Guidelines for Service Academy Nominations
It is my honor to be a nominating source to the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, and U.S. Military Academy at West Point (The U.S. Coast Guard Academy does not require a Congressional nomination). I am proud to have the opportunity to work with young men and women who want to serve their country.
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Virtual Academy Day Program
Click below to learn more about each academy:
Each Spring, students interested in applying for a nomination will have an opportunity to submit an online application and submit supporting materials. The application process is open from March 1 to October 15, 2023.
Candidates for consideration must submit:
- Completed questionnaire application (including a 30-second video)
- Essay summarizing your reason for wanting to attend a Service Academy
- High School Transcript
- SAT/ACT scores
- Resume
- Two (2) letters of recommendation from non-relatives, at least one of which must be from a teacher or school official.
- Recent photograph of yourself
- Be at least 17 years of age, but not yet 23 by July 1st of the year he or she is admitted to the Service Academy. For Merchant Marine Academy, the upper age limit is 25.
- Be a United States Citizen at the time he or she enters the Service Academy and a legal resident of North Carolina.
- Be unmarried, not pregnant, and have no legal obligation to support children or other dependents.
- Meet the minimum requirements of the Academy to which he or she is applying. Candidates who do not meet the school’s minimum requirements will not receive an interview for the Service Academy.
Competition for congressional nominations is high, and I encourage you to also apply for a nomination from your other nominating sources: Senator Ted Budd and your home district’s U.S. Congressman or Congresswoman, ROTC, active duty unit commanders and others. Please check with any academies you are applying to for their complete list of nominating sources.
Thank you again for your aspiration to serve our country.
Application Process:
Application Process Walk Through
To become a candidate for admission to a service academy, please visit their website and fill out a preliminary application. If you meet all of the minimum requirements for admission the academy will send you an application packet and you will become an official candidate. Our office will only award nominations to official candidates.
Once you are an official candidate, you will be scheduled to receive a medical examination by the Department of Defense Medical Review Board (DODMERB) and a Physical Aptitude Evaluation (PAE).
Nomination Process:
What Board Members Look for in an Applicant
Members of Congress can have up to five cadets charged to their seat per academy at any given time. For each vacancy, a member of Congress can nominate ten cadets. Most years there is at least one vacancy per academy. Please contact my office through the form below for more information on the number of vacancies for a specific academy.
