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.
Each member may nominate up to 15 individuals for each vacant academy slot allotted to our district. The window to submit an application for a service academy nomination from our office is now closed. Please see below for general information about our process and all necessary supplemental materials.
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.
All applicants must meet the following overall eligibility requirements for admission to a U.S. service academy:
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Obtain solid grades in rigorous college-prep courses.
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Earn high standardized test scores.
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Demonstrate leadership via work experience or extracurricular activities.
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Pass the candidate fitness assessment, which includes a series of physical challenges.
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Meet medical and weight standards or receive an official waiver.
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Impress an interviewer.
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Submit a quality essay and resume.
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Have compelling recommendation letters written on their behalf.
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Possess U.S. citizenship (though there are some exceptions).
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Show good moral character.
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Be no younger than 17 and no older than 25 when they graduate high school.
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Be unmarried, without dependents they are legally required to support, and not pregnant.
The PA-05 Service Academy nomination process is now closed.
Congressional Nomination Process Overview
As indicated above and mandated by Title 10, Statute 4342 of the United States Code, Each senator, representative, and delegate in Congress can nominate up to 15 individuals for each vacancy that is available. This number changes from year to year depending on how many students have graduated from a specific academy.
Each congressional office has a separate nomination process independent of the academy application process to select its nominees. The nomination process for Congresswoman Scanlon’s office is described here.
Be sure to check with each academy you plan to apply to for its specific application parameters. To be eligible for a nomination to a service academy, you must open and complete an application to that service academy.
Only complete applications will be considered for a nomination.
Service Academies that Require a Nomination
For academies requiring a nomination, you must apply to the academy and request a nomination from Congresswoman Scanlon.
U.S. Air Force Academy
HQ USAFA/RRS
2304 Cadet Drive, Suite 2400
USAF Academy, CO 80840-5002
800-443-9266
usafa.edu
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
300 Steamboat Road
Kings Point, NY 11024-1699
866-546-4778
usmma.edu
U.S. Military Academy
USMA Admissions
Building 606 West Point, NY 10996-0000
845-938-5721
usma.edu
U.S. Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy Candidate Guidance Office
117 Decatur Road
Annapolis, MD 21402-5018
410-293-1858
usna.edu
Service Academy that Does Not Require a Nomination
U.S. Coast Guard Academy
Director of Admissions
U.S. Coast Guard Academy
31 Mohegan Avenue New London, CT 06320-8103
800-883.8724 or 860-444-8503
uscga.edu
Congressional Nomination Requirements
When the process reopens in Summer of 2025, applicants must submit the following materials in addition to applying to the academy (or academies) of their choosing:
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PA-05 Service Academy Nomination Application
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Supplemental Materials: official school transcript, copy of SAT/ACT score(s), three letters of recommendation, resume or C/V highlighting extracurricular activities, personal essay, and a recent photo. All supplemental materials must be sent in a single email to scanlon.academynominations@mail.house.gov. Letters of recommendation may be sent separately if needed.
Review the PA-05 Service Academy Nomination Checklist
Interviews
Applicants who have submitted a completed nomination package, meeting all of the above requirements, will receive an interview.
In-person interviews will take place at our district office (2501 Seaport Drive - Chester, PA 19013). If you require a virtual interview due to extenuating circumstances, one will be arranged with the applicable Selection Board after all in-person interviews have been scheduled.
Interviewees will receive an email confirming their interview time(s). If you apply to more than one academy, you will interview with each of the applicable Selection Boards to review your nomination package.
Questions
If you are unclear about whether you’ve completed all the requirements to be considered for a congressional nomination to one of the U.S. Service Academies, review the PA-05 Service Academy Nomination Checklist.
If you have questions about the overall congressional nomination process, take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document.
If you still have questions after reviewing the checklist and FAQs, please call Rita Waters at 610-626-2020.
The Congressional Nomination process is very competitive and one that Congresswoman Scanlon and our office’s Selection Board take very seriously. Please understand that if you do not receive a nomination from our office, it does not necessarily mean you do not meet academy standards, but rather it reflects the high quality of candidates who applied for a very limited number of openings available to our district at each academy.
