Thank you for your interest in the U.S. Service Academies. As your Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, each year I have the privilege of nominating a limited number of people to four of the five service academies. A Congressional Nomination is needed to be considered by:
• The U.S. Air Force Academy
• The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
• The U.S. Military Academy
• The U.S. Naval Academy
A Congressional Nomination is not required to attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Interested applicants should apply directly to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
All applications will be reviewed to determine which students meet the qualification standards. Those students that meet the competitive standards will be interviewed by my Academy Review Board. Please note you must start an application process with the academy you are applying to, as well as the nomination process through my office and a nomination does not guarantee an appointment to an academy.
The honor of attending a service academy comes with an obligation and commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation.
I wish you the best of luck as you go through this process.
What is a nomination?
Members of Congress may nominate applicants who meet the eligibility requirements established by law. A candidate may apply for a nomination to more than one service academy and in fact, you are encouraged to apply to more than one, assuming that you have the sincere desire to attend. Keep in mind that you must open a file and keep it current at each academy while also seeking a nomination from me. A nomination from me does not guarantee an appointment to an academy.
If you are interested in obtaining a nomination, please join me at one of my upcoming Service Academy Informational Sessions.
Joint Academy Informational Seminar with staff from the offices of Senator Brown, Senator Portman, Congressman Tiberi,
Congressman Stivers, and Congresswoman Beatty
Tuesday, April 12, 2016 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Location: St. Charles Preparatory School
2010 E. Broad Street, Bexley, Ohio 4320
15th Congressional District of Ohio Service Academy Seminars:
Thursday, May 5, 2016 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Location: Fairfield County District Library
219 N. Broad Street (Located in downtown Lancaster)
Thursday, May 12, 2016 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Location: Upper Arlington Municipal Building
3600 Tremont Road (Near the intersection of Tremont Rd. and Kenny Rd.)
Click here for the flyer on the Service Academy Seminars.
It is also recommended that you apply for a nomination from the following officeholders:
• U.S. Senator Rob Portman
• U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
• Vice President Biden
What is an appointment?
• An appointment is a selection made by the individual academies after you have received a nomination. You will be competing with other nominees in the areas of academics, leadership potential and physical aptitude. An appointment gives you admission to an academy.
What are the basic eligibility requirements?
• Applicant must be at least 17 years of age, but not yet reached their 23rd birthday on July 1st of the year admitted to an academy;
• Must never have been married and have no legal obligation to support a child;
• Must be a citizen of the United States;
• Must be men and women of excellent moral character who are trustworthy, emotionally stable and motivated.
What are the residency requirements?
• Applicants must be residents of the 15th Congressional District which currently encompasses all of Athens, Clinton, Fairfield, Hocking, Madison, Morgan, Perry, Pickaway, and Vinton counties and parts of Fayette, Franklin, and Ross counties.
• NOTE TO MILITARY DEPENDENTS: If you are a military dependent, you are required by law to apply for a nomination in your legal domicile.
When should you apply for a nomination?
• Interested applicants should contact my office usually in the spring of their junior year of high school. For instance, those students who plan on entering the academy in 2017 (graduating class of 2021) should start this application process during the spring of 2016.
Who should you contact my office to request a nomination application form?
• To receive an application, you must first complete the Application Request Form indicating your desire to request a nomination from me.
• The deadline for completing the Application Request Form to request an application is September 23, 2016.
• Once my office receives this completed form, you will be mailed a nomination application form. The application will be sent via email to the email address listed on the Application Request Form beginning in May. The applications will NOT be sent prior to May.
• To request a copy of Congressman Stivers’ U.S. Service Academy Nomination Informational Packet, please contact the Service Academy Coordinator at 740-654-2654.
What must be included in the application package?
Please click here for a printable Application Request Form. Deadline: September 23, 2016
All of the following items must be received by Congressman Stivers' Lancaster Office by October 21, 2016 at 5:00 p.m.
Congressman Stivers' Nomination Application
•Once the Application Request Form has been received, the applications will be emailed to the student beginning in May.
Official Transcripts
•A legible certified/official copy of your high school transcript must be included with your application.
SAT/ACT Test Scores
•It is recommended you take the SAT/ACT standardized tests as early and as often as possible.
•The academies consider the highest test score received in each category regardless of when that score was received. You may have an official report of your scores sent directly to my office by designating my code: SAT # 1948, ACT # 7611, or you may submit a printed copy of your test scores directly to the office.
•Because of our deadlines, please keep in mind that the last test scores that we can accept for the SAT are from the October 1 test date, and the last test scores that we can accept for the ACT are from the September 10 test date. While the academies can accept later test dates, we cannot.
• Photograph
You must submit one recent wallet size photograph of yourself, be sure to print your name on the back of the photo.
• Three Letters of Recommendation
Three letters of recommendation are required. One letter must be from either a teacher or counselor.
• Personal Essay
You are required to submit a personal essay (maximum of 250 words) on what motivates you to attend a service academy and the goals you have for your military career. You must sign your essay.
What is the deadline for submitting the application package?
• The 15th Congressional District deadline for returning all completed application packages to my Lancaster Office is October 21, 2016 at 5:00 p.m.
• If your file is not complete by the deadline, you will not be eligible to be interviewed by my Academy Review Board.
• Please refer to the Calendar of Events for a list of important dates including test dates and submission deadlines.
How is the interview process handled?
• Congressman Stivers’ Academy Review Board will interview applicants who have returned their completed application package to the Congressman Stivers’ Office by the deadline date of October 21, 2016.
• The Board is comprised of individuals throughout the 15th Congressional District including active and retired military, members of the clergy, educators, business persons, etc. many of whom are academy graduates.
• The interviews will be held in November.
• Eligible applicants will be notified of the date and time of their interview in advance.
How else can I get involved with a service academy?
Academy Summer Programs are held at each academy. The military academies offer one week summer programs for high school juniors. The selection for these programs is highly competitive. Online applications open in January and close mid-March each year. For more information about these summer programs, please visit each academy's website:
• The U.S. Air Force Academy
• The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
• The U.S. Military Academy
• The U.S. Naval Academy
• The U.S. Coast Guard Academy
To request a copy of Congressman Stivers’ U.S. Service Academy Nomination Informational Packet, and for additional questions, please contact the Service Academy Coordinator at 740-654-2654.
All items should be mailed to Congressman Stivers’ Lancaster District Office at 123 S. Broad Street, Suite 235, Lancaster, Ohio 43130.
Printable forms and information:
U.S. Service Academy Application Procedure
Application Request Form
U.S. Service Academy Nomination Calendar of Events for 2016-2017
U.S. Service Academy Nomination Procedure Fact Sheet
U.S. Service Academy Admissions Office Contact Information
Checklist for Applicants
All items should be mailed to Congressman Stivers' Lancaster District Office at 123 S. Broad Street, Suite 235, Lancaster, Ohio 43130.
