Just so you know - if a service academy is interested in her, but feels she needs some academic “buffing up” before entering, they sometimes offer a “prep school, military based” to high school graduates to get them ready for the really heavy academic load they will carry at a service academy.
The military academies are not just interested in grades, but extra curricular activities, such as participation on sports teams - not necessarily as a star, but one who diligently showed up for practice, and was a team player.
They look at the whole person, and it sounds like your daughter has a good chance. But, she has to want it. The entrance boards at the academies do a pretty good job at trying to screen out overly pushy parents, because they know the kids won’t make it through that first hard summer of training.
My son is a WP grad, and came out of a very small rural high school, with no advanced placement courses offered. He did very well at WP, and was one of the top five cadets who ran the entire academy his firstie year.
But, he really wanted to go there, even though he was seriously worried that he might not cut it. He hung in there, persevered, and learned to be a leader.
That was back between 1986 and 1990. I wonder what advice he would give today. He sits on the board in our state to interview the academy hopefuls, and says he sees so many really motivated applicants coming from the rural schools.
Also, you can take your daughter on a visit to the academies, and she can stay a day, attending class, or even an overnight stay, to get a feel for the life there. I highly recommend that!
I attended the Naval Academy, my oldest son attended the Naval Academy, and my oldest daughter attended the Air Force Academy.
I think the academies are looking for motivated, well-rounded individuals. It is important to make very good grades but not necessarily a 4.0. The student should demonstrate motivation by taking a few AP courses. SAT scores are important but they are not looking for a perfect 1600, around 1300 or a little less would be competitive. Service academies are looking for evidence of leadership— president of SGA/clubs, Boy Scouts, team captains, etc. If an individual has a desire to attend an academy, it is wise to build a resume now. Also, investigation is a must and attending summer seminar is highly recommended.
I would investigate all the opportunities that may be available by researching each service recruiting site. I don’t know if any of these programs are presently available but over the years, the services offered great deals for:
1) paying for college and nursing school
2) paying for nurse anethesists
3) paying for college as a Navy Nuclear Power officer
Good luck.
I would never be a pushy parent in this case especially. The military would have to be her choice 100%.
I like the idea of visiting and attending a class.
My daughter has really started coming into her own this year. I don’t think the military would have even been on her radar (ha) before this year.