Skip to content

academy nominations

Thank you for your interest in applying for a nomination to a United States Service Academy. Nominating qualified Marylanders to the armed forces Uniformed Service Academies is one of the greatest honors and responsibilities of U.S. Senators and Congresspersons. We welcome applications from all interested candidates. Because we seek an applicant pool that reflects the full demographic diversity of the State of Maryland, we strongly encourage applications from those with backgrounds and identities that are underrepresented among officers in the Armed Services. 

We anticipate that my online application for Uniformed Service Academy nominations for the class of 2030 will be available by May 1, 2025.

A complete application consists of the online questionnaire and all ancillary documents (see list below).  It is the responsibility of the applicant to be sure any items that are being provided separately (letters of recommendation and transcripts) are received by 5:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. If any items are missing from the online application after the deadline, the applicant will not be considered for a nomination.

Required Documents:

  1. Applicant Basic Information, Questionnaire, and Essay (through online application link).
  2. Official Transcript(s): High School (required), and College or Prep School if applicable. Transcript(s) must be submitted electronically by your high school using the links in the online application. High school transcripts must include your unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale.
  3. Three Letters of Recommendation, including one from a science or math teacher. Other letters of recommendation may come from teachers, guidance counselors, coaches, and/or employers. Letters from family members will not be accepted. No more than three letters will be accepted. Letters of Recommendation must be submitted electronically using the links in the online application, be on school or personal letterhead and contain the recommender’s contact information.

Transcripts and letters of recommendation must be in English.  

*NOTE: SAT and ACT scores are no longer part of Senator Van Hollen’s application for a nomination to the Uniformed Service Academies. Please do NOT send SAT or ACT scores to our office.

The U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), U.S. Military Academy (USMA), U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) require a nomination from an authorized source before consideration for appointment. Authorized sources include your U.S. Senators, U.S. Representative, and the Vice President of the United States. Active military members, children of deceased or disabled veterans and children of career military may qualify for additional sources of nomination and should contact the service academies directly. Each applicant may seek a nomination to only one Service Academy through my office.

Please note that the deadline for receipt of completed applications online, including all required documents, by my Rockville Office is Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. ET (received, not postmarked or ordered). After the application deadline, applicants who are selected to interview with the Service Academy Advisory Board will be notified. The Advisory Board will interview selected applicants virtually on a Saturday in November.

Please contact our office by email at academynominations@vanhollen.senate.gov or by phone at (301) 545-1500 with any questions.

Application Links