You will need to start preparing early if you hope to attend a U.S. military academy.
United States military academies represent one of the highest possible standards of education and self-discipline. Competition among students desiring a nomination to a military academy is extreme. You must meet minimum requirements before considering applying for an academy nomination. An applicant must be a U.S. citizen and be 17 to 22 as of July 1 of the first year in the academy. (Merchant Marine academy applicants can be ages 17 to 24.) An applicant must be able to pass a Department of Defense physical and the Physical Aptitude Test. The applicant must be unmarried, not pregnant, and should have no obligation to supporting a child or children.
Instructions
1. Begin working toward a nomination during your first year of high school. One of the most important factors in receiving a nomination is superior overall grades. Extracurricular activities are very important, and if your high school offers Junior ROTC, you should take it.
2. Prepare a nomination file at the end of your junior year in high school. This consists of a current photograph, a copy of your high school transcripts, ACT and/or SAT test results, a resume of your extracurricular activities during high school, a 500 word (or less) essay about why you want to attend an academy, and at least three letters of recommendation. The letters of recommendation can come from teachers, counselors, Scout leaders, employers, clergy or coaches.
3. Gather application information. Prepare a packet for your district congressman or congresswoman, your two U.S. senators and the Vice President of the U.S. A list of the specific information required is available online at their respective websites. To increase your chances of obtaining a nomination, you should submit your nomination file to all of these sources. Senators, U.S. Representatives and the Vice President each have 10 nominations to offer for each academy. Most of these offices require receipt of the nomination application and packet by the end of October.
4. Attend the personal interviews. Each office you apply through will schedule a personal interview of suitable applicants. In most cases the interview will be conducted by a panel appointed by the respective U.S. Representative, senator or Vice President. You will be evaluated based on your grades, your extracurricular activities, your leadership skills and your physical aptitude. This is called a whole person evaluation. The panel also considers character and motivation during the evaluation. When all of the candidates have been evaluated, they are compared with one another and pared down to the number of nominations available.
5. Wait for the nomination announcements. If you receive a nomination, it will be sent to the academy or academies you requested. The respective academies will send you an appointment if you are selected to attend.
Tips Warnings
If you have already graduated high school, you are still eligible to apply for a nomination as long as you can gain acceptance into an academy before your 23rd birthday.
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