Networking That Works: What I Learned from the Process

Do your homework - become a subject matter expert.

Before engaging with anyone, take the time to thoroughly research West Point, the Army, and reflect on your specific goals. First impressions are limited, and you never know who you'll be interacting with. You would rather be generally overprepared for any encounter than underprepared. Authentic passion translates incredibly clearly when interacting with individuals who are knowledgeable about the academies; surface-level interest translates just as clear and is unlikely to win anyone over.

Prioritize meeting with people face-to-face.

Growing up in California, the Far West Regional commander (the officer in charge of admissions for the West Coast) would come around and speak at various informational sessions. Some were fifteen minutes away, while others were an hour or more. I went to every single one I could find. By the second or third one, I had confidently memorized all the information that would be presented, but I still made it a point to attend anyway. Let me share a few stories about just how valuable this was.

First, I spoke face-to-face with the regional commander frequently over the two years leading up to my application. I would typically have a copy of my resume and transcript with me, and I would ask him for general advice about sections I needed to strengthen. By attending multiple meetings, I was able to demonstrate forward progress and continually seek new advice. Note: I genuinely sought advice and feedback and followed every ounce of it to the letter. I was not trying to impress the regional commander; I was trying to improve.

I emailed back and forth with him as I improved my application (more on this in a minute), and he confidently could associate my face with the name on my emails. I happened to run into him on R-Day years later, and even with a shaved head, he remembered me, wished me good luck, and said he was happy to see that I made it.

Additionally, in a different informational meeting, I met an old grad who happily reviewed my resume and transcripts, and subsequently scheduled a follow-up interview (at a Whole Foods of all places). He brought his soon-to-be West Point graduate daughter to field any questions I may have about the cadet experience. Even more so, he offered to send me example essays from previous years and to revise my essays before I submitted them.

Although not attending an informational session, I opted to drop off my congressional nomination packet at the congresswoman's office in person (a remote submission option was also available). I ended up having a 30-45 minute conversation with the individual running the nomination process - he was a five-year enlisted Army veteran. He picked my brain about my interests in the Army and ultimately gave some career advice about what he looked for in officers as a soldier. Lo and behold, this same man ended up sitting on my congressional nomination interview panel. Though he wasn't necessarily supposed to, about a week later, he gave me an early call. He let me know when I received the congressional nomination (and a heads up to expect a call from the congresswoman).

Send emails.

I sent my first email to the regional commander at the end of my sophomore year when I became really passionate about applying to service academies. I asked what I could do to prepare my application better, and he gave me one piece of very useful advice that became the basis for my networking - they maintained candidate files for prospective cadets once the Summer Leaders Experience portal opened up in the winter of junior year. Since this portal was open, you could submit your most recent transcript to keep it up to date.

As such, at the end of each semester, I sent an updated transcript to the commander, requesting that it be uploaded to my file. If there was notable progress made on the previous feedback I provided, I would update him and ask for new feedback to start working on.

Apart from admissions reps, I knew a few individuals who had served in the army for many years. I reached out to them, and unsurprisingly, they had worked with some officers who had graduated from West Point. I was able to get brief email introductions and would ask for any advice they had to offer. One representative even sent me a complete admission guide, exhaustively answering any questions that candidates in her district had previously asked.

Now I know this sounds daunting without any examples of reaching out to people. Especially via email, it is essential to maintain good etiquette and avoid flooding the admissions officer's inbox. If you are respectful, reach out only when you have meaningful updates or specific questions, and demonstrate constant improvement, you will be hard-pressed to find any Army officer who doesn't want to support you. One of the core aspects of the Army Ethic is stewarding the profession - most officers I have encountered take that to heart.

Outside of the Army, I am confident that my admission to Brown was directly influenced by emailing a research advisor with whom I was genuinely interested in working. He actually ended up serving as one of my advisors last semester.

Additionally, I was waitlisted for the scholarship that I ultimately received, which enabled me to pursue my master's degree. I cold-called and emailed my current advisor at the program, fortunately got through to her, and she was able to work out a spot for me (taking me off the waitlist). I kid you not, I was the only person taken off the waitlist. There was no chance I would have been granted a slot unless I had taken this deliberate action. This all stems back to what I learned during the West Point application process.

Even if it feels weird to cold-email people, I promise it's worth the discomfort. The worst thing that can happen is you get ignored; if so, move on and try again with a new lead.