United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, MD, USA

Reviews

United States Naval Academy

Shipmate

a current student here
43 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
You will learn a moderate amount in a wide variety of subjects. Be prepared though, there is a strong engineering focus.
Am enjoying being here
The comradeship you will find at the Academy is unparalleled at any state or private college, but do not expect to have any sort of real social life until you are at least in your junior year.
Bang for the buck
You get paid to attend, enough said.
Tips for prospective students
Make sure you are committed and choosing the Academy for the right reasons. If you are not sure if it's really what you want, don't go. There are many other ways to become an officer in the military and you will be miserable here if you are not prepared.
Great for these types of students
Students who are highly motivated to serve the U.S. and have a passion for challenging themselves morally, mentally, and physically will be successful here.

Alex from Arnold, MD

a current student here
25 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
I would rate this institution a B+. The atmosphere is great, the friendship forged here are amazing and the level of intelligence among the midshipmen is incredible at times. The only problem I have with this place is the greatly varied and sometimes flawed leadership within the company and above. Your Company Officer and Upper-class really play a major role in the environment.
Tips for prospective students
Do a visit, go to summer seminar. Look at videos and ask people who go there. Realize that your life will suck the first year and that it gets better. DO NOT lie, cheat or steal. Don't rate what you don't skate.
Academic Rigor
Some the the hardest classes I have ever taken. Statics, Physics II, etc. I skated by with almost a 4.0 in high school and have never studied harder in my life to get a B in a class. The academics are hard because of the lack of time you have with all of the military obligations etc.
Dorm Life
The rooms are probably the smallest compared to anywhere else but everything you get to put them in is free. The dorms are paid by the school which pays you to be there. With the amount of stuff you can actually have in there, the rooms are pretty efficiently sized.
Food and Dining
King Hall is really a hit or mix. The food can be amazing on Pizza nights or crappy on Asian food nights. Steerage is great if you are allowed to go. Ordering out is very popular but gets kind of expensive.
What to do for fun
Read a book, do your hw or join a varsity team. You cannot leave unless you are a 2nd class/firstie or a junior/senior and even then on certain days. Might as well get an XBOX or some friends.
Bang for the buck
You get paid to come here and its a free education!! (minus the fact that you are giving up 5+ years or your life).
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Too many traditions to count. Army Navy stuff, Parades, Airforce and Army Navy week. It gets pretty crazy around here. Halloween is a great time.
Great for these types of students
People who love the military, have great leadership personalities, are good athletes. Intelligent and hard working people.
Clubs and Activities
Every sport you can think of and any club. You can make your own if you find the interest.
Greek Life
None.
Campus Safety
Police inside as well as task force. Its the United States Naval Academy aka a military college. It's what you would think. Nothing crazy though.

a current student here
21 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
The mission is to develop Midshipmen morally, mentally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty in order to graduate leaders who are dedicated to a career of naval service and have potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.

Only the best and the brightest need apply.
Tips for prospective students
Excel in academics (grades, AP classes, SAT/ACT), athletics and personal fitness, leadership (in school, church, community), community service, and character. Apply for Summer Seminar and, once there, shine! Apply for admission and Congressional nomination early!
Academic Rigor
Core requirements in engineering, natural sciences, the humanities and social sciences, assure that graduates are able to think critically, solve increasingly technical problems in a dynamic, global environment, and express conclusions clearly. There are courses and practical training to teach the leadership and professional skills required of Navy and Marine Corps officers.
And there are academic majors and minors that permits a midshipman to explore a discipline in some depth and prepare for graduate level work.
Dorm Life
The day begins with reveille and ends with lights out. You stand watches, march to meals and wear uniforms for almost everything you do. You and your roommates must keep your room ready for a military inspection at any time and keep your uniforms in regulation condition. All midshipmen live in Bancroft Hall, a huge dormitory complex. You are assigned to a room with one or more midshipmen and live in close proximity to about 150 other midshipmen in your company. You eat, sleep, study, drill, play and compete as teams with your company mates. You learn to trust and rely on each other.
Food and Dining
The entire brigade eats together, at one time, in a 55,000-square-foot dining hall. Companies sit together, and food is eaten family style. The food is plentiful, healthy and served to us. There is a wide variety of healthy choices to ensure midshipmen have the proper sustenance for their high metabolisms.
What to do for fun
Your time at the Academy is very challenging, tightly structured, and designed to push you well beyond what you think are your limits. Within this framework however, there are many ways you can pursue your individual areas of interest. All midshipmen must participate in athletics. The Naval Academy also has many extracurricular activities that allow midshipmen to expand their horizons outside the classroom and off the athletic field.
Bang for the buck
There is no tuition at the Naval Academy. The Navy pays 100% of the tuition, room and board, medical and dental care costs of Naval Academy midshipmen. This means ALL students who attend the Naval Academy do so on a full scholarship in return for 5 years of active duty service upon graduation.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
I Day is the in-processing of the entire Plebe regiment and an Oath of Office Ceremony. Its also the time to say goodbye to family.
Plebe Summer is a 7-week long indoctrination period at the Naval Academy that all midshipmen must complete prior to beginning their first academic semester.
Plebe Parents' Weekend is for parents and family members to visit with their Midshipman and experience a taste of the traditions, academics, and atmosphere unique to the Naval Academy prior to the start of the Fall Term.
The Herndon Monument Climb marks the end of Plebe year when 1,000 eager, screaming plebes charge toward a 21-foot grey lard-covered obelisk as thousands of spectators watch with the hopes that they complete the task quickly. The plebe class works together to accomplish the goal of retrieving a white plebe dixie cup hat from atop the monument and replace it with an upperclassmen's hat. It is a tradition, a rite of passage, that has endured at the Naval Academy for many years.
Great for these types of students
Driven
Hard-working
Honorable
Clubs and Activities
Every thing imaginable!
Adventure Racing Team
Alpine Ski Team
Amateur Radio Club
Arabic Club
Cannoneers
Catholic Daughters of American
Catholic Midshipmen Club
Chinese Culture Club
Color Guard
Combat Arms Team
CrossFit
Dance Club
Debate Team
Dolphin Club
Equestrian Team
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Field Hockey
Filipino-American Club
Freethinkers and Atheists
French Club
German Club
Golden Key National Honor Society
Green Classroom Club
Infantry Skills Team
International Midshipmen Club
Investment Club
Italian-American Midshipmen Club
Japanese American Club
Jewish Midshipmen Club
Korean-American Midshipmen Club
Latin American Studies Club
Lucky Bag
Martial Arts
Masqueraders
Men's Soccer
Midshipmen Action Group
Midshipmen Black Studies Club
Midshipmen Sports Medicine Club
Model United Nations
Mountaineering Club
Musical Activities
National Eagle Scout Association
Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference
Naval Academy Leadership Conference
Navigators
Navy Beats
Navy Spectrum
Navy Spirit Team
Officer Christian Fellowship
Offshore Sailing Training Squadron
Omicron Delta Epsilon
Parachute Team
Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Sigma Iota
Protestant Midshipmen Club
Rock Climbing Team
Scuba Club
Semper Fidelis Society
Silent Drill Team
Special Operations Team
Surface Navy Association
The Log Magazine
Ultimate Frisbee Team
USNA Knights of Columbus Council
USNA Paintball Club
Water Polo
Women's Ice Hockey
Yard Patrol Craft Squadron
Campus Safety
The Naval Academy campus, known as the Yard, is located in historic Annapolis, Md. It is essentially a base, manned by active duty military guards. ID is required to get on. You spend almost all of your time on the Yard.

Shelby from San Antonio, TX

accepted here and planning to attend soon
17 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Will learn a lot
Best education out there!
Will enjoy being here
If it is the right lifestyle for you, yes. If military isn't you thing, then no.
Bang for the buck
You are being paid to attend!
Tips for prospective students
Work hard on your application and get it in early!
Great for these types of students
You will be stressed out here, but keep your chin up and push through!

Alyssa

accepted here and planning to attend soon
9 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
For me, I divide everything about all service academies into fluffy and techie stuff. Fluffy: This is a beautiful school where so many amazing people have come before you...hallowed ground idea. Techie: IT'S FREE, YOU HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING YOUR COUNTRY, AND YOU HAVE A JOB WITH MINIMAL TO NO DEBT OUT OF COLLEGE.
Tips for prospective students
Do your research, and know that this is the place for you. Apply to all the academies even though Navy should be your number one.
Academic Rigor
I hear is it hard. But I also hear that there are more than enough people to help you out including your peers, teachers, and your laptop.
Dorm Life
They are small, but your shower is in your room!
Food and Dining
wow! the hall is awesome/huge! it is fairly newer looking inside. food was pretty good.
Bang for the buck
NO buck, but A LOT of bang

Jack from Melbourne, FL

researching this school
8 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
This school is very difficult to get into, but it is well worth it if you want to serve your country as an officer.
Tips for prospective students
Do as much as you can in high school. The Naval Academy looks at the whole person, so just excelling in academics won't cut it.
Academic Rigor
From what I have heard, this school has some of the most challenging and rigorous coursework in the nation, and perhaps the world.
Dorm Life
Everyone lives in dorms on-campus. They look comfortable enough, but if having multiple roommates isn't your thing, this school may not be for you.
Food and Dining
I have heard that the food is pretty good here. After all, the Navy has the best cooks in the world.
What to do for fun
There isn't much do do for fun, or much time to have fun, so make the most of all of your experiences with your fellow midshipmen. The key to success is a good attitude.

Dyvonne from Chicago, IL

researching this school
6 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Academic Rigor
Gives you an Ivy League Education
Dorm Life
Decent dorms
Food and Dining
Food is excellent. I loved it when I was there
Bang for the buck
No tuition in exchange for 5 years of service. AWESOME

Taylor from Edina, MN

researching this school
3 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
I went here for a summer session. It was outstanding. Can't wait to finish my application.
Academic Rigor
Not entirely sure, from what I've seen though, it's great.
Dorm Life
Cozy, organized, United States' largest dormitory
What to do for fun
P.T.