The Service Academy Nomination process is closed for entry into the classes for 2012. Below you will find the new requirements for the upcoming class for 2013.
The Nomination Process
To be considered for an appointment to a service academy, an applicant must meet the eligibility requirements established by law and be nominated from an authorized person including a Member of the United States Senate or the House of Representatives. I may only nominate applicants who live in the 6th District of Minnesota.
Who Is Eligible?
An applicant for a nomination must meet the following eligibility requirements as of July 1 of the year of admission to a service academy.
He or she must be at least 17 years old, but not have passed the 23rd birthday, must be a United States citizen, and must be unmarried, not pregnant, and have no legal obligation to support children or other dependents.
Applying To My Office For A Nomination
Students interested in a nomination should contact my Waite Park office from August to mid-October of their senior year in high school for an application or print the one found here:
Candidates must also submit the following to complete their file:
* Official high school (&) official college transcripts
* Official SAT scores (Code 0267) OR ACT Scores (7488)
* One 500 word (limit) Essay, "Why I want to attend a Service Academy."
* Three letters of recommendation
* Photograph
* Request for a nomination
We also accept applications faxed to 320-240-6905, or scanned and e-mailed to Nicole Severson.
Also, please note that it is necessary to open a file at each academy in which you are interested. This should be done as soon as possible.
Important Dates to Remember:
The deadline to submit complete 2012 application packets is October 31, 2012, the last Day in October. (Applications post-marked after October 31st will not be accepted.)
Service academy nomination interviews will take place on November 10, 2012, the second Saturday in November. Candidates will be notified via mail of their individual interview time.
10/2012: Any previous show of interest to our office via calls emails or letters will be following up prior to the final deadline. The candidate will be updated on the status of his or her file.
10/31/2012: The candidates file must be completed and sent post marked no later then October 31st, 2012 to Congresswoman Bachmann’s office unless prior arrangements have been made. An incomplete file is an indication of a lack of interest in pursuing a nomination.
11/2012: Applications will be reviewed by the Bachmann Academy Nomination Advisory Committee.
An interview is required for nomination.
11/10/2012: Candidate interviews with the Committee will take place on the second Saturday in November at our Woodbury office: (As of now there will not be a second interview date)
6043 Hudson Rd, Suite 330
Woodbury, MN 55125
Applicants will be notified of the time and date of their appointment. Unless prior arrangements have been made, there is no exception; the nomination interview is expected to be conducted in person. Please contact Nicole Severson ASAP if you know there might be a conflict in time slot or interview date.
01/31/13: Deadline for Congressional offices to submit their nomination choices to the academies.
Applicants will be notified of the final outcome by the prospective academy.
Applicants are rated through a scoring process that takes into account the applicant’s GPA, ACT/SAT test scores, extra-curricular activities, athletic participation, and performance during the interview with the Academy Nomination Advisory Committee.
The interview is an important component of the application process and lasts approximately 15-20 minutes.
Please e-mail Nicole Severson, nicole.severson@mail.house.gov, with any questions or concerns.
Service Academies
There are five Service Academies: The United States Air Force (USAFA), Naval (USNA), Military (USMA), Merchant Marine (USMMA), and Coast Guard (USCGA) Academies. Nominations are required for all but the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, to which appointments are made on the basis of an annual nationwide competition.
As far as the USAFA, USNA, and USMA are concerned, there are various nomination authorities, with each eligible young person being able to apply to both United States Senators from the applicant's state, his or her United States Representative, and the Vice President (if very highly qualified). The other nomination categories are military-affiliated.
With respect to the Congressional category, each Representative and each Senator is allowed to have at each of those academies at any one time five persons charged to his or her quota. There are three methods of nominating, and I use the competitive method. For each vacancy, ten nominations may be made on a strictly competitive basis. The competitive method provides that the nominees compete among themselves for final appointment determined by the admissions authorities. They take into consideration a nominee's academic record, extracurricular and athletic activities, physical aptitude, ACT and/or SAT scores, leadership ability, and medical qualifications. Such facets of an applicant's record are also considered during the nomination selection process. No person will be offered admission if he or she does not meet the physical standards of the Academy unless awarded a medical waiver.
As competition for nomination and appointment is very keen, it is wise for all interested persons to apply through all sources for which they are eligible and for all Academies in which they have a real interest. An individual may be nominated by more than one nominating authority and/or to more than one Academy.
With regard to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, the locality boundary for nomination by a Representative is the State in which the District lies rather than just the District itself. Each Representative and each Senator may nominate ten candidates each year to compete for admission.
