Nomination applications for the College Class of 2029 opens August 1, 2024 and are due by October 4, 2024.
Please join us on October 1 at 7:00pm for an informational session on the Service Academy nomination process at the Fairlington Community Center – 3308 S Stafford St, Arlington 22206.
Download the application package AND checklist. The application is available as a PDF or a Word document.
All Service Academy Nomination Packages are to be submitted online at: https://house.app.box.com/f/b6d45a7e4a0f474d8852578448dc5bb3
If issues arise with formatting or sending your package electronically, please email Congressman Beyer’s District Chief of Staff Noah Simon at noah.simon@mail.house.gov.
Admission to a Service Academy is a two-tiered process. The candidate must first apply through the specific Academy and meet the minimum standards for admission set by the Academy. These standards include academic, physical, and medical qualifications. The second tier to admission is the nominations process. The candidate must meet the Academy’s admissions requirements and receive a nomination to be offered an appointment to the Academy.
Applicants should direct questions admissions questions of a particular Academy to that Academy’s Admissions office. Information can be obtained through each Academy’s website or by contacting the source below:
U.S. Military Academy at West Point (USMA) – (845) 938-4041
U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) – (410) 293-4361
U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) – (719) 333-2520
Our office is entitled to fill ten slots at each Academy, annually.
USMMA Nominations
Unlike the Academies described above, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy uses state rather than district allotments to determine admission. The Commonwealth of Virginia is entitled to five slots in each Merchant Marine Academy class. Each Virginia Senator and Congressman may submit up to ten names per year for the Virginia “list.” The Virginia nominees then compete against one another for the five slots. The young men and women who will fill those slots are chosen by USMA. Once Virginia’s five slots are filled, the remaining nominees who meet the Merchant Marine Academy’s minimum admissions standards are placed into a nationwide qualified candidate pool. At that point, the Academy chooses candidates to fill the remaining slots in the incoming class. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy: (516) 773-5391.
U.S. Coast Guard Academy Nominations
Congressional nomination is not part of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s admissions process. Appointments are made on the basis of an annual nationwide competition. For information regarding Academy admission, see their website or contact the USCGA Admissions office at (860) 444-8500.
General Information
Nomination to the United States Service Academies in the 8th Congressional District is very competitive. Therefore, you are urged to apply to every nominating source for which you are eligible. This may include your Representative, two Senators, the Vice President and the President, if applicable. A highly qualified candidate normally needs no more than one nomination to obtain an appointment. If you receive a nomination from another Congressional source, for your first choice, we will not duplicate the nomination. Please let us know immediately if you are nominated by another congressional authority. If you do not meet academy admissions standards, you will not benefit from having multiple nominations.
Each Congressional office uses a selection process that is designed to meet its own needs and standards. The different procedures may be confusing to candidates applying to more than one office. Misunderstandings can be avoided by carefully studying and following each office’s instructions. Certain information is required as outlined below in order for you to be considered as an applicant. For our process, students may apply to all four Academies. A nomination to one Academy by our office does not affect a nomination to another Academy from our office.
The deadline for receiving your application is October 4, 2024.
Requirements
a. Residency – An applicant must be a legal resident of the 8th Congressional District of Virginia. Candidates who knowingly file in districts or states other than Virginia will be eliminated from consideration in the 8th District.
b. Age – Applicants must be between the ages of 17 and 22 as of July 1 of the year of admission to a service academy.
c. Citizenship – Academy applicants must be citizens of the United States.
d. Marital/Dependent Status – Applicants must be unmarried, not pregnant, and have no legal obligation to support children or other dependents.
e. Academic Performance and Extracurricular Activities – Applicants must have a record of outstanding participation and performance in high school activities (athletic and non-athletic).
f. Moral Standing – Applicants must have good moral standing.
g. Application – The application must be completed and returned no later than October 4, 2024 to be considered. Super-scored standardized tests will be allowed until the interview date of November 2, 2024.
h. Transcript – You must submit an official high school transcript. Typically a school staff members submits this. The transcript must show at least your final junior year grades. If applicable, college transcripts should be provided. Transcripts should be submitted via the link at the beginning of this guidance document.
i. College Boards – The service academies require applicants take the SAT or the ACT examination for entry. Applicants should record their scores in the appropriate part of the application.
j. Qualifying Medical Exams – Each academy schedules candidates for medical examinations through the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DODMERB). There is no cost to you for this examination. Be sure to mail the appropriate yellow, blue or green card as soon as possible to the appropriate academy. You will not need to provide any information to my office regarding your medical exam.
k. Scholarship, Leadership, and Physical Fitness – The academies are looking for scholar-leader-athletes, in that order. The academy and my nomination board will evaluate you for nomination using this same profile. Their evaluation will compare your academic accomplishments/potential, your demonstrated/potential leadership, and your athletic accomplishments with those qualities of other applicants. Consequently, it is important that the information you submit to our office and the academy of your choice be accurate and current.
Consideration for Nomination
Academy selections are made based on a composite of academic, leadership activities/indicators, recommendations, and physical fitness. The following are included.
a. School records, class, and grade point average.
b. Extra-curricular athletic and non-athletic activities.
c. College Board Scores – To qualify for a nomination, a candidate should take either the SAT or ACT test. The higher your standardized test scores and class standing, the greater your chance will be of receiving a nomination. My board and the service academies evaluate the whole-person; therefore, you must also be competitive in the other areas being evaluated.
d. Motivation – One of the most important considerations my board considers when evaluating a candidate for nominations is motivation. It is also the most difficult one to judge. Motivation is one of the most important indicators of success at a service academy. This can be partly judged by the diligence you show in completing your file.
Requirements: Representative Beyer’s Nomination Application
In addition to meeting the basic requirements identified above, you must submit the information/documents listed on the application. All information should be submitted via the link at the beginning of this guidance document.
The information you submit to our office begins your file for consideration for a nomination, however, you must request and submit a Pre-Candidate Questionnaire (PCQ) to the academy to which you are applying to move your academy application forward.
Application Materials
Download the application package AND checklist. The application is available as a PDF or a Word document.
Please submit all documents via the link provided at the beginning of this guidance document between August 1, 2024 and October 4, 2024. Our Academy Advisory Board will interview all candidates with completed packages Saturday, November 2 and make recommendations for candidate nominations thereafter. If materials are missing from your application, our office will notify you. Completed packages submitted after October 4, 2024 will not be considered for nomination. Each applicant with a completed package will be contacted via email to schedule interviews no sooner than October 7, 2024.
Please email any questions to Noah Simon at noah.simon@mail.house.gov.
We look forward to working with you to make this a successful application process.
Congressman
Don Beyer
Proudly Serving Virginia's 8th District