<p>My daughter’s goal is to be a Foreign Area Officer with a regional speciality of Russia (FAOs) in the Navy. She is applying to both USNA and for NROTC scholarships. She has been planning this since 8th grade, in her research she found the most FAOs come from the OCS corp and five slots from the Naval Academy. </p>
<p>1- How would your rate the political science major at USNA?
2- She is considering holding out one year to go to Russia as an International Echange student so she is fluent. How would that affect her USNA experience?
3- She is also applying to Harvard, Georgetown, American, Columbia and Barnard</p>
<p>We ahve heard people speak about the USNA engineering and science departments but not much re: international relations/politicalscience.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any advice or words of wisdom.</p>
<p>You have to remember the primary mission of the USNA: to produce junior officers for the fleet.
While many graduates do make it to billets such as you described, there is no assurance.
For example, I have heard it is easier to get JAG assigned [navy lawyers] from law school than it is for those that attend USNA, then law school, then jag. Same with medical assignments. Obviously, it happens; but, out of the USNA, the Navy’s needs come first.
That may or may not include the assignment you describe regardless of the degree obtained by a person. In any event, assignments, many times, are based on a student’s overall order of merit, i.e. standing in class. The higher up the food chain, the more likely you are to receive requested assignments.</p>
<p>Your daughter may be better off going to a civilian school, signing up for ROTC, and then going to Navy with that assignment locked in.</p>
<p>The reason you hear abou the engineering/science aspects is because the USNA, althought they offer degrees in Political Science, the degree is a Bachelor of Science in [choose your major]. All mids are required to take certain core science and math courses.</p>
<p>Thank you for your posting. After doing some significant research she decided not to apply to the academy and instead go for Army ROTC where she do what she wants to do. Foreign Affairs Officer. Thank you so much for your help.</p>
<p>LupitaMaria</p>