Extracurricular Activities

Involvement in after-school activities is critical to getting into the top schools.

At a minimum, participate in at least one varsity sport and at least one nonathletic activity.

Athletics
At the Academy, about 83 percent of entering cadets have earned a varsity letter in at least one sport and more than 95 percent have participated in high school sports.

Nonathletic Activities

• Get involved in one or more school activities like debate, yearbook, student government, science club, etc. – whatever you're most interested in.
• You should also consider getting involved in some activities outside of school, such as scouting or Civil Air Patrol, community or church, etc. – again pick activities that most interest you.

Demonstrated Leadership

Quality is more important than quantity: Earn leadership positions in a few selected activities rather than being a member of many.

Proven excellence in an activity strengthens your record. Specific examples of leadership positions helpful for getting an appointment to the Academy include :

• Team captain
• Student government officer
• National honor society membership
• Eagle/Gold award (scouting)
• Billy Mitchell award (Civil Air Patrol)
• School club/activity president/chairman