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academy nominations

Nominating qualified Marylanders to the Uniformed Service Academies is one of the greatest honors and responsibilities of members of Congress. We welcome applications from all interested candidates. We strongly encourage applications from across the State of Maryland and from all backgrounds and identities as we strive to nominate applicants that represent the full demographic diversity of the State.

We are now accepting applications for Uniformed Service Academy nominations for the class of 2029. The online application can be found HERE.

A complete application consists of the online questionnaire and all ancillary documents (see list below).  It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that our office receives any items that are being provided separately (i.e., letters of recommendation and transcripts) by 5:00 p.m. ET on September 26, 2024. If any items are missing from the 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. High school transcript(s) must be submitted electronically by your high school using the links in the online application. High school transcripts must include the applicant’s enrolled courses for fall 2024 and unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale.
  3. Three letters of recommendation, including one from a science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) 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 on school or personal letterhead, dated, signed, and submitted electronically using the links in the online application.

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, the Vice President of the United States and 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 our office.

Senator Van Hollen hosted informational events about his academy nomination process in April 2024. The events featured a panel of representatives from all five U.S. Service Academies and Bowie State University’s Army ROTC program. Please find an official recording of the event here.

Please note that the deadline for receipt of completed applications online, including all required documents, by Senator Van Hollen’s Rockville Office is September 26, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET. After the application deadline, applicants who are selected to interview with the Service Academy Advisory Board will be notified. The Advisory Board will conduct virtual interviews with applicants on Saturday, November 16, 2024.

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

Application Links