Military Academy Nominations
Applications for the Class of 2025 are now closed.
Applications for the Class of 2026 will be open from May 2021 to September 24, 2021.
Steps for Applying (Please read the following in its entirety):
- Your Nomination Application will not be considered complete until you have submitted both of the following:
- Scanned and emailed your completed PDF application packet to the Nomination Coordinator, Elizabeth Tapia at: Elizabeth.Tapia@mail.house.gov
- AND, once you have emailed your application packet, complete and submit the online webform. Please email the application packet and submit an online web form on the same day.
- COMPLETE THE QUESTIONS ON THE WEB FORM AND SUBMIT.
- Click on the “PDF APPLICATION” link above. Save to your computer desktop.
- Complete the PDF application. Save the completed version to your computer desktop.
- SAT/ACT/High School Transcript documents - Scan the summary pages showing the composite scores for your SAT and/or ACT as well as your High School Transcripts. Save it to your computer desktop. ***WE ARE AWARE THAT TESTING DATES HAVE BEEN DELAYED DUE TO COVID-19. IF YOU HAVE NOT YET COMPLETED A STANDARDIZED TEST – PLEASE INPUT “0” IN BOTH YOUR APPLICATION AND IN THE ONLINE WEBFORM. YOU CAN EMAIL YOUR NEW OR UPDATED SCORES WHEN YOU RECEIVE THEM to Elizabeth.Tapia@mail.house.gov (subject line: Test Scores for John Doe)***
- Choose a photograph – it must be a clear digital image that will be used as an 8x11 cover page for your application. You can scan a school photo or use a quality cell phone or digital camera. Save it to your computer desktop.
- Compose a one page 500-word essay entitled, “Why I Want to Attend a U.S. Service Academy – By John Doe”. Save it to your computer desktop.
- THREE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION: Every letter of recommendation should provide the contact information of the recommender. There are three options for providing letters of recommendation.
- Instruct the 3 individuals to provide the letters of recommendation to you the applicant and then attach the three letters to your PDF application.
- OR submit your application without the letters of recommendation attached and have the three recommenders scan and email their letters directly to the Nomination Coordinator, Elizabeth Tapia at: Elizabeth.Tapia@mail.house.gov
- OR submit your application without the letters of recommendation attached and have the recommenders mail them to my district office to the attention of Elizabeth Tapia at: 1125 Kelly Johnson Blvd., Suite 330, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.
- SCAN AND EMAIL YOUR PDF APPLICATION PACKET: Your PDF application packet should include the following documents in the following order: Photograph page, Essay, PDF application, High School Transcripts, Standardized Test Scores (if available at the time), and three letters of recommendation. As mentioned above, if the recommendation letters are not completed yet, you can submit your application packet without your three letters of recommendation. However, if you submit your application packet without the letters of recommendation, please have the three recommenders email/mail their letters directly to the Nomination Coordinator, Elizabeth Tapia (contact info above).
IMPORTANT:
- Letters of recommendation can be obtained from your current or former principal, counselors, teachers, employers, ministers, or other community, government, or business leaders. Although it is not required, we recommend that at least one letter is from your school principal or counselor. Please ask that they use their official letterhead, if applicable, and to provide their name, address, phone, and email on their correspondence. They can scan their letter and email it to Elizabeth.Tapia@mail.house.gov or mail it to the address listed above.
- Please provide an “Unweighted” GPA. If your school doesn’t use unweighted GPA’s ask a school official to assist you with the conversion process.
- We do not use a “super-score” for SAT/ACTs. Please provide the composite score(s) and make sure that the scores you input into the web form and the application match your documents. We only use composite scores. We are aware due to Covid-19, the testing dates have been delayed. Please provide previous scores if available and when you receive your updated scores, email them directly to my nomination coordinator at: Elizabeth.tapia@mail.house.gov, and she will update your application.
- When choosing your preferred academy (on the 2nd page of the PDF application) – please only list those in which you have opened a candidate file or those that you plan to pursue upon receiving a nomination. Please enter a “Number” next to the academy, not an “X” if you are pursuing more than one academy (1=1st Choice; 2=2nd Choice, etc.). If you are not interested in pursuing a specific academy, please leave the space next to that academy blank.
- Please visit the Admissions page of your preferred U.S. Service Academy to ensure you meet the minimum entry requirements. Obtaining a nomination is a highly competitive process and is a pre-curser to admission requirements.
- Applicants will be asked to attend an in-person interview in mid to late October. You will be notified of the exact date and time via email. Please acknowledge receipt as soon as possible by replying to the email. If you are unable to attend the in-person interview, please respond immediately so that arrangements can be made. You must have a valid reason for not attending the interview.
- RESULTS: You will be notified of your nomination status typically during the month of December.
U.S. Service Academies & ROTC Virtual Information Event – Register Here
General Nomination Information
The Nomination Process
To be considered for an appointment to a United States Service Academy, an applicant must meet the eligibility requirements established by law and be nominated from an authorized source including a Member of the United States House of Representatives or a Member of the United States Senate. I can nominate only those applicants who are legally domiciled within the boundaries of the Fifth Congressional District of Colorado, with the exception of U.S. Merchant Marine applicants who may apply for nominations statewide.
Eligibility
An applicant for a nomination must meet the following eligibility requirements: As of July 1st 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, must be unmarried, not pregnant, and have no legal obligation to support children or other dependents.
Applying Through My Office for a Nomination: General Guidelines
Students interested in a nomination may begin compiling the required documents as early as the Spring of their junior year in high school. Also, please note that it is extremely important to begin the application process with the Academy of your choice by visiting the Academy’s website and filling out a pre-candidate questionnaire. It is very important that you continue to follow all the requirements set forth by the Academy and not halt the process while you are applying and then waiting for a nomination. The sooner you complete your application requirements with the Academy, the better.
ALL NOTIFICATIONS AND IMPORTANT UPDATES REGARDING YOUR APPLICATION WILL BE SENT TO YOU VIA EMAIL. PLEASE ENSURE THAT EMAILS COMING FROM: ELIZABETH.TAPIA@MAIL.HOUSE.GOV OR FROM A DOUG. LAMBORN EMAIL ADDRESS ARE NOT BEING FUNNELED INTO YOUR SPAM INBOX. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE EMAIL THEM TO ELIZABETH.TAPIA@MAIL.HOUSE.GOV
United States Service Academies
There are five Service Academies; Air Force (USAFA), Naval (USNA), Military (USMA), Merchant Marine (USMMA), and Coast Guard (USCGA). Nominations are required for all with the exception of the United States Coast Guard Academy. Those appointments are made on the basis of an annual nationwide competition.
Nomination Categories
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 qualified). The other nomination categories are military-affiliated. With respect to the Congressional category, each Representative and each Senator is allowed to have at each of those academies at any one time five persons charged to his or her quota.
Nomination Procedure
There are three methods of nominating, and I use the competitive method. For each vacancy, ten nominations may be made on a strictly competitive basis. The competitive method provides that the nominees compete among themselves for final appointments. Final appointments are determined by admission authorities. They take into consideration a nominee's academic record, extracurricular and athletic activities, physical aptitude, ACT and/or SAT scores, leadership ability and medical qualifications. Such 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 a nomination and appointment is very intense, it is wise for all interested persons to apply through all sources 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. 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. Each Representative may nominate ten candidates per vacancy each year to compete for admission.
For more information about each of the United States Service Academies, please visit the official websites listed below:
United States Air Force Academy - http://academyadmissions.com/
United States Military Academy - https://westpoint.edu/admissions
United States Naval Academy - http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/
United States Merchant Marine Academy - http://www.usmma.edu/admissions/
United States Coast Guard- https://www.uscg.mil/home/ (For information purposes only - A Congressional nomination is not required to apply to the U.S. Coast Guard)
Links for Parents:
United States Military Academy