I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to my service academy page. One of the most pleasurable tasks I have, and one I look forward to every year, is the opportunity to nominate outstanding young men and women to the service academy of their choice.
A young man or woman who has received an appointment will receive the equivalent of a $300,000.00 scholarship and will receive one of the best educations available. For example, the class that graduated from West Point in 2000 had 4 Rhodes Scholars; the class that graduated in May 2005 from the Naval Academy had 3 Rhodes Scholars and the class graduating in May 2006 has 4 Rhodes Scholars (1/8th of the 32 Rhodes Scholars selected in 2006). The three major academies have produced in excess of 160 Rhodes Scholars since they have been participating in the program.
Distinguished service academy graduates include President Jimmy Carter (Naval Academy) and Senator John McCain (Naval Academy); General/President Dwight D. Eisenhower (West Point) and General Norman Schwarzkopf (West Point).
To attend a service academy is a two-step process consisting, first, of applying directly to the desired academy for an appointment and, second, applying to me for a nomination.
The are five service academies, of which four require applicants to seek a nomination: The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York; The United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland; The United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado; and The United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York. The fifth service academy is the United States Coast Guard Academy at New London, Connecticut but they neither require, nor accept, nominations.
I recommend you consider applying to at least 2 academies. It sometimes happens that a person is not offered an appointment to one academy but receives an offer of appointment to the second one.
To begin the service academy application process, here are their links:
(1) www.usma.edu (West Point)
(2) www.usna.edu (Naval Academy)
(3) www.usafa.edu (Air Force Academy)
(4) www.usmma.edu (Merchant Marine Academy)
(5) www.uscga.edu/opportunity/ (Coast Guard Academy)
At the website of the academy you want to attend, go to the “Admissions” area and follow their instructions. In most cases you can apply on-line but you need to thoroughly read the website/s of the academy(ies) you desire to attend. Each one contains step-by-step instructions for applying to that particular academy. Additionally, I recommend you read my Academy Facts Sheet in order to get a general idea of what each academy is going to be looking for when you apply for an appointment.
To be eligible to enter an academy you must be:
(1) A citizen of the US. Your citizenship must be finalized prior to entering the Academy. You must submit proof of citizenship if you were foreign born or naturalized. Authorized international students are exempt from this requirement.
(2) At least 17, but less than 23 years of age by July 1 of the year you would enter. The age requirement is public law and cannot be waived. The age limit for the Merchant Marine Academy is 25 by July 1 of the year you would enter.
(3) Unmarried with no dependents.
(4) Of good moral character.
(5) Meet high leadership, academic, physical and medical standards.
In order for you to seek a nomination from me, you must:
(1) Have a permanent home address in the 6th Congressional District of Florida;
(2) Be in the Spring Semester of your Junior year in high school;
(3) Have your nomination application packet completed and submitted not later than November 2, 2010.
I have included my nomination application, guidance counselor form, applicant instructions, and academy fact sheet. Just download and print the application and guidance counselor forms, complete them in accordance with the applicant instructions and mail them to:
Congressman Cliff Stearns
115 SE 25th Avenue
Ocala, FL 34471
Attn: Matt McKinney
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call my Staff Assistant for Service Academy Nominations, at 1-800-888-7743 or 352-351-8777.
Applicant_Instructions.DOC
Nom_Application - Pg1.DOC
Nom_Application-Pg2.DOC
Guidance_Counselor_Form.DOC
Academy_Fact_Sheet.DOC
