West Point acceptance rate is extremely competitive, but not impossible. If you are a high school senior or second-semester junior and are ready for the challenge, this article will guide you.

About USMA

The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known as West Point or simply Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York.

It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high ground overlooking the Hudson River with a scenic view, 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City.

It is the oldest of the five American service academies and educates cadets for commissioning into the United States Army.

Additional Facts about United States Military Academy

Students are officers-in-training and are referred to as “cadets” or collectively as the “United States Corps of Cadets” (USCC). The Army fully funds tuition for cadets in exchange for active service.

The academic program grants a Bachelor of Science degree with a curriculum that grades cadets’ performance upon a broad academic program and military leadership performance.

Most graduates are commissioned as second lieutenants in the Army. Foreign cadets are commissioned into the armies of their home countries. West Point acceptance rate.

Facts About Cadets

Since 1959, cadets have also been eligible for an inter-service commission in one of the other armed services provided that they meet that service’s eligibility standards. A small number of cadets do this.

The academy’s traditions have influenced other institutions because of its age and unique mission. It was the first American college to have an accredited civil engineering program.

West Point’s student body has a unique rank structure and lexicon. All cadets reside on campus and dine together en masse on weekdays for lunch.

Cadets compete in one sport every fall, winter, and spring season at the intramural, club, or intercollegiate level. Its football team was a national power in the early and mid-20th century.

United States Military Academy (USMA) Base Guide

Located only 50 miles from New York City, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year academic institution and a nationally-renowned historic site.

The purpose of the United States Military Academy is to provide the Nation with leaders of character who serve the common defense.

The undergraduates, known as Cadets, are commissioned as officers in the US Army upon graduation.

What to Know Before Applying

The following are the requirements for candidates applying to USMA at West Point:

1. Be between 17 and 22 years old on July 1 of the year and admitted

2. Be a U.S. citizen

3. You cannot be married

4. You cannot be pregnant or with any legal obligation to support a child or children

5. You have to receive a nomination from a U.S. Congressman or have a service-connected nomination

6. You must have competitive scores on either college entrance exam (ACT or SAT)

The United States Military Campus

The academy is located approximately 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City, on the western bank of the Hudson River. West Point, New York, is incorporated as a federal military reservation in Orange County and is next to Highland Falls.

Based on the significance both of the Revolutionary War fort ruins and the military academy itself, the majority of the academy area was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.

In 1841, Charles Dickens visited the academy and said “It could not stand on the more appropriate ground, and any ground more beautiful can hardly be.”

One of the most visited and scenic sites on post, Trophy Point, overlooks the Hudson River to the north and is home to many captured cannons from past wars as well as the Stanford White-designed Battle Monument.

Though the entire military reservation encompasses 15,974 acres (65 km2), the academic area of the campus, known as the “central area” or “the cadet area”, is entirely accessible to cadets or visitors by foot.

USMA Curriculum

West Point is a medium-sized, highly residential baccalaureate college, with a full-time, four-year undergraduate program that emphasizes instruction in the arts, sciences, and professions with no graduate program.

There are forty-five academic majors, the most popular of which are foreign languages, management information systems, history, economics, and mechanical engineering.

West Point is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Military officers compose 75% of the faculty, while civilian professors make up the remaining 25%.

A cadet’s class rank, which determines his or her Army branch and assignment upon graduation, is calculated as a combination of academic performance (55%), military leadership performance (30%), and physical fitness and athletic performance (15%).

1. Academics

The academy’s teaching style forms part of the Thayer method, which was implemented by Sylvanus Thayer during his tour as Superintendent.

This form of instruction emphasizes small classes with daily homework and strives to make students actively responsible for their own learning by completing homework assignments prior to class.

The academic program consists of a structured core of thirty-one courses balanced between the arts and sciences. The academy operates on the semester system, which it labels as “terms”

Although cadets choose their majors in the spring of their freshmen year, all cadets take the same course of instruction until the beginning of their second year.

2. Military

As all cadets are commissioned as second lieutenants upon graduation, military and leadership education is nested with academic instruction. Military training and discipline fall under the purview of the Office of the Commandant.

Entering freshmen, or fourth class cadets, are referred to as New Cadets and enter the academy on Reception Day or R-day, which marks the start of cadet basic training (CBT), known colloquially.

Most cadets consider Beast to be their most difficult time at the academy because of the transition from civilian to military life.

3. Physical

The Department of Physical Education (DPE) administers the physical program, which includes physical education classes, physical fitness testing, and competitive athletics.

The head of DPE holds the title of Master of the Sword, dating back to the 19th century when DPE taught swordsmanship as part of the curriculum.

All cadets take a prescribed series of physical fitness courses such as military movement (applied gymnastics), boxing, survival swimming, and, beginning in 2009, advanced combative.

4. Moral and Ethical Training

Moral and ethical development occurs throughout the entirety of the cadet experience by living under the honor code and through formal leadership programs available at the academy.

These include instruction in the values of the military profession through Professional Military Ethics Education (PME2), voluntary religious programs, and interaction with staff and faculty role models.

West Point Acceptance Rate and Requirement

What are West Point’s admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

1. GPA requirements

2. Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements

3. Application requirements

West Point SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1170, and the 75th percentile New SAT score is 1360. In other words, 1170 on the New SAT places you below average, while 1360 will move you up to above average.

Here’s the breakdown of new SAT scores by section:

How to Apply to West Point

Here are 8 guiding steps to help you apply to West Point:

Step 1. Confirm Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following basic eligibility requirements:

1. At least age 17, but not 23 or older, on July 1 of the year you enter West Point

2. A U.S. Citizen (See Information for International Cadets for exceptions)

3. Not married

4. Not pregnant

5 Not legally responsible for child support

Step 2. Gather Personal Information

You will need the following information to complete your application:

1. Your Social Security Number

2. Your ACT, SAT, PSAT, or PLAN (Pre-ACT) scores

3. Your 9-digit zip code (Find zip+4)

4. Your high school’s ETS Code

5. Your high school’s address

6. Your Congressional District

Step 3. Apply Online

Complete the Candidate Questionnaire (CQ) to open an application to West Point. We use the CQ to screen applicants for eligibility.

1. All qualified applicants receive their West Point Candidate Portal credentials by email, usually within 24-48 hours.

2. Check your spam folder if you don’t get an email within 48 hours.

Step 4. Connect with our Field Force

1. West Point Field Force members are local volunteer Admissions representatives of the U.S. Military Academy. Field Force members are invaluable when navigating the application process at West Point.

2. Find your Field Force representative today! All applications must include an interview. A Field Force representative will contact you to schedule the interview.

Step 5. Apply for a Nomination

A nomination is required to attend West Point. There are two types: Congressional (your Representative or one of your State’s Senators) and Service-Connected.

1. Locate your Congressional Representative or Senators

2. Learn more about applying for a nomination

Step 6. Get a Medical Examination

The Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DoDMERB) will provide the location and date of your exam. The DoDMERB website is useful for Track Your Medical Status.

Step 7. Take the Candidate Fitness Assessment

Qualified Applicants will receive an email directing them to the CFA Testing Instructions. The CFA consists of six events:

1. Basketball throw (from a kneeling position)

2. Cadence pull-ups or flexed-arm hang (women’s option)

3. 40-yard shuttle run (for time)

4. Modified Sit-ups (number completed in 2 minutes)

5. Push-ups (number completed in 2 minutes)

6. 1-mile run (for time)

Step 8. Take College Entrance Exams

The SAT, ACT, PSAT, or PLAN tests must be timed. When registering for the ACT, select “ACT Plus Writing”.

Frequently Asked Question

Can I Get into West Point with an 1100 SAT Score?

Yes, you can, but if you are serious about attending The United States Military Academy. It starts with visiting their Admissions Site and starting the process for your Pre-Cadet Packet. As well as start the process for winning a Nomination to the same.

 

Each of your Senators has 2 Nominations and your Congressional Representative has 2 giving each prospective candidate 5 shots at a Nomination.

 

Be advised early many Congresspeople and Senators have their own internal packet to apply for the nomination. These may or may not be heavily SAT weighed.

Will West Point accept a 3.2 GPA?

The average GPA at West Point is 3.9. With a GPA of 3.9, West Point requires you to be at the top of your class. You’ll need nearly straight A’s in all your classes to compete with other applicants.

 

Furthermore, you should be taking hard classes – AP or IB courses – to show that college-level academics is a breeze.

What is the Tuition at West Point?

West Point is one of the most competitive schools in the United States to get into.

 

In order to be accepted, you need to have strong academics, high test scores, and stellar recommendations from many people, including your member of Congress or US senator.

 

Start on your West Point application early, put effort into it, and you’ll be on the right track.

Is West Point really that Good of a School?

No alcohol is allowed in the dorms, and freshmen are given only one weekend leave per semester. That rigor, combined with the virtue of a free education, has made West Point tops in FORBES‘ list of the best colleges in the country, up from sixth place last year.

 

The rankings are compiled in conjunction with Ohio University economist Richard Vedder and his Center for College Affordability & Assistance inivity. (Click here for the complete rankings and featured stories.)

 

West Point excels in most measures. It graduates 80% of its students in four years. It is fourth in winners of Rhodes scholarships since 1923 (ahead of Stanford), sixth in Marshalls since 1982 (ahead of Columbia and Cornell) and fourth in Trumans since 1992 (ahead of Princeton and Duke).

 

This year, 4 out of 37 Gates scholars, who earn a full ride to study at the University of Cambridge in England, graduated from the service academies. The Gates roster includes four Yale grads, one from Harvard and none from Princeton.

What did You do to Get into West Point?

the simple truth is that it is very difficult to get an appointment to Annapolis or West Point for a variety of reasons, some common to the most elite schools and some unique to the Federal Service Academies.

 

In summary, it is because of the prestige of these institutions coupled with what is in effect a “full-ride-plus” scholarship (~$400K by some estimates that covers ALL costs, plus a modest “stipend”-like salary while attending).

 

It is granted to *every* single student (i.e., “The best education money CAN’T buy!”) with guaranteed employment after graduation (i.e., commissioned military officers)… well, that causes appointments to be highly valued and earnestly pursued.

 

Add to these facts that it costs very little (or nothing?) to apply and be considered for admission by these schools, the Academies provide an unparalleled opportunity for students of even the “most modest means”.

 

That is, those who do not come from families that can afford much by way of post-secondary education, and even more so because every Academy student is treated equally without regard of where they come from (geographically, monetarily, or socially) a true meritocracy.

 

For these reasons, and at least theoretically, every single college-bound high school senior *should* apply to the Academies!

 

However, like all elite college-level programs (think “Ivy League”), an absolutely outstanding academic record is required both in terms of classroom performance and standardized testing so much so that many would-be applicants self-select against applying because they know they are not academically competitive.

 

Furthermore, to a degree unparalleled by other colleges, physical fitness and athletic achievement is also very important for admissions, with great weight being placed on athleticism, past athletic participation, and athletic letters.

 

Moreover, the Academies require top-notch medical fitness that pretty much precludes minor disabilities and medical conditions that most schools do not even consider.

 

(e.g., diabetes, heart murmurs, childhood cancers, spinal/neck conditions, permanent knee/shoulder/ankle injuries, and so forth, as well as more substantial forms of asthma, allergies, psychological issues, poor eyesight, and autism, among other things).

 

And lastly, admission to the Academies generally requires that you receive a formal nomination from one of a limited number of political sources, most commonly comprising only one’s three U.S. Congressional Representative.

 

E.g., the district Member in the U.S. House of Representatives or the two U.S. Senators from one’s home state) plus those nomination sources reserved for only a small subset of potential applicants (e.g., President, Vice President, Honors JROTC, etc..

 

Each of these additional categories of requirements further cause would-be applicants to self-select against applying. So what is left by self-selection alone is already a remarkably competitive and uniquely qualified talent pool.

Which of the Service Academies is the Hardest Overall?

What do you mean by “hardest?” The Air Force Academy tends to be the most competitive for entrance. The Military Academy is the most prestigious with the Naval Academy coming close second.

 

Most of that is due to age and famous alumni. Each of the Academies have varying levels of difficulty depending on what major is chosen. Choosing nuclear engineering in any of the Academies is probably a bit more challenging than say communications.

 

The Military Academy has historically tended to rate higher academically. The Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy are more enjoyable institutions to attend.

 

The Military Academy is on the side of a cliff over the Hudson River in the drab and cold Northern countryside. The Naval Academy is located in a downtown hot spot on the beautiful southern coast.

 

The Air Force Academy is a couple of minutes from a downtown hot spot in the beautiful Front Range of the Rockies.

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UTME.ORG.NG Team.