Secret Service Agent Selection Tougher Than Harvard

U.S. Secret Service agents, whose work protecting presidents has inspired myth and movies, are supposed to live by the adage “Worthy of Trust and Confidence.”

Getting a job with the agency is one of the more difficult in law enforcement, with fewer than 1 percent of 15,600 special-agent applicants selected last year. Harvard College admits 5.9 percent. Many speak multiple languages, hold advanced degrees and take agency classes in ethics and “interpersonal awareness.”