If I become a cadet, what is it like at West Point? What happens to my enlisted pay, and will I have to attend their initiation?

First off, it’s a great opportunity that you should take. I transitioned from Enlisted to Cadet in 2009 as an E-4. Best choice of my career. To answer your questions: 1) If you attend West Point Prep, you will continue to receive active duty pay in your grade and accrue time in service. 2) Once you begin your freshman (Plebe) year, you are a cadet, you will be paid as and go through all training events that your classmates do including Basic Training (Beast). Additionally, you will stop accruing active duty time. Cadet pay is little to nothing growing each year but capping out about $500 during your senior (Firstie) year.

Pros:
-A world-class college education that is free to you

-You’re not quite as naive about the military or life in general as your peers.

-You’ve already completed basic training so you know how to play the game

-Once you do graduate, you will have a new perspective on the Army and how to lead soldiers (and a much bigger paycheck)

-Long term: the Long Gray is a network recognized worldwide

Cons:
-The people yelling at you will probably have no real Army experience and be your age or maybe even younger than you

-Cadet life is not Army life...you will have little to no freedom for the entirety of your time

-Marriage is a no-go

-Being a plebe is worse than being a private. Don’t expect to walk in the middle of a hallway, speak outside, etc. The list goes on.

-It is difficult. Your day is scheduled from sunup to sundown.

There’s a lot more that could be said but hopefully that answers your question. Send me a direct message if you need clarification.

If you are accepted into the Corps of cadets at West Point SPC (Join to see) your monthly salary will be 50 percent or so of the salary of a second lieutenant from some point in the recent past. As a plebe you will get paid a salary [in 1976 we received $50 per month which actually went along way since meals, room and board are paid for]. The bulk of the funds are placed into a cadet account for each cadet. Uniforms, hair cuts, books are paid for out of the cadet account at cost. At the end of Plebe Year, [after some leave time] there will be an introduction to the branches of the US Army from Camp Buckner. As a sophomore [called yearling] you will have a bump up in your monthly "salary which is disbursed to you."
Your enlisted service prior to being a cadet will not affect your pay as a cadet. However if you served two years enlisted prior to being a cadet, you will begin your second lieutenant [upon graduation] with two years of service credited for pay.
Thank you, my friend CSM Charles Hayden for mentioning me.

It looks like most of your questions have already been answered, and well. If you feel like talking to a current Cadet who was an enlisted Soldier, feel free to reach out to me. I'm in my second year now.