Military Academy Nominations

Applications for the class of 2027 are now open.

The honor of attending a service academy comes with the obligation and commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation. For more information, please review the page of Frequently Asked Questions for those seeking a Military Academy Nomination.

Members of Congress may nominate candidates for appointment to four of the five U.S. service academies: U.S. Military Academy (USMA), West Point, NY; the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), Annapolis, MD; the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colorado Springs, CO; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), Kings Point, NY. The fifth service academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), New London, CT, does not require a congressional nomination for appointment.

Representative Garbarino may nominate up to 10 individuals for each vacant academy slot allotted to our district. To request a Military Academy Nomination from our office, please complete the form below. Best wishes to you as you pursue your goal of attending one of the U.S. Service Academies and serving our country.

General Information for the Class of 2027 Applicants

A nomination to one of the United States service academies is a distinct and rare honor. Acceptance of an Academy appointment involves at least a 9 year obligation to the service: four years at the Academy and at least five years of active duty service (with the exception of the Merchant Marine Academy). The information below is provided to help you complete your application completely, accurately, and correctly.

Nominations for military academies in New York’s Second Congressional District are competitive. You are urged to apply for a nomination from every available nominating source. These sources include Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the President, and the Vice President. Service-affiliated nominations are also available to children of career officers and enlisted personnel of the armed forces, including active and reserve. Children of deceased or disabled veterans, or children of Medal of Honor winners may also receive nominations. Please contact the Military Academies individually for more details.

A nomination is required to gain an appointment to a service academy. However, it does not guarantee admission; the number of young people receiving nominations is far greater than the number of appointments available. The decision to admit a nominee to a service academy is entirely at the discretion of each academy’s admissions processes. All interviews will be held on Thursday, November 17, 2022.

Requirements for Nomination

To qualify for an appointment and nomination you must be:

On July 1st of the year of entry, 17 years old but not yet 23 years old to enter all academies, except the Merchant Marine Academy, which has a maximum of 25 years of age.
A citizen of the United States.
Unmarried, not pregnant, and have no legal obligation to support a child or dependent.
A legal resident of the 2^nd Congressional District of New York for nominations to the Naval Academy, Military Academy (West Point), and the Air Force Academy or the State of New York for nominations to the Merchant Marine Academy

Nomination Process

Upon learning of your interest, the Academy will establish a Prospective Candidate’s File for you and send you any pertinent information. Congressman Garbarino will not be able to offer a nomination to any student who does not have an open candidate file at the relevant Academy and has not submitted a completed packet by the deadline.

Guidelines and Procedures

To be considered for a nomination from Congressman Garbarino, you must submit a complete application and all supporting materials by Monday October 3, 2022.
Once we receive your application, we will create a file for you. Once your file is complete (see components needed below), you will be notified. You will be notified of your interview time at least one week before the interview day.
An interview with Congressman Garbarino’s Service Academy Selection Committee/Review Board is mandatory to receive a nomination. Interviews will ONLY be held on Thursday November 17, 2022. Candidates unable to attend interviews in person must notify the office as soon as possible.
Applicants will be notified of the nomination decision on their application no later than January 31, 2023, though notifications are typically made by the end of the year. It is the practice of Congressman Garbarino's office to communicate directly with the applicant themselves, when possible.
We appreciate the enthusiasm and pride parents have for their children and understand their desire to see their children prosper. Success at service academies requires a great deal of maturity and responsibility from those that are admitted. We expect applicants to be able to communicate directly with our office on any questions or inquiries they may have.
Applicants are expected to adhere to the application to provide information for review. For example, applicants may not exceed the 250 word limit on the personal statement/essay, submit more than the allowed 3 of letters of recommendations, or submit any supplementary materials. The review board will only consider information contained on the application packet or learned from the interview.
To maintain eligibility for a nomination from Congressman Garbarino's office, all information submitted to our office must be factual and all deadlines must be met.

Application components and checklist:

The following is a detailed list of the components in a complete application. Please use this list to ensure you have arranged for the proper information to be sent to Congressman Garbarino's liaison.

A complete application form
- The application form may be found at: Garbarino.house.gov Click on SERVICES. Drop down to: Military Academy Nominations (once the application process opens on Monday May 23, 2022).
- -The application components include basic information, answers to writing prompts, a one-page resume of activities and leadership positions (including your name and all of your contact information), a personal statement/essay (not to exceed the 250-word limit), an order of preferences for the academies, a current photo and other information.
3 letters of recommendation
- The letters of recommendations may be sent (directly by the recommender) via email to: Donnald.Rettaliata@mail.house.gov or mailed to: Congressman Garbarino, 1003 Park Blvd, Massapequa Park, NY 11762 (Attention: Service Academy).
- The 3 letters must be from a person who has supervised, instructed, managed, or coached the applicant. This includes teachers, employers, job supervisors, and coaches.
- Extra letters will not be considered.
Official transcripts for high school and college courses
- Official transcripts from every high school and college level school you have attended. Your current transcript should include your grade point average, class rank if available, complete junior year coursework and the classes you are currently taking in your senior year.
- Transcripts must be sent by mail or email directly from your schools’ registrar. If they are emailed, send directly to donald.rettaliata@mail.house.gov
Official Test Scores
- Applicants are responsible for requesting testing services to provide official scores to Congressman Garbarino's office. Copies or screenshots will not be accepted. You may send scores when you take the test or via the testing service afterwards.
- SAT/ScoreReports may be sent directly to our office. ACT/ScoreReports may also be sent directly to our office.
- Note: You may submit your application without test scores but, your score reports must be received by the interview date. When scheduling your test, please consider when we will receive the results. You will not be eligible for nomination more interview if your SAT or ACT results are not received in by the interview date.

Basis for Nomination

Nominations are made based on the candidate’s academic record, extracurricular activities, recommendation letters, SAT and/or ACT score, your 250 word essay, and an interview with the NY Second District Service Academy Review Board. Our review committee will also consider the applicants personal character and motivation.

Key dates for the class of 2027

Monday May 23, 2022 - nominations application opens
Monday October 3, 2022 - deadline for applications and supporting documents
Thursday November 17, 2022 - mandatory interview date for those who submitted complete applications
No later than January 31, 2023 - candidates notified of nomination decisions
February - May 2023 - candidates notified by academies of appointment decisions