Posted by: Jacqui Murray ! December 8, 2010 

There are lots of how-to books on getting in the Naval Academy, but they're quite dry and impersonal. Mine - Building a Midshipman - is from the perspective of a woman who did it (my daughter!) and how she accomplished such a lofty goal. It's down-to-earth and should give confidence to any teen, male or female, considering a military academy as their college of choice. 

I wrote this because there was a need for a book like this. When my daughter wanted a step-by-step on how to get into the Naval Academy, all she could find were books that told her how hard it was, how selective they were, how very few could achieve it. My daughter brushed the negativity off, but I wondered how many kids were discouraged by that approach. 

I decided to write a book (a) explaining how to achieve the goal, not why kids couldn't; (b) showing how teens can solve the problems that stand in their way rather than why they can't, and (c) sharing the many but predictable steps that will take a motivated, committed applicant where they want togo rather than why they can't get there. 

That approach worked for my daughter and I had no doubt it would work for others. From what I hear from readers, it's true. I hope you find it useful. 

(MURRAY, Jacqui. Building a USNA Midshipman. How to crack the United States Naval Academy Application. 2nd edition, 2008. Adapted from https:// usnaorbust.wordpress.com) 

Considering the text, the words "lofty" in "[...] how she accomplished such a lofty goal." and "brushed off" in she " [... ] brushed the negativity off [...]." mean respectively