Service Academy Nominations

If you are at least a junior in high school and would like to be considered for a nomination to a service academy, please complete and submit the online form below. Please be advised that the form below may only be submitted once, information cannot be updated through the webform. Once completed, the generated PDF must be printed and submitted by mail or courier with all required documents no later than the November 1st deadline. It is not necessary to send any other documents at this time. To afford an opportunity to the greatest number of individuals, applicants may only compete for one academy.

To be considered for admission to the Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy, Naval Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy, an individual must have a nomination either through a Member of the United States Senate or House of Representatives or through a military service connection. Senators nominate applicants in their entire state and Representatives nominate those who are domiciled in their Congressional district. Applicants may and should seek a nomination from both their Senators and Member of Congress.

Senators nominate applicants in their entire state and Representatives nominate those who are domiciled in their Congressional district. Applicants may and should apply to both their Senators and Member of Congress. Since the academies are able to award more appointments than are provided by Congressional vacancies and other categories, NO candidate who is highly qualified needs more than ONE nomination to obtain an appointment. By the same token, no candidate who fails to meet academy standards will benefit by having multiple nominations.

In order that more New York applicants will have an opportunity to be reviewed by the academies, please let me know immediately if you are nominated by another source. Each Congressional office uses a selection process which is designed to meet its own needs and standards. The different procedures are often confusing to applicants who apply to more than one office. Last minute misunderstandings can be avoided by carefully studying and following the instructions of each office. Certain information is required in order for you to be considered as an applicant. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to submit this information and keep it updated. Completed applications must be received at our office by November 1 because there must be adequate time to assess each candidate's qualifications. Applications received after that date cannot be considered.

 

General Requirements

  • Be at least 17 but not yet 23 years of age.
  • Be a citizen of the United States.
  • Not be married, pregnant, or have a legal obligation to support a child or children.
  • At least a senior in high school. Graduation from high school before admittance to a military academy is required.

Application Requirements

  • Three letters of recommendation written by a teacher, counselor, principal, employer, etc. — someone who knows you well, need to be included in your application packet. (no more than three)
  • A copy of your high school transcript must be submitted. This transcript must show your final junior grades and numerical class rank. If you apply before this information is available, it is your responsibility to request your guidance counselor to send an up-to-date transcript and to keep your records current.
  • a copy of your SAT or ACT scores; if you choose to submit your scores electronically to my office, the code is 2202 for the SAT and 7163 for the ACT.
  • Applicant must be legally domiciled in the state of New York (i.e., where applicant or parents are registered to vote).
  • Optional Essay; You may submit along with your applications, a short essay which describes yourself, an interesting experience or any unusual circumstances surrounding your application. Please limit the essay to 200 words.
  • Optional Photo; A wallet sized photo, stapled to your application in the space designated. please put your name on the back of the photo.

Applicant must be legally domiciled in the state of New York. Please make early contact with the academy of your choice. In order for you to receive a nomination, the academy needs to have all the required forms and your file must be complete.

In order for you to be considered, you must meet certain medical qualifications. The specific qualifications will be detailed in the information you will receive from the academy. At no cost to the applicant, medical examinations will be scheduled with the Department of Defense medical Examination Review Board after a pre-candidate file has been started.

How to Contact the Academies

Selection Process

Selections are made competitively on the basis of a composite of academic factors and leadership potential, extracurricular activities, physical fitness, and recommendations. The following are included:

  • School records, class rank and grade point average.
  • Extracurricular activities
  • College Board Scores (ACT or SAT)
  • Motivation. One of the most important considerations in the selection of nominees is motivation the candidate's desire to attend an academy. It is also the most difficult to measure. To an extent, motivation can be judged by a candidate's diligence in completing his/her file, which is one reason those with incomplete files are not considered for nominations. In addition, candidates are invited but not required to write an essay on their reasons for wanting to attend an academy. The essay is optional, but it could be most helpful to your candidacy.
  • The top 25 candidates for each vacancy will receive an invitation to interview, invitations will be sent by email. All interviews will be scheduled after the November 1 submission deadline.

All completed applications should be forwarded to the NYC office by US Mail or private delivery service. The mailing address is as follows:

Senator Charles E. Schumer
780 Third Avenue
Suite 2301
New York NY 10017
Attn: Academy Coordinator

Telephone inquiries may be directed to: (212) 486-4430

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