Have a serious talk with your child. Most military schools will not accept students who do not want to join or those with defiant behavior. This decision must be a mutual agreement between child and parent.
Have a doctor do a full assessment of your child's health. Many military schools will not allow students with health problems to join, as many programs are highly physical and stressful.
Examine your reasoning behind sending a child to military school. According to Aspen Education, "Military schools are most appropriate for children and teenagers who do not have any underlying emotional or behavioral problems. Military schools do not generally offer appropriate therapy or other types of psychological interventions. They administer discipline, not therapy. In fact, some psychologists would argue that the disciplinary nature of military schools could prove a disservice to teens who are truly suffering from an emotional or behavioral problem." If your child is experiencing behavioral problems, search for other options, such as an emotional growth school.
Do extensive research on the possible military schools your child could attend. Request information from these schools and take your time looking through the information with your child.
Have your child make a list of the schools they would like to attend and schedule a visit. According to military-school.org, "A visit to a military school should be long and informative, and the student should have the opportunity to meet the academic staff and other students, as well as to do an in-depth tour of the school. It is important for him or her to know how his or her life will be: the dorms, the kitchen and food, the physical training, the time out, etc."
Discuss with your child all the possibilities of each school. Take into consideration the school's prestige, the cost, the proximity to home, the academic program, and the daily life of a cadet.
Let your child pick the military school they want to attend. This will be a long term decision, as your child will be enrolled for several years. He should be comfortable with his decision and willing to attend.
Complete an application. Many schools will require a fee to apply that must be paid upfront. Applications can be requested from the chosen school and some offer applications online.
If your child has chosen a federal service academy, such as the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Coast Guard Academy or the United States Merchant Marine Academy, make sure the child meets the eligibility requirements. Applicants must be a citizen of the United States, of good moral character, unmarried with no dependents and at least 17, but less than 23 years of age by July 1 of the year you would enter, according to the White House website. The minimum SAT scores for the academies are 500 verbal and 500 math. The average SAT scores at the academies are 540-620 verbal and 630-710 math. The minimum ACT scores for the academies are 21 English, 19 Social Studies, 24 Mathematics, and 24 Natural Science. The average ACT scores are 23-27 English; 24-29 Social Studies; 27-32 Mathematics; 28-32 Natural Science (minimum and average scores are slightly higher for the Naval Academy). Virtually all cadets are from the top 25% of their high school class.
Submit any paperwork that the school requires. Many schools require transcripts, faculty evaluations and results of any standardized tests the child has taken.
Federal service academies require a preliminary application which can be downloaded online from each respective school's website or mailed to your home.
Obtain a nomination. Federal service academies require that each candidate receive an official nomination to qualify for admission. Nominations can be received from the Vice President of the United States, U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators.
Complete a medical examination. Some private schools may not require this, but it is required by all federal service academies.
Complete a fitness assessment. Most private schools and all federal service academies require a fitness assessment to test a candidate's stamina.
Once the academy receives all portions of your application, you will receive notification on the acceptance status within a reasonable amount of time.