Academy Nominations

To be considered for an appointment to a United States service academy, an applicant must have a nomination from an authorized nominating source. Title 10, U.S. Code, establishes two nomination categories. The first, usually referred to as "congressional nominations," includes the nominations of the vice president and members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The second, referred to as "service-connected" or "military-affiliated" nominations, includes the selections of the president and nominations from the appropriate service (e.g. Secretary of the Army for nominations to the Military Academy).

In order to be considered for a congressional nomination, it is necessary for you to meet all of the general requirements of your academy of choice and for you to complete an application package. The application package can be obtained by sending a letter of interest to our Kent County office in Dover, DE. That address is noted at the bottom of this page.

In addition to completing the application package, it is also necessary for you to contact the academy of your choice to initiate a pre-candidate file on your behalf. You can do this by writing to the academy or filling out a post card provided by your school guidance counselor.

Your completed application package (which includes the letter of interest, application form, photograph, a short essay, high school transcripts, SAT or ACT scores and letters of recommendation) must be postmarked no later than October 15 of your senior year. The application package should be mailed to our Kent County office.

Once your application package is received, it will be evaluated to determine if you qualify for an interview. Only those applicants who meet all requirements set forth by the academy will be selected for the interview process. If you qualify for the interview process, my staff will notify you in writing of the time and place of your interview.

My Academy Screening Committee will conduct interviews in November and the nomination process is completed by the end of December. By early January, you will be notified if your name is among those being nominated.

General Qualifications:

• Citizenship: U.S. citizenship, or having obtained it by graduation
• Residency: Delaware residents only
• Congressional nomination: U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and U.S. Military Academy
• Age: at least 17, but not older than 23 by July 1 of entering year
• Marital Status: unmarried, not pregnant, no legal obligation to support children
• Academics: must complete SAT-I or ACT examinations
• Physical: must meet academy physical requirements and medical examination
• Morals: must be of strong moral character

Official application packages are available in March. Your application file must be complete by October 15 of your senior year and must include the following items:

1. Letter of Interest (Sample Letter)
   
   In order to receive an official application package, you must send a letter of interest to my office. Once received, a package will be mailed to you. An application file will not be considered complete without a letter of interest.


2. Academy Application (Academy Application Packet)
   
   Please be thorough, neat and complete. Those applications that are illegible, unsigned or in pencil will be returned to the applicant. Be sure to indicate your first choice of academy. If you have interest in more than one academy, please list in priority order. All information requested on application is required in order for you to be considered for a nomination. You may use additional paper if necessary. If you have any additional questions, please contact Lori James in my Dover office.


3. High School Transcripts
   
   You must include an official transcript of your high school records. This transcript must show your final grades from your junior year, your current grade point average and your numerical class rank. If you have graduated from high school and are currently attending college or preparatory school, please provide our office with official transcripts from these institutions, along with your high school transcripts.


4. College Board Test Scores
   
   The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT) are essentially the entrance exams for the service academies. A set of these scores must be received in our Kent County office by the application deadline of October 15. You must have taken one of these tests in order to be considered for nomination. It is recommended that you take one of these tests prior to September in order to provide our office the results before the application deadline. It takes approximately six weeks to receive the test results. The Code to have your scores forwarded directly to my office is 5593.


5. Letters of Recommendation
   
   You are required to submit at least three and no more than five letters of recommendation. These letters should be from people who know you personally and can describe your capabilities and strengths. Letters from relatives will not be accepted. At least one letter must be from a non-school source. Employers, teachers, coaches or community leaders are examples of people that you may want to ask to write a letter on your behalf. Recommendation letters should not be sent to our office individually. Applicants should collect the letters and send them together as part of the completed application package.


6. Essay
   
   You are required to write a short, typed essay (no more than 500 words) describing why you want to attend a U.S. service academy.


7. Photograph
   
   Please provide a recent photograph (less than one-year old) with your application package. This photograph is for office use only and is not distributed.

Please send the above information to:

Senator Tom Carper
Attn: Lori James
300 South New Street
2215 Federal Building
Dover, DE 19904