Academy Nominations

Welcome to my Service Academy Nominations Page

As the son of a B-17 World War II Air Force pilot, I hold members of the United States Armed Forces in the highest esteem. For this reason, I consider it an honor and a privilege to nominate outstanding young Texans to compete for an appointment to the United States Service Academies. Because making nominations is one of my most important responsibilities, I have assembled an Academy Selection Board to review the applications. They weigh each decision very carefully and take many factors into consideration when selecting the talented young men and women who represent our great state.

To assist with this process, I ask candidates for my nomination to submit an extensive application that documents their academic and athletic abilities as well as their commitment to military service.

Although hundreds of well-qualified candidates contact me every year, I am only able to accommodate a small percentage of them with a nomination.  Candidates must use the application below as a means to showcase their talents and abilities in order to excel in an extremely competitive process.  In order to submit the best application possible, I encourage candidates to begin the process early.  I begin accepting applications each year starting April 1, and this year I will continue to accept them through October 20.  My intent is to give candidates ample time to collect the necessary transcripts and letters and plan to take the SAT or ACT tests well in advance of the application deadline.

Candidates may access my application using the link below.  Nominations for the entering class of 2006 (graduating class of 2010) have been submitted, so I am no longer able to accept applications for this class year. If you are interested in applying for a nomination to the entering class of 2007, you may contact my office in Austin to request an application after April 1, 2006 or download the application link provided below:


Academy Nominations Coordinator
Office of United States Senator John Cornyn
221 West 6th Street, Suite 1530
Austin, Texas 78701
512-469-6034
512-469-6020 (fax)


Submitting an Application. . .

As a candidate for my nomination, you will be responsible for submitting:
  1. A completed application and resume
  2. A completed questionnaire and personal essay
  3. Official transcripts from your high school
  4. Three letters of recommendation from teachers, coaches, community leaders, or members of the military (active or retired)
  5. Official documentation of an SAT or ACT test score (this may include direct reports from the testing agency, score listings on your transcript, or print-outs from the official SAT and ACT websites).  If you wish to have the testing agencies submit score reports directly to my office, my application codes are 6263 for the SAT and 7185 for the ACT.  Be sure to make yourself aware of the testing schedule for 2006 and 2007 by visiting www.collegeboard.com for the SAT and www.actstudent.org for the ACT.  Please note that you may not be able to rely on the testing agencies to submit a timely score report if you take the tests in September or October.

ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS FOR THE ENTERING CLASS OF 2007 MUST BE POSTMARKED BY OCTOBER 20, 2006. Below is the link to the application for my nomination. This application is specifically for the entering class of 2007 (graduating class of 2011).

It is advisable to request a nomination from both of your United States Senators and your United States Representative. I make it a point to confer with my fellow members of the Texas delegation to be sure that as many young Texans as possible are given the opportunity to attend the service academies.

Please note: A nomination through any authority does not guarantee acceptance into a service academy.

Application [PDF]

This document is a PDF file.  If you have trouble accessing it, please do not hesitate to contact my Austin office for assistance.



Important Dates and Information for Candidates. . .

Before you do anything else, be sure that you have contacted the academies to which you wish to apply.  Once you have informed the admissions office of your interest, officials there will establish a candidate file for you to keep track of your application materials.  Please keep in mind that a nomination is only one part of the admissions process.  You will also need to submit application materials directly to the academies and report for physical and medical evaluations.  For more information about the academy of your choice, feel free to visit the links below.

Note that to be considered for admission, you must be a United States citizen, at least 17 years old but no more than 23 on July 1st the year you are admitted, and unmarried with no dependents.  To be considered for my nomination, you must fulfill these criteria and have a legal residence in the state of Texas.

It is advisable to request a nomination from both of your United States Senators and your United States Representative.  I make it a point to confer with my fellow members of the Texas delegation to be sure that as many young Texans as possible are given the opportunity to attend the service academies. 

  1. To find out more about Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison’s nomination process and requirements, please visit her website at www.hutchison.senate.gov.
  2. To find out who represents you in the United States House of Representatives, please feel free to visit http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/members.htm#FYI.  You can access your Representative’s official website through www.house.gov, where you will find a complete list of the 435 members of the House.


Remember these dates:

  • April 1, 2006: Senator Cornyn begins accepting applications for the entering class of 2007.
  • June 3, 2006: Suggested date to take the SAT (the next available opportunity for the SAT is October 14, 2006.  This date only affords you six days to have your scores reported before my deadline!)
  • September 16, 2006: Last possible date to take the ACT.
  • October 20, 2006: All application materials must be postmarked by this date and sent to my Austin office.
  • November 17, 2006: Senator Cornyn’s academy selection board meets to recommend the nominees for the entering class of 2007.  Candidates will be notified of a decision shortly thereafter.


Good Luck. . .

As you can see, candidates for admission to the United States Service Academies have a great deal of information and responsibility to keep track of. My staff and I want to be available to assist you in this process by answering questions, giving advice, and accommodating emergencies to the best of our abilities. Please refer all correspondence, questions, and concerns to my Austin office.

Academy Nominations Coordinator
Office of U.S. Senator John Cornyn
221 West Sixth Street, Suite 1530
Austin, Texas 78701


Please know that I am very proud of all our young Texans, and that it is my distinct honor to represent you in the United States Senate and to have you participate in this process.  Good Luck!

Senator John Cornyn : United States Senate : Washington, DC 20510-4305 : 202-224-2934
Central : East : North : South Central : South East : South : West : Washington DC
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