July To Do List for USNA Applicants

Depending upon where you are in the process, you may have done some of the items on this list. Skip them. Be happy you’re done. Move on to the next:

First Steps:

If you’re serious about attending the USNA or any other military academy, buy a few books (or check them out of the library) on the process. It’s worth the investment because if you pursue this dream, you will be investing much more of your time and money before you achieve your goal. Better to make sure this is the direction you want to go.

Here are two books to get you started:

• Building a Midshipman: How to Crack the USNA Application—

From the perspective of a woman who was accepted and how she accomplished it. Down-to earth, personal, definitely not dry, and should give confidence to any teen, male or female, considering a military academy as their college of choice.

• The Naval Academy Candidate Book: How to Prepare, How to Get In, How to Survive

A general and useful overview of the USNA application and the academy in general

Seniors–through Summer Seminar? Time for DodMETS

Get DodMETS done. Immediately. If you completed Summer Seminar and they gave you your candidate number, that means they’ll be inviting you to take the medical exam.If you’re healthy, don’t wait. Who knows what happens later.

Click here for background on DodMETS

Seniors–get the CFA done

You can take this as soon as you have a candidate number. For information on the Candidate Fitness Assessment, click here and then here. This will be given during Summer Seminar. If you pass it, you’re done. If you don’t, you have until you submit your application to pass it. Check out what’s required (crunches, shuttle run, mile run, etc.) and make sure you’re prepared. It’ll feel good in July to have that out of the way.

Seniors–if you have a Candidate Number

Set up a binder (digital or paper) to keep all of your application material together. If you’re using a physical binder, make it two-inches so everything fits. Make a tab for every activity, i.e., CFA, Congressional Interview, online Preliminary Application, etc..

Make copies of every piece of paper you submit. Then, if (when) they disappear across the country in Annapolis, it won’t be a show stopper.

Take Summer School

This summer and every summer, take classes that

• will get you ahead of the curve
• will give you extra time to study the more difficult academic courses (AP Physics, Calculus, etc)
• will improve the bad grade you got in a class
• will enhance your resume (Spanish III)

At military academies, there are no summers off. You get a brief leave, but the rest of the time is spent learning your craft in situ–on a ship, a sub, a YP.

Seniors–get the preliminary application completed

As of April 1st, the Preliminary Application to USNA (and probably the other military academies) is available on USNA website. It is quick, brief, nothing like the final document. If you’ve made the decision to attend USNA, fill it out. At that point, you’ll be in the system and you and the Naval Academy can determine if this is a good fit.

January is the deadline to complete a preliminary application if you want to be included in next year’s application process.

Seniors–request a Congressional Nomination Package

These are due in Fall, with interviews in November/December. Get one from your Congressperson and both Senators. Fill them out. Double check to see that everything is accurate. Mail the packages to the Senators. Often, they do all of their selections via mail–no personal interviews. For the Congressperson, hand-carry it to them. When you drop it off, try to meet the aide responsible for this activity. Say hi, chat for a moment. S/he may remember you from the Academy Night, and will definitely remember you when you come in for the interview in November/December.

For more on the Congressional Nomination, check out these articles:

• Get a Congressional Nomination to a Service Academy
• How to Prepare for the Congressional Interview–Part I
• How to Prepare for the Congressional Interview–Part II

Junior/Soph/Frosh–Attend an Academy Night

These occur throughout the year, so keep your eyes open. They’re offered through the School District or your representative’s office. Check those websites to find out when you should go.

Check USNA Admissions Facebook page for regional forums.

Take SAT and ACT

If you’re over 1400, you’re doing great. If you’re not, take it as often as possible. There’s a trick to the test that you’ll figure out as you take it over and over. A lot of colleges offer a PSAT-type test for free,. Take advantage of those opportunities. That’ll keep costs down and provide feedback on what you should work on.

Hone critical skills

All USNA applicants and grads are leaders. If you’re a freshman, even a sophomore, not sure if you have enough of the leadership gene, check out these posts to see how to develop these traits:

• How to solve problems
• How to manage your time
• How to prioritize
• How to get along with people
• How to think

Read Books

Check out the Marine Corps summer reading list

Continue Community Service

Most colleges want to know you give back to your community; Military Academies are no exception. Do as much as you can. Give as much of your time and labor as you can afford. No, it doesn’t mean you can do less in academics or sports. Figure out how to do it all. That’s the kind of person USNA, USAFA and all military academies like.

Tour a warship

These tours are offered through your Blue and Gold officer or any number of other avenues. Find a tour. Take it. First and foremost, you want to be sure that a Naval Academy choice is right for you. Seeing how officers work on a Naval ship is a good idea.

Create your resume

List all of your activities, awards, community service. The best time to start this is as a freshman, but if you’re older than that, do it now. And keep it up to date throughout high school. It’ll remind you of all your accomplishments when you’re filling out applications and essays.

Here’s a sample (truncated to protect the applicant info), set up in Google Sheets with a simple organization with columns and rows:

Focus on your unique skill

With summer comes less academic work and a good time to get back in touch with whatever it is that sets you apart from others. Military academies like that side of you. They want to know you can do everything, not just academics and sports.

Be a leader

Wherever there’s an opportunity, be a leader. The Military Academies want to see you as a proactive, can-do person, not a follower. Officers are the ones who make things happen and inspire the enlisted to do their best. Be that person.

Are you a Future USNA Midshipman?

• Read this post on Why We Serve
• Read this Qualifications of a Naval Officer from Reef Points
• Read about the USNA Honor Concept
• Read Six reasons why you might be a midshipman…
• Read 9 Secrets for Getting in USNA
• Read Life the USNA Way

–taken from Building a Midshipman: How to Crack the United States Naval Academy Application

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Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, and the thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and  Twenty-four Days. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice,  a columnist for TeachHUB, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. You can find her books at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning.