Biggest problem with service academies is that they no longer provide any greater advantage for their graduates in the long run.
In a small, tightly run Army, such as in the past, the family dynasties perpetuated through WP had much greater influence and perpetuated traditional norms and views (both good and bad).
Post-Vietnam, the need to supply more officers to the expanded structure demonstrated that solid, effective officers were just as likely to come from non-WP schools, perhaps more so.
Just use the military-centric colleges as farm systems. The VMI’s, Texas A&M’s. A one year indoctrination could count as one year of service. Shit, after 4 years at VMI one could spend just the summer at the academy and get their commission in the fall.
For Miley to get into Princeton he had to be very smart. Grant was more successful and he had the bottle.
A 4 year engineering investment stint at an academy gets non-productive once a guy gets killed in battle.