Military Academy Education Advantages

Military academies offer many advantages that include teaching leadership skills and discipline to students of all ages.
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Military academies are known for transforming young people into outstanding, driven professionals. Ulysses S. Grant, Michael Collins, and Dwight D. Eisenhower are just a few notables who graduated from a military academy and went on to be famous American leaders in their fields. Not all military school graduates will get their names in the history books, but they are offered many of the same advantages that these men received. Military academy graduates will benefit from becoming disciplined in their daily lives, and acquiring strong leadership skills and a number of other beneficial traits that will make them well-rounded individuals.

1 Discipline

Some students are assigned a task or homework, then leave it on the back burner while they play a video game. But military school graduates are taught to see a project through from start to finish no matter what. On its website’s blog, the Marine Military Academy says that when children are enrolled in military schools at early ages, they learn discipline that aids them through their journey of development and personal growth. Military academies provide a regimented, structured environment that keeps students well-disciplined while fostering a goal-orientated outlook on achieving success.

2 Leadership Skills

One of the many advantages that military academies hold over traditional schools is their emphasis on building leadership skills in every single student. Southeastern Military Academy promises to transform its students into leaders and prepare them for leadership roles in the military or in any field they choose. It defines the hallmarks of a good leader as someone who possesses self-discipline and confidence, good moral values, motivation to learn and a profound sense of personal responsibility, as well as responsibility to their community and fellow man.

3 Better SAT Scores

Because the curriculum at military academies involves disciplinary actions taken on those who let their grades slide, most students at military academies have greater success in earning higher grades and SAT scores. When comparing the United States Military Academy at West Point to some of the top non-military institutes in the country, the academy's students perform better on the SATs. In fact, the average SAT score at West Point is 105 points higher than the averages for other schools. The only colleges to rank higher in SAT scores than the United States Military Academy are Georgetown University, Harvard University, New York University and Princeton.

4 Physical Fitness

If a student isn’t physically fit upon entering a military academy, he will be when he graduates. Military academy curriculums involve running in formation, completing fitness obstacle courses and exercise drills, and they are heavily focused on sports. Fork Union Military Academy’s website states that it sends graduates to compete in NCAA tournaments, has produced first-round NFL draft picks and five Olympians, and is proud of its reputation for growing some of the top athletes in the country. With so much emphasis on daily physical fitness and athleticism, students can benefit from an environment that develops their inner athlete while improving their physical fitness levels.

Jen Saunders is an entrepreneur and veteran journalist who covers a wide range of topics. She made the transition to writing after having spent 12 years in England where she studied and taught English literature.

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