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Service Academy Nominations

Congressional Service Academy Nomination Process                
 
The United States has five Service Academies: The United States Air Force (USAFA), Naval (USNA), Military (USMA), Merchant Marine (USMMA), and Coast Guard (USCGA) Academies. Nominations are required for all but the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, to which appointments are made on the basis of an annual nationwide competition.

As far as the USAFA, USNA, and USMA are concerned, there are various nomination authorities, with each eligible young person being able to apply to both United States Senators from the applicant's state, his or her United States Representative, and the Vice President (if very highly qualified). The other nomination categories are military-affiliated. With regard to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, the locality boundary for nomination by a Representative is the State in which the District lies rather than just the District itself. 

With respect to the Congressional category, each Representative and Senator is allowed to have—at each academy— five persons charged to his or her quota at any one time. There are three methods for nominating—I use the competitive method.   For each vacancy, ten nominations may be made on a strictly competitive basis. The competitive method I use provides that the nominees compete among themselves for a final appointment determined by each academy admission’s department. The academies take into consideration academic record, extracurricular and athletic activities, physical aptitude, ACT and/or SAT scores, leadership ability, and medical qualifications. No person will be offered admission if he or she does not meet the physical standards of the Academy unless awarded a medical waiver. Such facets are also considered during my nomination process. (To submit your ACT or SAT scores directly to my office use the following codes: ACT—7321, SAT—0212).

As competition for nomination and appointments is very keen, it is wise for those interested to apply through all sources, i.e., Congressional, Senatorial, and Presidential for which they are eligible and for all Academies in which they have a real interest. An individual may be nominated by more than one nominating authority and/or to more than one Academy which increases the possibility of receiving an appointment. A nomination is the first step — an appointment from an Academy is what is required in order to attend. 

Who Is Eligible?

An applicant for a Congressional nomination must meet the following eligibility requirements as of July 1 of the year of admission to a service academy. He or she must be at least 17 years old, but not have passed their 23rd birthday, must be a United States citizen, and must be unmarried, not pregnant, and have no legal obligation to support children or other dependents.

Applying To My Office For A Nomination

Eligible applicants interested in a Congressional Nomination must complete a nomination package and submit it no later than November 1st to my office. The package is available for download here or contact my Pensacola office for alternate delivery options.

Typically, most applicants begin working on their package in the spring of their Junior year in high school. Also, please note that you must contact and begin a separate application process with the academies themselves. 

Completed nomination packages must be mailed or delivered to my District office in Pensacola (see address below) and postmarked no later than November 1st.  An Academy Review Board I appoint will then review the packages and interview all applicants in order to assist me with the selection process. Nomination notification follows shortly after via letter. Feel free to discuss any questions you might have in completing the package with my district staff. 

I congratulate you on your interest in serving our great Nation as an officer in the finest military in the World. Please feel free to contact my District Office with any questions you might have at (850) 479-1183.

Service Academy Application Download