Unlike civilian colleges and universities, the Service Academies seek

applicants who demonstrate strong leadership ability. In no more than 500

words, write about a specific challenge you have faced and how you
overcame that challenge, highlighting specific leadership skills that
distinguish you from other outstanding applicants.
Transitioning from a 200 student school to a public high school of 1500 was a huge
change. However, I handled it well maintaining a 4.0 GPA while earning two varsity
letters my freshmen year. Hence, I thought it would be beneficial to challenge
myself and take AP European History my sophomore year. This class proved to be
the biggest challenge and hardest curriculum that I had yet to face in my high
school career. Soon enough, the first major test was upon me, and I studied as I
normally did. The test results, however, were far from what I expected. Receiving a
failing grade on the test, I was forced to look at myself, my study habits, and my
motivation for taking this course.
I realized that all my previously successful study habits had failed me. I decided to
take initiative and talk to my teacher to find out what went wrong for me. She told
me that my weak points on the exam were recalling dates of events, yet she told
me that my essay answers were on point, which demonstrated my knowledge of the
material. This information motivated me to devise new study strategies for this
class.
Thinking that I might not be alone in my struggles, I talked to my classmates and
found that many of them, too, had struggles with this class. I suggested we form a
study group to study for the next test and to re-learn what we missed in the first
test. My first suggestion to them was to talk to the teacher to find out their strong
and weak points. The goal was to create a group that has strong leaders in each of
the areas that we needed to perform in, which included essays, multiple choice, and
the recall of dates. I organized the group and assigned people to spearhead each of
the sections on the upcoming test. As I was strong in the essay answers, I led a
session on how I went about answering. I asked a classmate, who has aced the
multiple choice section, to lead that session. We all reviewed together, supported
each other, and when the next test came around, we all saw marked improvement
in our scores.
Throughout the year, we continued the study sessions and supported each other.
We kept track of our scores, and they proved that through the study group that I
organized, we all saw better test grades. After a very rough start, I brought my
grade up to a B. In the second semester, with the help of the study group, I earned
an A. I feel I showed exemplary leadership through motivation, initiative, and
determination to form and manage the study group. I utilized each members skill
set to benefit the group, which accomplished our goal of being able to demonstrate
our learning with better test scores. I am an outstanding applicant because I have
experienced, first-hand, how to overcome difficult and frustrating challenges with
leadership.

Compose your own response. What are the most important qualities in
becoming a successful USMA cadet and a successful Army officer?

In order to truly be a successful USMA cadet and Army officer, one must be fully
committed to service and have integrity. As a cadet and officer one must be
passionate about service, which comes in many forms. First and foremost, service to
country is essential, and serving in the US Army is a given. Service, however, goes
way beyond that. A successful USMA cadet and Army officer must also be
passionate about serving the community in which he or she lives. This could mean
volunteering at ones church or helping the elderly, and it could include working at a
soup kitchen or even picking up trash on the roadside. Finally, servant leadership
commits oneself to the needs of others. A servant leader can boost the productivity
and cohesiveness of the team that he or she leads by first making sure the teams
needs are met before his or her own needs. The successful USMA cadet and Army
officer will have a proven track record of service in all areas of his or her life.
Integrity is also a key quality for successful USMA cadets and Army officers.
Integrity means being honest, having strong moral principles, and having the
fortitude to keep ones integrity in tough situations. The USMA cadet prayer includes
the words, Make us to choose the harder right than the easier wrong. I have seen
this saying in a lithograph hanging in our house since I was a young girl, and it has
often reminded me, in tough situations, what the correct path should be for me.
Integrity helps people build strong relationships, because there is trust. Both cadets
and officers work with others on a daily, basis, and with integrity and trust in place,
projects and work gets done faster. Covey emphasizes this point in his book, The
Speed of Trust. Officers can especially benefit from relationships built from integrity
and trust because they could find themselves in life and death situations where they
must put their life in anothers hands, and hopefully the other person can be
trusted.
I passionately feel that successful USMA cadets and Army officers must embody a
passion for service as well as live a life guided by integrity. I am still developing
these irreplaceable qualities, and West Point will push me to my limits and help
enrich my skill set.

NOT USED BELOW

I want to be a helping hand in the protection and well being of the United States. I
showcase my commitment, in my life right now, through a variety of activities in
school, athletics, to people important in my life, and to my word. I am committed to
finishing what I start, not quitting, and putting others before myself. By
demonstrating commitment, it builds reliability and trust to a person.

Compose your own responses. In the space below, Explain why you want
to attend the United States Military Academy and serve on active duty as
an Army officer.
Motivation for attending a service academy
SHORT 200 Words
My motivation for attending a service academy includes tradition and leadership. I
grew up watching my father, a West Point graduate, dutifully and passionately
honor his country through his actions, words, and thoughts. I wanted to feel that
passion also, so I attended the 2016 Summer Leader Experience at West Point to
help me confirm that West Point was the path for me. Living for a week as a cadet, I
learned that West Point not only teaches academics and develops leaders, but it
instills in its students the values of duty, honor, and country, which are traits that I
also cherish. I came home with unbridled motivation to attend a service academy
not only to follow in my fathers footsteps, but to gain an unmatched education that
I can use to proudly and effectively serve my country. Now, more than ever, the US
needs passionate military leadership, a role to which I aspire. Further, I want to
serve as a leader and role model for other young men and women in the Army to do
their personal best, to protect and ensure continued freedom for every citizen, and
keep the unity of our country.

LONG 250-500 Words

My motivation for attending a service academy is two-fold and includes tradition
and leadership. I grew up watching my father, a West Point graduate, dutifully and
passionately honor his country through actions, words, and thoughts. I always saw
him stand proudly at attention whenever the national anthem was played. I could
see, from the way he held himself and the way he looked upon our flag that his
feelings for America run very deep within him. I asked him once if he had always felt
that strongly. He replied he has always loved his country, but upon attending West
Point and serving in the US Army, his love of country grew so much more. His strong
sense of patriotism inspired me to the point that I attended the 2016 Summer
Leader Experience (SLE) at West Point in June. I had heard my dads West Point
stories my whole life and had even visited the campus when I was 11 years old, but
I wanted to experience for myself what my dad experienced. I felt that attending
the SLE was an ideal way to do that. Living for a week as a cadet, I learned that
West Point not only teaches academics, but it instills in its students the vales of
duty, honor, and country, traits that I have since become essential to how I carry
myself as a leader. I want to follow the tradition in my family as well as the West
Point traditions of duty, honor, and country.
West Point cares as much about developing leadership in cadets as much as its
academic and physical fitness/military training. At SLE, I was able to attend thought
provoking classes that made me think differently about things. The teachers are
passionate about teaching, and I could tell that I would learn so much in their
classes. I was also able to see what the athletic and military training looked like
there. I could tell that this school would be a place where I could earn a top notch
education, develop physically, learn how to be a soldier, and, most importantly,
learn to be a leader. I came home with unbridled motivation to attend a service
academy not only to follow in my fathers footsteps, but to learn all I could so that I
could proudly and effectively serve my country as a leader.
Now, more than ever, the US needs adept military leaders, a role to which I aspire.
Further, as a female, I want to be a role model for and lead young men and women
in the Army to do their personal best to ensure continued freedom for each
American citizen. I know that West Point will prepare me, through its leadership
development, academics, physical training, and military training, to be the leader I
need to be to lead others in serving our country. As a graduate of the United States
Military Academy, I will help keep the unity of our country growing for generations
to come.

Compose your own response. West Point and the Army are committed to
the idea that respect for others and an understanding of diversity are
important leadership traits. Why will you be successful in working with
leaders, peers, and subordinates of a gender, color, ethnicity, and/or
religion different from your own?
Throughout my high school career, I have been involved in my schools leadership
program. This program plans and executes school events. Our leadership team
strives to include as many students as possible in the activities we plan and we
strive to include our diverse student population. One standout event was the special
needs dance where we honored our special education students. It is important,
however, to examine the process by which these successful events get planned.
Mirroring our school, our leadership team is widely diverse as well. I often volunteer
to spearhead event planning, or I take charge of different parts of larger events.
After having done quite a few events, I have learned to be a leader of my peer
teammates while working alongside my classmates. Because we all come from
different cultures, we dont always agree on concepts and ideas, but I find that I can
bring out the best in people by practicing the Platinum Rule.
Since Kindergarten, we were taught to abide by the Golden Rule, which is to treat
others as you wish to be treated. This seemingly positive rule can actually backfire. I
know this because it backfired on me. I wanted to recognize one member of my
team that went above and beyond the call of duty. Looking inwards, I know that I
love to be recognized publicly for my hard work, so at our next meeting, I brought
the groups attention to my team member. I told everyone all about her exemplary
hard work and how much it helped the team. She immediately shut down, and I did
not know why. Later, I learned that she hates to be publicly recognized. What
motivates her is personal, private thank you notes instead of public recognition. I
learned about the Platinum Rule, shortly thereafter, which is to treat others how
they want to be treated. From then on, I adjusted how I interact with others to treat
them how they want to be treated. Its easy to say that you will treat people this
way, but it takes work to get to know people and genuinely find out how they wish
to be treated and what motivates them.
With so much diversity at my school in every aspect of every student, I take the
time to get to know people regardless of their background or viewpoints. To
effectively work with people with different genders, colors ethnicities, or even
religions that are vastly different from ones own viewpoint, Im curious about others
to learn not only their diverse background and viewpoints, but also to learn their
strong and weak points so that they can be put in team positions to maximize their
contributions and keep them a happy and productive team member. I often work

with others that are different from me, and I feel that by continuing my practice of
learning about other people and treating them how they wish to be treated, I can be
very successful in working in and leading diverse teams wherever I go.