Do cadets actually outrank non-commissioned officers?

Cadets (USMA, ROTC Scholarship) that don't graduate theoretically come in as Privates. They are not really in the Army so.... no. They do get to practice being an Officer but they are NOT Officers. For the record: I was an EM, an NCO, a Cadet, and a Commissioned Officer. A Cadet and a 2LT starting their officership with "I outrank you, do what I say" is a bad start.... Frankly what PSG worth a crap doesn't know how to shape / lead his new officer..... Cadets are civilians with a military or financial obligation to the Government / Army they are NOT Officers!

My son graduated from West Point and shortly after, he had a full dress military wedding. Prior to rehearsals, dinners, ect, all of the newly commissioned Second Lieutenants in attendance were thoroughly briefed by my son... He gave them the old speech about how the "First Sergeant runs the Company and can make or break a newly commissioned Second Lieutenant". He also gave them a breakdown of my career, the story about growing up with a Retired Green Beret First Sergeant as a father, and told them I would eat them for breakfast if they screwed up anything! I showed up for the wedding in Dress Blue uniform with highly spit-shined bloused boots, and Green Beret. Without a doubt, they were the best group of young lieutenants I have ever worked with!
I also recall the time I told a 2nd Lt. that he needed a haircut. He was very offended by this and made a formal complaint to the Battalion Commander about my insubordination. The BN CSM later told me it was the worst Ass Chewing he ever heard and ended up with the Lt. being ordered to get a haircut and report to me for inspection!

There is no actual, meaningful way in which cadets outrank NCOs. I also don't believe that cadets "insist they outrank every NCO." Sounds like a BS story. Here is one easy way to tell: when a cadet and let's say, an E7 are having a conversation, as cadets we were instructed that we need to stand at parade rest for the NCO and the NCO DOES NOT need to stand at attention. Also, have you ever seen an NCO salute a cadet? Of course not.

BS Story

No. IF when graduate, then yes.

As per platoon Sargeant.cadet rank symbol isn't in army rank structure.

1992 the didn't out rank an E3.

YES! YES! YES! And PFCs outrank Generals.

Cadet... Not 2nd lt. Not Commissioned. Cadet... in school... training...not commissioned... just a commitment not yet fulfilled, no butter on the bar... a decal of "I'm gonna be" or "I wanna be"... not active in the field... not werkin for a living... LEARNING to be a leader. Not there yet... I think I can...I think I can...but yet they aint.

So do cadets outrank any non com? Not in my world...If you tried to pull that out rank you shit on me Ida buried your silly young twerp tail ass up an face down then used your ass for a runway light on the inactive flightline, Finally Ida used your last image as a warning to all the others not to be arrogant.

ROTC 1st year or senior year or whatever... they don't have the bar, nor the earned right to brow beat any enlisted active non com.

You asked.

I thought they were equivalent to SSGT I was stationed at Lowry AFB in Denver we had a wrestling club and although they stopped the cadets that were on base for training from wrestling with enlisted. they said they were equivalent to staff sgt and they should be allowed to continue, some of them were good but the commander put a stop on it. That’s all I remember.

My dad, a WWII and Korean War vet who remained on active duty and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel, told me when I entered active duty from ROTC:
(1) Never change anything until you fully understand the system, if you start changing procedures and policies without understanding how all the parts interact, you will break the system.
(2) Always listen to the NCOs. They run the army.
My conclusion after 33 years in/with the army, is that lieutenants are apprentice leaders. Their job is to learn and understand. Cadets do well to learn and understand. This is not about rank, it is about learning to lead.