Every year, my office has the honor of nominating students from our community to the four U.S. service academies. These students compete in a rigorous application process and if appointed, will receive a four-year scholarship at the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, or the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and then will serve a minimum of five years as an officer in their respective branch after graduation.
For the student applicants, a great deal of effort goes into the process of successfully receiving an academy appointment. Each year, I am allowed to nominate a limited number of individuals to the academies. One of the highlights of my year is to host these remarkable nominees (and their families) with a reception to recognize their achievements!
Our Process
The ultimate goal for these student leaders is to receive an academy appointment. First, they must begin this months-long process by applying to our office and completing a lengthy application that demonstrates their communication skills through essay questions. They must also pass a comprehensive physical fitness test, assemble letters of support, and provide other criteria to demonstrate academic ability and a commitment to service. Typically, students that are rising high school seniors begin the application during the spring and summer of their junior year. Applications are due in early October of the student’s senior year.
Once the application has been fully completed, each student will be invited to participate in an in-person interview with our academy board. The interview typically takes place in November. Please note, in order to interview, you must be on track to graduate in the same school year or have previously graduated from high school.
After all interviews have been completed, our academy board convenes to discuss the merits of each applicant and then provides their recommendations to me.
After reviewing all applications, a select number of nominations from my office are sent out in December or early January to the students who will move forward in the process.
Nominations
Our PA-06 congressional district has a proud history of providing excellent applicants as nominees for the academies’ consideration. It’s my intention to nominate as many qualified students as possible to maximize our successful appointments. This year, I nominated 29 students from our community!
