The first U.S.-funded military school was the United States Military Academy at West Point, instituted in 1802. Today, most other U.S. military schools are privately funded. In comparison to fifty years ago, there are many fewer military schools in operation, due to the repercussions of the Vietnam War.
Military schools today are extremely selective and, for the most part, only accept applicants who genuinely want a military-centered education. Many military schools focus on college preparation.
From their perfectly pressed uniforms to their synchronized marches, military-school students practice discipline throughout their education.
One distinction of military schools is that they are often boarding schools. School days are much longer than day-school sessions: wake-up call often takes place at 6 to 6:30 am and the taps that close the day take place at 10 pm.
Long-term and short-term types of military schools are available. Moreover, there are summer wilderness programs that teach children and teens life skills and endurance training. Whatever the type, most military programs provide students with "boot-camp" type training, which sets the tone for the military's character-building program.
Some military schools mainly accept troubled teenagers, or juvenile delinquents. These delinquents are generally not teens who abuse drugs or suffer from abuse---for those teens, more therapeutic programs are needed.
It is often believed that most parents send children to military school because they are troubled or disruptive. For the vast majority of cases, this is not true.
Military schools teach students skills that go beyond academic education. Most teens who attend prestigious military schools, such as West Point, launch lucrative military or civilian careers.
Many well-known people involved in both the military and politics graduated from military schools. For instance, Robert E. Lee, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Buzz Aldrin all graduated from West Point.