<p>The first question I would ask him would be; does he want to focus on the speed of his trip or what he will have the opportunity to learn and experience along the way?</p>
<p>If he attends an Ivy in four years he will join the ranks of some thousands of other Ivy graduates applying for law school. Upon his graduation from law school he will join most of the same applicants in pursuit of the same jobs in the same firms with much of the same credentials. </p>
<p>If he attends the Naval Academy he may show at law school up 5 or more years later than his contemporaries. The difference being when he enters law school he will bring with him a level of maturity, values and experience that his contemporaries probably do not possess and may never even understand. Those experiences will set him apart from his peers and within a few years the difference between those years in practice will matter less, while the skills learned from those experiences will matter more. </p>
<p>I also assume he applied to the Naval Academy for a reason beyond “it’s there”, as in he had or still has some interest in becoming a Naval Officer? You don’t accidentally apply to the Academy, as I’m sure you know it’s a very involved and lengthy process. My question is exactly who is struggling with this decision, or has he interests and/or priorities changed?</p>