Throughout my tenure in Congress, I've had the honor and privilege of nominating nearly 1,000 outstanding young men and women for acceptance into our nation's military academies. With the United States' continued fight against terrorism throughout the globe and commitment to defending our homeland, recruiting top-notch talent for our armed forces is critically important.
Our service academies consist of the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Each institution plays an integral role in training young men and women to become tomorrow's military leaders.
Residents of New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District who are between ages 17 and 22 (25 for the Merchant Marine Academy), are U.S. citizens and are single with no dependents can seek a nomination to one of four of the service academies through my office. Note: the Coast Guard Academy does not require a congressional nomination, rather appointments are made on the basis of an annual nationwide competition.
Many students begin learning more about the process as early as their freshman year in high school, and they start the application process as early as the spring of their junior year. To begin the process, I suggest applicants attend one of my Service Academy Information Nights. Anyone with any questions is welcome to contact my office at (732) 780-3035.
In order to be considered for a nomination, applicants must request an application package from my office and return the application along with SAT/ACT scores, an official high school transcript, an essay, three letters of recommendation, a photograph and a thorough listing of the applicants' extracurricular activities. Complete details are provided in the application package.
The annual application deadline is October 16. Applications will only be accepted from those in their senior year of high school or graduates under the age of 25.
An interview for accepted applicants will be scheduled in December with the Fourth Congressional District Service Academy Nomination Advisory Board. If an applicant meets the qualifications, he/she may earn a Congressional nomination to one of the academies. Each academy retains final authority regarding the issuance of an appointment to Congressional nominees.
