While the beautiful grounds and views of the Hudson River make for an idyllic campus, the U.S. Military Academy isn’t like any traditional college.

The 4,000 students, who are called cadets, don’t spend their afternoons tossing Frisbees or enjoying naps, and you won’t find them eating pizza in the dorm at midnight.

Freshmen, known as plebes, start in August with six weeks of cadet basic training. Reveille is at 6 in the morning, and all cadets come out for formation and inspection.

It is a jarring transition to go from civilian to military life, and students need to be very sure that they want this kind of experience. Last year, seven cadets dropped out the first day.

There is no family contact the first four weeks, and it is a challenging time, so it’s not surprising that 45 to 50 cadets typically drop out in the summer, before the academic year begins.

The United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Even when summer basic training ends, life is quite regimented. Where most college students spend about 15 hours a week in class, cadets can spend twice that much time in class, and they are required to participate in sports.

Meal breaks are brief; study time dominates the evening, and lights are out at midnight.

The core curriculum is extensive, and there are no electives during the first two years. All students take three engineering sequences, as well as eight courses in military science and a good number of courses in humanities, social sciences, math, basic sciences and information technology.

Students can choose from 45 majors, including history, psychology, sociology, art, philosophy and literature, as well as many science and engineering majors.

All cadets are involved in sports. Males take boxing class and females take self-defense, which help cadets learn how to overcome fears and develop a warrior ethos.

Cadets somehow find time to squeeze in many extracurricular activities, and there are 100 clubs at West Point.

Each graduate of West Point is a commissioned second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. The cost of attending the U.S. Military Academy or any of the service academies is paid by the taxpayers.

Not only do cadets not contribute any money to the cost of their education, they are actually paid more than $10,000 a year to cover the cost of uniforms, books, computer and other expenses. That doesn’t mean anyone is getting off free, since graduates are obligated to serve for five years of active duty and three years of reserve duty.

West Point graduates who decide to transition to civilian life are in demand in the corporate world for their leadership skills.

Admission to West Point is extremely competitive. This year, 12,500 students applied for 1,300 slots.

Candidates for admission to any of the service academies except the Coast Guard Academy must be nominated by their congressional representative, senator or the vice president.

In addition to having a strong academic record, they need to have demonstrated leadership potential and must be in excellent physical condition, with no medical problems. Start doing those push-ups early.

Leadership potential is crucial, and a student who shows promise may be admitted even if their academic record is not stellar.

Like most colleges, the service academies would rather see applicants with sustained involvement and leadership experience in a few activities than superficial participation in a lot of activities.

In addition to going to the website of each service academy, students who want to know more can get a lot of information at www.serviceacademyforums.com.

Audrey Kahane, MS, MFA, is a private college admission counselor in West Hills. She can be reached at (818) 704-7545 or www.audreykahane.com.