The Road To West Point
Version 15 December 2018
Three Phases of West Point Admissions Process:
Phase I Begins when you open a West Point Candidate File online with West Point Admissions and apply for Summer Leadership Experience (“SLE”). Closes with the end of your Junior year in high school.
Phase II Commences with receipt of a “Second Step Kit” (summertime). Second Step Kits are available first for those that attended SLE. Other candidates selected by West Point will receive kits in August. Closes on 31 January the following year.
Phase III Opens with receipt of an Offer of Admission. Closes Reception Day (RDay).
Steps to West Point Admissions’ Process: Phase I STEP 1 JANUARY (Junior Year)
Open an Application File and Application for Summer Leader Experience (SLE). Open a Candidate File with West Point (www.westpoint.edu/admissions). Once on the “Home Page”, click on “Steps to Admission” and follow the screen prompts. You can open your file as early as 15 January AND apply for Summer Leader Experience (SLE) as early as 15 January (SLE availability is limited and highly competitive, timeliness matters). SLE is usually offered in two sessions that are one week long, normally the first and second week in June (Dates: To Be Published). While SLE affords you an opportunity to experience West Point to see if it is for you (conversely, it also gives West Point eyes on you - so always put your best foot forward – No Second chance to make a First Impression).
*If you are chosen to attend SLE, you are encouraged to take the Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA) while at West Point. If you pass the CFA, you will have one less thing to worry about. If you fail the CFA, you will be able to take it again at home. If nothing else, you’ll understand the standards you will be held to.
*If you are NOT chosen for SLE, do not despair. SLE is only one way to visit West Point, not the only way. Not everyone who applies for SLE gets it. Moreover, many who are
NOT selected for SLE do go on to get an offer of admission.
If you experience a problem inputting your high school because either, the school name doesn’t appear in the drop down menu or the school’s Education Testing Service (ETS) code is missing, contact your local West Point Field Force Officer (FFO). Your FFO will coordinate with Admissions Officials to ensure your school is correctly reflected (West Point does not always have visibility of all schools in our local areas).
STEP 2 - JANUARY (Junior Year)
Boys State/Girls State. Consider applying to Boys State/Girls State. High School College/Career Counselor should have all required information. The American Legion is the sponsor of Boys State/Girls State.
STEP 3 – JANUARY (Junior Year)
Senior ROTC Scholarships. Investigate Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) opportunities at Colleges/Universities you are interested in. Army ROTC is hosted at more than 270 institutions across the nation and the program offers a variety of 4, 3, and 2 year scholarships. Recommend you also explore programs from Other Services you have an interest in (Air Force, Naval, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine).
STEP 4 - JANUARY through MAY (Junior Year)
Standardized Tests. Take the SAT with all three portions and/or the ACT with the Writing Subject component (Writing Subject component of the ACT is labeled as optional, however, it is required by West Point). Highly recommend you take BOTH the ACT with writing component and SAT at least once in your Junior year and determine which one you score higher on.
Remember West Point will “Super Score” your tests results and pick the components you score best on regardless of when you took the test. For example, if you did well on the Math portion of your SAT in your Junior year and then raised your Verbal portion of your SAT in your Senior year, then West Point will use the Junior year Math score and the Senior year Verbal score to make a “Super Score”.
Practice the SAT and/or ACT using march2success.com (https://www.march2success.com/), you get four practice tests for FREE! Also consider using Khan Academy at (http://www.khanacademy.org/).
Try to get SAT scores; 30 and above on Verbal and Writing plus mid 600s on the Math portion. ACT scores; 29 or above on the composite score as well as all portions to include the Writing portion.
Have the SAT or ACT testing agencies send the scores to West Point Admissions. The SAT code for West Point is 2924 and the ACT code for West Point is 2976. A strong SAT and/or ACT score in your Candidate File before the end of your Junior year is critical in order to be eligible for favorable consideration by your elected official for a required US Service Academy Nomination (elected official’s application window normally closes in early October) and by the Academy for a Second Step Kit.
STEP 5 - APRIL through MAY (Junior Year)
Nominations. Apply for a Service Academy Nomination from every applicable source. If you are unsure of your Congressional District, go to http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ follow portal instructions to identify your Congressional District by inserting your home zip code and if necessary the 4 digit zip code extension or even your full home address.
All Candidates are eligible to apply to a minimum of four nominating officials:
U.S. Congressional Representative, both U.S. Senators in your state. and the Vice President of the United States. Congressional Representative and Senators are based on Candidates’ home address. Some candidates are eligible for consideration from additional nominating sources – West Point portal provides eligibility criteria;
Presidential Nomination – either parent has at least 8 years of Active Federal Service Military Service in either the Active Army or the Reserve
Components
ROTC – Either a member of a Senior ROTC detachment in college or a High School Junior ROTC Detachment which has been designated as a “Unit of Distinction”
Look online for application requirements for all available nominating sources. Apply for a US Service Academy Nomination from each source individually. Most US Service Academies’ Nomination Application windows open in May and close in October or November of the same year.
Comply with all requirements of your US Congressional Representative, US Senators, and US Vice President US Service Academies’ Nomination Application. Treat each elected official and West Point Admissions as separate and distinct entities, in plain English that means whatever you give to one entity stays with them and does not get shared with West Point Admissions or other elected officials. Elected officials ask for a lot of the same things that West Point Admissions does.
STEP 6 - January through August (Junior Year)
Candidate Fitness Assessment or CFA. Practice the CFA. Carefully read the CFA instructions for all 6 events: BB throw on your knees, cadence pull-ups/flexed arm hang, shuttle run – 4 trips over a 30 foot course, modified sit-ups with hands across the chest, push-ups, and 1 mile run, done in this order. Candidates are required to upload videos of them doing pull-ups or flexed arm hang and the push-ups to the portal. See the portal for instructions. It is best if the candidate’s cell phone is used so they can upload these videos to the portal from their computer. The CFA can be administered by a PE Teacher certified by the State of Texas at your school. JROTC Instructor and West Point Admissions’ Field Force Officer can also administer the test. A Coach can ONLY administer the CFA if they are also a certified PE Teacher. Practice, practice, practice, and do not do “Discovery Learning” on this. Re-Tests are not automatically authorized by West Point Admissions. At a minimum, try to beat the average scores. You do not have to MAX it, but don’t barely pass it or fail it. Remember, this is part of a competition!
STEP 7 – MAY (Junior Year)
Contact Information. Wrap up your Junior Year by obtaining the contact information for four teachers who will be contacted by West Point and directed to a website to input an evaluation of your potential. Specifically, get the contact information of your Physical Education, English, Math, and Science Teacher (read that as Chemistry or Physics).
Also, obtain and provide contact information to include phone number and email address of your High School’s Registrar or College Counselor who can provide your GPA, Class Rank, and your 6th, 7th, and 8th semester transcripts to West Point, the United States Military Academy (USMA). Phase II
STEP 8 - JUNE through AUGUST (Between Junior and Senior Year)
Second Step Kit. If your file is competitive, you will be issued a Second Step Kit (SSK). You can consider this an “Intermediate Objective” as not everyone gets a SSK. The SSK provides you with the mechanism to submit the required teacher contact information plus other items such as the candidate essay and Candidate Fitness Assessment score. Significant progress on your file will trigger West Point to have you schedule a Medical Exam with a contract Doctor in your local area. This is a full blown Medical Exam that you schedule and the Army pays for.
*Consider reading Field Manual 6-22, “Army Leadership” to learn Army Values and Leadership Traits. If your values and the Army’s Values are in synch, you can compose a good essay on why you want to go to West Point and serve in the Army. Similarly, when deciding what the most important leadership trait is, you will need to know what the Army considers a leadership trait.
*Attempt to perform the CFA in September or October of your Senior year before you get too busy. The sooner you submit your candidate essays and perform the CFA, the sooner you will be authorized to schedule your medical exam.
STEP 9 – SEPTEMBER (Senior Year)
August/September AIM. If you have received a Second Step Kit (SSK), you may be invited to an Academy Information Meeting (AIM) in end of July or early August where you will receive information and tips on completing your file well ahead of the 31 January deadline.
STEP 10 - OCTOBER (Senior Year)
Nomination Application Windows Close. Application windows for nominations for
most elected officials (your U.S. Representative and both U.S. Senators) CLOSE in October with some closing in November. Make sure you “completely answer the mail” and meet each of the respective deadlines for each and every nomination source you pursue. Note: the Vice Presidential Application Window closes 31 January of your Senior year. Most Congressmen/Congresswomen request that you appear before an Interview Board made up of selected individuals who will interview you. The Congressional Interview Panel is separate from the Field Force Interview. Treat both interviews as a JOB INTERVIEW!!
STEP 11 - SEPTEMBER through JANUARY
Retake Standardized Tests. Take the SAT and/or the ACT with writing portion again with the goal of improving your scores. Remember this is a competition. Try to get into the 600s in each of the SAT portions and/or 29 and above on each of the ACT portions.
STEP 12 – SEPTEMBER through JANUARY
Schedule a Field Force Interview. Ask a Field Force Rep to interview you. The purpose of this interview is to make sure you know what West Point is all about. STEP 13 - JANUARY of Junior Year thru DECEMBER of Senior Year
Visit West Point. Recommend you visit West Point if possible. If you want to visit West Point, recommend you call Admissions at (845) 938-5760/5759 or email them at admissions@usma.edu and let them know when you are coming so they can walk you around. If you received a Letter of Encouragement, you can request an overnight visit and shadow a Cadet. If you are going to call this place home for four years it may be a comfort to see the place before you go. If you are unable to visit West Point, check out the virtual tour on the admissions website.
STEP 14 - JANUARY thru FEBRUARY (Senior Year)
7th Semester Transcripts. Ask the Registrar/Lead Counselor to submit your 7th Semester Academic transcript to West Point.
STEP 15 – End of FEBRUARY (Senior Year)
Candidate Files Close. Submission window for West Point Candidate File CLOSES last day of JANUARY. This is the last day a candidate can submit the latest
standardized test scores and other information required to make an Admissions Decision. This does not include transcripts for the 7th and 8th Semester, Police Reports, and other information West Point will ask for from candidates offered admission.
Phase III STEP 16 – MARCH 1st (Senior Year)
Founders Day AIM. Candidates offered admission and their parents or very competitive Candidates and their parents may be invited to an Academy Information Meeting (AIM) in the afternoon of the annual Founders Day Celebration (normally the first Saturday in March) as well as an invite to the Founders Day Celebration that evening. Parents will be invited to join the Parents Club, which is a great support organization for parents and an invaluable source of information on what life is like at West Point. You can learn a lot from the parents and cadets who have gone before you.
STEP 17 – MAY (Senior Year)
Parents Club Hail and Farewell. You and your parents may be invited to attend the Parents Club Hail and Farewell. Parents of graduating Cadets are “Fare-Welled” and Parents and accepted Candidates are “Hailed.”
STEP 18 - MAY thru JUNE (Senior Year)
Information required after an Offer of Admission is made. If you receive and accept an “Offer of Admission”, West Point will commence sending a series of four (4) Admissions Mailings via email; each is time sensitive. Submission of the 8th semester transcript by the school will be a component. Drive hard to the finish line and don’t let up on your grades!
STEP 19 – Mid JUNE (Senior Year)
Parents Club Picnic. Cadet Candidate(s) and parent(s) will be invited to the West Point Parents Club of Greater Houston (WPPCGH) Picnic.
STEP 20 – JUNE/JULY (Senior Year)
R-Day. Reception Day (R-DAY) which is the day you report to West Point.
Enjoy your tour!! You will take the Candidate Fitness Assessment soon after reporting in (Day 1 or Day 2).
Important Safety Tips:
This Admissions Process is highly competitive and a lot of work. Many open a file then stop when they realize how much work is involved.
If you get beat out this year, apply next year!
If you have a question, call or email your Houston Area West Point Admissions’ Field Force Representative. Although the work is yours to do, you don’t have to make the journey alone. . If you have a need to call West Point Admissions, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that the candidate and not the parent make the call or send the email.
If you have certificates, certifications, and/or other accolades to inform West Point Admissions about or reference in a resume’, then the candidate should have his/her high school counselor/registrar provide West Point Admissions (Ms Sheila Murry via email sheila.murry@westpoint.edu) with third party confirmation.
If you are selected for both Boys/Girls State and SLE resulting in a scheduling conflict – please contact your local West Point Field Force Officer (FFO) as soon as conflict is identified to assist with rescheduling you into the alternate SLE so you can attend both. If the conflict between SLE and Boys State/Girls State cannot be resolved, go to Boys State/Girls State!
If you are selected for Summer Leader Experience and decide to go, remember, just as you are getting eyes on West Point, West Point is also getting eyes on you. If you do not get selected for SLE, do not give up as many are accepted for admission without SLE.
Do not take the Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA) lightly. Practice and do well on the CFA, it is 10% of your Whole Candidate Score and retests are not automatically granted. Keep in mind that as New Cadets, you will do this test again after you report to West Point. Any authorized CFA Re-Tests need to be submitted prior to 31 January of
your Senior year.
Don’t wait until the last minute to take the CFA and schedule the Medical Exam. If you think you are going to have a problem with either, identify the problem early and work on the problem when you have the time. You express your desire to go to West Point through your progress in the admissions process.
Treat both the Congressional Interview and the Field Force Interview as a Job Interview...because they are! Try and anticipate questions you will be asked by the Congressional Panel. Dress and groom for success for both interviews.
Consider the opportunities for scholarships and service through Army ROTC. Army ROTC is hosted at over 270 universities across the nation and offers a variety of 4, 3, and 2 year scholarships.
Recommended Reading List:
“Diary of a West Point Cadet” by Preston Pysh USMA ‘03
“The West Point Candidate Book” by Sue Ross “Duty, Honor, Country...A History of West Point” by Stephen E. Ambrose “Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps...Crafting a Winning Personal Statement” by Alan Gelb “Tough As Nails: One Woman’s Journey through West Point” by Gail O’Sullivan Dwyer, USMA ‘81 “Absolutely American...Four Years at West Point” by David Lipsky “Duty First...A Year in the Life of West Point and the making of American Leaders” by Ed Ruggero “Honor Bright: History & Origins of the West Point Honor Code & System” by Lewis Sorley, USMA ‘56
Websites;
West Point Admissions website
https://www.westpoint.edu/admissions/SitePages/Home.aspx
Candidate Fitness Assessment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlIZz9O7QiQ
Candidate Fitness Assessement Video Instructions on how to video the pull-ups/flexed arm hangs (females only), and push-ups. Download the video from the candidate portal or request a copy of the MP4 file from the Field Force.
West Point Indoor Obstacle Course (Female Cadet setting a record)
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=west+point+indoor+obstacle+course+record&vi ew=detail&mid=22269F7EEED8A8DC9C6D22269F7EEED8A8DC9C6D&FORM=VIRE
Questions, comments, complaints, recommendations for improvements regarding this paper should be addressed to: Dave Yatto via email: davidyatto@entouch.net