West Point Essay Examples

Located on the west bank of the Hudson River, roughly 50 miles north of New York City, West Point has been described as both suburban and rural. The main campus sits upon a picturesque bluff overlooking the water and has been deemed a national landmark due to the prevalence of historic buildings and monuments that celebrate the country’s military heritage.

West Point (US Military Academy) Essay Prompts and Tips

With an acceptance rate of just 9%, getting into West Point and officially becoming a United States Military Academy cadet is no easy task. After all, how many colleges require a nomination from a member of Congress? Those brave young men and women who aspire to navigate a supremely challenging admissions process do so in order to later dedicate a portion of their adult lives toward serving their country. The intent of this blog is to offer admissions-related advice on how to approach the three West Point essays.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into the United States Military Academy? Visit our blog entitled: How to Get Into West Point: Admissions Data and Strategies for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

When applying to an institution like West Point that rejects more than 9 of every 10 applicants, you’ll need to put maximum effort into every area of the application, including the supplemental essays. Below are the United States Military Academy’s required supplemental prompts for the 2021-22 admissions cycle along with our advice for composing winning essays.

Note: each has a limit of 2,500 characters.

West Point Essay Prompt #1

Explain why you want to attend the United States Military Academy and serve on active duty as an Army officer.

It may be helpful to view this prompt as a higher-stakes version of the typical “Why Us?” college essay. In this category of essay, an applicant is tasked with telling their story of how they decided that ______ University was the perfect school for them. Next, they may write about particular academic programs, courses, professors, research opportunities, internships/co-ops, study abroad programs, and student-run organizations that they will take advantage of once on campus.

Similarly, this essay for West Point wants to see that you have done your homework and are 100% committed to life as an Army officer. This should be a highly-personal story that demonstrates your maturity, commitment, and readiness to commit to a life in the Army. This is not a decision that anyone should make lightly and West Point will want to see evidence of specific experiences that led you to this conclusion.

For example, perhaps you have:

• Had multiple conversations with a recruiting officer. Share what you learned.
• Participated in Junior ROTC as an adolescent/young adult.
• Attended the Summer Leadership Experience at West Point.
• Had in-depth discussions with family members or non-family family members who served in the Armed Forces.

West Point Essay Prompt #2

What are the most important qualities in becoming a successful USMA cadet and a successful Army officer?

Let’s brainstorm some qualities that might be worth mentioning here:

• Bravery
• Perspective
• Open-mindedness
• Fairness
• Humility
• Self-regulation
• Emotional/social intelligence
• Persistence
• Enthusiasm and vigor
• Wisdom
• Adaptability
• Ingenuity
• Loyalty
• Optimistic

Yet, this is by no means a comprehensive list of admirable qualities that apply to your four years at West Point as well as your later Army career. Ideally those qualities listed may assist in your brainstorming process.

One terrific way to come up with your list of qualities is to directly ask those who have served or who presently serve, what qualities they feel are most important in an Army officer. While there are no right or wrong answers with this one (outside of listing negative qualities), your explanations for precisely why each quality is critical to the success of a cadet/officer is essential.

West Point Essay Prompt #3:

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?

A highly-diverse population arrives each year at West Point and they want people that are comfortable with people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds. Sharing your views on tolerance and diversity is great, but words are not as impressive as actions. Not surprisingly, the strongest essays chronicle a candidate’s actual experiences. Use your life experience to show rather than tell West Point how well you work as part of a diverse team. Examples can come from a job, school projects, athletics, Junior ROTC, or—if applicable—the Summer Leader Experience at West Point.

In short, the thing to keep in mind here is the Latin quote “Facta, non verba” which translates to “Deeds, not words.”

How important are the essays at West Point?

The United States Military Academy lists six factors as being “very important” to the admissions committee: GPA, standardized test scores, the interview, extracurricular activities, character/personal qualities, and the rigor of your secondary school record.

West Point classifies the essays as being “important” to their decision-making process, in the same tier as class rank, recommendations, and talent/ability.

Want Personalized Essay Assistance?

If you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your West Point essays, we encourage you to get a quote today.

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).

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How to Get Into West Point: Strategies and Essays That Worked

Learn the West Point requirements, plus strategies for writing West Point application essays

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: West Point admissions requirements

Part 3: West Point admissions strategies

Part 4: West Point candidate statements (examples included)

Part 1: Introduction

While most undergraduate colleges fit a similar mold, the United States Military Academy, commonly referred to as West Point, stands apart from the pack. First and foremost, West Point’s mission is to train students to be commissioned officers in the U.S. Army.

West Point is one of the five federal service academies that provide undergraduate instruction for the United States Armed Forces. At West Point, students are referred to as cadets; in addition to being undergraduates, they are also active duty members of the military, a fact that influences every aspect of the school’s curriculum and culture. The school’s heavily concentrated campus further cultivates a sense of community and fellowship among its ranks.

West Point was founded in 1802 during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency to turn America’s best and brightest into military officers. Since its inception, the academy has grown even as its motto of “duty, honor, country” has stayed the same. Since its inception, West Point is consistently ranked among the best undergraduate institutions in the country.

So how hard is it to get into West Point? What is West Point like? How do you know if West Point is right for your child?

We’ve summarized information about West Point’s admission requirements, keeping in mind what your child needs to accomplish to be competitive in the admissions process.

It’s important to mention outright that West Point isn’t simply a four-year commitment. Graduates are commissioned as officers in the U.S. Army for five years after receiving their degree. Accordingly, West Point is a great place for any young adult who wants job security after college, but may not be right if your child wants to have flexibility about choosing their own line of work post-grad. Attending West Point means committing to, if not a life, then at least a portion of a life in the service.

Once your child graduates, they’ll instantly become members of “The Long Grey Line,” West Point’s vast and powerful alumni network of military personnel, politicians, businessmen, and other professional civilians. Famous alums include two U.S. presidents, countless generals and thousands of service members who protect their country.

West Point ranking

Here’s how West Point measures up to other liberal arts colleges and universities:

• U.S. News and World Report: 9
• Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education: 47

Where is West Point?

The school, officially known as the United States Military Academy, is located in West Point, NY—hence the name by which you probably know it. West Point is a census-designated place located in the town of Highlands, a municipality populated by approximately 12,150 residents.

West Point setting

Located on the west bank of the Hudson River, roughly 50 miles north of New York City, West Point has been described as both suburban and rural. The main campus sits upon a picturesque bluff overlooking the water and has been deemed a national landmark due to the prevalence of historic buildings and monuments that celebrate the country’s military heritage.

West Point student population

West Point enrolls approximately 4,500 cadets each year.

West Point acceptance rate

Here are the admissions numbers for the class of 2026:

• Applications: 12,589
• Acceptances: 1,771
• Matriculants: 1,209
• Acceptance rate: 14%

West point tuition and scholarships

The full West Point cost of attendance (i.e., tuition, room, board, and fees) for all cadets is paid for by the Armed Forces. Cadets also receive a monthly stipend to cover personal expenses.

Who gets into West Point?

West Point has a self-selecting pool of candidates. Below we’ll go over the academic and demographic statistics of successful applicants.

• 43% of students are in the top 10% of their graduating high school class.
• West Point average GPA: 3.9
• West Point average ACT and SAT scores:

ACT Test	Class of 2026 Average Scores
English	30
Reading	31
Math	28
Science Reasoning	29
Composite	30