United States Naval Academy

United States Naval Academy

Annapolis, MD, USA
Public
4 Year

's Review

Review of United States Naval Academy

Describe your college in three sentences.

The mission is to develop Midshipmen morally, mentally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty in order to graduate leaders who are dedicated to a career of naval service and have potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government. Only the best and the brightest need apply.

Do you have any tips for prospective students?

Excel in academics (grades, AP classes, SAT/ACT), athletics and personal fitness, leadership (in school, church, community), community service, and character. Apply for Summer Seminar and, once there, shine! Apply for admission and Congressional nomination early!

Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?

Core requirements in engineering, natural sciences, the humanities and social sciences, assure that graduates are able to think critically, solve increasingly technical problems in a dynamic, global environment, and express conclusions clearly. There are courses and practical training to teach the leadership and professional skills required of Navy and Marine Corps officers. And there are academic majors and minors that permits a midshipman to explore a discipline in some depth and prepare for graduate level work.

Describe the dorm life at your college.

The day begins with reveille and ends with lights out. You stand watches, march to meals and wear uniforms for almost everything you do. You and your roommates must keep your room ready for a military inspection at any time and keep your uniforms in regulation condition. All midshipmen live in Bancroft Hall, a huge dormitory complex. You are assigned to a room with one or more midshipmen and live in close proximity to about 150 other midshipmen in your company. You eat, sleep, study, drill, play and compete as teams with your company mates. You learn to trust and rely on each other.

Describe the food and dining at your college.

The entire brigade eats together, at one time, in a 55,000-square-foot dining hall. Companies sit together, and food is eaten family style. The food is plentiful, healthy and served to us. There is a wide variety of healthy choices to ensure midshipmen have the proper sustenance for their high metabolisms.

What’s there to do for fun at your college?

Your time at the Academy is very challenging, tightly structured, and designed to push you well beyond what you think are your limits. Within this framework however, there are many ways you can pursue your individual areas of interest. All midshipmen must participate in athletics. The Naval Academy also has many extracurricular activities that allow midshipmen to expand their horizons outside the classroom and off the athletic field.

Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?

There is no tuition at the Naval Academy. The Navy pays 100% of the tuition, room and board, medical and dental care costs of Naval Academy midshipmen. This means ALL students who attend the Naval Academy do so on a full scholarship in return for 5 years of active duty service upon graduation.

Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus

I Day is the in-processing of the entire Plebe regiment and an Oath of Office Ceremony. Its also the time to say goodbye to family. Plebe Summer is a 7-week long indoctrination period at the Naval Academy that all midshipmen must complete prior to beginning their first academic semester. Plebe Parents' Weekend is for parents and family members to visit with their Midshipman and experience a taste of the traditions, academics, and atmosphere unique to the Naval Academy prior to the start of the Fall Term. The Herndon Monument Climb marks the end of Plebe year when 1,000 eager, screaming plebes charge toward a 21-foot grey lard-covered obelisk as thousands of spectators watch with the hopes that they complete the task quickly. The plebe class works together to accomplish the goal of retrieving a white plebe dixie cup hat from atop the monument and replace it with an upperclassmen's hat. It is a tradition, a rite of passage, that has endured at the Naval Academy for many years.

Which types of students will excel at your college?

Driven Hard-working Honorable

Are you involved in any clubs or activities?

Every thing imaginable! Adventure Racing Team Alpine Ski Team Amateur Radio Club Arabic Club Cannoneers Catholic Daughters of American Catholic Midshipmen Club Chinese Culture Club Color Guard Combat Arms Team CrossFit Dance Club Debate Team Dolphin Club Equestrian Team Fellowship of Christian Athletes Field Hockey Filipino-American Club Freethinkers and Atheists French Club German Club Golden Key National Honor Society Green Classroom Club Infantry Skills Team International Midshipmen Club Investment Club Italian-American Midshipmen Club Japanese American Club Jewish Midshipmen Club Korean-American Midshipmen Club Latin American Studies Club Lucky Bag Martial Arts Masqueraders Men's Soccer Midshipmen Action Group Midshipmen Black Studies Club Midshipmen Sports Medicine Club Model United Nations Mountaineering Club Musical Activities National Eagle Scout Association Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference Naval Academy Leadership Conference Navigators Navy Beats Navy Spectrum Navy Spirit Team Officer Christian Fellowship Offshore Sailing Training Squadron Omicron Delta Epsilon Parachute Team Phi Alpha Theta Phi Sigma Iota Protestant Midshipmen Club Rock Climbing Team Scuba Club Semper Fidelis Society Silent Drill Team Special Operations Team Surface Navy Association The Log Magazine Ultimate Frisbee Team USNA Knights of Columbus Council USNA Paintball Club Water Polo Women's Ice Hockey Yard Patrol Craft Squadron

How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?

The Naval Academy campus, known as the Yard, is located in historic Annapolis, Md. It is essentially a base, manned by active duty military guards. ID is required to get on. You spend almost all of your time on the Yard.