Integrity first. Service before self. Excellence in all we do.  Semper Fidelis: always faithful.  Duty. Honor. Country.

Those are the core values of the Air Force, the Marine Corp and the Army. Closer inspection would reveal that those core values are also values that Rockhurst emphasizes.

For some seniors, the military academies offer an environment in which they could excel in life.

The schools, which include the United States Military Academy at West Point, the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis and the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, provide a structured and disciplined life that would not appeal to many high school students.

“[The academies] are ultra disciplined.  That doesn’t exactly appeal to me, but it doesn’t bother me either,” senior Bill Rockers, applicant to the Naval and Air Force Academies, said.

Just as Rockhurst’s goal is to provide students a foundation for the future, the academies also aim to improve students’ prospects beyond the scope of school. 

“[The academies] are going to prepare me for what is ahead in life,” senior Will Koch, applicant to the Military Academy at West Point, said.  “I feel like it’s the best path for me to improve my character.”

Life at a military academy does not fall into the stereotypical college lifestyle.  Students are not even allowed to leave the campus without a pass.

“Structure: that’s what I like about the military academies,” senior Dylan Macoubrie, applicant to the Naval and Air Force Academies, said. “I’m not a big partier anyways, so life at the academy won’t be so bad for me.”

However, aside from the heavily structured lifestyle, the military academies provide something even more important: free education.  Although “free” should come with an asterisk attached.

Graduates from military academies are enlisted in the armed services for five years active duty and three years of reserve duty immediately after graduation. Students of the academies receive an average stipend of $800 per month while in school.

Still, the prospect of relatively free education has plenty of students across the country applying to those schools.

Nearly 10,000 students applied to the Military Academy at West Point last year, and about 1,200 were accepted.

“I know it’s really hard to get in, but those schools have really good engineering schools, and I wouldn’t mind serving [in the armed forces] afterwards,” Macoubrie said.

The College Placement Office suggested last spring to then juniors that students who were interested in a military academy should begin their process immediately.

Applicants need to acquire a Congressional recommendation as well as undergo a physical fitness assessment and an interview with a liaison officer.

“There is just so much stuff to fill out.  It seems like too much, but I guess it will be worth it,” Rockers said. 

Making the decision to attend a military academy requires a student to consider    the choice extensively. Many students will have similar explanations for why they would attend.

“It’s about getting an opportunity to do something great,” Koch said.  “I want to be able to say, ‘Hey, I worked really hard to do something that sets me apart.  I went to one of the toughest schools in the United States.’”