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@Lexus
1 answer, 2 votes
 • 11 months ago •
Admissions Advice

If accepted into West Point military academy can you till choose to attend another school?
Answered

I am a high school Junior and am currently working on the West Point application process. Before I go too far into the lengthy process I am curious wether I will be legally bound to attend the University if I am accepted. In which case I would HAVE to attend West Point if I were accepted I will choose to not go through with the remainder of the application process.

Thank You!

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@jcdenton
expert
258 answers, 284 votes
 • 11 months ago

No, the application process for all of the military academies (West Point, Navy, Air Force, etc.) is not binding as far as I know. If you make it through that lengthy and involved process and receive an acceptance, you will be able to weigh all of your options and choose to go elsewhere if you have a better one.

As a sidenote, no application decision for any school is LEGALLY binding. Early decision is not legally binding — if you back out of your early decision offer, no one is going to come and arrest or cite you. Early decision is binding because the colleges *themselves* will effectively blacklist you if you break your ED contract; i.e. they'll talk to each other and circulate a list of students that other colleges should not admit because they broke their contract. Hope that also helps clarify things.

1
[🎤 AUTHOR]@Lexus11 months ago

Thank you for your response, it really helped! I must have gotten it mixed up with the Questbridge college match

@DebaterMAX11 months ago

Does the blacklist stop you from community college or your states public 4 year whether flagship or branch campus such as Washington Seattle orWqshington Everett

@jcdenton
expert
11 months ago

Community colleges typically won't care. State flagships very well might, especially if they're a well-ranked or regarded public school. In the end some will and some won't, but you never know which colleges will end up talking with which, so I would never personally risk it.

@jcdenton
expert
11 months ago

Basically, do not apply Early Decision if you're not fully able and willing to a) attend the school you've chosen and b) pay full price for it if you're not offered aid (ED typically leads to reduced aid awards).

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