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C'mon. Who's kidding who here? After reviewing/investigating the applicants' entire pre-academy school and personal history they have NO clue what the entrants are like? I can see a few slipping by the screening and evaluation process, but this many?

May I delicately ask if admissions have been relaxed or standards dumbed down? Are quotas or preferences now holding sway? Is political influence being exerted behind the scenes in some instances to get well-connected but unstable youths appointed?

I will say that the punishments meted out are tough enough. But how much taxpayers money was invested on these perps before they were caught?

Something ain't right here.

Leni

Unfortunately, the last couple scandals at Navy involved a disproportionate precentage of varsity athletes which leads one to wonder where these people are being recruited from. It has unfairly tainted those classes and the vast majority of student athletes which are destined to be America's first string.

It is very difficult to judge from a couple interviews and a high school transcript whether somebody has good character or not. As drug behavior is still very much in the norm in America we will continue to have issues with it in the military. The military can't change American society, so we are left to figure out the best way to weed these people out as quickly as possible.

USNA '90

Is political influence being exerted behind the scenes in some instances to get well-connected but unstable youths appointed?

Considering that they're all appointed by politicians, I'd say that there's a strong chance of that happening.

C'mon. Who's kidding who here? After reviewing/investigating the applicants' entire pre-academy school and personal history they have NO clue what the entrants are like? I can see a few slipping by the screening and evaluation process, but this many?

I taught at a public high school and my son went from there to a military academy. When he applied, everyone agreed that he had a lot of the characteristics that would make him very suitable for an intellectually stimulating environment where honesty, ethics, commitment to responsibilites were part of the structure. But a lot of that could only be inferred from a high school transcript.

Most students who make it through the process to get into a military academy are upstanding citizens. But sometimes, there will be students who keep bad habits out of the school environments. Sometimes, students change (when my son was there, it seemed like there was something going on on a subconscious level when a cadet decided they wanted to leave...some messed up big time)

.My son got an unbelievably excellent education, surrounded by the most excellent group of people you can imagine. There were some shockers when he was there, from cadets who should've known better. But, the academies weed them out, which is more than you can say for most other academic environments.

Leni, it ain't that simple.

The entrance requirements are incredibly tough; VERY competitive. They look at grades (including the usual SAT and/or ACT), athletics, leadership, community involvement, etc., etc. (aka "The Whole Man" concept). The overwhelming majority are great kids; the type you'd be proud to see wearing a uniform and a pair of wings. Do bad apples slip in? Of course. Sure, they undergo numerous interviews as well..........but it isn't hard to "fake it". I'd be willing to bet that a fair number of these "bad" ones were varsity jocks that were recruited for particular sports (especially football), but I don't know for sure.

These kids definitely reflect the society around them and the households that raised them. We need to clean house..........all OVER this country, not just the Academies.

RightOnline, USAFA Class of '77