Most popular things here are varsity/intramural sports. The catch is everyone HAS to participate in at least some sort of sport. But intramurals are all what you make of them and can actually get pretty competitive. Glee Club has definitely picked up, along with many other activities that you would see on a civilian college campus.

The Naval Academy doesn’t just teach leadership; it requires its students to actually demonstrate leadership as a requirement for graduation. Anyone interested in not just exploring their true potential as a leader, but in actually BEING a leader during and after college should strongly consider attending Annapolis. The level of responsibility the U.S. Navy places in the hands of Midshipmen before and after they graduate is remarkable. I am proud and glad to have graduated from this institution.

The Naval Academy does attract a pretty self-selecting group of people: people interested in developing themselves and exploring their human potential, people who have a desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves, and people who take a long-term view of their careers and lives (ie are willing to make some short-term sacrifices in exchange for a long-term payoff). Obviously, students who know for certain that they do not want to serve in the military after graduating from college should not apply. I think most choose Annapolis for some combination of the outstanding (and not to mention free) training and education the "Boat School" provides and the opportunities that can result from that training and subsequent military experience. It seemed that really driven, high-achieving high school students from values-based middle and upper-middle class families were disproportionately represented in the student body. If anyone is worried that going to the Naval Academy will turn them into a military robot of sorts, have no fear. There are a wide array of activities students can choose from that provide some really wonderful outlets for self-expression. Intramural and varsity sports, debate, leadership within the student body, volunteering, even performing arts are all popular activities. Most of the major types of affinity and cultural groups that are found at civilian universities are represented and are pursued with enthusiasm.

As an Economics major, I feel I received an absolutely first-rate, well-rounded education that met or exceeded what I would have received at an Ivy League school. In 2006 alone Navy produced four Rhodes Scholars—more than any other university. Professors are there to teach and are very accessible. Midshipmen compete at academics in the same way they compete at sports (not in a cutthroat way), and the students who are excelling generally made an admirable effort to help those who were struggling. One unique feature about Annapolis and the other service academies is that they exist for the purpose of training and eventually "hiring" their graduates as commissioned officers following graduation. Because of the complexities of modern warfare and the need for technically adept Navy and Marine Corps Officers, all students (even English and Political Science majors) take a "core curriculum" that is heavy in science and engineering. In my later career as a lawyer, I found the type of methodical thinking these technical courses require to be very useful. My professors were also very supportive of my later efforts to apply to graduate school.

Some more than others. When I was at Annapolis in the 1990's, there was a counter-culture that resisted many of the strictures and themes the school attempts to inculcate into the Midshipmen. Finding one's place in this tug-of-war between being a rule-following "team player" and expressing one's individuality is a process that breeds self-awareness and has been a central component of the Naval Academy experience for generations. One stereotype that is not true is that Naval Academy Midshipmen are necessarily politically “conservative.” Most Midshipmen (and military personnel) I have known were fairly apolitical, and those that did have a strong interest in politics were moderate in their views. A poll taken of midshipmen during the fall of the 2008 election revealed that Midshipmen supported Barack Obama in greater numbers than John McCain (remarkable given that McCain is himself a Naval Academy graduate). Another misconception is that one has to be physically combative or war-like to succeed in the military. Although one cannot be absolutely morally opposed to the use of force under any circumstance and serve in the military, many of the most peace-loving people I know have a military background. That said, the “warrior ethos” is an important component of leading a military unit. Above all, I would say that people from the Naval Academy (along with many who served in the military) are among the most trustworthy, reliable, practical, and pragmatic individuals you will find. The training gives one the ability to look at problems objectively, from the standpoint of what works best, and to execute on ideas with integrity and velocity. This is a valuable life skill.

Midshipmen like to play as hard as they work. Annapolis is not a "party school," but there are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of the nightlife of Annapolis—after you turn 21. Excursions to nearby Washington DC and Baltimore are popular. Football tailgaters are a focal point of social life during the fall semester. Midshipmen are assigned “sponsor families” in their first year that serve as a home-away-from-home during time away from the Academy; many of these relationships become extremely close. Another unique feature of social life at Annapolis is that much socialization takes place within some sort of structured activity (such as sports, clubs/organizations, student government) in addition to the bar/party/fraternity scene so central to the social life of civilian universities. The 100+ person "companies" into which the student body is divided are similar to fraternities in terms of some of their social functions.

The Naval Academy is for people who want something more than an “ordinary” college experience. This is one of the best places to go in the United States to learn to become a leader. The school bills itself as a "24-hour leadership laboratory," and I found a lot of truth in that advertising. The best thing about Annapolis is the quality of the training/education and the strong (sometimes lifelong) bonds of friendship and community that are formed there. Graduating from the Naval Academy is a real accomplishment; to make it through the four-year program requires one to push beyond whatever limitations they placed on themselves prior to arrival. You have to be willing to give up (or at least deal with) your natural desire for short-term gratification of whatever immediate wants you have in order to develop yourself and contribute to the teams surrounding you. The public is generally aware of this; many people tend to be more impressed when I tell them I went to the Naval Academy than when I tell them where I went to Law/Business school (also a "blue chip" university). They also make certain assumptions about me--some accurate, some not (in certain respects I'm not nearly as disciplined as many people assume). To say that there is "school pride" at the Naval Academy is an understatement. Although more rebellious types resist identifying themselves with all things Navy, even among them I know of no one who regrets their choice to have attended. Students complain about not having the freedoms of civilian college students, but, at the end of the day, no one has ever been forced to go to (or remain at) the Naval Academy. I could write for pages about the adventures I had traveling around the world while at Annapolis and afterward as a Naval Officer. Those experiences, combined with the friendships I formed, made the sacrifices I had to make to be a Midshipman seem insignificant (but only in retrospect).

The Naval Academy doesn’t just teach leadership; it requires its students to actually demonstrate leadership as a requirement for graduation. Anyone interested in not just exploring their true potential as a leader, but in actually BEING a leader during and after college should strongly consider attending Annapolis. The level of responsibility the U.S. Navy places in the hands of Midshipmen before and after they graduate is remarkable. I am proud and glad to have graduated from this institution.