Academy Endeavors

Juniors, the best resumes say "President" and "Captain" on them. We've heard straight from the Dean of Admissions: "The best way to get good at leadership is to get experience doing it." What does that mean for YOU? It means the more leadership positions you have, the better. Be proactive this spring/summer/fall, and it'll make it harder for Academies to tell you "no."

There's no better way to self-assess than making a resume. And it doesn't have to be complicated. Put your accomplishment on paper. Categorize them into: 1) academics 2) athletics 3) non-athletics 4) work/volunteer 5) awards/other Write a brief sub-bullet under each that explains what you did. Once it's on paper, you can see your strengths & weaknesses. Download the FREE Academy Endeavors Resume Template Here: https://lnkd.in/ejNvC6EX

Question #2 (Optional): In 500 words or less, describe a personal experience in which you have overcome adversity. AE Guidance: This optional essay should be approached as mandatory. Every optional essay is an opportunity to impress. By this point you've already written this essay if you've written the USMA 2, USAFA 1, or USNA 1 essays. If not, choose your best adversity or character story here and make it specific to USMMA. The Academies are all about resilience. Overcoming challenges is the name of the game, and as a plebe, you will overcome alot of them. Prove to them through story that you can make the most of the past challenges and grow from it.

Academy Endeavors provides guidance on every Service Academy essay question... Prompt: "In a minimum of 500 words, describe your reasons for wishing to attend USMMA, your curriculum preference, and your career interests. You should include your information about relevant coursework, hobbies, and activities, maritime-related experience, and/or military-related experience. You must also acknowledge the service obligation required for accepting an appointment to USMMA." AE Guidance: USMMA is familiar with being the backup option, so your goal should be to make your essay so specific to USMMA that they are convinced they are a top choice. First, make your reasons specific to USMMA. Examples such as Indoc, Sea Year, courseload and major interest, and post-graduation career interests are all valid reasons. Don't just tell USMMA about USMMA; instead, tell why those experiences are interesting to you. Second, make your reasons personal. Include if you visited USMMA, spoke with grads or current midshipmen, and what inspired you about those experiences. Third, mention ways you want to get involved while at USMMA. Research midshipman clubs, majors, and ways you want to contribute to the Academy while there. PS - Don't forget to state clearly "I understand and am willing to accept the service obligation" in the essay. Some go for the merchant mariner experience, not the service, so make it clear! PSS - Ensure its 500 words at a minimum!

Fall semester Senior year is a beast. Sports, Homework, Clubs, College Applications, Congressional Nominations, Interviews...and on and on. When the pressure is on, what comes out of you? Is it confidence, or fear? Is it fatigue, or endurance? The Academy experience has a way of testing every facet of you: emotionally, physically, morally. And the admissions journey is no different. You are in the thick of it. October and November are the toughest months of the admissions cycle. We are seeing some lose focus, and let up. Others are pressing in and seeing the best come out. Which one will you be?

Academy Endeavors provides tips on every Service Academy essay question... USAFA #3 essay question: Please provide any additional information or background you believe will be of assistance in evaluating your application. (500 words max) AE Guidance: Ohhh the dreaded open-ended essay question. What am I supposed to do with this? This is a great opportunity to feature something (or multiple things) about yourself that hasn't already been mentioned. First, read USAFA essays 1 and 2. Don’t duplicate anything they’ve already seen. Next, read your Resume, Congressional essay, or other Academy essays to see impressive stories or qualities that haven't been mentioned yet. You could approach this as 2-3 mini-essays if they were brief. This question can also be an opportunity to potentially address a weakness in your application. (i.e. C+ in Chemistry, gap in extracurriculars, etc.) If you do, take responsibility, but also explain the extenuating circumstances, so it doesn't appear like you are hiding from it.

When interviewing with your BGO, how many times did you say the word "cadet"? Have you ever referred to a USAFA freshman as a "plebe"? Guys, use the appropriate terms for the Academy you’re interviewing for. It's a minor thing that could make a major difference. Saying "I've dreamed my whole life of being a cadet at the Naval Academy" is not convincing. To a grad, its kinda funny, because you just demonstrated you are inauthentic (or uninformed). You want to prove, in a subtle but powerful way, that you have done your homework. It gives admissions the impression that you know what you're getting yourself into. Quiz. Did you know each Academy has a different term for basic training? BCT CBT Indoc Plebe Summer Swab Summer Which one is which?

Academy Endeavors provides tips on every Service Academy essay question... USAFA #2 essay question: Describe a leadership experience that has meaning for you. A leadership role can mean more than just a title. It can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or taking the lead role in organizing an event or project. Think about what you accomplished and what you learned from the experience. What were your responsibilities? (500 words max) AE Guidance: Choose a STAR story that is... 1) personal - reveals qualities about yourself that is attractive to admissions, 2) peer-led - you had responsibility over peers for a significant amount of time, and 3) compelling result - we want to end on a high note! Read USAFA essay 1, and don't duplicate anything. We want to add new value here. Start with an intro paragraph that lays out the situation or setting, so that the reader has context to the story. Extra points if you use a good hook. In the body paragraphs, explain what you did to solve the problem or overcome the setback. Provide clear action steps to what YOU did. Lastly, end with the impressive result and what you learned from the experience.

What is the greatest gift received from an Academy education? It might not be what you think. A. The world-class leadership development programs. B. The award-winning STEM curriculum. C. The prestige. D. Your friends. The most popular answer is D. Think of all the reasons that drew you to apply to the Academies. Our prediction is, those won't be the primary reason you stay. Service draws you, but your friends keep you.

Academy Endeavors provides tips on every Service Academy essay question... USAFA Essay #1 question: Describe a setback or ethical dilemma that you have faced. How did you resolve it? How did the outcome affect you? Most importantly, what did you learn about yourself and how would you handle a similar situation in the future? (500 words max) AE Guidance: Admissions wants to learn about how you respond to adversity, make choices under pressure, and bounce back and grow from it. Choose a topic that was difficult for you. This is an invitation to tell a story. Use the STAR framework (Situation-Task-Action-Result) to explain the the steps you took to address the challenge, the lessons you learned along the way, and how you would handle a similar situation in the future. Oftentimes, its the topic that gets people stuck. What should I write about? How my girlfriend broke up with me? How I was injured playing basketball? Here's our take: first, brainstorm 3 examples of times when you were at your lowest or most challenged spot. Write those down. Next, think about the attributes you want to communicate about yourself. When you read them, which one most communicate "fit" as a future leader of character in a 50-year old Colonel's eyes? When you have the right topic, and stick to the STAR framework, this one will be a home run. #academyendeavors