Detailed Information

The Nomination Process:

To be considered for an appointment to a service academy, an applicant must meet the eligibility requirements established by law and be nominated from an authorized person including a member of the United States Senate or the House of Representatives. As your Congressman, Congressman Collins will only nominate applicants who are legally domiciled within the boundaries of the 9th Congressional District of the State of Georgia. You may also apply through Both US Senators from Georgia and the Vice-President of the United States.  

Who Is Eligible:

An applicant for a 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 the 23rd birthday, must be a United States citizen, must be unmarried, not pregnant, and have no legal obligation to support children or other dependents. Must reside in the 9th Congressional District of Georgia and meet the Medical, Physical, & Academic requirements of the Service Academy.

Applying for a Nomination:

Students interested in a nomination should contact Congressman Collin’s District Office in the spring of their junior year in high school. Also, please note that it is extremely important that students also begin the application process with the academies themselves.

Representative Doug Collins
Attn: Academy Nominations
111 Green St SE
Gainesville, GA 30501
770 297-3388

You may wish to verify delivery of your academy application package through your selected mail carrier via tracking number. Please ensure that you retain this important piece of information as no applications that are delivered after the deadline will be considered.

The finest students in the country apply for these intensely competitive opportunities and the screening process is rigorous. Students will be notified regarding their interview status in early November. The Military Academy Selection Board will hold interviews in November and nomination decisions will be made and announced before the end of the year. Service academies extend offers of appointment through May of the application year.

When do I apply for a nomination?

The Application period opens on May 15th of each year for those candidates who are high school juniors and will be seniors the following year of who have already graduated.

What is the deadline for submitting a nomination file?

Complete nomination packages must be received in my District office no later than 5:00 pm October 1st. All packages received after this deadline will not be considered for that year’s nomination.

What must be included in the nomination Package?

A complete nomination package must include the following:
A current color photo (5X7)
Completed Application
High School Transcript
ACT and/or SAT Results
Resume of honors, extracurricular, and community activities
An essay stating why you want to attend a service academy. (500 words or less)
Three letters of recommendation from persons other than family.

What happens after I have completed my nomination file?

The Academy board will review the the nomination file and select applicants for an interview. Whenever possible applicants who submit a completed nomination file will be scheduled for an interview in late October or early November.

What criterion is used in selecting candidates?

Nominations are based on a "whole person" evaluation. Factors such as academic achievements, extra-curricular activities, leadership skills, physical aptitude, character and motivation are taken into consideration and compared with other applicants.

Are the requirements the same for all of the service academies?

No. Although many of the qualifications are similar, each academy operates under its own admissions guidelines. Visit the academy of your choice via the websites noted for each academy's particular admissions qualifications. It is not necessary to seek a nomination to the Coast Guard Academy, as the U.S.C.G.A. accepts candidates based on their own testing criteria.

Who should I ask to write a letter of recommendation on my behalf?

Some of the people applicants typically seek recommendations from include:
•    Teachers/Counselors
•    Local Civic leaders
•    Employers
•    Coaches
•    Clergy
•    Scout Leaders
I do not require a specific recommendation form. A letter of recommendation is sufficient.

Will I automatically be selected by the academy after I receive a nomination?

No. You will be placed among a select group of nominees, and the academy of your choice will make the final decision. If selected, you will receive an offer of admission (an appointment) directly from the academy.

What if I choose more than one academy? Will I be limited to a single nomination?

No. You can be nominated to multiple academies depending on how well you have competed among this year's pool of candidates. It is also possible to win multiple appointments.

When will I know if I have been offered an appointment by an academy?

Academies will begin to notify candidates of their admission status in February. All offers of appointment are generally sent out by May.

Academy Information

There are 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.

For the USAFA, USNA and USMA each eligible young person may apply to his or her United States Representative, both United States Senators from their home state, or the Vice President (if very highly qualified). The other nomination categories, such as Presidential, ROTC, active duty, reserve and National Guard soldiers are service affiliated. Please visit the academies’ web sites for further information and eligibility requirements.

Each Representative may have a maximum of five persons at each service academy (at any given time) charged to his or her quota. There are three methods of nominating, and we use the competitive method. For each vacancy, ten nominations may be made on a strictly competitive basis. The competitive method provides that the nominees are equally competitive for final appointment determined by the admissions authorities. The admissions departments take into consideration a nominee’s academic record, extracurricular and athletic activities, physical aptitude, ACT and/or SAT scores, leadership ability and medical qualifications. These same facets of an applicant’s record are also considered during the nomination selection process. No person will be offered admission if he or she does not meet the physical standards of the academy unless awarded a medical waiver.

As competition for nomination and appointment is very keen, it is wise for all interested persons to apply through all sources for which they are eligible. An individual may be nominated by more than one nominating authority and/or to more than one academy.

With regard to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, the locality boundary for nomination by a Representative is the state in which the congressional district lies rather than just the congressional district itself. Each Representative and each Senator may nominate ten candidates each year to compete for admission.

Please visit the web sites listed below for each academy to determine entrance requirements. You may apply online to each academy in which you are interested. If you meet the minimum eligibility requirements the academies will send a candidate package to you. You should return all requested materials to the academies as soon as possible. If the academy considers you to be an “official candidate”, you will be scheduled for a medical examination by the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board. You must also complete the Candidate Fitness Test and you may include a copy of this with your application to my office.

United States Military Academy
Admissions Office
606 Thayer Road
West Point, NY 10996-1797
(845) 938-4041
http://www.usma.edu/

United States Naval Academy
USNA Admissions Office
117 Decatur Road
Annapolis , MD 21402-5019
(410) 293-4361
http://www.usna.edu/

United States Air Force Academy
Admissions Office
HQ USAFA/RR
2304 Cadet Drive, Suite 2400
USAF Academy, CO 80840
(719) 333-2520
http://www.usafa.af.mil/


United States Merchant Marine Academy
Admissions Office
300 Steamboat Road
Kings Point , NY 11024-1699
(516) 773-5391
http://www.usmma.edu/

United States Coast Guard Academy
Admissions Office
31 Mohegan Avenue
New London , CT 06320-4195
(203) 444-8444
http://www.cga.edu/