U . S . N AVA L A C A D E M Y A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N A N D F O U N D AT I O N
I M PA C T R E P O R T
2022–2023
ADMISSIONS EXCELLENCE 1
2022-2023 IMPACT REPORTS
Admissions Excellence
SUMMARY In support of the Naval Academy’s mission to graduate morally, mentally, and physically exceptional leaders, the USNA Office of Admissions conducts a wide range of marketing, education, and outreach programs each year designed to connect with high school students and their families, guidance counselors and community leader congressional offices, volunteers, and more. Along with annual admissions summer events, these programs ensure a pipeline of promising potential applicants, with a particular focus on the recruitment of candidates interested in the STEM disciplines. Admissions Excellence supports Naval Academy Admissions strategic initiatives and outreach.
CLASS OF 2027
ADMISSIONS EXCELLENCE
The admission cycle for the Class of 2027 reflected renewed interest in attending USNA among students nationwide. Overall, the Office of Admissions received 14,727 applications for admission, which included a 14% increase in applicants overall. Nearly 31% of all applicants were female and 43% were students representing diverse backgrounds. The Class of 2027 was inducted on 29 June 2023 and included 1,175 students from every state, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern Marianas as well as 15 International students from 15 countries. The class included 370 (31.5 %) female students and 507 (43.8%) minority students. The class included 46 sons and 28 daughters of alumni. Prior enlisted service members included 59 sailors and 10 Marines. Of the enlisted personnel admitted, 40 were admitted through the Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS) and 16 admitted through Nuclear Power School. The class included 305 students who entered the Naval Academy after at least one year of college or a preparatory program including 209 students from NAPS, 47 from the Naval Academy Foundation or civilian preparatory programs, and 46 who completed at least one semester of college or a post-high school preparatory program.
USNA continues to be recognized as one of the most selective undergraduate institutions in the nation. It seeks well-rounded individuals who have achieved academic excellence and demonstrated leadership potential in a wide array of extra-curricular activities and athletics. The “yield” (a comparison of offers of appointment to the number of candidates who reported on Induction Day) has remained extremely high over the past decade. The acceptance rate for the Class of 2027 was 85.2%, the highest among the service academies. Like many recent classes, the Class of 2027 was exceptional with nearly 90% having participated in varsity athletics and over twothirds of the class having demonstrated leadership as a sport team captain or student body leader. Strong resumes in community service (72%), religious group participation (32.5%), military organizations such as Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), Sea Cadets, or Young Marines (21.1%), musical activities (37.4%), work experience (42%), and Boys/Girl Scouts (14.2%) are included in the class’s credentials at admission. It is noted that almost 15% of the class included students who were considered first generation Americans, 13% first in family to attend college, 7% from families where the primary language spoken at home was not English, and 11% overcame some hardship/adversity growing up.
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2022-2023 IMPACT REPORTS
Admissions Excellence
SUMMER PROGRAMS
SUMMER SEMINAR PROGRAM Summer Seminar was held in-person for the second year in a row following the COVID-19 pandemic and was considered tremendously successful. With 6,343 applicants from every state and territory in the nation, applications increased nearly 21% from 2022. 2,542 students attended this important week-long program designed to give rising high school seniors a glimpse into the day-to-day lifestyle of a midshipman by giving the students five days of physical evolutions, academic modules, and camaraderie-building experiences. Of the attendees, 161 received scholarships on behalf of USNA classes, chapters, and individual alumni. The cornerstone of the Summer Seminar Program is that it is also a developmental and leadership experience for midshipmen. This year 248 midshipmen planned, executed, and led the program. Summer Seminar also has a strong academic focus, with students attending workshops which include the following topics: information technology, naval architecture, mechanical engineering, ocean engineering, aerospace flight testing, systems engineering, microcomputer design, seamanship and navigation, oceanography, mathematics, history, meteorology, literature, chemistry, political science, language studies, economics, martial arts, yard patrol craft (YP) cruise, and ethics and character development
SUMMER STEM CAMP In June 2023, 837 students attended the Summer STEM Program at the U.S. Naval Academy. Reflecting a 19% increase in applications, attendees were selected from a pool of 4,305 rising 9th to 11th graders who applied from every state in the nation, District of Columbia, Guam, and American Samoa. Of the students who attended, 95 were awarded scholarships due to the generous philanthropy of USNA classes, chapters, and individuals. The STEM curriculum provided attendees with exposure to world-class laboratories, authentic learning experiences presented at a collegiate level, and hands-on interactions with real world applications. Most important, STEM attendees resided in Bancroft Hall, had first hand exposure to all the facilities at USNA, received information concerning preparation for college and admission to USNA, and were mentored by 128 current midshipmen. This year, 22 faculty and staff and 36 midshipmen led the instructional phase of the STEM Program. Subjects included robotics, machine learning, bioterrorism, applied mathematics, operations research, chemistry, aviation and aerospace, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and electronics, computer programming, cybersecurity, operations research, oceanography, weather and climate and aquaculture engineering.
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2022-2023 IMPACT REPORTS
Admissions Excellence
ADMISSIONS INITIATIVES In addition to both Summer Programs, several highlights from the Naval Academy Admissions initiatives over the 2022–2023 year follow below.
STRATEGIC OUTREACH The Office of Admissions employs a wide variety of methods to strategically seek out and connect with promising potential future midshipmen across the country. The Office of Admissions conducted extensive outreach over the last year albeit in a flexible and dynamic environment. The strategic focus of the Office of Admissions is to continue to enhance in-person outreach, while continuing to integrate virtual and electronic media into all operations. These efforts included expansion of social media, upgrading virtual campus tours, search engine marketing, texting, integration of smartphone technology, and the use of a marketing consultant that specializes in internet/electronic outreach. The staff and our Blue & Gold Officers (BGOs) leaned forward to represent USNA across the nation through direct contact with school officials, community leaders and influencers. Admissions counselors and BGOs represented USNA at national college fairs, outreach programs, and events designed to promote interest and awareness among students.
CANDIDATE VISIT WEEKEND The Office of Admissions was able to host eight Candidate Visit Weekend (CVW) programs with a total of 1,481 candidates attending. Competitive, vaccinated juniors and seniors were invited to visit the Academy for a Thursday evening to Saturday morning program that included berthing with a current midshipman and attending class. The ability to run this program in-person this year reflected outstanding results, with 68% of those attending highlighting the program as a very important factor in their decision to attend USNA. This year, the Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA) was administered to 444 candidates for the first time and scholarships were available to students who required assistance to travel to/from USNA.
CENTERS OF INFLUENCE The Office of Admissions also hosted two in-person Centers of Influence (COI) programs with 166 administrators, college admissions counselors, educators, and community leaders from around the nation participating in a two-day comprehensive seminar involving exposure to the academy’s leadership and midshipmen, including how they live, study, and train to be future leaders upon graduation. This program is by invitation and is meant to engage influencers from underrepresented areas and underserved groups across
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2022-2023 IMPACT REPORTS
Admissions Excellence
the nation. It is funded solely through the generous support of private philanthropy provided by USNA classes and individual donors.
extensively for advertising forums, summer programs, and other admissions activities. By June 2023, there continued to be a substantial increase in followership across all social media platforms to include 41,436 followers on Facebook, 20,988 followers on Instagram, and 1,892 followers on Twitter. By implementing robust social media campaigns, USNA Office of Admissions social media accounts reached 1.4 million viewers, engaged more than 102,700 accounts, and made more than 1.5 million impressions. During COVID-19, a virtual admissions brief was posted on the USNA website and completed by live chats with admissions staff. To date, more than 9,000 students and parents have participated in this forum with the Admissions staff. The Office of Admissions incorporated a virtual tour on its website in 2021, and recently completed an upgrade to provide a more robust view of the campus to viewers unable to visit the campus in-person. Since incorporation, more than 36,000 personnel have visited the campus through the virtual tour.
CONGRESSIONAL ACADEMY DAYS Throughout the year, the Office of Admissions actively marketed USNA through participation in 195 Congressional Academy Days, many of them virtually due to local COVID-19 restrictions. When possible, midshipmen travel was supported through private philanthropy.
MUSICAL GROUPS The USNA Gospel Choir and the USNA Mariachi Band visited New York and Detroit to perform and build relationships with local schools and the community at large. Both groups went to eight high schools, five churches, and one college. The performances aided in establishing new relationships and strengthening current relationships with schools and community-based organizations while changing the perception of the Academy. More than 2,200 community members were reached during these performances. Funding for Gospel trip travel was made possible through private philanthropy.
OPERATION INFORMATION EVENTS This last year, we did conduct an in-person Operation Information (OPINFO) program with 439 midshipmen traveling back to their hometowns the week before or after Thanksgiving. They supported numerous in-person and online engagement events, including school visits, information sessions, and radio and TV spots which centered on academics, athletics, extracurricular activities, a day in the life, and service opportunities at USNA. Groups of midshipmen were sent to several different key geographic regions across the county and engaged with hundreds of students during the various
VIRTUAL OUTREACH Virtual outreach, which expanded dramatically during the height of the pandemic, continued this last year and was leveraged extensively by the Admissions staff. This included 12 webinars using an online platform and resulted in engagement of 12,902 students, parents, and educators. Social media platforms continued to be utilized
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2022-2023 IMPACT REPORTS
Admissions Excellence
trips. Overall, midshipmen scheduled 2,700 events and engaged 32,639 prospective applicants.
in Chicago, IL; Pascagoula, MS; Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX; Atlanta, GA; Detroit, MI; Nashville, TN; and Philadelphia, PA, with an increase of over 250% more than last year’s student engagement.
The traditional OPINFO program was completed by smaller MINI-OPINFO programs conducted over several three-day weekends and spring break. With the aid of private philanthropy, 271 midshipmen completed visits in Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Clovis, CA; Detroit, MI; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Memphis, TN; Newark, NJ; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; Norfolk, VA; Oakland, CA; Pascagoula, MS; Phoenix, AZ; San Antonio,TX; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; and St Louis, MO.
INSPIRE PROGRAM The INSPIRE program was launched as a test program in the fall of 2021 to (1) improve application completion rates, and (2) compete with other elite institutions for highly qualified minorities in underrepresented groups by providing them and at least one parent a personalized experience which included direct interaction with minority graduates stationed at USNA, pairing with a minority midshipmen, a dedicated dining experience that included a notable minority guest speaker, and personalized interaction with Admissions staff. Over the past year, two programs were held. In September 2022, 78 seniors applying to the Class of 2027 attended a program held at USNA accompanied by their parents. Coupled with a program held in February 2022 in which 46 juniors attended, more than 95% completed their applications versus a class average of 32%, and 69 offers of appointment were made for the Class of 2027 or a preparatory program (NAPS or Foundation). Of the 101 juniors attending in March 2023, 100% completed applications for Summer Seminar.
STEM EVENTS Leveraging the Naval Academy Summer STEM program, an additional one-day STEM program for students who were not admitted to STEM Camp in June was conducted in August. It was a huge success overall and included 198 students from 32 states. During the academic Year, smaller scale STEM on Deck and STEM Underway programs were conducted to provide opportunities for students from grades 9-11 to participate in STEM programs at USNA or in their local community. Students are exposed to STEM concepts and can interact with midshipmen as well as USNA faculty members. During the 2022-2023 academic year, the Office of Admissions conducted STEM Underway programs with students from school districts
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2022-2023 IMPACT REPORTS
Admissions Excellence
LOOKING AHEAD In summary, the Class of 2027 admission cycle was successful thanks to the impact of private support. Trends in College Admissions/American society reflect a decline in students both graduating from high school and then proceeding to attend college. These declines, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, have affected the service academies and recruiters, resulting in a decline in interest for students both starting and completing an application for admission. Department of Defense surveys further indicate that only about 2% of the youth market today is of sufficient quality and propensity to serve. Additionally, while their parents may have a positive image of the military, they are often only moderately knowledgeable about the military and are unsure the military would be a good fit for their sons and daughters. The way forward to attracting today’s youth will involve reestablishing connections lost in local communities with students, parents, and influencers. It will also require making students and their parents see how Navy core values match their career, work, and life values. A substantial commitment to expand our outreach in the electronic/internet domain and social media to reach today’s youth and stay abreast of college admissions trends is going to continue to be needed to reach students and parents. Initial steps through integration of a marketing consultant that specializes in this domain and the use of smartphone technology and virtual platforms have provided positive results, but we know there is additional work to do to meet the strategic needs of the Navy’s leadership.
THANK YOU
Thank you for your support for Admissions Excellence and its continued mission to engage students across the country, inspired and prepared to be our future leaders in the Navy and Marine Corps.
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