Despite the "Military" moniker, I do not measure success solely by whether or not students get into the service academy or ROTC unit of their choice. My job is to teach students how to prepare for such challenging odds and make smart decisions along the way about their future (e.g. high school, gap year, college, job, career, calling). If that lands them in their favorite service academy or ROTC unit - that's a bonus. The programs are so competitive that there must be a lot of additional value conferred to the students apart from the yes or no from the schools.
The selectivity of a school is not the most important measure of student success for me. I measure student success by how a student is doing 10 years after graduating from high school. For those who attend a four-year academy, that gives them 6 years to put their education into practice in the real world.
I measure success by whether a 28-year old is (1) gainfully employed, (2) enjoying their work, (3) sees a bright future, and (4) is not unduly burdened by college debt. These conditions can be met under infinite scenarios from a student who skips college to become a plumber's apprentice to someone who graduates #1 from the United States Naval Academy.