First off, thank you so much for all this information. This is insane
The Naval Academy simply because I see myself more at this academy then the other ones and due to the major of marine architecture/naval engineering. I understand that the major would honestly be second to duties as a member of the military, and that is something I am interested in: the sheer brutality and intensity of the military academies. It would mark a stark contrast to a sedentary lifestyle where I memorize information and regurgitate it, praying for high marks. Obviously this is a gross oversimplification, but the Naval Academy seems to satisfy my desires for challenges, not just academically, but physically and mentally. I seek to improve myself in every manner possible, steering away from the typical college.
For commitment to service, I find great honor in being able to serve a community. From experience of tutoring others academically or being able to help others in the gym when they are unfamiliar, I hold value in helping others. Commitment to service to me is like keeping myself in check. As a very competitive person, the Naval Academy clearly would push myself to unfound limits in desiring to surpass others in commitment. This is a shift in tone, but the Naval Academy has ultimately been on the backburner for years, being prioritized by other majors who’s interest was fostered by peers and family in opposition to the military pathway. As a result, my answers to those questions remain quite unrefined and necessitate further exploration.
I understand that I would have to serve after graduating from the academy, which ultimately varies as you stated. In terms of profile for the USNA, my academic profile is essentially at its limit for what is feasible at my high school. Academically, I have the most advanced courses available on my schedule, with the only room for improvement being my SAT score or class rank (yet I doubt it would strengthen my profile that much). I do realize that a lack of varsity sports or official athletic involvement heavily impacts my application. It’s at times like this that I regret not rebelling against my parents. Regardless, I have consistently done weightlifting for two years, with minimal breaks and going a minimum of three times per week to the gym, excluding home workouts. I will note that I could practically max out the fitness assessment with a month of dedicated training in addition to my current physical state. Seeing the limitations and time commitment of holding an extremely rigorous academic schedule, I would have to vote against the idea of playing a school sport. Two reasons being that doing it senior year seems like a last-minute effort and, secondly, I doubt that there is a sport where I could easily jump to the varsity level in a single season.
In terms of your breakdown of ‘admissions’ for the USNA, I essentially have to piggyback off my idea of commitment through community service or clubs, where I served the community and had positions of leadership. If one believes that I have a shot at the USNA despite my non-negligible holes in my application, then I will put forth a honest and well-cultivated statement for nomination.
Once again, thanks for your in-depth explanation. At this point, I doubt if its worth applying considering lack of collaboration through varsity sports or presence of JROTC (historically a very important factor at my school).
Note: I still have a list of schools I attend to apply to based on my previous ChanceMe thread, I just wanted to explore the possibility of another option that I had thought of for years.