FAQs about Admission
Q: What are the admission
requirements?
You must meet certain requirements specified by public law in order to be
considered for admission to West Point. You will be evaluated in three areas:
academic performance, demonstrated leadership potential, and physical aptitude.
You must also meet strict medical qualification requirements. First of all,
you must be a United States citizen, at least 17 and not yet 23 years of
age on July 1 of your year of admission. You must not be married, pregnant,
or have a legal obligation to support a child or children. If you are a
naturalized citizen, you must provide documentation.
Q: What are the academic
requirements?
To qualify academically at West Point you should have an above average high
school or college academic record. A complete transcript of your academic
achievement will be evaluated to determine your qualification. You should
perform well on the ACT, Inc. Assessment Program Test (ACT) or the College
Board Admission Testing Program Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). These
tests demonstrate an indication of your potential for academic success during
your first year in college.
Q: What courses should I take?
To prepare yourself for the academic curriculum at West Point, you should
complete four years of English with a strong emphasis on composition, grammar,
literature and speech; four years of college preparatory mathematics, to
include algebra, geometry, intermediate algebra, and trigonometry as a minimum;
two years of a foreign language; two years of a laboratory science such
as chemistry and physics, and one year of U.S. history, including courses
in geography, government and economics. If your school includes a course
in precalculus and calculus in its curriculum, and a basic computing course,
these courses will be helpful in preparing you for your first year at West
Point.
Q: What else should I do to
prepare?
A well-rounded high school background in academics, athletics and extracurricular
activities is a good way to prepare to enter West Point. Participation in
student government, clubs, and other community activities provides leadership
experiences that also reflect favorably on developing your leadership potential
as an Army officer.
Q: What are the medical
requirements?
You must be in good physical and mental health and pass a Department of
Defense qualifying medical examination. Medical standards are discussed
in more detail in the West Point Admissions Bulletin and the USMA catalog.
Q: Is 20/20 eyesight required
for qualification?
No, but your eyesight must be correctable to 20/20 with glasses or contact
lenses.
Q: What is the Candidate Fitness
Assessment like?
The Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA) consists of six events: basketball
throw, pull-ups (men & women)/flexed-arm hang (women who cannot do one
pull-up), shuttle run, modified sit-ups, push-ups, and one mile run. You
are permitted just one examination, and you should practice the six events
prior to taking the examination.
Q: How do I apply to West Point?
You apply to West Point by requesting and completing a PreCandidate Questionnaire
and by obtaining a nomination, normally from a United States Congressman
or a Senator. Fill out the reply card on the back cover of this brochure
to obtain a Prospectus and a PreCandidate Questionnaire. A candidate file
will be started after you return the PreCandidate Questionnaire, preferable
in the spring of your junior year of high school.
Q: What happens after I fill
out the Candidate Questionnaire?
Your Candidate Questionnaire will be evaluated by the Admissions Office
to determine whether or not you will be competitive for admission. If you
are a competitive candidate, you will receive additional forms to complete.
Fill out those forms as quickly as possible because West Point has a rolling
admissions program. The Admissions Committee will only evaluate your application
file when every requirement has been completed.
Q: When should I apply for
a nomination?
You should apply for a nomination at the same time you open a candidate
file at West Point, preferrably during the spring of your junior year. Write
a letter to your congressional representative and request a nomination.
Members of Congress determine their own application deadlines, so apply
early. A candidate cannot be offered admission without a nomination.
Q: Do you accept transfer
students?
No. Students in college or with previous college credit may apply to West
Point if they meet the basic requirements. However, those students still
enter West Point as plebes (freshmen) and must complete the four-year program.
Q: Do women cadets do the same
things as the men?
Yes. Cadet women are required to meet the same standards as their male counterparts
in academics, leadership and military development. There is one exception.
Women are required to take a self-defense course rather than boxing and
wrestling during their first year at West Point.
Q: Are there admissions
opportunities for minorities?
Admission to West Point is open to all students. There are no appointments,
vacancies, or nominations designed exclusively for minority groups. However,
cultural and socio-economic backgrounds are given appropriate consideration
while evaluating all applicants. West Point makes a concerted effort to
inform minorities of admissions opportunities, reaching many that might
not otherwise apply for admission. Today, minorities represent about 15-20
percent of the Corps of Cadets.
Q: If I have an alternate
nomination, can I be admitted?
Yes. The majority of the Members of Congress use a competitive nomination
process, whereby 10 candidates are named to compete for a single vacancy.
A minority of the members of Congress names a single candidate as their
primary nomination, and some choose to number, or rank order the alternates.
If you have an excellent academic and extracurricular activity record, however,
you have a good chance of gaining admission with an alternate nomination.
Each year several hundred of the best qualified alternate Congressional
and military service nominees are offered admission from the West Point
waiting list.
