Serb Students Win Scholarships at U.S. Military Academies

August 12, 2008

First-year student Milos Seovac and second-year student Bojan Udovicic at the United States Air Force Academy

Two students from Serbia's Military High School have won four year scholarships to prestigious U.S. military service academies. Milos Seovac will study at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Branko Kovacevic will study at the United States Military Academy, at West Point, New York. Milos will be joining colleague Bojan Udovicic who just finished his first year at the Air Force Academy. All the Serb students will spend four years studying after which they will receive a Bachelor of Science degree. They will then return to Serbia and receive a commission in the Serbian Armed Forces.

Admission to the U.S. Military Academies is extremely competitive. Incoming classes usually consist of about 1400 cadets; less than 1000 of whom usually make it through to graduation. Only 15 slots are allocated annually for foreign students at each of the academies. That two students from Serbia received a highly coveted position at the Academies speaks highly of the caliber of Serbian students.

Candidates are judged based on their academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, athletics and character. To gain admission, candidates must also pass a fitness test, and undergo a thorough medical examination.

The U.S. Defense Attaché's Office (DAO) assisted the students throughout the long, in-depth application process. The DAO worked with the Military High School to identify qualified students, ultimately selecting a total of 12 potential candidates, six for each academy. The U.S. Air Attaché interviewed all the candidates. After the initial meetings, six of the candidates decided not to proceed with the process, leaving a total of six candidates, or three for each academy. The U.S. Air Attaché assisted the candidates in filling out the detailed application, helped prepare them for the standardized testing, and administered the athletic aptitude test. While the candidates must perform well academically, the DAO recommendation plays a significant role in determining the final selection at the U.S. Military Academies. In addition, the International Academic Center of Serbia, under the direction of Ms. Elizabeth Chung, was indispensable in setting up the standardized tests (SAT and TOEFL), and helping prepare the students for these tests.

The acceptance of these two bright students to U.S. Military Academies, is yet another example of successful military to military cooperation between the United States and Serbia.