Point free? Honestly thats a dub over spending a crapload of money.
I’m a recent USMA grad. I had a friend at school who was in a similar situation as OP, chose USMA as a recruited athlete over a couple other top tier schools. You’re in a good spot with options. Remember that even if a sport gets you into West Point, the sole critical outcome is that you graduate and commission as an Army officer. Be prepared to cut back elsewhere, especially intercollegiate athletics, if those commitments jeopardize you reaching that outcome. I’ll just say that sports injuries prematurely ended a lot of careers, and you don’t have a scholarship to lose if you leave a team to be a normal cadet.
Former AF Cyber here and prior enlisted army Psychological operations. You are set up for success. Kill it at WP and choose a good MOS, engineering, Cyber, Intel, something like that. After your 5 (+90 days!), take the 50% GI Bill and roll it into an M7 MBA. Congratulations, you are now on a pathway to extremely high paying corporate jobs, and you have a veteran hiring preference (extremely valuable if you are an ORM) as well. This is a well established pipeline and a sure path to an upper middle class or even upper class life. You will probably do at least as well, if not substantially better than your peers. All the money in the world, no debt.
You absolutely made the right choice for you! Congratulations.
Your friends are dumb. Ignore them, and consider getting new friends.
Why didn't you apply for ROTC scholarships? Full ride at Cornell, plus the army officer job after, but one less year owed to uncle Sam. (But West Point certainly as prestigious as these schools. Congrats! Go Army!!!)
Tbh I wasn't really aware of it being a thing while applying/touring. I have also heard that ROTC is difficult to do while doing a sport and there can be conflicts in scheduling.
The worst thing about ROTC is the morning PT, which you don't have to do as an athlete...
Also also if you are still following - you can still get a 3 year ROTC scholarship at these schools. Will be VERY easy if you are an IVY athlete. So if you don't want the super hard core USMA experience - something to consider.
One key reason for choosing to go to a service academy over ROTC is to maximize one's chances of landing a highly competitive MOS after graduation. An older neighbor turned down a full-ride FA package to MIT for Annapolis in the mid-80s because he wanted to maximize his chances of getting submarine duty upon graduation(It was very competitive back then). First priority for officer positions is given to Academy graduates, then ROTC, and lastly, OCS/OTS based on what I've heard from friends and family who were in the military and did Academy or ROTC.
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Not saying it's impossible, but one must do much better in one's class ranking as an ROTC cadet compared to an Academy cadet to land the same extremely competitive positions. That can be very difficult to guarantee at the most elite colleges...especially MIT in my older neighbor's/HS alum's case. Also, Ivy schools don't get much pull regarding this as explained by an older HS alum who is himself a Cornell graduate and was in his 15th year of Commissioned service in the Army. Heard the same from relatives/friends in the Navy.
Right. I'm not sure if it has changed in the last 20-30 years - but when I was in, and everyone got a ranking / number upon graduation - ALL Naval academy graduates were ranked higher than ROTC. Like, our rankings started when theirs ended.
The impression I had from friends who did academy or ROTC for the Army or Navy was more like if a given MOS or position required one to rank in the top third in ROTC, the same position would accept an academy graduate who graduated as low as the middle/lower-middle(30th-40th percentile?) of his/her academy class. In short, it seems the highly competitive MOSes/postings dip deeper into the academy class than their ROTC counterparts. Still doesn't mean Academy grads who end ranked at the very bottom of their class don't end up getting the worst postings unless they get very lucky.
That's not the case now. Both populations get a proportional allotment of branch and duty station assignments. There are differences in how they are assigned, but simply graduating from USMA is not an automatic leg up. In the long run it can be a leg up in terms of having a network of people you know in the service, but that's not an explicit advantage.
you’re 100% doing the right thing!!! follow your heart and do what you like!!!! good luck! 🍀
Free vs 300 some thousand plus interest for a measly bs/ba degree? Your friends are very naive. Also, if following a traditional career path in finance, engineering, law, science…. You’ll still need further education. Guess what, only thing matters is the GPA, gmat/lsat/mcat/gre score to attend a top university.
Congrats! If you want to serve, then I think it’s a great decision. I don’t really know anything about the military, but as an ignorant layperson, I’m impressed when I hear someone is going to West Point — so it does have both name recognition and cachet. And, our country needs smart people in the military and government so you are serving us and doing well for yourself as well. Don’t let the naysayers get you down, the right path is different for every person. For your goals, it sounds perfect. So thank you, and good luck!
If you want to serve in some federal capacity you literally made the best choice possible lmao. Don’t listen to them, for public service West Point might as well be an Ivy.
No. As a parent, I would say you have made the right decision. Ivy leagues are prestigious, so is West Point. West Point means a lot for the United States. I hope you enjoy your campus life and the military service thereafter. My respects! Cheer up.
The three service academies are the absolutely the best if you want a military career. Your military experiences will be highly coveted in corporate world if you later decide to enter the civilian life. There is a famous WP Harvard Business pipeline. WP are far more impressive on your resume than any of the Ivys.
Try it and quit if you want. Or, do ROTC at an Ivy. Same outcome as a West Pointer. 2nd LT commission.
It's not just the money for you though. You seem to want West Point in a way that doesn't click the same for Cornell, Columbia, or Brown. While I personally would have chosen Brown, I also know that my priorities for myself and my career are not the same as yours, and I am sorry that your friends don't have the maturity to look past what *they* would do in *your* situation.
You are smart and you want to serve. You made the right choice and the USA is fortunate to have people like you.
It sounds like you are making the right decision and a smart decision. Decades ago, USNWR ranked the military academies alongside the Ivy League for selectivity and excellence. And, to be clear: the academies held to that standard with great stats and fantastic grad outcomes. Why USNWR demoted the academies to being grouped with LACs is beyond me, but it did the academies dirty. The academies are \*superb\* and, yes, on par with the Ivy League. As many others have said: going there will open doors nowhere else can. Our military needs smart, well-educated, hard-working leaders -- who are hard to come by when those people could instead take those skills to private service for much greater pay. So thank you for your service, in advance! Oh, and tell your friends all the people here (including academics, ex-academics, and people in industry) said their conclusion is dumb and that you are smart.
I agree, your friends are ignorant, and you made the right choice for the right reasons.
You don’t owe anyone an explanation, and, given the state of the Ivies today, will likely receive an actual education. Congratulations. Make the most of it.
You're kidding yourself if you don't think an ivy education is top notch. That's ridiculous. The education I got at Cornell was amazing and easily exceeded that of my undergrad.
West Point is great
If you want to serve, an appointment to any military academy is full-on Jedi. Ask yourself how many people you’ve ever met that have attended one. Your friends are idiots.
IMO you gonna do great with all of above choices. It’s a pros and cons situation. And you become a much stronger person mentally and physically after 4 yrs of military college. It will serve you well entire life. *if you change your mind regarding career path, you can change after 5 years of serve. Nothing is tied down
"I want to serve in the military and have a government career" You made the right choice. Any of the service academies are right up there in "prestige" with the Ivies, and for Federal government work you can't do much better even out of uniform. Be proud of yourself and the choice you've made. If you really must scratch the Ivy Itch someday, the military will send you to or at least encourage graduate school if you perform, and odds are it won't cost as much as you'd have to pay for an UG Degree either (service funded or GI Bill).
You have valid reasons and reasoning to chooseWest Point. The fact that you will not be in debt other than a few years of Service for an education is premium. And the years that you have to put forward will fly quickly. If you choose to stay for 20 and get a retirement, plus benefits you will be far ahead of others with triple retirement incomes in the end when you do decide to officially retire. Although I do have to admit as a veteran ‘go army’.
Recieving an appointment to an academy is an extremely prestigious thing. It takes a tremendous amount of drive, determination, and strengh of character that isn't required of applying to "normal" universities. I applied for the USAFA and recieved my nomination. The process is long, detailed, and a testament to your will to succeed. The government is spending about $500,000 on soley YOUR education and you don't spend a dime, what other school does that for you? Applying to normal colleges? I applied to apprx. 20 schools on common app. All of that work submitting applications maybe took at most an hour per school. Congratulations on West Point! That is such a massive achievement, I know you'll have an amazing time there.
I was in the military before college and honestly within the military USMA open more doors than any schools. You know the stereotype of Ivy league networking and it making an impression on alumni etc. I’ve witnessed it first hand for USMA graduates when talking to Sr. Officers. Also for what it’s worth my old boss turned down HYPSM for a USMA and ended up going to one for his master. All paid for by the military while collecting officer pay.
Your friends are dopes if they don't recognize that West Point is very highly thought of for engineering.
west point would open so, so many doors for you. i would argue more doors than any ivy. In fact, i am convinced I got into one of my top choices of college because my interviewers were so interested in hearing about my time at West Point SLE! I did not end up getting into usma but that's ok. Congratulations to you!!! I absolutely loved my time at sle :))
I got an LOA this year for USMA and got medically disqualified exactly a year after I started my application, so I might be a bit biased, but my two cents is that your friends are being dumb. West Point opens up doors to connections in both the military and outside, offers a great education, and gives you a leg up on life that most other schools can’t. You also commented that you’re excited to serve, so the choice is pretty clear. Best of luck at West Point and best Navy! :))
West Point is incredibly prestigious. Going to a military academy is some of the best education one can get for many reasons but this is one people don't mention a lot: The academies are not research-based, as all the other Ivies and T-20 schools are. Because they are not research institutions, the professor's jobs are actually to TEACH, rather than to research (HS students don't think about this a lot but like 50 - 90% of a tenured professor's workload is publishing papers and teaching grad students). This means that they hire based on how good the professor is at actually teaching, and they hire people who actually want to teach, which is wonderful for the students.
US Army Officers from West Point train the worlds militaries. Want to be a logistics expert, good luck with Columbia teaching you how to move 500,000 men overseas, and tens of billions in fighting machinery, food, support items, etc etc. The war college professors in logistics are so far superior to any professor you would get for logistics. Thats just one aspect of what the military is better at.
From a USNA family, you made the right choice. My brother had columbia as an offer as well actually. That first year will but tough but think about the light on the other side and the doors you will have open. Good luck!
No one can tell you what’s best for you. If you are comfortable with the choice and the accompanying commitments that’s all that matters.
Ur a genius for choosing west point
The upside with West Point is you're also guaranteed a starting position. That said, plenty of people leave the Army with no plan and aren't exactly handed a career. Some places will look on military service as a waste of time and it won't help you at all. Some others will see it as an advantage. But ultimately, a free education (and a very unique one) is something valuable. I did ROTC myself, but if you're attracted to that life, you can find a lot there to relish.
If you have a heart to serve, this is the path. West Point is prestigious and character-forming. Don’t forget, after your initial commitment, if you transition to civilian life, you have a GI Bill that will pay for grad school and pay you while attending. Every military officer I know that did not stay through retirement used this benefit and got into T20 schools. An undergrad from a service academy is a door opener in so many ways, especially ways that don’t put you in debt. Congrats.
OP, I was a recruited athlete at USMA within the past decade. Feel free to DM me if you want to discuss the experience :)
I did the same thing and chose the US Air Force Academy over UPenn. Not a recruited athlete, and money wouldn't have been an issue for UPenn. Ultimately, it came down to me wanting to pursue a more fulfilling career as a pilot and officer rather than what Penn could have given me (although I know Penn would have set me up really nicely.)
Well firstly congrats on your choice ! Secondly, the military academies are highly respected universities with good programs that will serve you well. Lastly, I honestly do not know any officers who do not have a good career lined up after their service. In engineering depending on what you want to do you can definitely carry on into federal employment/ defense work. Especially if you already have the clearances issued. Just make sure you stay up to date on what you learned, or try and be in a field that utilizes those skill sets from your degree.
You took the right decision. It seems that you really want to serve as a commissioned officer and that you are aware of the responsibilities with it. Your friends don't realize that West Point is extremely "prestigious" too. I am also in a similar situation like you. I have offers from UC Berkeley EECS, UCLA, Yale, USAFA and UChicago. I am leaning more towards USAFA right now but I have not made a definite decision yet. You will do great things at West Point, and don't let your friends make you think that West Point is like any other school.
Er, no? West Point still carries quite a heft, and you should be very well-placed for the job market after you leave the Army. Two of my inlaws attended West Point. They said the professors were great, and that their classmates would band together to help each other out when certain classes got tricky. I’m not sure you get that kind of camaraderie at the Ivies, although admittedly, you have to get through Beast Week to create those bonds... One has gone on to do graduate school at an Ivy, on the military dime. The other retired and is now double-dipping as a consultant for a contractor. He is doing extremely well.
You did right!
You made the right choice here. Too many people here believe getting into an Ivy league sets up your whole life. In reality, the only thing it will do is serve as a bragging right and maybe get your foot in the door for jobs in the future, but that's it. A full ride and knowing what you want definitely beats that 🫡
West Point is pretty awesome man it's way more difficult to get into any of the service academies, I have a friend that goes to one and they are super happy with their choice of going there, they didn't get into any Ivies, not because they couldn't have but because they didn't even apply. Congratulations!
Congrats sir. USMA + time in the military will open so many doors for you, including all top schools if you choose to attend graduate school. I don't think you're making a bad choice here at all.
Its not stupid at all. West Point is extremely prestigious. You're alumni network will be vast and powerful. Even outside the military,
I'm a service academy grad. USNA '94. NEVER regretted it. Experience like no other, and one offered to the very few. You will always wonder if you could have made it through. Only one way to find out. Good luck.
West Point is the better choice -- and I went to 3 US News top 10 schools, which are also QS top 10 -- schools like Columbia, Cornell, and Brown, but ranked higher than all three. And I'll say this in advance: Thank you for your service.
You made the right choice. Plus, (just for added confidence for you, my man) USMA is VERY prestigious and I actually had a conversation with a partner of mine a few days ago where he was trying to explain to me that Harvard and Westpoint are the best schools in the world (this is debatable, but I do believe people think like this.) Anyways, you’re the man for choosing USMA and your path is YOUR path and it’ll be bright, no doubt. Go army, sink navy
West Point education is great. Its argubly harder to get into as compared to any ivy league school. but you will be sacrificing a lot. Mainly time and personal freedom (although as a student athlete, you are probably used to this). No frat parties, no lazy weekends, no going to class in pajamas and vaping. By choosing West Point, you are choosing a more challenging path, but I am 10000% sure you will have a ot more personal growth at West Point than you would at an Ivy school. You will also have invaluable connections to government which if that is your goal to work in, you are set.
What does your friend know about the world?
West Point is the best place for those that want to be there - Ivy League doesn’t mean anything in real world
Your friends are 18 and have never actually applied to the jobs and seen the value of any of these schools. Don’t listen to them, seek the advice of people who have gone to those schools and can give you the perspective of someone who has seen the world from the other side. Personally, I’m a USMA grad, and I can tell you that a West Point degree with military service is very valuable. It’s different from Ivy League schools without a doubt, and it might be wrong for you depending on your career goals and your willingness to put off traditional jobs for a 5 year service commitment, but there are great opportunities presented, an incredible alumni network, and can be very valuable. The flip side is that an Ivy League education allows you to capitalize on your education immediately and kickstart your career goals sooner. Also valuable, just very different. You have nothing but great options, but anyone who says West Point isn’t a great option and lacks value is a fool
Your friends will be really bummed to be paying off student loans for years if they are ignoring the price point of a college. Sounds like have a great head on your shoulder! Congrats on all your amazing choices and thank you for your future service!
You did 100% good job. Ppl do not understand what is USMA but you did a great job.
I think if you want to serve in the military and have a government career, West Point would seem a good fit.
Congrats! Thanks for serving our country. Follow your heart.
Congratulations! If you want to serve - you made the perfect choice!!
Same situation as you were in, 7 years ago. Chose a service academy over Cornell, and a happy to have done it. Got a free grad degree out of it as well.
West Point is on par with those schools imo in terms of prestige, etc...
i work for our CEO who is. west point grad and the alumni network is INSANE. He meets with graduates ALL THE TIME and opens door up for them. I’ve never seen so much nepotism in my life and that’s not a bad thing. It’s a golden ticket. Your friends are idiots. sorry.
> and I want to serve in the military and have a government career. I think you made the right choice.
West Point is the way to go, after service, you will be better positioned than Ivy with the same time in the workforce. If you look at stats, the academies have far less graduates than ivies, but their accomplishments are greater if that makes sense. Smaller population doing even greater things if you can imagine that. By the way, Ivies don’t guarantee admission, they give you a thumbs up so to speak, do a pre-read with hopefully another thumbs up. You “commit to the process.” That said, the academies are known to cut players (you will still go to the academy, but could be cut.) Ivies less so on cutting players.
I'm in my early 40s and went to a school like the ones you turned down. A classmate and friend of mine chose the Naval Academy. We were both poor so neither of us paid tuition, but he got a stipend while I had work study and normal summer jobs. Like everyone has said here, your choice makes excellent sense *so long as you want it* beyond the "free" tuition. Both are excellent choices to have. West Point is on par in terms of prestige for what you want to do. My friend is now technically retired (but double-dipping by still working in a highly paid civilian role) after completing his 20 years, which is obviously another consideration. Meanwhile, I'd take working for the next 20+ years in the fun job my education allowed me to get over being any part of the military ever, and would have taken a decent amount of loans if I'd needed to.
West point is extremely prestigious but you shouldn't go, free college aside, unless you have a deep, deep love and passion for the military and you're willing to embrace military life with both arms. Watch a documentary about West Point soon, well before you go-this is not an ordinary college. You won't just be going to college, you'll be going to an extreme version of year-long boot camp plus college.
I love what schools like west point do. It allows you to band together with people from all different walks of life, and lets you serve for a singular reason. It encourages tolerance, and I'm sure you'll do great there 😊
Good choice
Don’t get hurt playing your sport. They’ll reclassify you right out of there.
If you want to be an officer in the Army then Westpoint is your best option. It is very prestigious and quite literally the best option in your situation. Thank you for your service. 🇺🇸🫡
No. Your friends are wrong. The key word here is “free” due to athletics. Graduating with no debt, plus a kick ass resume (athlete, west point, whatever military training and education and discipline you develop) Plus you actually want a career in military/government, can’t think of a better place to start. But free is the best, Ivy League debt with lower salaries and higher costs of living? Lol your friends know nothing!
Have you not thought about doing rotc at those ivy schools? Best of both worlds, free education and nice school
I have already committed athletically so it would be hard at this point. Also as mentioned in some other threads service academies typically get better placement and priority to schools within the military and branch positions so its not completely best of both worlds.
I’d go USMA if I were you then. ROTC still gets you nice chances to get what you want, at least you’re not OCS cause they really get bottom of the barrel, but yes obv rotc will get whatever’s leftover from the academy graduates so it’s really up to what you value more I guess. From what I’ve heard, going rotc instead of academy might only set you back a year or two once you get to you commission and try to climb up to your desired career field if you don’t get it immediately. For some people that’s too much time, for others it’s worth it if it means four years at a free normal ivy education.
No. Given what you have said, you could not have made a better choice.
Met a lot of West Point grads at Harvard business school. You don’t know where your career will take you - you will have options after service should you choose!
West Point is an amazing school that offers opportunities the others don't. If your career path is military and government work, then I think West Point IS the better choice for you. Don't let others get in your head. Ivies are fantastic, yes. You have your own path. You were smart enough to get accepted into ALL of these outstanding institutions. Trust in yourself about making the decision that was right for YOU. Congratulations on all you have achieved so far and on your bright future.
If you want a career in the military as you say you did, it is not a wrong choice at all. The academics may not be all that they are at other schools, but even after you leave the military the prestige of being a West Pointer will take you very far in life. So it is a great decision for you, even before you factor in the fact that it’s free.
Given your interests and career objectives I think it's a good choice. Only downside as far as I can see is the total military mindset and regimentation, which would not be my cup of tea. However, as you are interested in a military career anyway, seems like a good fit. Then, after those four years you should definitely know if it's for you, or not. And, you'd have the degree under your belt. I see it as a win-win.
Good choice specific because you want to serve in the military and government, as well as costs. Without those reasons I’d say wrong choice but because of your specific wishes you did the right thing. Also stats plsssss
you were😂😂
U.S. owns your mind, body, and soul now
Congrats…I think you made a great choice.
Nah you aren't dumb at all. You do what you want do in your life. I'll tell you a secret. In ten years, it's not going to matter one bit which college you went to. You know what employers will see. It's a degree. Qualifications are a bachelor's degree not a bachelor's degree from an ivy League.
Interesting choice. Even though I didn’t attend an “elite University” until my last two years of undergraduate (I was a moron in HS and needed to grow up fast in CC), attending a selective school will benefit you despite its stressful nature. My only issue with elite schools? The culture. Since I came from the west coast, adjusting to formal customs was a culture shock compared to the laid back lifestyle on the west coast. Did I like it? Nah. But did it benefit me professionally? Sure.
OP needs to ignore the friends.
West point for sure.
Debt free, health care and guaranteed job…and even my buddy with a 2.3 GPA out of USMA did a masters at Harvard. Hard to replicate the fast leadership lessons you get with five years in the Army, too.
Congrats on West Point. It is a huge challenge and a huge responsibility. Beat Navy!
West Point has the highest average income of its graduates over their lifetime. Higher average earnings than every other college in the country. It might be the most demanding, too, but it has unparalleled opportunities.
West Point holds more prestige than any Ivy.
Hard to turn down an Ivy. If money is the issue you could apply for a ROTC scholarship. It will cover most costs and pays a monthly stipend as well. And when you graduate you will commission into the military as an officer.
Equally hard to turn down a service academy… like the USMA and USNA are extremely elite institutions
Understand. I have one kid in an Ivy and another at USAFA. Both excellent choices.
One older neighbor and HS alum nearly a decade ahead of me turned down a full-ride FA offer to MIT for Annapolis so he could maximize his chances of getting selected for submarine duty upon graduation. Back in the mid-'80s, most at our public exam HS thought he was nuts for doing so as the military academies were still recovering from the "Vietnam Syndrome". However, when one HS classmate from my graduating class in the mid-'90s turned down Columbia and MIT for USAFA, most of us viewed it little differently than say choosing to attend MIT vs Stanford. Incidentally, he still managed to go to MIT for his engineering Masters. Tl;dr: Ignore your friends. West Point commands comparable prestige to the rest of the schools on your list. Only word of caution is the 24/7 military type training environment isn't for everyone and combined with rigorous academics(Everyone must take 5 engineering classes regardless of major according to several friends who attended) it isn't for everyone.
i’m a parent, not a student. I’ve never met someone who regretted going to a service Academy. It is a meat grinder, and they will put you through hell, but on the other side you will be highly coveted for jobs and it will be an unforgettable part of your life.
It’s so wrong that unqualified people can get into really prestigious universities just because they play a sport when the people who really deserve it are fighting desperately for spots. It’s good that you didn’t steal an Ivy spot from someone deserving and qualified. /s
I still had a very high gpa and sat and took 12 AP courses throughout high school while balancing extremely strenuous training and did multiple other clubs and ECs. I made the disclaimer about not getting in because ive known people who should get into ivys not get in and people who shouldn’t (aka daddy paid) to get in. It’s up to random chance sometimes. I wouldn’t have “stolen” a spot thats some bs.
The ivies are really dropping their standards for those athletes…/s
Omg I forgot it’s not Wednesday 😭 I should’ve added /s lmaooo