Service Academy Nomination Process

Each year, Members of Congress are invited to nominate young people from their districts to be considered for admission to one of the United States’ Service Academies. If you are a student interested in earning one of Congressman Himes’ nominations, read on to learn more about the application process. To apply for a nomination, click here. To see answers to frequently asked questions, click here. For additional assistance, please contact Congressman Himes’ Bridgeport Office at (203) 333-6600.

The Nomination Process 

To be considered for an appointment to a Service Academy, an applicant must meet the eligibility requirements set forth by law and be nominated by an authorized person. Additional information regarding eligibility criteria and nominating authorities can be found here. Congressman Himes may nominate applicants who legally reside within Connecticut's Fourth Congressional District. You may confirm in which Congressional District you reside here.

In assessing applicants, Congressman Himes uses a “competitive” form of nomination process which entails his submitting an unranked list of nominees for each vacancy to the Academies for review. Admissions officers at the Academies then select the most qualified candidates from the list they have been provided.

Due to the competitiveness of this selection process, it is strongly recommended that each candidate seeks a nomination from both of their U.S. Senators and their U.S. Representative. An applicant whose parent is active or retired military, a disabled or deceased veteran, a POW/MIA, or a Medal of Honor winner may wish to contact the Academy to learn of additional means of receiving a service-connected or Presidential nomination. 

Please adhere to the deadline listed on the nomination application as it will not be extended. If all application materials are not received before the deadline, your file will be considered incomplete and you will not be considered for nomination. Additionally, all applicants should open an account and at least begin the process of applying to the Academies of their choice. Contact the Admissions Department of the Academy to which you are applying with questions about their specific application process.

Who Is Eligible? 

Each applicant 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 turned 23 years old;*
• Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen;
• Marital Status: Must be unmarried, not expecting, and without legal obligation to support children or other dependents;
• (If pursuing a nomination from Congressman Himes) Residence: Must have a permanent residence within the boundaries of the Fourth Congressional District of CT. 

* Candidates for admission to the Merchant Marine Academy must be at least 17 years old, but not have passed their 25th birthday by July 1 of the year of admission. 

Applying To My Office For A Nomination 

Interested, eligible applicants should fill out the online application available here to begin the process. For additional assistance, please contact Congressman Himes’ Bridgeport Office at (203) 333-6600.

Service Academies 

There are five Service Academies: 

Nominations are required for all but the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, to which appointments are made on the basis of an annual nationwide competition. 

Eligible prospective applicants to the USAFA, USNA, and USMA may pursue nominations from several authorized sources. These include the U.S. Senators from the applicant's state, the applicant’s Member of Congress, and the U.S. Vice President (if very highly qualified). The other nomination categories are military-affiliated; more information on these designations can be found here.

With respect to earning a Congressional nomination, Representatives and Senators are allowed to have at each of academy at any one time five persons charged to his or her quota. For each vacancy, fifteen nominations may be made on a strictly competitive basis, except at the USMMA which is capped at ten nominations per vacancy. The competitive method provides that the nominees compete among themselves for final appointment determined by the admissions authorities. They take into consideration a nominee's academic record, extracurricular and athletic activities, physical aptitude, ACT and/or SAT scores, leadership ability, and medical qualifications. Such facets of an applicant's record are also considered during the nomination selection process. No person will be offered admission if he or she does not meet the physical standards of the Academy unless awarded a medical waiver. 

As there is strong competition for nominations and appointments, prospective applicants should consider pursuing all avenues for which they qualify. An individual may be nominated by more than one authority and/or to more than one Academy. 

All applicants applying to my office for nomination to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy must live in Connecticut's Forth District.

Please note that you must start an application process with the academy you are applying to as well as the nomination process through my office.