Welcome to the 1st of 3 Academy Information Meetings we have for candidates in the Greater Houston Area.

In this Academy Information Meeting you will learn what you need to do to become a “Competitive Candidate” for admission to West Point and achieve the intermediate goal of getting a Second Step Kit which is an expansion of your portal access which enables you to input more information into your file.

For sure, this is a lot of work…if you do it.  You are in effect competing for a scholarship that exceeds $450,000 scholarship, so some work on your part is expected.  While the work is yours to do, you do not have to make the journey alone. 

You have at your disposal, a Field Force made up of alumni, veterans, proud parents of cadets, and today… cadets home on leave.  All these folks are a resource for you on how to negotiate this process. 

Today we have Cadets, Parents, and Field Force Members who are here to answer your questions after the formal presentation.

“Leaders for a Lifetime”

Welcome  LTC (Ret) Dave Yatto 

Introduction of Master of Ceremonies  LTC (Ret) Dave Yatto

Trivia  LTC (Ret) Dave Yatto

Introduction of Cadets  LTC (Ret) Dave Yatto

Cadets Speak  Cadets

Medical Exam  LTC (Ret) Dr. Marc Boin

Introduction of Parents  David and Alaide Barrero

Introduction of Field Force  LTC (Ret) Dave Yatto

Your Share of the Task, Tips, Hints and Wrap-up  LTC (Ret) Dave Yatto

Break for Refreshments and Conversation  ALL

COL = Colonel  (Ret) = Retired

LTC = Lieutenant Colonel

MAJ = Major

CPT = Captain

CSM = Command Sergeant Major

www.hfieldforce.com

You have found our Houston Field Force website.  Here there are videos pertaining to the CFA and how to do each event correctly.

For the Moms who invariably take notes, listed under the Sidebar is a document entitled, “The Road to West Point” which lays out when things should be done in the admissions process.

The sky is no longer the limit for graduates of West Point. 

Here we have a picture of West Point taken from the International Space Station. 

In this case  one of our graduates took this picture of West Point while in command of the International Space Station in 2005.

This slide gives a clearer view of what area the Houston Field Forcde covers. 

13 Congressional Districts; 7 are totally in our Area of Operation along with parts of 6 others.

USMA recognizes 517 High Schools in our area.

Summer Leader Experience

Class of 2031 Key Dates (H.S. Juniors)

Candidate Questionnaire/ Summer Leader  Experience Opens: 

  February 15, 2026

SLE Application Closes:  March 15, 2026

SLE Session 1:  May 30 – June 3, 2026

SLE Session 2:  June 5 – 9, 2026

SLE Session 3:  June 11 – 15, 2026 

SLE is a competitive program based largely upon SAT and ACT test results.  Many will apply, few will be selected and if you are one of the ones NOT selected TAKE HEART!

Not going to SLE is not a deal breaker!

If you don’t go to SLE be sure to go to Boys State / Girls State

If you go to SLE and are also going to Boys State make sure you get the 1st Session of SLE.  If West Point has slotted you for the 2nd Session come up on the net as soon as you can so we can work to get you assigned to the 1st Session.  Boys State and the 2nd Session of SLE occur in the second week of June.

Girls State occurs in the third week of June so no conflicts are anticipated.

If you go to SLE and want to make an impression on West Point, take and pass the Candidate Fitness Assessment while you are there!  Just as you are getting eyes on West Point, West Point is getting eyes on you!  If you take and fail the Candidate Fitness Assessment at West Point, you can retake it once you get home.

Be a Leader in:

Sports

Boys State / Girls State

Scouting

Student Government

School/Church Clubs

Jobs

All Service Academies love Boys State / Girls State!

This is an American Legion Program designed to teach civics to high school students.

Let your high school counselor know that you want the school to nominate you for this program.

Additionally, if you look at the brochures you will see that West Point tracks those in the Scouting Programs as well as who have attained Eagle Rank or Gold Award.

Boys State / Girls State is a program that all Service Academies value.  It is an American Legion Program that occurs in June of your Junior year.  Students from across the state come together for a week and learn about how a government operates by working together on mock elections and campaigns.

If you really want to make your file stand out, take and pass the Candidate Fitness Assessment before 1 October of your Senior year.

Here is how West Point evaluates candidates.  From your Freshman year on through to your Junior year, you should be;

Learning how to learn because in High School you are taught in a very orderly progression, class-homework-test.  In West Point you are given homework, given a test or quiz, then given a class so you are working to teach yourself.

Develop your leadership through BOTH sports and extracurricular activities

Develop yourself physically, START working on the Candidate Fitness Assessment, a six event physical training test.

Basketball Throw (on your knees)

Cadence Pull-Ups 

    (Females may do Pull-ups or Flexed Arm Hang)

Shuttle Run

Modified Sit-Ups

Push-Ups

One Mile Run 

Basketball Throw, on your knees

Cadence Pull-Ups, note: Females have the option of doing a Flexed Arm Hang but will score better doing just one pull-up

Shuttle Run, 30 foot course, down and back and down and back

Modified Sit-ups

Push-ups

One Mile Run

Contrary to what you see, swimming is not part of the Candidate Fitness Assessment.  HOWEVER, you will be given a swim test once you get to West Point.  Those that can’t swim will be taught to swim.

English  4 Years

Mathematics  4 Years

  (including Trigonometry and PreCalculus)

Laboratory Science  2 Years

  (Physics or Chemistry)

Foreign Language  2 Years

United States History  1 Year

At its’ heart, West Point is an Engineering School, which is how it got started.

If your school includes a course in PreCalculus and Calculus in its curriculum, and a basic computing course, these courses will be helpful in preparing you for your first year at West Point.

With respect to Laboratory Science, West Point is looking for a Physics or Chemistry teacher to be a School Official Evaluator (SOE).  Any other science will require you to explain why you can’t or couldn’t take Physics or Chemistry.

How Many SAT or ACT test do I need in my file before the end of my Junior Year?

What is the minimum number of nominations a candidate can apply for?

Answer: at least 4

Nominations available to all Candidates:

   Vice President

   U.S. Senators (X2)

   U.S. Representative

Service Connected Nominations (Available for Select Candidates):

   President

   Sons and Daughters of Deceased

    or Disabled Armed Forces Veterans

   JROTC / SROTC

   Active Army Soldiers

   Reserve Component Soldiers

Is it possible to go to medical school after graduation from West Point?

Up to 2% of each graduating class may enter medical school directly from West Point. Participants in this program must be endorsed by the USMA Medical Program Advisory Committee (MPAC) and gain admission to a medical school. The Chemistry and Life Science Department provides courses in organic chemistry, advanced biology, cell biology, human physiology, genetics, neuroscience and biochemistry that are important for those interested in medical school. The majority of premedical cadets select the Life Science Major. 

How are my AP Courses used to evaluate my placement in courses?

Cadets may validate courses, but there are a variety of factors that play in these decisions. The latest information about this question can be found on the Dean's Validation and Advanced Placement page…

The AP test scores are used by academic departments as one piece of information to determine advanced placement or validation for new cadets. USMA also provides its own testing to determine placement in the standard course, the advanced course or validation of the course.

How many cadets are typically in a classroom?

Short answer 12 – 18 cadets in a classroom. 

The picture in the upper right depicts West Point winning the Cyber Defense Exercise for the seventh time in the last 14 years. 

The pictures in the upper left and lower left were taken from the time when “Old Grads” were young Cadets.

The point here is that classes are small, the good news is that you will not be lost in the crowd, the bad news is that if you do not do your homework you will have a “Bad Day”.

NCAA Sports Teams - Contact Coaches

West Point is home to 25 Division I sports for both men and women.

If you would like to be considered for recruitment and have not yet been contacted by one of our Coaches, you should navigate to the coach's questionnaire – this is the first step in your application process. 

Of note, you will have to contact the coaches for Men's Football and Men's Ice Hockey directly via email or phone. 

All others can proceed to the Coach's Questionnaire for your respective sport.

There are other ways to contact West Point with respect to becoming a Recruited Athlete.  Under the Admissions tab you can go to Contact Admissions, scroll down to “Recruited Athletes” and you will be on a page that begins with these words.  Another way is to go to the Athletics Tab and navigate to the Staff Directory, but you should first fill out the Coach’s Questionnaire.

Why are Cadet uniforms Gray in color?

Back Story.  The United States ran out of Blue Indigo dye as a result of the British Blockade during the War of 1812.  Blue Indigo dye came from India and even after the war was very expensive.

The longer answer is that the British Blockade of the United States prevented the import of many items to include Blue Indigo Dye which was used in the manufacture of U.S. uniforms.  When the uniform manufacturers ran out of blue dye, all they had to offer was gray.  The U.S. bought the uniforms nonetheless and some were shipped to BG Winfield Scott’s Brigade in time to be worn for the Battle of Chippewa, July 5, 1814.  Chippewa is located about five miles south of Niagara Falls…on the Canadian side.  On this day, a small American Army, led by General Winfield Scott wearing gray, decisively defeated the British at the Battle of Chippewa.  Where is Chippewa?  A couple of miles south of Niagara Falls…on the Canadian side.

As a result of the victory at Chippewa, gray uniforms at once became badges of honor and the Academy decided to utilize the color gray in memory of Scott's victory. In 1816, the Secretary of War formally approved the use of gray uniforms for the Military Academy in recognition of General Scott and his gallant troops. There are few uniforms the world over so renowned as "cadet gray.“

There is an entire section on this web site dedicated to the Medical Exam with lots of details.

West Point Parents Club of Greater Houston

Presidents:  David and Alaide Barrero

Proud Parents of Cadet Gabriel Barrero Class of 2027

http://www.wppcgh.com

Your Share of the Task

Start Early-Finish Early!

If your goal is an appointment to West Point, then your objectives are:

   Open a file with West Point    - 15 Feb 2026

   Apply to Summer Leader Experience (SLE)  - 15 Feb 2026

   Apply to Boys/Girls State

   Establish yourself as a Competitive Candidate (SAT/ACT)

   Write Two Candidate Statements

  Open a file with the elected officials (end of April – beginning of May)

  Important Safety Tip:  DO NOT submit anything handwritten

Practice the Candidate Fitness Assessment

Important Safety Tip:  Work to BEAT the Average Score in each event!

The work is yours to do but you do not have to make the journey alone! 

Class of 2028

 the Class that just went in last June

429 files opened in our area

87 passed the Medical Exam

83 passed the CFA

82 received nominations

53 were fully qualified

42 were accepted

4 declined

7 were qualified Non Select

A Lot of Success is showing up

Class of 2030

430   Open Files with West Point

  20   Attended SLE1 (10) or SLE2 (10)

187   Files at 0% completion

243   Files above 0% completion

113   Files at 50% or greater completion

  60   Files at 100% completion

  79   Qualified the Candidate Fitness Assessment

 151  Working the Medical Process

  40   Medically Qualified

    6   Medically classified as Remedial

  15   Medically Disqualified

    9   Medically Disqualified/Waivers pending

This could be you!

If you do not get anything else out of this afternoon, remember that admission to West Point is a competition.  You are competing for a scholarship valued at over $450,000, so some work is expected.

The work will be yours to do, the credit for being admitted will be yours.  However, you have “The Road to West Point” to guide you with the details along with Parents and Field Force Members to help you on this journey.

This concludes the formal portion of the Academy Information Meeting and at this time you are encouraged to get some refreshments and ask questions of the Cadets, Parents, and Field Force Members here today.

Thank you!