Recently, Nazareth senior Vinnie Raimondi applied to and was accepted at the United States Military Academy at West Point, more commonly known as West Point. West Point is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious military academy. It is expected that upon graduation, all graduates apply to and serve in a branch of the United States Armed Forces and I recently sat down with Vinnie to talk about how he was feeling about this exciting news.

Q. What made you interested in joining the Armed Forces? Have any of your family members enlisted before?

A. I’ve always had an interest in joining the Army ever since I was little. My grandpa served in the Navy during WWII, but mainly it’s just always been an interest of mine.

Q. How is the application to West Point different from other college applications?

A. The application process is very intense. You have to write three essays and in addition, include three teacher endorsements that also have the teachers evaluate you as a student. There is also a medical qualification test and a physical endurance test that you have to undergo. West Point also puts great emphasis on your high school academic record as well.

Q. Did you apply to any other schools?

A. I haven’t yet, but I plan on soon applying to Iowa and Northwestern University, just as a backup.

Q. What are some of the academic requirements for admission to West Point?

A. West Point places great emphasis on AP and Honors classes and how well you did in those. The average ACT score is a 29 and what they pay closer attention to is your class ranking rather than your GPA.

Q. Have you visited the campus already? How was it?

A. Yes, I have visited the campus! It is a very awesome campus that has a lot of older and historic buildings. West Point is actually the oldest active military base in the United States. However, there are a lot of renovated buildings and they incorporate a lot of new technology, so it’s really modern at the same time.

Q. What branch or branches of the Armed Forces are you interested in joining?

A. I’m definitely going to join the Army. I do know that around 10% of West Point graduates do choose to join other branches of the Armed Forces, but I’m definitely going to join the Army.

Q. Describe how you are feeling about your acceptance to West Point. Do you feel nervous at all?

A. I’m very excited to have been accepted there! The day I got my acceptance letter was one of the best days of my life! I do feel a little nervous and apprehensive, but I’m mainly excited and looking forward to the experience.

Q. How do your family and friends feel about this accomplishment?

A. My family and parents especially are nervous about me joining the military, but they are extremely happy and excited for me. My friends are also very excited and supportive of me as well. Several of my very close friends were great motivators in helping me to achieve this goal as well!

Q. Do you plan on continuing your football career while at West Point?

A. I plan on focusing on my education and being the best soldier I can be, and I am currently undecided about whether or not I will continue playing football at West Point.