<p>Obviously a tough choice.</p>
<p>Personally, I would not accept the prep school route. Period. If you already have studied for two years at U.Cincinnati, then you have already established that you are capable of college level work. So, if they seem to think that you need even more preparation for West Point, then you actually are probably going to struggle at West Point. Struggling at USMA is no fun at all. It is not even a challenge. It can, in fact, be humiliating. Plus, you would take an additional five years to get your degree and your Army commission. My recommendation is to only consider an appointment directly to West Point.</p>
<p>Are you guaranteed an active duty commission in your current program at UC? If so, then the only real advantage of West Point is it superior education and its prestige (which is huge!). Otherwise, you still can do airborne training. OCS will bring back all of your lessons from basic. So, if you are guaranteed an active duty commission, then UC allows you to move on more quickly than does West Point.</p>
<p>In sum, only choose a direct appointment to USMA, and do so because you love it and want the best preparation for an Army career.</p>