West Point projects that it will admit at least 10 percent more African-Americans and 7 percent more Hispanics in the Class of 2013 than it did for the previous class.
Based on the data West Point provided, it is improving its minority enrollment but not as quickly as the Naval Academy.
Latta arrived at the Naval Academy in November 2006 and said he was disturbed at the academy's inability to recruit in minority-rich areas. He said that only 44 applications had come from all of New York City the previous year and that only a handful of those were from minorities.
"I didn't feel we were reaching the people we needed to reach," he said. In the two years since, academy recruiters have reached out to more schools and sought the attention of students as early as middle school.
The numbers have certainly changed. The Class of 2013 is expected to include 124 African-Americans and 176 Hispanics. By comparison, the recently graduated Class of 2009 included 53 African-Americans and 99 Hispanics.
Lt. Jeanine Benjamin, a 2003 academy graduate who spearheads minority recruitment, said she never passes up an opportunity to promote her alma mater to possible applicants.
"If I see a 6-year-old on the side of the road," she said, "I'm going to talk to him about the opportunities at the Naval Academy."
Minority enrollment
Class of 2013 vs. 2012
All minorities: 435 vs. 327
African-American: 124 vs. 79
Hispanic: 176 vs. 129
Overall percentage of minorities: 35.3 percent vs. 28.1 percent
