Story Behind The Book
When my daughter wanted a book on how to get into the Naval Academy, all she could find were books that told her how hard it was, how selective they were, how very few could achieve it. My daughter brushed them off, but I wondered how many kids would be discouraged by that approach and decided to write a book explaining how to achieve the goal, not why kids couldn’t. I stressed how teens can solve the problems that stood in their way rather than why they couldn’t, how they could get where they wanted to go rather than why they couldn’t get there. That worked for my daughter and I had no doubt it would work for others. From what I hear from readers, it’s true.
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<div class="h3color tiny" style="margin-bottom:.5em;font-weight:bold;"></div> <div style="margin-bottom:.5em;"> 18 of 18 people found the following review helpful: </div> <div style="margin-bottom:.5em;"> <span style="margin-right:5px;"><span class="swSprite s_star_5_0"><span>5.0 out of 5 stars</span></span> </span> <span style="vertical-align:middle;"><strong>The Real Basics</strong>, November 17, 2007</span> </div> <div style="margin-bottom:.5em;"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top">By </td><td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1XROCLZKEM7DT/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Margaret <span style="white-space:nowrap;">Schmidt<span class="swSprite s_chevron custPopRight"></span></span></span></a> (Texas) - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A1XROCLZKEM7DT/ref=cm_cr_dp_auth_rev?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview">See all my reviews</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="tiny" style="margin-bottom:.5em;"> <strong><span class="h3color tiny">This review is from: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Building-Midshipman-Jacqui-Murray/dp/097878006X/ref=cm_cr_dp_orig_subj">Building a Midshipman (Ring-bound)</a></strong> </div> I bought this book for my son who wants to apply to the Naval Academy. There are books out there to explain service academies, but not how to get accepted. It has so many steps, it's confusing to keep track of. This book not only explained why the military makes it difficult, but the step-by-steps needed to be accepted. It is told through the eyes of a successful applicant and makes the reader believe anyone has a chance if they follow this guide. <br /><br />It has chapters on how she started, the goals she set, why she picked USNA, the steps she took each year in high school from freshman to senior. It talks about her experiences with her Blue and Gold officer, the congressional interview process, how she resolved problems in her application package. A timeline tells you when she did what, what her grades were throughout the application process, how she prepared herself for Plebe summer, how and when she accomplished the myriad steps. It has check lists, examples of application materials, her application resume and explanations on how to solve certain problems that come up. Like the medical examination by DoDMERB. A family friend was disqualified at this exam, and this book explains what to do if you have a problem. <br /><br />This would help anyone applying to any of the service academies--West Point, USAFA, USNA, Coast Guard--as well as anyone trying to get into an Ivy League. There are books on getting into every other highly-competitive college. I can't believe this hasn't been written before.