ANNAPOLIS, Md.—U.S. Naval Academy officials say they’ve received a 50 percent increase in applications this year.
The Military Academy at West Point and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs have seen 10 percent increases in applicants.
Navy officials attribute the surge to a two-year-old outreach program to minorities and high school students in parts of the country that have been underrepresented. Spokeswoman Judy Campbell says that outreach has also meant a more diverse freshman class, with 27 percent of freshmen counted as minorities.
In previous years, the three schools have generally received about the same number, but the Air Force usually trails.
This summer, each academy will induct a class of 1,200 to 1,300. Those who stay commit to a minimum of five years in the military in exchange for a free education.
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Information from: The Washington Post,
