Army and Navy Academy

I’m a graduate of the Army & Navy academy… yes I have a biased opinion. Saying that they had outstanding teachers & a great atmospheric for young men that need structure to excell as I did. In retrospect there was military type hazing «it’s a military school!» If you want your son to learn & have a sense of loyalty, respect & patriotic… this is the school for him!

This school is an awful place that makes people go insane. There are only a few people that know what they are doing, DONT SENT YOUR KIDS HERE! It’s an awful place to be raised when it’s not what it used to be. The academy is all one huge lie. The people who work here have PTSD and anger issues which they take out on your children. Myself and other friends of mine have suffered terrible depression at this school. It’s an awful place and I can’t say that enough. The SCHOOL TOUR IS ONE BIG LIE they show you all the bright sides and lie about even more. There is an unlimited amount of downsides to this school. The only good things are the beach and the friendly teachers. This place isn’t right for anybody

Our son chose Army Navy Academy and the wisest thing we did was to listen to him when selecting a high school. We were always inclined to private education and particularly a boarding school/​prep environment for high school as we believe in the merits of young people learning early in life to stand on their own merits (or fall, as the case may be, but take responsibility nonetheless for their own actions). From the moment his feet hit the ground at ANA, he was completely subscribed to the process. Its not to say he’s not had his share of struggles, he has; yet, the counselors, administration, teachers and his peers have been there every step of the way with a patient & guiding hand. The school provides ample opportunity for anyone willing to persevere for their future. It is not a place to dump your kid so that you can ignore responsibilities of a parent; in fact, the process works best with parental involvement albeit not a «helicopter» parent but one who stays abreast of issues and available to the school for real support. There is an online portal that posts grades and classwork every day so that a parent can stay on top of the activity and participate in meaningful advisement alongside the school administration. Teachers respond to email the same day, always. The peer groups formed by the boys who are most successful are the type that last a lifetime. When our son has excelled whether in class, on the sports field or in the community there have been accolades announcing his success to anyone who will listen. When he has stumbled the school has been there, instantly, when we’ve need support and guidance. There is no such thing as one school that’s perfect for all; however, if you listen to your child and he is asking for structure without an abundance of discipline, for solid academics without the rigor of an intensely STEM oriented college prep school, athletics that are competitive but still available to anyone who wants to play, a campus that is lushly ensconced in a resort beach community where trains ferry the kids back and forth to home or that of another cadet… then this school may be the perfect fit. For us, it was. We’d be remiss to not share our confidence with the world as we appreciate the challenges of placing kids in positive learning environments. Talk to the cadets when visiting, let your child step away from you when you visit the campus and let them talk to the cadets… the truth will be told, which is that schools are not buildings but they are the people who inhabit them during the years you are attending. Some years may be better than others but the overriding principles of a school are what determine its timeless personality and Army Navy has abundant moral consistency such that if your child is leaning in to this school, you’d be well serve to follow his lead and support him with every ounce of your fiber.

My son attended ANA for four years of high school and recently graduated. I wish I could say ANA made him a perfect student/​son, etc., but I can’t say that. I can say, however, that they made him into an improved version of himself. I can also say that through the efforts of his teachers and the daily routine and structure provided by ANA, he received a good education and was accepted by a better college than I think he would have gone to if he hadn’t attended ANA. I can’t say that ANA would be the perfect school for every boy, but I can say that it was good for my son. He is still a work in progress, but ANA helped mold him into a better person and student than he was before he went there. So I give it four stars and say thank you to all his teachers who put up with him through the four years he attended ANA. Someday, hopefully, he will also learn to appreciate his experience at ANA and look back fondly at it.

My husband and I decided to send our son to ANA for several reasons. He is a bright boy but with severe ADHD and a few behavioral issues. This school has many things going for it in this department. Small class size, great teachers, and ex-​military officers that will teach them respect. In a previous review, some former student made a comment that a student will get out of ANA exactly what they put into it. That’s true. There are numerous opportunities to get awards, merits, and advancement if the student is motivated to so so. I think some kids thrive in a structured environment and others rebel. Every child’s experience will be unique based on their lifestyle. My son complained about the food and housing. It’s not the Ritz Carlton but a simulation of military life. I am grateful to ANA for the experience. My son has matured more in this one year than I imagined. He has made lasting, quality, friendships and his grades are pretty good. No school is perfect but in my experience, ANA was the best decision for my son.
One more thing — read the cadet handbook from cover to cover. It really helps to understand the procedures and who your support staff will be.

My son graduated in 2013 like any school there are problems it is not perfect. I am grateful for the lessons he learned as he is. I will agree with Michael S. My son was interested in the fact it was a military academy and his dream was to join the military after graduation. However, this is not military, but we must also remember these are 7 – 12 graders and we live in CA. These are also mostly kids of wealth and privilege and in lies another problem many are there because they are getting off course parents want the best education for them, my reasons for sending my own son there. Great kid lacked like many of the kids, they lack focus and discipline. Are they required to learn study skills and time management. You bet. As mentioned by Michael don’t have your work in and good grades, NO local time. Don’t have your room clean and uniform right, Points against you. These could have been much tougher and I would have liked to see cadets doing more clean up for demerits around campus.
The academics were great could have use more rules and discipline but having gone to the ANPA meetings with parents this was always an area of issue. We had the military folks being there near Pendleton many of them were still in the military sending their sons there who wanted the rules and structure and then we had what I will call the most liberal of Californians who did not want the higher level of discipline. There are also many families who send their kids there of great wealth and privilege again poses another set of issues, when rules are set parents would not adhere or just pull there kids out.
Overall I think it is a great place, I have some issue with staff. Extremely overstaffed in administration yet never could seem to get anything done. I had many run ins with the guidance office, specifically Kristen Salehi Senior Class of 2013 guidance, who was horrible. They were suppose to be advise the seniors a class of 85 students yet they were of little help, given the amount of tuition and the amount of students that they were advising, it was ridiculous. Several families hired outside college counselors. I believe there are 5 guidance counselors in the school of less than 350 students total.
As Michael mentions the cadets do part with an amazing sense of brotherhood and friendships that are life long and they have a true sense of belonging which many young men are out searching for. For the reviews on here giving horrible reviews, you need to have sent your son their and be willing to not hide behind your computer if you are going to write things that are your opinion. When you spend your money there you can have an opinion otherwise keep it to yourself.

It should be obvious that a true review of any topic should be written by the individual who experienced the said topic. If, for example, my mother wrote a review about ANA I would question that review’s credibility… as she never actually attended ANA. With that being said, here’s an honest review by a student who ended up being a lifer:
Growing up, I wanted nothing more than a career in the military. Air force to be exact. I don’t know where this passion came from but it was always there. My parents recognized this. At the age of 9 my parents informed me that if I still had this fire burning inside me, they would gift me the opportunity of attending a military school. And so at grade 7 it happened. Nerve wrecked after the entrance exam, I received my acceptance letter (the same acceptance letter received by my future roommate who said he intentionally tried to fail the exam so as not be accepted).
I was always an «A» student so I would be biased in saying I got all «A’s» because of the academic rigor at ANA. Academics felt like it always had been at any educational institution I attended. The huge difference was that if a student fell below a 3.2 GPA, they were required to attend study hall. Not sure if this still exists. Study hall was basically an opportunity to do your homework in the evenings in the mess hall supervised by a TAC officer.
Academics aside… I thought I was at a military school? Where was all the military training? I could have taken JR ROTC at a public school and completed the same coursework. Exactly the same. Yes, I learned drill and ceremony and wore shiny things on my uniform but that was as far as the military aspect went. I would have loved to see some PT all day err’day. That is what I craved and what I expected.
The most valuable lesson I leared at the Academy was that of brotherhood. Pick and choose your friends wisely. You can end up with the AWOL group who spends more time on unauthorized leave than actually being on campus. You can end up with the druggies, or the fight-​club wannabes, or the screw-​ups who tried their hardest to get themselves expelled with no success. I stuck with the group who was trying to make the best of it. The hazing, the power-​tripping, the drugs on campus, the excessive racism… my circle of friends wasn’t into any of that mess. But the amazing thing about this was that the Academy is so small that you’re actually still on brotherly terms with all other cadets, even if not in your immediate circle of friends.
If you are of weak, or even average character, be advised: You can and will get sucked into the wrong group. I saw it happen all too often. But then again, this is the case at any educational institution, especially a boarding school.
I attended my 10 year reunion a few years ago. I saw many of my old classmates. Most of us ended up staying at the same resort in town for the weekend. To reiterate the brotherhood, it was as if I never left these guys. We had a blast. Your classmates will be your life-​long friends, your business partners, your professional network, the best man at your wedding, and most importantly, your brothers.

Update/​edit: Coming back from Spring break, this school just implemented a new web filter called «Sonicwall». It blocks «New&Media», «Business&Economy», and «Reference» sites. Examples may include Wall Street Journal, CNN, Britannica, and Wikipedia. What has this school become? It can’t even study for my ACT now because they blocked
(Kaplan) and labeled it as «Business&Economy». wow. Apparently, Facebook and Netflix is not blocked.
Worst school ever. Parents and teachers do not know the truth of this school. All the parents and public see are the parades. This school is corrupt and has many problems. I can write 10+ pages about the horrible truth of this school but I do not have the time. BEWARE. Research this school carefully and talk to the cadets. The faculty (Board of Directors) does not care about improving the school and only cares about sports. Built a sport facility instead of improving the school itself. Does not care about improving the buildings and environment (dorms). Horrible dorms, 5 year old chair, desk, closet and bed. Hard used 1+ year old mattress. (We payed for the mattress) 30−40k tuition and still begs for money. Cheats you for every penny and still does nothing with it. Cadets beats up another cadet=suspension for 2 days. No motivation in the cadets (including me). No cadets want to be there. Some cadets (motivated) are blinded by power and think they are doing right. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS SCHOOL. This school is not good for academics. Bad teachers. Only good ones: All science teachers, some English teachers, some history teachers) Math department is really bad. Too easy. No/​slow progress in class. I think I may be smarter than most of the math teachers. THE MOST DISSATISFIED ABOUT THIS SCHOOL IS THE MILITARY AND ENVIRONMENT PART OF IT. It is a joke. I always feel like one day writing a 100+ paged essay about this horrible school. BEWARE AND PLEASE STAY AWAY. –CADET FOR 4 YEARS
Edit: This is not even my real name, I’m just trying to protect my identity because I am currently still enrolled at this school. PLEASE TAKE MY REVIEW INTO CONSIDERATION AND THANK YOU FOR READING!

STAY AWAY
This place is NOT what it claims to be. They have been sued for several violations and boys have been emotionally harmed. Be very WARY!

This place has major problems from the top down. I worked there in the 90’s and I would never send my child there after I saw first hand what goes on it this school.

In light of recent events that I won’t mention here, I feel it necessary to reiterate my confidence in the decision to send my son to this school. My son has been the beneficiary of great encouragement and support from some of the faculty and staff at this school. He has grown from a knuckle-​head 13 year old goofy kid to a leader, a scholar, an athlete, and only occasional knuckle-​head.
I said it before and I’ll say it again. No school is perfect. There’s always bureaucracy, there’s always favoritism, there’s always some errant teacher/​administrator/​staff member. Regardless of where you choose to educate your child, you must be a vigilant parent, you must communicate with your school, you must stay aware of anything and everything that is happening in the academic environment.
Read the filtered reviews, I recognize the names of many students and parents there.

«Best kept secret in California. My son chose to repeat his sophomore year and spent three years at ANA as a boarding student, returning home on the weekends. He raised his GPA to a 3.5 and just got accepted to University of Colorado, his dream school. The structure of ANA and boarding were a little challenging at first but the small class sizes, exceptional teachers and committed leadership were nothing less than transformative. He played sports, (trained by a former olympic coach and olympian) met life-​long friends including students from all over the world More than anything else though he’s developed a belief in himself and his ability to succeed. The camaraderie of the boys is inspiring; I got to know many of the parents and found them to be dedicated to their boys, interesting, and successful people. This school is also not just for the politically conservative. As a parent, I will be forever grateful to the staff and faculty at Army and Navy Academy for what they have done for my son. Parents considering ANA may get my contact information from admissions; I would be very happy to share our experience at ANA.»

This is an opportunity of a lifetime! Many students that graduate from high-​school are barely legal adults and yet have no sense of orientation and direction. Army and Navy Academy’s JROTC Leadership program teaches students the concepts of time-​management and prioritizing. This comes from the routine that every student is exposed to. In return, this creates formidable habits that make it very easy to transition to college and adulthood. No one will tell you to go to class in college. This is something that you have to do on your own. As a former student at Army and Navy Academy, my first year of university was a walk on water.

The Army and Navy Academy’s mission is to educate and develop good character in young men. Unfortunately, most parents struggle today to ensure their children are raised with the basic corps values to succeed in life. At the Academy, it is their vision to instill pride in every cadet and ensure they have the traits to succeed in every aspect of their lives.
For those seeking an environment that provides excellence in academics, athletics, and leadership development for young men, I’d recommend you contact the Academy’s office of admissions to request more information and schedule a visit. As a former cadet and Alumni of the Army and Navy Academy, I can tell you it was a critical choice my parents made to ensure I had such a foundation to succeed. The Academy was the right fit for me and was pivotal in preparing me for college, the military and airline career.
With its prime beachfront location and close proximity to major metropolises and world-​class colleges and universities, the Academy is an excellent place for any young man to develop and prepare for the experiences of life ahead. And with the international diversity of the school, you’ll enjoy friendships with those from dozens of countries around the world.

I am proud to be a graduate of ANA! I found it to be a place of Honor, Dignity, and Respect! I remember a place that prepared me well, to graduate from a top tier engineering school. I attended from 1984 — 1988 (9^th-​12^th grade). I still find the etiquette learned there to be beneficial to my career.

Zero Stars!!!
I hate this school, and thank god for the lawsuits currently going against the school. I am helping all the lawyers with whatever i can remember from my five years at that hell hole.
I started school in 2003 in 8^th grade, and the school was not an enjoyable experience. Since my grade was close to the bottom of the «totem pole» we were treated like shit.
9^th grade i am now in high school the TAC’s (advisor) in my company was insane. For no apparent reason or just cause he was pissed would then make us pull everything out of our room, place everything on the field, and then time us to put everything back in.
10^th sadly still stuck in the same company. Another fun trick would be to remove our accessories, throw them into a pile, and time us to put everything back on, mind you this is at 12am. Wake up is at 630am!
11^th worked my butt of to get a special position so, i could be somewhat free from the structure. i changed to a different company, and it still wasn’t any better. The company got a new TAC so, he had to prove himself.
12^th 2008 i worked my ass of again, and when it came time for a promotion i got denied. It instead went to a commuter student who did nothing, and i did the job w/​o a title.
In all i went there for 5 long years (2003 – 2008), never received an award, had control of the yearbook (positive), and witnessed horrible acts against students by students (ie. whipping, beatings, intimidation, hazing). We were told we were a «family», but whenever events were brought up they were denied, and the accuser got punished.
For any parent wanting to send there kid there think twice, the lawsuit against the school as of today is for hazing, and SEX at an all boys school.
For any kids wanting to go there think of another military school you honestly won’t like this one.
My future goal is to buy the school, fire everyone publicly, and tear the place down.
NATHAN MORALES

Every parent worth their salt has threatened their child with military school at some point during their upbringing. What sets my parents apart is that they actually followed through on the threat. The ostensible reason for my departure to military school according to my mother was that I wasn’t, «living up to my potential.»
Most people don’t believe me when I tell them that military school was fun, but it actually was. Given the price tag of tuition at ANA, most of the boys that get sent here aren’t «bad», (well I guess some of them are) they are just loud mouthed punks. That being said, I fit right in.
While I do not credit ANA with any sea change in my performance or outlook on life, in retrospect, it did serve as a wake up call at a time when I needed one. For instance, I went from not giving two dumps about academics on my first day at ANA to eventually getting an academic scholarship to law school. Then again, post hoc ergo propter hoc.
However, if you are seriously considering military school for your kid, you might also want to consider a less expensive alternative, a good old fashioned whoopin’.