The United States Service Academies have educated some of our nation's finest leaders. Considered to be among the top academic institutions in the country, these schools are still graduating some of the nation's best and brightest.

Academy Day is on April 24, 2010
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The U.S. Service Academies include:

• U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado
• U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland
• U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York
• U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York
• U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut

Eligibility Requirements

What My Office Requires

Basis for Selection

Click here to download the 2011 Academy Nomination Packet

The academy nominations process for classes entering in July of 2010 has been completed.

To apply for the class entering in 2011 please complete the nomination application packet and return it to my Bristol Office marked to the attention of Michael Brown, Military and Veterans Affairs Director. If you have any questions, please email Michael Brown at michael.brown [at] mail.house.gov or call (215)826-1963

Please note the deadline to submit information is close of business (5 pm) on Friday, November 5, 2010

To be eligible to attend a federal service academy, each applicant must meet the following requirements as of 1 July of the year of admission:

• Age: Be at least 17 years old, but not have passed the 23rd birthday (25th for the Merchant Marine Academy).
• Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen
  
• Marital Status: Be unmarried, not pregnant, and have no legal obligations to support children or other dependents.

• Residency – Applicant must be a legal resident of the 8th Congressional District. (Note: since the boundary lines between the 8th and 13th Congressional Districts in Montgomery County and Northeast Philadelphia are very complex, please verify that you are indeed a resident of the 8th District by checking your 9-digit ZIP code at www.house.gov.)
  
  
• Application Form (include a recent photograph) – The enclosed application forms must be completed and returned by the official deadline of 1 November, 2010. Formal candidacy is established in my office upon receipt of the application. It is not necessary for you to send all of the required information at once, and you should not wait to file your application if your transcripts or test scores are not immediately available. If your application is not received within a reasonable time after your initial inquiry, it will be presumed that you are no longer interested in pursuing a nomination.
  
  
• Recommendation Form and Letters – It is your responsibility to have your principal or guidance counselor complete the attached recommendation form and return it to you so that you can include it in your submission to my office. In addition to this, three letters of recommendation must be submitted. These can be from teachers, coaches, employers, clergy, etc., but cannot be written by a member of your family.
  
  
• Official transcript – You must request that your school provide you with an official transcript of your high school record, GPA, and if possible, your class rank. This transcript must show your final junior year grades. If you apply before this information is available, it is your responsibility to request your guidance counselor provide you with an up to date transcript that you then send to my office before the 1 November deadline. (If your school will not release an official transcript to you, have your guidance counselor send it to my Bristol office – see address below).
  
  
• College Boards – The service academies require applicants to take either the SAT Reasoning test or the ACT. Applicants are responsible for registration for tests and for requesting scores to be sent to the academy(ies) and to my office. Direct SAT scores to my office by indicating 2362 as the code on the CEEB form. My office’s ACT code is 7642. If you are unable to include my office in your original choices for test reports, send me a copy of the report you receive in order to save time and the additional report fee. If you submit more than one set of scores, the higher scores will be counted.
  
  

Many factors play a part in determining which applicants my Selection Boards and I choose to nominate. These include:

• School records, class rank, and grade point average
  These are the starting point in considering applicants. Nominees must have strong academic records in order to be prepared for the demanding academy curriculum.
  
  
• College board scores
  The SAT and ACT tests are another important indicator of whether the applicant is equipped to survive academics at the academies.
  
  
• Extra-curricular activities (both athletic and non-athletic)
  Equally as important as how applicants do during school hours is what they do outside of them. Extra-curriculars are often a showcase for an applicant’s leadership skill and ability to work with others. They also demonstrate the well-roundedness of the applicant.
  
  
• Motivation
  One of the most important considerations in the selection process is motivation – the candidate’s desire to attend an academy. It is also the most difficult to measure. To an extent, motivation can be judged by a candidate’s diligence in completing their file, which is one reason those with incomplete files are not considered for nomination. In addition, the essay section of the application is a valuable tool to judge an applicant’s motivation level.
  
  
• Interview
  The formal interview with the selection board is a very important factor in determining the selections. Here the selection boards have a chance to get to know the person behind the application, and see the way the applicant presents himself or herself.