Steps for Admission
You should apply for admission between April of your junior year in high school and January of your senior year in high school. The earlier you apply the better. If you would like deadline reminders, admissions information, or to ask questions about the admissions process, please "like" our Naval Academy Admissions Facebook page!
If you fall into one of these categories please click on the appropriate link to the right to read the important supplemental information needed for the application process first:
1
You must have a social security number to apply to the U.S. Naval Academy.
If you already have one, then proceed to Step 2. If you need to obtain a Social
Security Number go the the website below for more information:
2
Basic Requirements for Eligibility:
- United States citizen:
- Good moral character;
- At least 17 and not past their 23rd birthday on 1 July of the year they would enter the academy;
- Unmarried;
- Not pregnant; and
- No dependents.
If you meet all of the above requirements, please continue to Step 3: Preliminary Application.
If you are in high school but not old enough to apply, you may register with USNA. Once entered into the database, you will be forwarded information on the Naval Academy Summer Seminar during the winter of your junior year and be able to apply online during February and March. This application will also serve as a preliminary application to the Naval Academy.
3
A preliminary application must be submitted to become an official candidate for next year's entering class. If you have applied for our Summer Seminar program, please do not submit a preliminary application.
After being designated as an official candidate for admission, all applicants will be notified by mail. Within your candidate letter will be important instructions on how to proceed with the application process (sent no earlier than mid-May).
The preliminary application form is for students who will be graduating from high school in 2013. Students who graduated before 2013 should also use this form.
If you will graduate after 2013, you are too young to apply for this class and should register with USNA unless you have already done so.
If you experience difficulty getting to the application, it may be a compatibility issue with your computer. Past experience has indicated that compatibility issues may be minimized by using a PC (not a MAC) and Internet Explorer as your web browser.
Please ensure you have the following information on hand when completing the preliminary application. If you do not have this information we cannot properly process your application. Links are provided to help you look up some of the information.
- High School Educational Testing Service (ETS) Code.
- Rank in your High School Class. Also from your Guidance Office. If your school does not rank, please estimate.
- Congressional State and District (where you or your family votes).
- Zipcode + 4.
- Your SAT, ACT, or PSAT scores.
4
To receive an offer of appointment to the Naval Academy, an applicant must obtain a nomination from an official source. There are many nomination sources and applicants are encouraged to apply to all available sources. This normally includes a U.S. Representative, two U.S. Senators and the Vice President of the United States.
The nomination application process is similar to applying for a school, and being personally acquainted with the person from whom you are seeking a nomination is not required.
Submitting your letters of application for nominations should be one of your first steps in the application process. Specific deadlines, other than congressional, can be found through the links to the right. Many members of Congress evaluate candidates during the summer months and make their decisions in early fall. This varies from staff to staff so if you have specific questions about timelines notify the appropriate congressional and Senate staff person.
The Naval Academy accepts nominations until the end of January. Nominating sources will notify the Naval Academy so there is no need to notify the Naval Academy of which nominations you have received.
Nomination process and reference information:
Find your senators & congressman:
Nomination Applications:
(Contact your senators & congressman for their respective applications)
Nomination Sources:
- U.S. Senators, Representatives, and Delegates
- The President of the U.S.
- The Vice President of the U.S.
- Navy and Marine Corps (Active and Reserve)
- Reserve Officers Training Corps Units
- Children of deceased or disabled veterans and children of prisoners of war or servicemen missing in action
- Children of Medal of Honor Awardees
5
The Naval Academy requires candidates to take the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT-I) or the American College Test (ACT) prior to admission. For admission purposes, the academy will evaluate candidates based on the highest score in each individual category if you elect to take these tests multiple times. You should set up testing with your high school guidance office or register online at the above sites. You may prequalify to become a candidate (applicant) using your PSAT scores, however these will not be used as final admission criteria.
Official test results are required for admission. Non-standard tests are not accepted for admission. This includes untimed ACT or SAT tests. You should have your scores forwarded to the Naval Academy using the appropriate College Code Numbers.
The SAT-I code is 5809. The ACT code is 1742.
Check with your school counselor or visit these websites for details of test dates and registration requirements: SAT and ACT. Fee waiver information for SAT and ACT.
6
If the information provided in your Preliminary Application indicates your record is strong enough, you will become an official candidate for admission and you will receive a candidate information letter as early as the July prior to your high school senior year. Upon completion of your candidate file, the Admissions Board will review your record.
You should complete the online forms and ensure they are received by the Academy as soon as you possibly can, preferably within 30 days.
7
The Naval Academy program is physically challenging. All candidates are required to undergo a thorough medical examination, because our graduates will be commissioned in a wide variety of exciting career fields with strict medical standards.
The Admissions Department will submit your name to the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DoDMERB) who will contact you regarding where you may call to schedule your medical examination. DoDMERB will carefully review your medical exam to determine if you meet our medical standards for admission. Approximately one month after your physical is completed, you will receive (by mail) a status report of the DoDMERB findings. DoDMERB may request you provide additional information/records regarding illnesses, injuries, surgery, familial diseases, and other factors that could affect your medical status. You may also be asked to schedule follow-up appointments to determine your current medical status. You may check on the status of your medical exam by referring to the DoDMERB website at https://dodmerb.tricare.osd.mil/. DoDMERB will mail you a letter with the results of their evaluation of your medical examination.
If you have a disqualifying condition, you will be automatically considered for a waiver if/when you receive a Conditional Offer of Appointment. You need not write to request a waiver, nor should you send additional medical information to the Naval Academy for review. A waiver of the medical standard may be granted if both your academic record and medical history suggest the risk introduced by the disqualifying condition is justified by your potential for success as a midshipman and as a naval officer. Many candidates will be required to provide additional information to DoDMERB after their first disqualifying medical condition has been waived. This additional information may result in other disqualifying conditions - which will also be considered for waiver.
Major medical considerations are summarized in the USNA Catalog. This is not meant to be a comprehensive listing of all disqualifying conditions; it is a brief and general summary for your convenience.
8
The Candidate Fitness Assessment is a component of your application and will be submitted electronically. The test consists of a one-mile run, a 'shuttle' run, a kneeling basketball throw, abdominal crunches, push-ups, and pull-ups or a flexed-arm hang for women (when pull-ups cannot be accomplished). The purpose of the test is to evaluate coordination, strength, speed, agility, and endurance. The test can be administered by anyone with a physical education degree, an active duty officer, or a blue and gold officer. Candidates accustomed to regular physical activity should have no difficulty with the Candidate Fitness Assessment. Being properly conditioned prior to Induction Day cannot be overemphasized. You will be far better prepared to meet the stringent physical demands of Plebe Summer if you maintain a high level of physical fitness during high school.
Click here to see Candidate Fitness Assessment Instructions.
9
The decision to attend the Naval Academy is a major one. Before you make that kind of commitment, you will want answers to many questions about the academy and the naval service. We want to help you make the right decision.
In addition to the Candidate Guidance Office located at the Naval Academy, another important resource to help you find out all you can about the academy and the professional opportunities available after graduation, is your Blue and Gold Officer. The Candidate Guidance Office coordinates this nationwide network of trained Naval Academy Information Officers. These officers, located in every state, are well qualified to counsel you on all aspects of the Naval Academy. Your school guidance office should be familiar with your local Blue and Gold Officer.
In addition to being a source of information and counsel, an official interview with your Blue and Gold Officer is required in order to complete an application.
Contact with your assigned Blue and Gold Officer should be established immediately upon receipt of a Naval Academy application packet.
10
The USNA uses a selection process known as "rolling admissions." As soon as all of your candidate packet forms are received, the Admissions Boards will determine your scholastic "whole person" qualification. If your record of achievement is truly outstanding, you could receive an early offer called a Letter of Assurance. This indicates our intent to extend an Offer of Appointment, provided all your remaining requirements (nomination, CFA, Blue and Gold Officer interview and medical) are successfully completed. A Letter of Assurance could be received as early as September of your senior year. Of course, final admission will depend on continued success and good standing in your high school as well as continuing to maintain your qualifications for the Naval Academy.
If you are found scholastically qualified but do not receive a Letter of Assurance, you will be competing for an Offer of Appointment from within your nominating sources. Approximately 2,000 candidates are found fully qualified (scholastic, medical, CFA, and have obtained a nomination) each year. Of that number, about 1,500 will receive appointments and approximately 1,200 become midshipmen. Most candidates will be notified of their final status by April 15.
All appointees should notify the Admissions Office of their intention to accept or decline by May 1. Except in very unusual circumstances, candidate files not completed by March 1 will not receive further consideration.
