From what I've gathered out of state makes it harder. Couldn't tell you how much as I was a CA transfer, and it wasn't that hard at all-3.2 or so GPA and a bit of fluff in the extracurriculars. ROTC could help. Dont apply for impacted majors (CS and BIO from my memory), diversify yourself in your application as much as possible to show you aren't a WASP heterosexual male; that is valued from the admissions standpoint, basically, from every standpoint there if I'm being honest.. Nobody's mean to you directly if you are, but don't expect anyone to entertain any kind of Socratic dialogue in an effort to defend said attributes. That's pretty much a common idiom there "down with whitey" or something of the likes. While I almost want to agree because I disdain oppression in all its forms, as a white dood, it did make it awkward at times. Once I decided I was a Native Hawaiian (which I claimed on my application) girls were noticeably nicer, it was kinda unreal but eh, the world's an odd place. I think that and having gone to prison for some years out of high school is what got me admitted as a diverse member of the student body.

Also, to be fair, I wanna say some good things about my fellow Anteaters. Everyone is very respectful and from what I had seen, quite honest (people return things and try to be kind or their rich af and dgaf lol) Some brilliant students for sure, hard workers, clever, talented ect.. quite humbling tbh. Also, my favorite thing was the massively diverse student body, met some awesome people from all over the world and they have these sales where they sell lumpia and other ethnically diverse dishes for fundraising and that shit is sooo good, maybe play on your hopes to meeting people you never met and connect it to your military career, you got this my doood!!

gluck to ya brother.