HOW BADLY DO YOU WANT IT?

The Academies have a way of testing how bad you really want it.

You are doing something completely different than your peers. Basic training with no cell phones for 6 weeks. Living on base for 4 straight years. 18 credit hours minimum each semester. Military and fitness requirements on top of a grueling engineering-based core curriculum. Extremely regimented schedule starting early AM until late PM. There are easier paths, so why this one?

This is why your “personal WHY” is so important.

Fraternity and sorority parties sound good. Sleeping in until your first class at 11am seems attractive. But you are doing something different.

So again, I ask, are you all in? Show it in your Nomination package, your essays, interviews, letters of recommendation, and CFA. Every single step.

There is no replacement for deeply rooted enthusiasm.