Military school is a unique educational opportunity for students age 7-19 that instills strong values and work ethic and provides structure and discipline. Military schools are typically modeled after military colleges and have high expectations for their students. If your child is struggling with traditional schooling and responds to structured learning environments, this type of education model may be a great choice for your child.
How Is Military School Different From Traditional School?
Values Based Education
Military education is based on a set of core values that must be embraced by every student in attendance. While each school may focus on slightly different values, the most common ones are:
- Respect. From their first day at a military educational facility, students are expected to demonstrate self-respect, respect for authority figures, and respect for fellow classmates. As they progress through their academics, learning respect for the time, rights, and property of others will determine their success or failure.
- Accountability. Students at military school are required to hold themselves and their fellow classmates accountable at all times.
- Discipline. The military education model prepares students to become leaders and part of that is having discipline. Behaving in a disciplined manner is the expectation.
- Leadership. There is an expectation in military school that students will assume a leadership role at some point and prioritize the needs of the unit.
- Unity. Students are grouped into platoons and are expected to value the whole of the group over their individual needs. Unity is essential for a platoon to function efficiently and effectively.
Physical Fitness
Unlike traditional school where students are required to take one or two physical fitness classes, military school is extremely physical on a daily basis. Military school doesn’t offer electives or social organizations- it has one purpose and that is to extract excellence from each student through rigorous academic, self-improvement, and physical training. Students who are unwilling or unable to participate in extreme physical activity are not good candidates for military school.
Structure
Military school has a very rigid structure with no room for exceptions. Each day is scheduled to the minute and students are expected to follow the schedule with no excuses. Self-control and self-discipline are important parts of this type of education and adhering to a structured day and instruction are an important part of that.
A Typical Day At Military School
Military schools are typical boarding schools, and students will awaken to morning reveille. They will be expected to clean their personal spaces in preparation for an inspection. They may have a morning physical fitness session and then head to breakfast. Their class schedule will occupy their morning until it is time to meet in the Mess Hall for lunch. Following lunch, students will have additional classes and physical training until dinner time. Following dinner, there may be a Call to Quarters, which is a supervised study session where students will complete homework and projects. Following the study session, they head back to their housing quarters to wind down for bedtime. When they hear taps, it is time for the lights to turn out.
Benefits of Military School
A structured environment, like that of military school, provides a stable, disciplined academic setting for students to learn and grow. It is believed that military school can offer the following benefits.
High-Quality Education
Military schools in the United States pride themselves on providing a high-quality education that exceeds that of traditional schools. The goal is to prepare the student for a career in one of the military branches or continuing education in military college. To do this, military schools offer a robust liberal arts education. Military School USA reports that 87 percent of military boarding school students report feeling academically prepared for college.
Character Development
Living and attending school in a structured environment lends itself to personal growth and character development. Students learn teamwork, time management, self-control, and grit. A military education holds students to a much higher standard than traditional learning environments and that standard carries through beyond school.
Transferable Skills
How To Choose And Apply To Military School
Selecting The Right Military School
While most military schools share a common set of fundamentals, there are differences that include:
- Culture
- Curriculum
- Size
- Type of school
- Tuition
- Reputation
- Academic Rigor
- Ease of Acceptance
How To Apply to Military School
There will be variations in the admissions process for each school, but the general process is the same. Be prepared to gather several documents such as official standardized test results, school transcripts, personal and academic recommendation letters, immunization and health records, and a portfolio of special talents or skills.
Once you have a short list of the schools to which you will apply, complete the application on the website. Some schools may email you the application. Once the application is reviewed, you will be notified if your child has moved forward in the process. An interview and tour will be scheduled next followed by a final acceptance decision.
Is Military School Right For Your Child?
Although most people may think of military schools being for at-risk or troubled kids who need to be disciplined, most military schools will not accept aggressive children who demonstrate self-destructive behaviors. While military school can help children who lack discipline or who have low self-esteem gain specific skills, it does not function to “save” kids who don’t want to be there. If your child is struggling with rebelliousness and risky behaviors, an alternative school may be a better fit.
Students who tend to thrive at military schools are those who may struggle with attention deficit and need a more structured environment to excel. If your child enjoys structured schedules, knowing what to expect, and physical activity, they may flourish at military school.