Why I Came to West Point - Admissions Blog

6/30/2009

My name is Nina Cuevas, Class of 2005, from Yonkers, New York. I am the Far West Outreach Officer and absolutely LOVE this job. During my high school years I was the swim team captain and class president. I attended USMAPS and was the yearbook editor (I was the layout editor in HS). At West Point I was the class historian and I'm currently the Reunion Chairwoman for my 5 year class reunion. While a cadet I was on my company Sandhurst Team (GO DRAGONS! And DUKES!) and was on the USMA SCUBA team. I was stationed to Fort Campbell, KY and deployed to Iraq twice with them as an Army Engineer. Prior to my decision to attend West Point I was involved in a competitive program to attend art school, wore platform shoes and polished my nails green, blue, yellow and every other color under the sun. While a junior I learned about West Point and I was hooked. 9 years later, I wouldn't change my decision for the world.

Posted at 9:51 AM by McNett, M. LTC DAD | Category: Why I Came to West Point | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (7)

5/18/2009

Consolidated Posts from an Admissions Officer

Graduation Week 2009

1:42 pm

As I write this, there is palpable energy and excitement outside in the Cadaet area as the Firsties begin graduation week and can finally say that they have less than a week until graduation. Graduation this year is this Saturday, May 23rd and the seniors are definitely ready to graduate and go on to their new roles as officers in the Army.

Being back here for graduation makes me remember my own graduation and the whirlwind of emotions and events that happened almost five years ago for me. My five year graduation anniversary is May 29, 2009 and it is hard to believe how quickly the years have passed. I have been stationed in Korea, Texas and New York as well as lived in South Carolina for the Officer Basic Course. These last five years have taught me so much about myself and life and I am honored that I have been able to serve in the Army.

My graduation was the happiest day of my life and I can still remember the mix of joy and disbelief that the day had actually arrived the morning I woke up on May 29, 2004. I celebrated with my classmates and family and began my new life in the Army which has been such a wonderful journey thus far.

It is tradition for the graduates to put letters, money, and a picture in their graduation cap. This is so the children who catch the caps know something about the person whose cap they catch. I was surprised when I actually did get a letter from the kid who was lucky enough to catch my cap and I have enjoyed keeping up with him over the last five years. He's interested in applying to West Point when the time comes for college applications and I think it'd be awesome for him to come here. What a story that would be!

My summer looks to be full and entertaining as I am looking forward to meeting my candidates that are reporting to West Point with the Class of 2013 on Reception Day in June and my cadet candidates reporting to the Prep School on their Reception Day in July. I am excited to finally put faces to the voices I have been speaking to on the phone throughout the school year and share in the beginning of their West Point journey.

March 24th, 2009

Spring Break

3:15 pm

A question I get alot from students about West Point is whether the cadets have Spring Break. Yes, they do!! Last week was Spring Break for the cadets. The plebes went on Spring Break after their Plebe Parent Weekend March 13-15. Each year the plebes welcome their parents to West Point to visit the campus and attend a formal dinner in the Cadet Mess Hall. Luckily for the plebes, the upper three classes of cadets started Spring Break March 13 so the plebes were alone on campus with their family, friends, and dates.

Spring Break is a great opportunity to take full advantage of the programs West Point offers for development. There are all kinds of West Point sponsored trips around the world for development in a cadet's area of study or travel for their sport. I know of some cadets who went to Portugal for Spring Break to practice the language since that is their major. Often teams will have trips for competitions or tournaments during Spring Break, like the Track Team who went this year to Tampa, FL and competed during the day.

Other cadets of course take break as a way to take away from school entirely and travel the world. As a cadet I went to Jamaica for fun during one Spring Break and spent another learning combatives skills from Rangers at Ft. Benning. Spring Break is also significant to the juniors because they are allowed to have cars finally! For the seniors, Spring Break means one big step closer to graduation and their Army life.

February 23rd, 2009

Diversity

9:59 am

Each year West Point hosts the Henry O. Flipper Dinner in honor of West Point's First African-American Graduate. Henry O. Flipper graduated in 1877 and wrote about his experiences in a book entitled, "The Colored Cadet at West Point." This year's guest speaker was LTC Gregory Gadson, a 1989 West Point Graduate, former Army football player, and Honorary Co-Captain of the 2008 NY Giants Super Bowl Team. LTC Gadson lost both his legs in an IED explosion in Iraq in 2007 but has not let that define him or hold him back. He has stayed on Active Duty in and Army and proudly walked up to the stage to deliver his speech to the Corps of Cadets at the dinner.
LTC Gadson spoke to the cadets about diversity and accepting everyone because they are human beings. He explained that as Army leaders, it is our place to ensure that everyone maintains their humanity and respects people, even in a wartime situation. His speech was one of the best I have heard about diversity and acceptance. I think his words touched many of the cadets, considering the long line of cadets waiting to shake his hand after the dinner.

January 7th, 2009

Holidays 2008

3:51 pm

I have to say I love the holidays- the spending time with family, the togetherness, and the love and kindness people show for one another- even complete strangers. Since I travel so much, I spend a LOT of time in airports waiting for flights or going through security, both of which can be long and painful. So when I was going through security at an airport over the holidays and the TSA employee looked at my ID and said "Please wait a minute," I was thinking, oh great they are going to have me go through extra security. Instead, I was surprised when the lady came back with a bag of candy, snacks, and cookies and says "Merry Christmas. Thank you for your service." I was very touched by the kind gesture and thankful that someone thought of Soldiers traveling over the holidays and brought the little bags of snacks to the airport.

Another example of kindness to the military is the Dallas USO. Those people are some of the most giving people I have ever met. Every time I stop in Dallas on a layover, I stop by the USO. They always offer a friendly smile and conversation, which makes a long layover go by quickly. They also go out of their way to make you feel at home and make you forget you are traveling and away from home and loved ones. I am so thankful for them and the time they give to volunteer at the USO.

December 10th, 2008

Life on the Road

4:08 pm

I have just come back to New York from a string of long trips around my region. I definitely enjoy traveling and talking to students but it sure was nice to be back at West Point for a change. Every time I go to a new city, I am happy to find out that students recognize the name "West Point" and have some idea of what we are all about. I do find however, that some students are not as prepared for life after high school as others. I highly encourage all the students I meet to take the SATs and ACTs and to make sure they prepare for those tests prior to actually taking them. I also tell them to have a back-up plan in case their top college choice does not work out for them.

Something I realized on my last trip to El Paso, Texas was the amount of support graduates and the families of graduates have for West Point. During my trip, COL (Retired) Buster Hayden, one of the hardest working Admissions Field Force members I know, arranged for parents of West Point cadets and Prep School cadet candidates from the El Paso area to attend the college fairs with me. At one of the college nights that I attended, when I explained to a parent about the 5 year Active Duty commitment after West Point, she seemed very concerned. Luckily I had a wonderful parent there to explain from her perspective what it means to have a child at West Point. I realized then just how different from a "regular" college West Point is. I mean, I always knew it was different but when I pointed out to that mother that of all the 50+ universities and colleges represented at the college night, West Point was the only one that had support from a parent of a current cadet. I think that says alot about not only the cadets that decide to attend West Point and become apart of the Long Gray Line, but the parents of those cadets as well. So here's a special thanks to the El Paso Parents Club for supporting Admissions and making my trip there so enjoyable!

November 14th, 2008

Why I Came to West Point

12:45 pm

It started
freshman year of High School when I made the Varsity Swim Team and had to change my schedule. Our team had practice in the morning and used the first class period as a swim period as well. After the change, my original elective- Art- was no longer available in the hour I had open and the only elective open was JROTC so I had to take that. I decided that I would make the best of being in JROTC and then get out as soon as I could. My JROTC instructor on the other hand, had different plans. He mentioned West Point to me and told me that he thought it would be a great place for me. I ended up staying in JROTC and took his advice about looking into West Point. I learned so much about myself as a person while in JROTC that I figured if that was what the Army was going to be like, then I would enjoy it. I gained confidence and truly enjoyed all the activities the program had to offer.

I got in contact with a female cadet from my hometown and she became my e-mail pen-pal during her plebe year. I opened my application in my junior year and applied to what we now call the Summer Leader Seminar. I was accepted but I ended up declining because it conflicted with the Texas Girls State, which I was selected to attend. I received a Letter of Assurance the July before my senior year and knew West Point was where I wanted to go for college. My parents did try to get me to apply to other colleges but I couldn't answer the essay question of why I wanted to attend their particular school because I honestly only wanted to go to West Point. Thankfully, I received a nomination and was offered admission to West Point as a member of the Class of 2004. Three weeks after my high school graduation I found myself at West Point for Reception Day and the rest is history as they say. West Point ended being all that I thought it would be and more.

November 14th, 2008

My Background in The Army

12:31 pm

Southwest Outreach Officer, originally from Houston, TX and a 2004 West Point graduate. She has been stationed in various places such as South Carolina, South Korea, home state of Texas, and now back here in New York at West Point. CPT Garcia truly enjoys her assignment in Admissions and finds herself in a different city almost every week talking to high school students about West Point.

Posted at 10:20 PM by McNett, M. LTC DAD | Category: Why I Came to West Point | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

5/2/2009

Getting an Offer… and other Posts (Consolidated)

Well, as you probably have guessed, I did get an offer to West Point despite the challenges of the application process. For a candidate to earn an offer, he/she must become academically, medically, and physically qualified. Becoming qualified is in and of itself no small feat, but you would be surprised to know how much being persistent and proactive pays off. The last piece of the puzzle, which occurs simultaneously to getting qualified, is to earn a nomination. Make no mistake, the nomination doesn't necessarily get you in to West Point, it only makes it legal for West Point to offer you admission if you are otherwise qualified and competitive enough to earn a spot. Might sound daunting, and it certainly is more difficult than applying to other colleges, but earning a nomination is not as hard as it sounds if you just contact the offices and submit the required information on time. For those who earn a nomination, about 4000 each year, and get qualified in the three areas, about two-thirds receive an offer. Each year about 2000 candidates become fully qualified and receive a nomination. From this pool of 2000, West Point offers about 1600 students to fill a class of typically 1300. Lucky for me, I "accidently" did two things that greatly enhanced my chances of winning a spot at West Point. Number one, I knocked out my entire application prior to the middle of December, and number two, I applied for every nomination I was eligible for and I practiced for and smoked my interview with Congressman Bob Clements' interview board. When I left that room, I wasn't sure I would get into West Point, but I knew if I didn't, it wouldn't be because I didn't earn a nomination.

Not long after that I found out officially that I had earned a nomination from Congressman Clements, and if memory serves from both senators as well. Little did I know that each nomination I earned increased my chances of winning an offer. Each nomination you have means you compete only against the individuals who have the exact same nomination. So with Congressman Clements' nomination I was competing against only nine other individuals from my district, and with Senator Gore's nomination I was competing against only nine other individuals from the state of Tennessee (each congressional office can nominate only ten people to fill each vacancy they have at the Academy). To win an offer, I would only need to be the best of ten, or if not the best of ten be high enough on the national waiting list to win a spot. Winning a place at West Point from the national waiting list is not as daunting as it seems, between 300-400 candidates get their offer from the national waiting list, so about a fourth of the offers for each class. If you get a nomination and do not win that nomination, then you begin competing from the national waiting list. Once you are on the wait list, three main things can happen, you can go on to win one of the nominations (if something changes, which is fairly common), you can receive an offer from the waiting list, or you receive notification that you will not be offered from the waiting list despite being fully qualified. Being fully qualified for admission (on the national waiting list) and not receiving an offer is the outcome for about 400 candidates each year depending upon the number that become qualified with a nomination.

March 2nd, 2009

GETTING AN OFFER: PART II

2:59 am

Soon after I received notification that I was nominated to West Point, I received my actual offer of admission. To this day I don't know if I won one of the nominations I received or if I was offered from the national waiting list, but none of that matters, the important thing is that I had earned a spot at West Point. Fortunately for me, as I had alluded to in my previous post, I did two things during the application process that greatly improved my chances of gaining admission. I completed my application before early December, and I applied for every nomination for which I was eligible.

As an admissions officer at West Point one of my main responsibilities is advising candidates about the application process. When I speak to candidates about applying, I always tell them about the two biggest mistakes they can make during the application process. The first mistake, is not applying for every nomination you are eligible for. Each candidate can apply for at least 4 nominations, some can apply for even more. The more you apply for and earn, the more areas you compete in. Remember, if you receive a particular nomination, you only compete against those who have the same nomination as you. The second biggest mistake you can make is waiting until the application deadline to complete your application. If you are serious about attending West Point, you need to complete your application, including the fitness test by early December. And guess what, if something changes in your application after you have finished it, you can update it all the way up until the deadline. The key though is that being finished in December means you are competing for a spot at West Point when there are still approximately 1600 offers left versus waiting until the last day in February to complete your application when there are around 200-300 offers left to go out.

November 14th, 2008

Why West Point

1:12 pm

As junior in High School I had not given much thought to what I would do after High School. My performance in High School was not a limiting factor so any number of options would have been available, but I never took the time as a junior to think about it. The only thing I was pretty sure of was that I would likely serve my country in some way. Not knowing much about the options available for service I was leaning towards enlisting in the Army out of High School. I knew I would go to college at some point, I just wasn't sure it was the path I would take right out of High School.

The need to serve likely came from the experiences of my youth and from interacting with my extended family. A large portion of who have served in some form or fashion, either as a soldier or public servant (police officer, parole officer, etc). Amazingly there was no family pressure to do so, I just thought I owed it to my Country and my Family.

About halfway through my junior year something happened to open my eyes to other possibilities. A cousin of mine who lived hundreds of miles away and who was one year ahead of me in high school, was accepted to a place called West Point. It is actually pretty amazing that I had never heard of West Point considering my family background and service. My father served for the first part my childhood and left the service as a Captain, My mom's father served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and her brother, a West Point graduate, served in the Vietnam War, and still had never heard of West Point. Once I had heard of West Point, I decided to do some research. Once I knew about West Point, the decision was pretty easy. By getting in to West Point, I could start my path to service immediately and get one of the best college educations in the world. That was a pretty easy decision for me, a lot easier than the process I would have to go through to obtain an offer of admission. I persevered though and was selected as a member of the class of 1997. And if you're interested, here's a photo album from our Class Reunion held in 2007.

Posted at 10:22 PM by McNett, M. LTC DAD | Category: Why I Came to West Point | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

3/31/2009

A Tuesday at West Point

Howdy Ya'll,

I'm back again, thought I'd let you know what today (a Tuesday) at West Point has been like. So far, I've gone to chemistry class, boxing class, calculus and American Politics. I still have Intro to Warfighting left this afternoon to go to. We have a full class load here at the Point, and I can't stress enough to all you potential leadrs of America's sons and daughters that you should work hard in High School in order to be as prepared for this place as possible.

Posted at 10:05 PM by McNett, M. LTC DAD | Category: Why I Came to West Point | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

2/14/2009

What brought me to West Point

I first became aware of West Point when one of my older brothers graduated with the Class of 2005.
I was a sophomore in high school when he graduated. When he started, I knew very little about the Army and
even less about the academy. I had been doing similar activities, however, all my life, through participating in outdoor adventures in Boy Scouts and marching in
band. I hadn't completely set on West Point yet, but the lifestyle definitely appealed to me;
additionally, there were small amounts of pressure from my family, but they knew it was my choice. As my brother went
through Ranger school after receiving his commission, I decided I wanted to be an Army
officer.

I applied to West Point's summer program and, unfortunately, did not get in. My main focus was to be an Army officer,
so the following year I applied to West Point and a slew of Army ROTC programs. The primary thing that brought me to West Point was that after college I wanted
to be in the Army, and I felt West Point was the best path for that goal.

Posted at 9:55 PM by McNett, M. LTC DAD | Category: Why I Came to West Point | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

2/8/2009

Grey Days

It's a term used to describe the winter months here at West Point. Consistent cloud cover, giant grey buildings, snow everywhere…if we lived outdoors 24/7 we'd probably think that the world was black and white during the winter!

It's also a time that many cadets find themselves depressed or melancholy, and, while I won't comment on recent events here at USMA, I will say that I haven't seen such an outpouring of concern and attention between cadets as I have these last two months. During the fall it seems that everyone was more rushed, and while there is certainly never a lack of socialization in any corner of our school, it seems that recently people have been more attuned to one another's needs. The level of communication and strength of connection between cadets never ceases to amaze me.

I will say that I have felt the tug of the grey days like many others, a strain on the mind that reduces one's energy level and situational attentiveness. I've managed to combat it by staying active in skiing and teaching, as well as academics (of course!). And in the last couple of weeks I've found a fresh perspective on life; it's something that I can't really explain, but I've found motivation to excel, both academically and physically, and my outlook on life ahead of me is suddenly so much brighter and clearer, a far cry from the dim and dreary view I've held for so long. It's something that I wish I could clone and have issued to every cadet here! We all need a good dose of motivation every once in a while, and during the grey days a double-dose probably wouldn't hurt. (Below I'm playing the grand piano in the top of Jefferson Hall…I've been recently motivated to pick up music again after letting it fall to the wayside in recent months.)

I have watched many people leave in recent months, which I suppose is expected but I don't like to see. I feel like West Point has failed them, not West Point as an institution, but rather West Point failed to meet the ideal that they held in their minds or the expectations they had. For me, I know that my idea of what this place would be like was far different than the reality that I encountered on R-Day, but every day I learn something new, and I feel that if I were to leave now, I would never finish the puzzle to see the big picture, and would always wonder 'what if.' For some people, moving on is what is best for them, but I wonder if that's always the case. Regardless, I think that everyone who walks through the doors here is changed for the better, even if he/she is only here for a short time.

Spring is nearly upon us; while it's not official until the end of March, spring leave is only 33 days away, and after that we have just 34 school days until graduation! Class of 2013, your time is fast approaching; keep up the PT or start on it now if you haven't already! Class of 2014, you will graduate soon enough…enjoy being in high school while you can. Don't worry, you will soon be swamped with more responsibility than you would ever think possible to juggle! To everyone, keep working hard and summer will be here before you know it.

~Chris

Posted at 10:13 PM by McNett, M. LTC DAD | Category: Why I Came to West Point | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

1/9/2009

Christmas Break and Why I’m Here

Ever since I got back from Thanksgiving break I began looking forward to Christmas. Unfortunately, there was a lot to get done before that. There was Army-Navy which was a blast and spending the weekend in Philadelphia was amazing, regardless of the games unfortunate outcome. Then the President came to visit and it was incredible to see him in person. And then it was TEE, or term end exam, week. I had heard a lot of horror stories about it, but I felt pretty confident that as long as I stayed focused I should do alright. It was essentially like being holed up in a box studying, eating, watching the occasional movie, and taking three hour tests for a whole week, until it was finally over. And Christmas break was everything I thought it would be, I needed to spend that time with my family and friends, and of course was dreading its end. Obviously it did end though, and in all honesty when I got back that Sunday for a long time I felt sick and wondered what I was doing. It was one of the least fun times of my life. But then I got out and started to find my buddies and catch up with them and realize that this really is the place for me. No matter how rough it is sometimes.

November 14th, 2008

My Background

8:47 am

I am from Northern Indiana. I like to golf, boat, and spend time with family and friends. In high school I played tennis and golf, and loved supporting my high school teams. My favorite artist is Jimmy Buffett, and my favorite movie is Forrest Gump. I am looking to branch either Aviation or Combat Arms, and am currently undecided on a major.

November 14th, 2008

Was West Point Really for me?

7:16 am

I chose to come to West Point to serve my country. Which everyone has heard a million times, but it is what did it for me. I heard so many stories about committing, and preparing for my time here. And I tried to take it all to heart. However, when I came here it was different than I expected. I was thrown into a totally new environment, with people I never knew. And it was a challenge. However, I remembered why I chose West Point over IU, and I made it through, and made some of the best friends I have ever had along the way. It's funny because as I'm writing this I know it is basically the same stuff I heard when I was thinking about this place. But it proved true to me, and I couldn't have heard it enough before I came.

Posted at 10:18 PM by McNett, M. LTC DAD | Category: Why I Came to West Point | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

12/10/2008

SLS

APPLY FOR SUMMER LEADERSHIP SEMINAR!!! It's a great way to get accustomed and exposure to the Academy.

Posted at 10:01 PM by McNett, M. LTC DAD | Category: Why I Came to West Point | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

12/7/2008

Hey!

Just want to note the fact that the first entry was not me… ok. I'm not as "robot" sounding. They asked for basic information, which, apparently got scotch taped into a paragraph. =o)

So, really excited about blogging and traveling and such! Have seen and learned an incredible amount since coming to the Academy. Wide open for the rest of the experience - a couple of good friends and I are getting ready to do a semester abroad in Portugal. We'll be studying at the University of Coimbra (a civilian college - woo hoo!).

Um, so yes. I'm from Las Vegas. Was born in Portland, Oregon and raised as an only child in Vegas. Enlisted about a month after I graduated from high school because I wanted to establish a foundation for myself. Heh. So far, so good, wouldn't you say?

Will write more soon. Must bathe and prep for school tomorrow!

Posted at 12:21 PM by McNett, M. LTC DAD | Category: Why I Came to West Point | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

11/14/2008

My Background… and the Spirit Band

Hometown is Monroe, Georgia and graduated from a private Christian school. I enjoy playing in the Spirit Band (see the video below!) and on my company's Ultimate Frisbee team and will possibly be majoring in history or going in an engineering track.

Posted at 10:16 PM by McNett, M. LTC DAD | Category: Why I Came to West Point | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

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