Nick Bandy, ‘21, is in the application process for West Point Military Academy, a four-year federal service academy located in New York. Bandy is only a few weeks away from hearing whether he has been accepted to West Point , which has an acceptance rate of nine percent. 

The application process was extensive and long. Bandy says, “It has been a year-long process. I had to get nominations from congressmen and senators. To get nominations, I had to write essays. Right now, I have three nominations including two from senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley and one from the congresswoman Abby Finkenauer. 

“I also had to write essays as a part of my application for West Point by answering questions such as What’s an ethical decision you had to make? What’s a mistake you’ve made? and How will you be able to work with different kinds of people? 

“Another step in the process is the basic stuff like ACT, SAT, and GPA. Lastly, a big part is being diverse in my activities and traits. They look for leaders, athletes, high achievers and people who are going to take academics seriously,” said Bandy.

The most weighted aspect of the college is academics, but standards are set high for West Point students to be athletic, leaders, and servicemen as well. Bandy has shown these four traits throughout his four years at Wahlert. 

What drew Bandy towards applying to West Point was the way it met all three of his interests: the military, college, and football for which he hopes to be a walk-on. Bandy explained, “I have wanted to be in the military since I was a little kid, and I wanted to go to college, so when I heard about West Point, it seemed to be the best of both worlds for me because they have D1 football, military life, and it’s a college.” 

West Point also will hopefully help him achieve his aspirations of being a part of  special forces in the military through West Point’s ranger school. He plans to pursue a criminal justice major. 

Bandy credits his family for getting him to where he is today. He said, “I definitely started my aspirations to go to West Point, but my family members have played a huge role in getting me to the point where I am right now. Throughout the process of applying, I have had some doubts, thinking I wasn’t going to make it in or that it was too difficult, but my dad, above everyone else, really pushed me and kept me going, and I really appreciate that.” 

Bandy and his family are anxiously awaiting the results of his dream school. “I have many aspirations for my life, and I think West Point would be a great place to work to achieve them,” Bandy stated.