Service Academy Nominations
Instructions
The honor of attending a service academy comes with the obligation and commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation. For more information, please review the page of Frequently Asked Questions for those seeking a Service Academy Nomination.
Members of Congress may nominate candidates for appointment to four of the five U.S. service academies: U.S. Military Academy (USMA), West Point, NY; the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), Annapolis, MD; the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colorado Springs, CO; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), Kings Point, NY. The fifth service academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), New London, CT, does not require a congressional nomination for appointment. It is my honor to have the privilege of nominating up to ten individuals for each vacant academy slot allotted to the 6th district.
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 Through Congressman McDowell's Office
Students interested in a nomination should contact Congressman McDowell's Lexington District Office in the spring of their junior year in high school or the summer before their senior year in high school. To apply for a nomination, please download the Service Academy Nomination application. Please complete the application and return it with the required attachments by Friday, October 31, 2025.
In addition to completing Congressman McDowell’s application for nomination, you should apply to all of the nominating sources for which you may be eligible, including, but not limited to, your elected representatives in Congress and the Vice President of the United States.
You must also apply directly to the service academy you wish to attend:
- U.S. Air Force Academy: http://www.usafa.edu
- U.S. Military Academy: www.usma.edu
- U.S. Naval Academy: http://www.usna.edu
- U.S. Merchant Marine Academy: http://www.usmma.edu
Nomination Process:
Applications will be evaluated based on the candidate’s potential to secure an appointment to an academy and to successfully complete the academy’s leadership, academic, and physical requirements. The top-scoring applicants will be invited to interview in November.
Please note that a nomination does not guarantee admission into a military academy. Each academy’s admissions board ultimately determines who receives an academy appointment.
Best wishes to you as you pursue your commendable goal of attending one of the U.S. Service Academies and serving our country.
Download Congressman McDowell's Service Academy Nomination application HERE
Once downloaded, the form may be completed electronically using the fillable fields. Please save the completed application and submit it in accordance with the instructions provided.