Vietnamese-American teen accepted to Princeton and all 3 US military academies

A Vietnamese-American high school senior from Georgia has achieved the rare feat of gaining admission to both Princeton University and all three U.S. military academies.

Alexandra Minh An Greenfield, who was accepted to 10 universities during early admissions, is particularly proud of her acceptance to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. These military academies, known for their demanding selection processes, hold a special significance for Alex, and she finds more pride in this achievement than even her acceptance to Princeton, ranked the No. 1 university in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report and Wall Street Journal/College Pulse for 2025.

Alex, who grew up in Georgia, has been academically advanced since middle school, completing her studies at a pace two grades ahead of her peers. By eighth grade, she had scored 1470 out of 1600 on the SAT, qualifying her for dual enrollment in high school and college courses. Currently enrolled in a local college, Alex chose to apply to out-of-state schools as a way to challenge herself further.

Living near a military base sparked Alex's interest in the armed forces early on. She joined the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) in ninth grade, a program that promotes leadership and responsibility among youth. Inspired by her teachers, Alex began exploring military academies during her sophomore year.

The application process for military academies is highly competitive, with strict physical fitness standards such as maintaining a healthy BMI, performing pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, and running a mile in under eight minutes. Initially, Alex did not meet these requirements, so she began waking up at 5:30 a.m. daily to work out, in addition to her regular figure skating practices. Her mother, Trang Tran, noted that this experience not only improved Alex's health but also taught her discipline and time management. “There were days when she was exhausted but still got up early to work out. She organized her schedule to ensure time for studying, skating, and sufficient rest,” her mother said.

Candidates for military academies must also receive nominations from state senators or representatives. In Georgia, each senator can nominate up to 15 students per academy. Alex successfully secured her nominations through a diligent application process that included essays and interviews.

In one of her essays, Alex was asked, "Who are you?" She wrote about her commitment to figure skating, which helped demonstrate her determination and resilience. She also expressed her gratitude for the opportunities in the U.S., her family's immigrant background, and her desire to serve her country, inspired by her experience singing the national anthem at a special forces competition.

As part of the application process, Alex had to prepare extensive materials, including resumés, recommendations, academic records, personal essays, and participate in interviews to assess her leadership and problem-solving skills. She received her first military academy acceptance in late August from West Point. “When they called to congratulate me, I cried tears of happiness. It validated all my efforts,” Alex said.

For her non-military school applications, Alex submitted an SAT score of 1570 and ranked first in her class of nearly 350 seniors. Her main college essay, inspired by the sudden passing of her calculus teacher, explored overcoming personal limits. She was accepted to seven non-military schools, including Princeton, and received personalized letters from three schools, as well as a US$37,000 annual scholarship from another. Additionally, she has opportunities to continue her figure skating and play the violin in school orchestras.

Despite the prestige of the universities she has been accepted to, Alex feels a special thrill about her acceptance to the military academies. "It’s cool to get into so many schools early, including the No. 1 university in the U.S., but the military academies excite me more," she said.

Alex has until May 2025 to decide where she will ultimately enroll.