photo by Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison/Special to the Paraglide U.S. Military Academy graduates toss their hats during commencement ceremonies at Michie Stadium, West Point, N.Y., May 23, 2009.

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point has produced some of America’s finest leaders. Included in this group are former XVIII Airborne Corps commanders Gens. William C. Westmoreland, Matthew B. Ridgeway and John W. Foss, Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower and current global War on Terror commanders Gens. David Petraeus and Ray Odierno. 

USMA is considered the military’s premier college when it comes to producing great leaders and the typical cadet is a former military dependent, who enrolled straight from high school.

But for Soldiers who are looking to prove that they are among the best, there is another way of attending the prestigious academy. It’s called the U.S. Military Academy Prep School. The USMAPS, or West Point Prep, as it is informally called, is located at Fort Monmouth, N.J. and is designed to prepare active-duty Soldiers for entrance into West Point.

According to the USMAPS Web site, the prep school was established in 1946 as an alternative to Soldiers who sought entrance into the academy. The prep school prepares selected candidates by providing focused academic, military and physical instruction in a moral-ethical military school environment in order to prepare and motivate candidates for success at the United States Military Academy, the site said.

According to Capt. Colleen Woodward, admissions operations officer, the prep school is beneficial to Soldiers who are interested because it allows them to bring  their enlisted leadership skills and improve on them while earning a degree and accepting greater responsibility as an Army officer.
“It’s a great benefit to them because, since they’re prior service Soldiers, they’ll be out of their school system for whatever number of years they’ve been enlisted and working in their units,” she explained. “So it gets them back into the focus of being in an academic environment and gets them up to speed for what they need to expect for the academy. We give them that opportunity.”

Woodward said candidates to the prep school can expect a year of intense math and English classes, along with study skills classes. They will also take the Scholastic Aptitude Test and the American Collegiate Testing exam during the middle of the school year. She added that the purpose of taking the test is to help the students improve their grades and assess their SAT and ACT scores to better prepare them for the academy.

Soldiers who are interested in attending the USMAPS should be no older than 23 by the time they’re able to enter USMA, which means they should be 21 when they enter the prep school. The prep school lasts one year.

According to USMAPS Web site, West Point Prep has a history of preparing Soldiers for the military academy dating back to 1916, when Congress enacted legislation authorizing appointments for Soldiers to West Point. It also points out that the school exists today as an “avenue of opportunity” to a carefully selected group of Soldiers and civilians by providing them the academic, leadership and physical skills that will prepare them for success as candidates at the U.S. Military Academy.

According to Woodward, no candidate is automatically accepted into West Point just by attending West Point Prep, they must apply, receive recommendations and nominations through their senator or representative.

“They still have to go through the entire admissions process, but here, we set them up for success,” she said.  “They’ll be prepared for the academy better than anyone coming out of high school.”

Woodward also explained that the TAC officer and Student Admissions Department will also provide assistance to the prospective students and their application process.

“They still have to do it themselves, but we point them in the right direction and help them out,” she said. “We still review all of their recommendation letters.”

Fort Bragg has had a great history of Soldiers attending USMA through West Point Prep.

According to USMA Soldier Admissions officer Maj. Brian Easley, last year the post had 11 Soldiers attend the academy. That was more than any other Army post. The next closest number came from Fort Hood, Texas, which contributed seven candidates.

“The great thing is that a lot of kids going through the prep school program may not have gotten in by traditional methods,” Easley said. “But now they’ve matured in the Army and they’ve come back to us.”

Easley also pointed out that prior service Soldiers have done well among their peers. Currently, the highest ranking West Point cadet and the senior class president are both former Soldiers.
According to a USMA officials, each year, active-duty Soldiers are offered admission directly to West Point or to West Point Prep. To be considered, Soldiers must be U.S. citizens, unmarried, with no legal obligation to support dependents; not be older than 23 years of age on July 2, of the year entering the U.S. Military Academy or 22 on July 1, when entering the prep school; of high moral character and have a sincere interest in becoming an Army officer.

Information received from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point explains that the academy is currently looking for branch-qualified, company grade officers and noncommissioned officers in the ranks of sergeant first class to serve on the staff and faculty. These NCOs should have platoon or drill sergeant time and at least 12 to 15 years of service.

Soldiers interested in applying for the U.S. Military Academy or West Point Prep should contact their chain of command, unit G-1 and contact Maj. Brian Easley at (845) 938-5780 or DSN: 688-5780.

Those interested in an assignment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point should complete a USMA interest form on the USMA Adjutant General’s home page at www.usma.army.mil/adjutantgeneral or by writing to Management Operations Branch, AG Division, West Point, N.Y. 10996-1926.