I agree with phrogpilot. Never give up on it if it's your dream. I've worked as a admissions partner with the Coast Guard Academy for the past four years and I can tell you appointments to any of our service academies are VERY competitive. The Academies are all looking for a candidate with a well rounded background, to include not only advanced coursework in school, but community service, athletics and any other extracurricular that displays your leadership potential. Test prep for the SAT or ACT and submit a strong score as well. At Coast Guard we have a number of applicants that are passed over the first time, attend a year of civilian college or prep school junior military college (such as Naval Academy Prep, New Mexico and Marion Military Institutes) and are admitted on second or third try. This is often the case regardless of Academy choice and like phrogpilot also mentioned, a number of appointments are made from the enlisted ranks. Let me know if you have specific questions, after all...I'm also one of those examples of perseverance as I received a nomination to Annapolis out of high school, failed to achieve appointment and 20 years later will finally be sworn in as a Navy Reserve officer. Stay after it and work hard--it will be worth it. :icon_wink