United States Military Academy—West Point

Campus Environment

The Academy, a landmark for over 200 years, is located at West Point—about 50 miles north of New York City on the Hudson River. The beautiful campus is a history buff's dream, with monuments and a military museum. There is little to do in the nearby town of Highland Falls, but for plebes and yuks (freshmen and sophomore), who need special permission the leave the campus, it doesn't much matter. Upperclassmen, especially those with cars, have more freedom, and take the occasional trip to New York City.

Although they are called barracks, the cadet dormitories are similar to those at a civilian college. There are generally two or three cadets to a room. Cadets live with other members of their class within their cadet company. Each cadet's desk is equipped with a private telephone line and Internet access. Unlike the more spartan olden days, plebes may now have televisions in their rooms. All of the cadets eat together. West Point rewards the hard physical labor with decent and plentiful food (every other Thursday is steak night).

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