Annapolis, MD:There I was, sleeping like a baby at 5 a.m., whensuddenly I heard "WAKE UP! You have one minute to get your butts out of bedand on the wall!" Was this some horrible dream about enlisting in the Army?No, but it was close. This was my wake-up call for the United States NavalAcademy in Annapolis, Maryland. I, along with 149 others, was chosen to see theAcademy firsthand for a week-long visit.

Arriving on a Saturdayafternoon, I was stunned by the splendor of the Academy. The Yard (or campus),was opened in 1845 on a 10-acre plot of land next to the mouth of Chesapeake Bay.Now the Yard stretches over 332 acres, and is home to Bancroft Hall, the largestdormitory in the United States (it houses over 4,000 midshipmen).

Annapolis is rich in history, graduating midshipmen who have becomepresidents, congressmen, astronauts and others who served our country in manyleadership positions. The Naval Academy is foremost a military institutioneducating men and women to serve as U.S. Naval officers. Unlike most colleges,Annapolis is tuition-free, and, better yet, pays you to attend (almost $700 amonth). After graduation you are required to serve in the Navy for fiveyears.

The Academy offers 18 majors, most in the math, science andengineering fields. In the little spare time you have, there are manyrecreational activities.

Once you are commissioned as an Ensign, youselect where you go and what you do. Midshipmen may choose aviation, surfacewarfare, special warfare or submarine duty.

The Naval Academy graduatesyoung men and women with the highest ideals of honor, loyalty and courage. If youare looking for an adventurous four years of college, Annapolis is for you.


Reviewed in 2001