Military Academy Nominations

Nomination Information

Welcome! The application for students seeking a congressional nomination to a United States Service Academy is now open. Please complete all sections thoroughly. All applications are due by 3:00 PM PST, Friday, October 31, 2025.

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. For more information, please review the page of Frequently Asked Questions for those seeking a Military Academy Nomination.

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.

Representative Whitesides may nominate individuals for each vacant academy slot allotted to our district. To request a Military Academy Nomination from our office, please complete the form below. Best wishes to you as you pursue your goal of attending one of the U.S. Service Academies and serving our country.

Application Submission Process

The following items must be received, not postmarked, by Congressman Whitesides’ office no later than 3:00 PM PST, Friday, October 31, 2025. All of the following information should be submitted as a completed packet. Please follow the instructions below before submitting your materials.

Complete the information form on the Congressman’s website, click SUBMIT, and generate a PDF of your information form.
Once you generate this PDF, you will need to compile the following application materials:

Information Form & Supplemental Materials

Completed Information Form: This is the PDF that you completed in Step 1.
Resume of Extracurricular Activities & Current Photo: A one to two page resume of extracurricular activities, including employment (if any), clubs, volunteer activities, and sports teams. Please include an appropriate picture of yourself for reference.
Essay/Personal Statement: In 500 words or less, explain why you want to attend a military academy. You will be able to write your essay/personal statement in the generative PDF in Step 1. If you prefer a specific academy, explain why you have selected that academy. Discuss what service means to you and why you believe you should receive a nomination.
Sealed Official Transcript: These must include the most recent grades available. You are welcome to submit transcripts for any college work that you have completed.
Copy of your American College Testing Program (ACT) or Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores: Please provide your official American College Testing Program (ACT) results and/or College Board Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) results.
Affidavit of Residence & Media Release Form: Please access the Affidavit of Residence here & the Media Release Form here.
Two (2) letters of recommendation. Must be written by a teacher, counselor, principal, employer, etc. — someone who knows you well. Letters from family members will not be accepted. Letters may be included in your final submission packet, mailed directly to our office, or emailed to ServiceAcademyNomCA27@mail.house.gov.

You will then submit your compiled application, including supplemental materials.
a. You may do so by emailing your application PDF, and all additional materials listed above, to ServiceAcademyNomCA27@mail.house.gov. with the subject line “Candidate Full Name - Service Academy Nomination.”
OR
b. You may print out the application PDF, compile supplemental materials on paper, and either mail it to or hand it in to our SCV District Office. If mailed, applications must arrive by the application deadline - NOT POSTMARKED.

Questions or comments? Please direct all questions regarding the application process to ServiceAcademyNomCA27@mail.house.gov.

Indicates required field

Your Information

Prefix:

First Name:

MI:

Last Name:

Suffix:

CAPTCHA: enabled to secure this form.

If you are having difficulty using Captcha's visual option, please visit the Accessibility page for more assistance.

Details

Social Security Number:

This form requires you to print, sign, and mail or hand deliver the signed copy to the Palmdale District Office or to the Santa Clarita District Office.

Date of Birth:

Month

Day

Year

Gender:

U.S. Citizen?

Yes

If not, list your country of citizenship:

Parents/Guardians

Relationship:

Name:

Primary Phone Number:

Primary Email:

Please provide the name, phone number and preferred email of one Parent/Guardian in case our office cannot reach you, the applicant.

Your Contact Information

Address

Address 2

City

State

ZIP

Mailing Address

Address

Address 2

City

State

ZIP

Email:

Please provide your home address below. If your mailing address is different, please provide that information on this page.

Telephone

Phone Number:

Phone Type:

What are these options?

Constituents who are hard of hearing or use a video phone have the option to choose TDD or VP based on the type of device they are using. This allows our office to respond to them accordingly. The default option 'Voice' is a standard audible telephone.

Cell Phone Number:

Best Phone Number To Contact

Home Phone

Cell Phone

Education Information

Name of High School:

Address

Address 2

City

State

ZIP

GPA:

Class Size:

Rank:

Graduation Year

Please fill out all fields in either SAT or ACT scores.

SAT Scores

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

Math

Composite: 0

ACT Scores

Math

Science

English

Reading

Writing

Composite: 0

(if applicable)

Academy Information

Number your preference (1 to 4) of academies -- with 1 being your highest preference.

U.S. Air Force Academy:

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy:

U.S. Military Academy (West Point):

U.S. Naval Academy:

An appointment to the Service Academies is based on a desire by the candidate to devote a lifetime of military service and implies recognition by the appointee of an obligation to the government to devote himself / herself to a military career.

Are you interested in an appointment on that basis?

Yes

I also applied for a Service Academy nomination from the following office (s):

Office of the United States President

Office of the United States Vice President

United States Senator

Have you been recruited by a Service Academy for athletics

Which Academy and sport/program?

Have you received a nomination in a previous year from a Congressional office?

please list the year that you were nominated for and which office you were nominated by

Application Requirements

Why I want to attend the Service Academy (500 Word Limit)