federally supported institution founded in 1802, making it the oldest of the nation's major service academies. The campus overlooks the Hudson River in West Point, N.Y., 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of New York City. The academy's primary focus is preparing students to be military officers. Graduates receive a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. The academy awards the bachelor of science degree. Many of the majors offered relate to engineering and applied science, but students can also concentrate on liberal arts and sciences, foreign languages, foreign area studies, computer science, management, and military arts. All students complete a core curriculum of general education and military courses. Most instructors are Regular Army officers. About 40 percent of the full-time faculty hold doctorates. Enrollment consists of approximately 4,200 students, with men greatly outnumbering women. Only about 10 percent of applicants are accepted, and candidates for admission must be nominated by either a member of the United States Congress or by the Department of the Army. They must also be United States citizens between the ages of 17 and 22, unmarried, without legal responsibility to a child, and pass medical and physical tests. Most accepted students ranked in the top quarter of their high school class and held leadership positions in extracurricular activities. All students attend tuition-free. They also receive medical and dental care, room and board, and a stipend to cover books, uniforms, and other necessary items. New students undergo rigorous basic training in the summer before their first academic year. This training provides an introduction to the military lifestyle they will be expected to lead during their stay at the academy. They become accustomed to drills, parades, and room inspections as well as to the physical and mental demands of the military. In the summer after the first academic year, they learn field skills at a camp. Upperclassmen spend their summers training underclassmen and army recruits, learning special skills, and working with actual army units. They also participate in enrichment experiences, such as internships and foreign language immersion programs. The academy provides many extracurricular activities, including musical and theatrical groups, academic clubs, a campus radio station, and volunteer work. The academy has a large variety of intramural and intercollegiate sports programs. Varsity teams, nicknamed the Cadets, compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (except the football team, which participates in Division I-A). School colors are black, gold, and gray. |