Military Academy Nominations

 

Thank you for your interest in the U.S. Service Academies. As your 18th District Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, I have the privilege each year of nominating a limited number of people to four of the five service academies. Our United States Service Academies offer the best education in the world and the opportunity to serve as a commissioned officer in the United States Armed Forces upon graduation.

 

Congressional Nominations

The U.S. Service Academies that require a nomination for appointment are as follows:

• United States Military Academy (USMA) – West Point, NY
• United States Naval Academy (USNA) – Annapolis, MD
• United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) – Colorado Springs, CO
• United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) – King’s Point, NY

Note: U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut does not require Congressional Nominations.

Each U.S. Senator and Representative may have a maximum of five charged students at each service academy at one time, but the number of vacancies to nominate against varies year-to-year based on the current number filled by the constituents serving at the Academy.  Members of Congress may nominate up to 10 candidates for every Academy vacancy. 

Senators nominate from applicants in their entire state.  Representatives nominate from applicants who claim residency in their congressional districts.  Applicants may apply for and receive nominations from both their U.S. Senator and Representative.  Applicants may also apply for the Vice President nomination, who can nominate applicants from the country at large and U.S. citizens living abroad.

Congressional Nomination Methods

MOC = Members of Congress

Competitive: This method is used by most MOCs (~70-75%).  MOCs submit an unranked slate of up to 10 nominees for each vacancy.  The candidates are then ranked in order of merit in accordance with the respective U.S. Service Academy evaluation system.  The most highly qualified candidate is selected for an offer of admission (an appointment) to fill the vacancy.

This is primary nomination method used by Rep. Maloney’s office.

Principal with Competing Alternates: This method provides for designation of a principal nominee by the MOC and does not rank the other nine.   The other nine unranked nominees are submitted to the academy for evaluation and compete as alternates similar to the competitive method.  If the principal is fully qualified, he/she will be selected for an offer of admission.  If the principal is not qualified, the competitive method is used to select the first alternate for consideration out of the remaining nine or less candidates.

Principal with Numbered Alternates:  Same as the principal method above with the exception that you rank all 10 candidates in order of preference, 1-10.  This method does not take into account the respective U.S. Service Academy evaluation system for determining the order of merit (competitive method) for any of the nominees

Overview of Rep. Maloney’s Service Academy Nomination Application Process

High School and/or College students living in the 18th Congressional District that are seeking a congressional nomination from Rep. Maloney are required to:

• Complete Rep. Maloney’s Service Academy Nomination Application Packet   
• Interview with the Service Academy Selection Board.

The requirements of the application packet are listed below:

• Application Form
• Photograph
• Resume
• 500 Word Essay: Why do you want to attend a U.S. Service Academy?
• High School/College Transcript
• Standardize Test Scores (SAT/ACT)
• Three Letters of Recommendations

Applicants can begin to submit their completed application packets in August of every year.

Applicants are required to submit their completed application packet in one complete mailing to Rep. Maloney’s Newburgh District Office on or before the deadline specified for that year. 

Applicants are only eligible to undergo an interview with members of the Service Academy Selection Board only if they submit their completed application packet in a timely manner. 

Interview Process:

Interviews take place every year at the Castle Point Campus of the VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System located in Wappingers Falls, NY during the first weekend of December every year. Each applicant is interviewed for 20-30 minutes by 4-5 members of the Service Academy Selection Board.

Following the interview with members of the Service Academy Selection Board, the applicant is notified of the status of their nomination within 3-6 weeks.

Rep. Maloney’s office has up until January 31st of the following year to notify each of the U.S. Service Academies of its nomination choices.

The application packet can be viewed here.

NOTE - The completed application package must be postmarked before the application deadline set for that year.