More Data, No Context

West Point has launched some new data offerings on their site.

These exceed the previous “class profiles” that passed as the best readily-available public information.

Now there are newer, better datasets available at the G5 page. We get comprehensive class characteristics on all the application elements — test scores, qualifications, race, athletics, prior service…

We get beautiful, sliceable visuals on the racial and ethnic composition of each class (since this is, after all, central to fighting and winning wars):

All of the graduation info papers are careful to call out the class race and gender composition achievements and high up in the announcements. The days of “we all bleed green” are long gone indeed.

Curiously, the classes of 2019 and 2016 don’t have their papers posted. Someone was either sloppy or deliberately excluded them. One only notes the possibilities.

We’re heartened to see more and better information available. Unfortunately, it still appears to be an effort to make the general officers look good to the political and social activist groups.

One thing the data presenters are very careful not to do is to present cross-tabs by those race and gender groups. If they broke out the West Point acceptance rate qualifications or attrition rates that way, we’d see a very different story. Including SAT summary stats or CQPAs or attrition rates by groups would give the public a meaningful view. But that would mean questioning the assumption of “diversity is ipso facto good.”

And the public and graduates might see that all groups are not equal when it comes to army officer qualifications or treatment. They might begin to question what the Academy’s priorities actually are.

We’ve done that for you elsewhere on this site so you can draw your own conclusions.

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