Service Academy Nomination Process

If you have questions about the nomination process, please call my Bridgeport District Office at (203) 333-6600. 

United States Military Academy Nominations 

One of my most gratifying duties is to nominate young people from the 4th Congressional District to service academies. 

The Nomination Process 

To be considered for an appointment to a service academy, an applicant must meet the eligibility requirements established by law and be nominated from an authorized person including a Member of the United States Senate or the House of Representatives. I may nominate applicants who are legally living within the boundaries of Connecticut's 4th Congressional District. 

Congressman Himes uses a “competitive” form of nomination. Using this method, the Member of Congress submits to the academy an unranked list of nominees for each vacancy. The academy then reviews the list and selects the most qualified candidates. 

Admission to the Academies is a two-tiered process. You must first receive a nomination from your Congressman or Senator, and then your application will be reviewed by the Academy for final appointment/admission to the respective Academy. 

Due to the competitiveness of this selection process, it is strongly recommended that each candidate applies to both U.S. Senators and their U.S. Representative. An applicant who has a parent who is an active or retired military person, 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 as stated above as it will not be extended. If all materials are not submitted by the deadline, your file will be closed as incomplete and you will not be considered for nomination. Additionally, all applicants should open and account and at least begin the process of applying to the academies of their choice. 

Who Is Eligible? 

An applicant for a nomination must meet the following eligibility requirements as of July 1 of the year of admission to a service academy. 

* 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 applicants, usually in their junior year of high school, should fill out my online application packet to start the process. Please call (203) 333-6600 with any questions. 

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. 

As far as the USAFA, USNA, and USMA are concerned, there are various nomination authorities, with each eligible young person being able to apply to both United States Senators from the applicant's state, his or her United States Representative, and the Vice President (if very highly qualified). The other nomination categories are military-affiliated.

With respect to the Congressional category, each Representative and each Senator is allowed to have at each of those academies at any one time five persons charged to his or her quota. There are three methods of nominating, and I use the competitive method. For each vacancy, ten nominations may be made on a strictly competitive basis. 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 competition for nomination and appointment is very keen, it is wise for all interested persons to apply through all sources for which they are eligible and for all Academies in which they have a real interest. An individual may be nominated by more than one nominating authority and/or to more than one Academy. 

With regard to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, the locality boundary for nomination by a Representative in the State in which the District lies, however, all applicants applying to my office for nomination to the 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. 

Submitting a Recommendation  

If you are submitting a recommendation on behalf of an applicant please click here.