afnavy
Jul 13, 2016
Undergraduate / 'very impressed with what I saw' - advice on my Naval Academy Personal Statement Admissions Essay [3]
This is the prompt and it has to be between 300-500 words. Someone who is very familiar with the military is greatly appreciated to review this! thanks!
(1) Describe what led to your initial interest in the naval service and how the Naval Academy will help you achieve your long range goals, and
(2) Describe a personal experience you have had which you feel has contributed to your own character development and integrity.
When I first visited the Naval Academy with a friend, I was very impressed with what I saw. Her father is an alumnus who shared his experiences while we toured the campus and explored downtown Annapolis. This experience sparked my interest to find out more and eventually led me to apply to STEM camp. I met many people at camp with whom I shared a passion for self-improvement, and I was able to learn first-hand what academy life was like. Later, I was invited to attend Candidate Visitors Weekend, where I expanded my perspective by talking with faculty, attending classes, and experiencing dormitory life. Finally, I was fortunate to attend NASS, and although I thought I knew much about academy life, NASS provided me deeper insights and further reinforced my twin dreams of becoming a naval officer and naval aviator. I also gained more confidence that I will be able to succeed in the rigorous environment while benefitting from both its high-ranking engineering program and invaluable leadership challenges.
In addition to my personal experiences at the Naval Academy, my father, who spent 28 years in uniform, showed me the importance of serving our country. I also learned about making sacrifices from my mother when my father was deployed. The most difficult deployment for my family of eight was when he went to Korea for a year, during which I faced several academic, social, and spiritual challenges. I learned valuable life lessons while improving my leadership skills and integrity. I encountered academic obstacles, such as transitioning from middle to high school while keeping up my grades and competing in sports. In addition, I struggled with balancing my extracurricular activities with maintaining friendships and seeking a substitute mentor in place of my deployed father. However, I began to neglect my spiritual life and to lose interest in church, but fortunately, I began to attend a church youth group, at which I experienced a transformation on how I viewed my life. From the first meeting, my youth pastor displayed a tremendous amount of encouragement and commitment, which greatly impressed me, and in a short time, I learned the importance of having a strong moral character and leading others in an ethical manner. Most importantly, I strengthened my relationship with God, and as a result of my transformation, I further developed resiliency and refocused my energy towards my top priorities of maintaining my good grades ethically, improving my performance in sports, and bonding with my family and friends. Before I knew it, I became a positive role model for my younger siblings, who benefited emotionally and spiritually, and I began to realize that I was a lot braver and stronger than I had previously thought and was becoming a more capable leader. These traits, which I developed during a difficult deployment, will allow me to cope with many future situations, but especially the leadership and ethical challenges I will face at the Naval Academy.
This is the prompt and it has to be between 300-500 words. Someone who is very familiar with the military is greatly appreciated to review this! thanks!
(1) Describe what led to your initial interest in the naval service and how the Naval Academy will help you achieve your long range goals, and
(2) Describe a personal experience you have had which you feel has contributed to your own character development and integrity.
When I first visited the Naval Academy with a friend, I was very impressed with what I saw. Her father is an alumnus who shared his experiences while we toured the campus and explored downtown Annapolis. This experience sparked my interest to find out more and eventually led me to apply to STEM camp. I met many people at camp with whom I shared a passion for self-improvement, and I was able to learn first-hand what academy life was like. Later, I was invited to attend Candidate Visitors Weekend, where I expanded my perspective by talking with faculty, attending classes, and experiencing dormitory life. Finally, I was fortunate to attend NASS, and although I thought I knew much about academy life, NASS provided me deeper insights and further reinforced my twin dreams of becoming a naval officer and naval aviator. I also gained more confidence that I will be able to succeed in the rigorous environment while benefitting from both its high-ranking engineering program and invaluable leadership challenges.
In addition to my personal experiences at the Naval Academy, my father, who spent 28 years in uniform, showed me the importance of serving our country. I also learned about making sacrifices from my mother when my father was deployed. The most difficult deployment for my family of eight was when he went to Korea for a year, during which I faced several academic, social, and spiritual challenges. I learned valuable life lessons while improving my leadership skills and integrity. I encountered academic obstacles, such as transitioning from middle to high school while keeping up my grades and competing in sports. In addition, I struggled with balancing my extracurricular activities with maintaining friendships and seeking a substitute mentor in place of my deployed father. However, I began to neglect my spiritual life and to lose interest in church, but fortunately, I began to attend a church youth group, at which I experienced a transformation on how I viewed my life. From the first meeting, my youth pastor displayed a tremendous amount of encouragement and commitment, which greatly impressed me, and in a short time, I learned the importance of having a strong moral character and leading others in an ethical manner. Most importantly, I strengthened my relationship with God, and as a result of my transformation, I further developed resiliency and refocused my energy towards my top priorities of maintaining my good grades ethically, improving my performance in sports, and bonding with my family and friends. Before I knew it, I became a positive role model for my younger siblings, who benefited emotionally and spiritually, and I began to realize that I was a lot braver and stronger than I had previously thought and was becoming a more capable leader. These traits, which I developed during a difficult deployment, will allow me to cope with many future situations, but especially the leadership and ethical challenges I will face at the Naval Academy.
