Overview

West Point is the oldest Military Academy in the United States. Its mission is to prepare a Corps of Cadets (students) to be commissioned leaders as officers in the US Army. The sense of community at West Point (“esprit de corps”) comes from the common understanding that all students (cadets) are being educated and trained to become active military officers.

A West Point education is supported by 3 pillars: Academic, Physical and Military built upon a Moral/Ethical foundation.

In a somewhat confusing turn of phrase - first-year students at West Point are called “Fourth Class” (in addition to the more vernacular “Plebe”). They hold the rank of Cadet Private.

First year students (Plebes) at West Point are not “Recognized”. This means that significantly restricted with respect to their interactions with others on campus, and must follow very specific behavioral rules. Plebes must be able to recall a wide assortment of facts and trivia. Any upperclass student or officer may stop a Plebe and require that they answer a particular question, or provide a particular set of information. For example, Plebes must be able to recite the contents of the front page of the New York Times - at any time, if asked. Plebes are also required to perform specific physical tasks at the request of upperclass students and officers. Plebes must always address other using their cadet/military rank and their last name, e.g., Corporal Smith. Plebes have only a very small number of opportunities to leave campus until they are officially recognized (there is a large, guarded stone wall around the campus). In the spring of their first year, cadets are formally “Recognized” in an official ceremony. where they are promoted from Cadet Private to Cadet Private First Class.

This New York Times article describes "Recognition" at West Point.

Demographics

Location: West Point, NY

Undergraduate Students: 4,400: 15% women

Graduate Students: 0

Faculty: ~700 (75% Military officers, 25% civilian professors)

Majors: ~45 Majors are offered across a wide range of STEM, Humanities and Social Science disciplines. All graduates receive a Bachelor of Science degree, and are required to take at least 3 courses from the Engineering Core.

For more data, see here.

Programs of Note

Orientation

Cadet Basic Training (CBT)

Beginning in early July, all entering first-year students (Plebes) participate in a 7-week basic training program (CBT) where they engage in extreme physical activity and conditioning. They also receive general military instruction. The basic-training program is called “Beast”.

The First-Year Experience Library Program (FYE)

The Library runs a variety of short orientation programs for Plebes on basic information theory, library resources and services.

The First Year and Beyond Program (FYB)

FYB is a Dean’s program. It is intended to assist selected cadets improve their academic performance. These are cadets who, based on their performance in first-term academic courses, are having difficulty adapting to the rigors of the academic program.

Advising & Support

Cadets are assigned a Tactical Officer (TAC). The Tac is a military officer who in in “command” of a group of 30-40 cadets, and lives in close proximity to them. TACs serve the role of resident advisors, and are central to the academic, military, physical, and moral-ethical support of their cadets. TACs communicate daily with the faculty and instructors who teach the students - and receive updates on student performance /issues. They direct students to the appropriate resources and services.

In addition, each new cadet is assigned a second-year peer advisor, who helps introduce them to the West Point culture. Each peer advisor is assigned 1 or 2 Plebes. This program provides the opportunity for first year cadets get to know at least 1 upper-class student. The upperclass advisors are evaluated based on how well they help their assigned 1st-year(s).

The Center for Enhanced Performance (CEP)

The CEP plays a key role in the academic support of Plebes (as well as all other cadets). Students are often encouraged by their TACs to work with CEP staff for additional academic support. CEP runs West Point’s tutoring program and offers 3 elective courses each semester, including:

• Student Success: time management, organization, study skills, test-taking, confidence building, goal setting (20 lessons)
• Reading Efficiency: 10 lessons designed to increase reading speed
• Information, Literacy & Critical Thinking: 20 lessons providing an introduction to research at West Point.

Academic Programs

There are 2 academic programs:

1. Math-Science-Engineering with 16 required core courses and 10-13 electives depending on the specific Major. The core courses consist of: 1 Philosophy/Ethics, 2 Foreign Language, 3 Social Sciences, 2 Leadership, 3 English, 4 History, 1 Law;
2. Humanities & Social Sciences with 15 required course sand 10-13 electives depending on the specific Major. The core courses consist of: 5 Engineering Science/Design, 1 Computer Science, 1 Terrain Analysis, 2 Chemistry, 2 Physics, 4 Math. All cadets must complete 4 courses in Military Science, and 4 courses in Physical Education.

A typical academic program for Plebes (First-Years) is given below

All cadets receive a Bachelor of Science degree

Students declare their majors in their second year.

Housing

First-year cadets live in clusters of 30-40 students in close proximity to their assigned Tactical Officer. Rooms are usually doubles or triples. All cadets eat together in a common dining hall.