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West Point Wants Well-Rounded Students
By Tami Faram
The prestige in being a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy is a good enough reason to attend the service school, but alumni of West Point will tell you it's the challenges and camaraderie that make the experience unique.

West Point has been educating, training, and inspiring young men to become leaders of the U.S. Army since 1802, and young women since 1976.

West Point students face many difficult challenges that try them academically, physically, mentally, and morally throughout their four years at the academy. Creating "the whole person concept" is what Maj. Debra McDonald of the West Point admission office considers the academy's strong point. McDonald said West Point admissions officials base 60 percent of their approval decision on the academic strengths of prospective applicants, looking for high SAT and ACT scores and a high grade point average or class rank during an applicant's high school years.

What West Point Looks for in Applicants
At least 30 percent of West Point's admissions requirements are based on leadership potential. "We look at extracurricular activities, such as in church or school, Boys State, Girls State, Girl Scouts, and Boy Scouts," McDonald said. "Or for athletic leadership -- if someone was captain of their team, for example," she added.

The remaining 10 percent is focused on an applicant's physical aptitude. Just like the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Air Force Academy , West Point applicants must take a physical aptitude exam, which determines an applicant's strength and mobility.

Only a Few are Chosen
Like the other service academies, applicants to West Point must obtain an official nomination to the academy. An explanation on how to be nominated can be found on the school's website. Only about 1,200 candidates are accepted from nearly 10,000 applicants to West Point each year. All of the service academies are bound by congressional mandate to limit the total number of students at each school to about 4,000.

Students attend each of the service schools for four years at no cost, but there is a five-year military commitment that is required upon graduation and commissioning into the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force.

"I personally like the academic atmosphere," said Cadet 4th Class Paul Lushenko, whose twin brother, Jon, is currently attending the Naval Academy at Annapolis. "I think the opportunities at West Point are better for me," said Paul. "I fit well here with my personality, and the people here are great. They're down to Earth and pretty realistic."

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Al Asad, Iraq

Bringing good medicine to bad places!!!!!

Al Asad, Iraq

Bringing good medicine to bad places!!!!!