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Military Service Academy Nominations

The United States service academies provide an outstanding opportunity for motivated young people to receive a fine education while gaining the skills necessary to serve their country as professional officers.

Senator Murray will consider nominations to the:

  • US Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs, CO)

  • US Naval Academy (Annapolis, MD)

  • US Military Academy (West Point, NY)

  • US Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, NY)

How To Apply

Applicants should begin applying in the spring of their junior year of high school and must complete the following three steps:


Step 1 - Contact Academy(s), Time Frame: Junior year of High School, Spring

Contact the academy(s) in which you are interested, so they can create an applicant file for you.

Go to Air Force Academy website
Go to U.S. Naval Academy website
Go to U.S. Military Academy website
Go to U.S. Merchant Marines Academy website



Step 2 - Contact Your Elected Representatives, Time Frame: As soon as possible

Apply to be nominated by Senator Murray's office, Senator Cantwell's office and your Congressional District Representative.

Download Senator Murray's nomination application and follow the instructions in Step 3. If for some reason you are unable to access this application from our web page, you will need to write our office to request one at the address below:

U.S. Senator Patty Murray
2988 Jackson Federal Building
915 2nd Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98174
ATTN: Mr. Kim Brown


Apply to U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)

Apply to your Congressional District Representative. Identify your Congressional District Representative.


Step 3 - Submit Senator Murray's Application: Due November 15, 2010

NOTE: In response to the Ricin incident in the Dirksen Senate Office Building a few years ago, procedures, to include the opening and testing of all Senate mail at an offsite facility, are in effect. As a result, any letter you send to the Senate takes an extra 1-2 weeks to reach us.

Applicants must submit all documentation in the same package. Please send the following documents to Senator Murray's Seattle office:

  • Senator Murray's Nomination Application.

  • A sealed, certified copy of your high school transcript.

  • Three letters of recommendation, at least one from your high school counselor or principal.

  • SAT scores. Senator Murray's identification number at the Educational Testing Service is 4322. Senator Murray's identification code is 7194 for the ACT. You may list this code number on your request for score reports to be sent directly to Senator Murray's office. If you have already completed the SAT or did not indicate Senator Murray's office as a test score report recipient, you may send a copy of the report they receive.

  • A list of any awards and accomplishments, both extracurricular and academic, that you have received.

  • A 250-word essay detailing why you qualify for a service academy nomination. If there are inconsistencies in your record or extenuating circumstances which merit special attention, you are encouraged to address them in your essay.

Application Criteria

When reviewing academy candidates' qualifications, Senator Murray considers each candidate's application strictly on merit; there are no partisan or political considerations. The individual qualities that Senator Murray looks for in an application are:

  • scholastic aptitude

  • leadership potential

  • character

  • demonstrated athletic ability.

The admissions process is extremely competitive. Each year, Senator Murray receives 300-350 requests for academy nominations. Each year, Senator Murray nominates 10 applicants for each vacancy at each academy. Last year, Senator Murray nominated 42 applicants. The applicants all had a 3.85 GPA or better and a combined SAT score of 1200 or higher.

If you have questions or need additional information, please call (206) 553-5545 and ask for Kim Brown.