Military Academy Nominations

The Nomination Process:

Members of Congress may nominate applicants who meet the eligibility requirements established by law. A candidate may seek a nomination from his or her member of the U.S. House of Representatives, both U.S. Senators from his or her state, or the Vice President.  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.
If you are nominated by the Congressman, you will be placed with the other group of nominees and the academy of your choice will make the final decision of whether to select you.  Each academy has its own admissions guidelines.  You may visit their websites to learn more. You are not limited to a nomination to one academy.  You may apply for as many as you wish.
Application:

  • Current photo
  • Application form
  • Minimum of three letters of recommendation
  • High school transcript
  • American College Testing Program (ACT) results and/or College Board Scholastic      Assessment Test (SAT) results
  • Resume of extracurricular activities
  • An essay stating why you want to attend a service academy (500 words or less)

Timeline:

My nomination application period opens May 15th of each year for those candidates who are high school juniors and will be seniors the following school year, or who have already graduated.  The deadline for submitting a nomination packet to my District Office is October 31. Academies will begin to notify candidates of their admission status in February. All offers of appointment are generally sent out by May.

Eligibility:

Each applicant for a nomination must meet the following eligibility requirements as of July 1st of the year of admission to an academy:

  • Age: Be at least 17 years old, but not have passed the 23rd birthday
  • Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen
  • Marital Status: Must be unmarried, not pregnant, and without legal obligation to support children or other dependents
  • Residence: Must reside within the boundaries of the 9th Congressional District of New York
  • Skill / Fitness: Must meet the medical, physical, and academic requirements of the Academy.

There are five service academies.
U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York
U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland
U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York
U.S. Coast Guard Academy at New London, Connecticut (Coast Guard cannot be done through our office)