Ashley Schmitt - Service Academy Admissions

Service Academy

Admissions

An Insider's Guide to the

Naval Academy,

Air Force Academy, and

Military Academy

By Ashley Schmitt

T he room was quiet except for the hum of the florescent lights above and the scratch of pens on paper. The smell of warm pizza and melted cheese motivated the group of about forty people inside to finish up the file they were working on and take a well-deserved lunch break-spending entire days reading admissions packages was exhausting work.

I broke the silence and nudged the fellow admissions officer next to me. You have to read this essay.

As a Regional Director of Admissions at the United State Air Force Academy Admissions Office, I lived for the opportunity to read an interesting essay. Thousands of names and files went across my desk each year, and there were so few of those kids that I remember. The grades, resumes, essays, interview evaluations, and letters of recommendation became a blur, but there were a few I still remember very clearly. Those were the students that I followed through the admissions process and fought for when I was asked for a recommendation.

I pushed the students file across the table toward my colleague. She took the package and began to read the essay. A smile formed on her lips, and she nodded as she handed the file back to me.

Wow, she replied.

I know, right? I said.

I finished evaluating the students file and put it into the Highly Qualified category. The recommendation didnt mean the student would get into an Academy, but it did mean that the file would be handled with care and consideration. There are many factors that go into the Highly Qualified category (grades, test scores, etc.) but the essays, interview, and letters of recommendation are a large part of that as well, and they are the part of the application that you can control at this very moment. True, you could take your ACT/SAT again and get higher results, but that isnt guaranteed.

This book offers a step-by-step, easy to understand, and practical way to impact your application at this very moment. It will help answer that burning question...What makes an Admissions Officer say Wow?

This book was designed with you, a high school student, in mind. The writing is straightforward, easy to read, without filler or fluff, and packed with lots of exercises to help you fill out your application, practical advice, and examples that are based on real students experiences. The methods taught in this book are simple to understand and are very effective when applied. I designed this book to be the definitive how-to guide to completing your Service Academy Application.

Heres the thing. When I want to do something new, whether it is competing in an Ironman Triathlon or building a Lego table for my kids, I go out to the library, bookstore, or Amazon and buy a bunch of books to learn how. The thing that always upsets me is lots of advice, but no real how-to information.

I promise you that this book has the how-to information and practical examples. I want this guide to be used in conjunction with a notebook (so you can write down all the information and your answers to the exercises in one place), and dragged around with you everywhere as you go through the admissions process.

I based this book on my experience working as a Regional Director of Admissions at the Air Force Academy, working with Admissions Officers from all of the Services Academies, and advising students applying to the Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, Military Academy, Coast Guard Academy, and Merchant Marine Academy. Check out my website www.AcademyPros.com Also, I am a graduate of the Air Force Academy, class of 2000 and very familiar with Academy life.

As Regional Director, I sat on Admissions Panels and have reviewed thousands upon thousands of student files for admissions. After reading thousands of files, you start to see what type of answers set students apart and what makes an impression on admissions boards.

Thats what I want for you. I want to help you develop a unique voice that stands out and makes Admissions Officers take notice. I want you to write your essays and interview in a way that makes you interesting and fascinating to not only your Admissions Officer but also to the Nomination Panels. Both are looking for the same types of things.

Now, I want to emphasize that being interesting and fascinating does not mean that you must have traveled the world, baked a two-story tall cupcake, been on television, or anything crazy. People are ALL fascinating; it is the little details about our lives that make us unique and interesting to others. I will say that again it is the little details that make us unique. In broad sweeps many of us sound or appear alike. For example, you can group students by SAT/ACTs and grades. Those within certain ranges have very similar profiles, similar scores, similar grades, and many times the same activities. That is what Admissions Officers see. They see a set of students within a certain range. The broad stroke approach makes all the students look the same. As an Admissions Officer, I knew they were not the same. I tried to dig a little deeper and look for interesting details that made the person unique.

I found that many students only gave vague details with no interest or color. I pulled out very little that seemed different. Some students were the exception. They gave me colorful stories and insight into how and why they thought a certain way. Those students stood out to me, and I made sure to carefully read and evaluate their files. The details matter. They can make a difference.

The stories about you and your life matter. They make you the unique person you are. This book was written to help you search inside yourself for the details. It will help you find the interesting, daily events that are the golden nuggets necessary to make excellent essays and answers to interview questions. This book will help you craft those stories into amazing essays about your life as well as formulate awesome answers to the interviews you will encounter throughout the admissions process.

Follow the advice in this book, and you will have essays and interview results that make an Admissions Officer take notice. Theyll remember you and seriously consider you for admission into West Point, Annapolis, or the Air Force Academy.

F illing out a single application for West Point, Annapolis, or the Air Force Academy is like filling out three regular college applications. There are so many pieces and parts, and it is important to stay on top of them because many come due all at the same time in the early fall. Students are busy with academics and sports. Not to mention the fact that many students apply to all of the Service Academies to include the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine Academies. Applying to a Service Academy is almost a full-time job, but unfortunately, you do not have that luxury. So, the best way to get everything done is to plan ahead.

The first step to keeping ahead of the work and deadlines is to write everything down in one place. Since this is an e-book version you will need a notebook. There are places within this e-book that I will have you pull out your notebook to write something down or accomplish an exercise. On the next page a list of major milestones that you will need to keep track of and know when each item is due. I suggest writing down each item that applies to you and start looking up the due dates. Also, leave space for other bits of information: such as if an application must be postmarked by, received by, submitted online by, or whatever else you think you might need to know at a glance.

Grab a pen and start looking up all the due dates immediately. Put this information at the very beginning of your notebook so that it is easy to find. Add additional dates and information as you receive it.