Academy Dreams
Aerial view of West Point on the Hudson River

USMA · High school roadmap

Sophomore year: U.S. Military Academy10th grade · Build the foundation

Your 10th grade checklist for USMA, built from the official pages we track.

West Point and the Hudson River from the air, 2013. Photo: Joe Mabel (on Flickr as Joe Mabel from Seattle, US) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Why this year matters

This is the year to build the grades, fitness and leadership the academies look for. The checklist below lists what the official pages say.

Checklist for sophomore year

Courses and grades

The academies' recommended courses overlap a lot. Plan your 11th- and 12th-grade schedules now so you don't come up short.

  • Honors, AP, IB, and dual-enrollment courses are valued34.

Sports and fitness

  • Compete in team sports and individual endurance sports, run regularly ("two-mile runs are recommended"), and do push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups1.
  • Learn the CFA events now. USNA, West Point, and USAFA use the same six events: basketball throw, pull-ups (or flexed-arm hang for women), shuttle run, crunches/modified sit-ups, push-ups, and 1-mile run564.

Leadership and service

  • Go for depth over breadth. West Point "considers it more valuable for you to achieve distinction in a specific activity than to participate in numerous activities"1. USAFA advises "quality over quantity"7.
  • Examples the academies list include team captain, student government, Eagle Scout/Gold Award, Boys/Girls State, club leadership, community service, and JROTC21.

Key deadlines

The official pages we track list no dated USMA deadlines for sophomore year. Dated steps start in junior year. See junior year or the full deadline list.

Dates change. Always confirm on the official USMA admissions site and your congressional offices’ pages.

USMA-specific notes

West Point recommends:

  • English: 4 years1
  • Math: 4 years, at least through trig or pre-calc1
  • Science: 2 years of lab science1; physics or chemistry as a minimum2
  • Foreign language: 2 years1
  • History / social studies: 1 year U.S. history1
  • Computer science: "Basic computing" helpful1
  • Working to help support your family counts. West Point "views that experience as a demonstration of your leadership potential"1.

Eligibility basics2

  • Age: 17–22 on July 1
  • Other basics: U.S. citizen; unmarried; no legal obligation to support children

Sources

  1. USMA (westpoint.edu)
  2. USMA Steps (westpoint.edu)
  3. USNA Advice (usna.edu)
  4. USAFA Requirements (usafa.edu)
  5. USNA CFA (usna.edu)
  6. West Point CFA (westpoint.edu)
  7. USAFA Grades 8–10 (usafa.edu)

Keep every USMA date on your calendar.

Coming soon: reminder emails before applications open, nomination deadlines close and summer program windows shut.

Reminders coming soonAll deadlines