This. Civilian colleges and service academies are two entirely different animals. The outcome is the same*, but the paths are very different. USNA even sells a t-shirt that says “NOT College.”
You may want to read this whole thread where I commented many times trying to help a poster whose son was trying to decide between a civilian college and USNA, but specifically this comment and this one.
I’m happy to answer any particular questions you have on this thread, but you need to be more specific. Also, I always provide a link to serviceacademyforums.com which is the CC equivalent for candidates looking for an appointment to a service academy. You can get any questions answered there from current and former military, cadets/mids, and parents.
*The active duty service commitment for NROTC is four years. The least number of service years out of USNA is five (and potentially many more, depending on specialty).