Senator Smith has the honor and privilege to recommend some of Minnesota’s most brilliant and skilled individuals to attend the United States Service Academies. These academies allow young people to serve our country while receiving a full four-year scholarship from some of our finest institutions of higher learning. Upon acceptance of an appointment into an Academy, a student commits to five years of service after graduation or work in the Maritime Industry, if they attended the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
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 United States House of Representatives.
Each member of Congress is allowed just five individuals enrolled in a particular Academy at any given time. Sen. Smith will nominate ten individuals per open slot at each Academy. Each Academy then appoints the nominees who fulfill their admission requirements.
Sen. Smith highly recommends that you apply to all nominating sources and academies available to you as a candidate. This includes: The Office of the Vice President, Senator Klobuchar’s office, Sen. Smith’s office, and your U.S. Representative’s office. This allows you the greatest chance of receiving a nomination, as our Minnesota Delegation works together to ensure that as many bright Minnesotans have the opportunity to be appointed to one of the academies.
Timeline for Sen. Smith’s Application Process
June: Online application and information available via the Senator’s web page
Friday, November 1, 2024: (5:30 pm Central): Application Deadline
Saturday, November 16, 2024: Academy Interview Day
December to January: Academy Coordinator finalizes Sen. Smith’s nominations by working in conjunction with other Minnesota Congressional offices.
Late January to mid-February: Nomination notification letters (both affirmative and negative) are sent to applicants
Each applicant for a nomination must meet the following eligibility requirements as of July 1 of the year of admission to a service academy:
Must be at least 17 years old, but not have passed the 23rd birthday. Exception: The Merchant Marine Academy applicant must be at least 17 years old, but not have passed the 25th birthday.
Must be a U.S. citizen. You must submit proof of citizenship if you were foreign born or naturalized.
Must be unmarried, not pregnant, and have no legal obligation to support children or other dependents.
Must be a resident of Minnesota.
Must be of good character, academic, leadership, physical, and medical fitness.
Required Materials
Online Application – Follow link, sign up, complete application and upload all supporting documents listed below.
Current Resume - Current Professional Style Resume.
Picture - Picture should show applicant’s face and be no smaller than 1″ by 1″.
1-2 Page Essay - In a clear and concise manner, explain why you want to attend a service academy and what this has to do with your future goals and the goals of the United States Military.
Transcripts - Please send all high school and (if available) college transcripts.
Appropriate Test Scores (SAT or ACT) - When taking these tests, applicants can request that results be sent directly to my office by using ACT code 7146 and SAT code 6179. We accept super scoring within the application.
Three Letters of Recommendation - Ask your guidance counselor, high school principal, or a teacher to write a letter of recommendation letter on your behalf. Your other two letters may be written by an acquaintance, but not by a family member. It is highly recommended that your guidance counselor/principal/ teacher letter focus on academics while your remaining two letters focus on character and leadership, respectively. Please no more than three letters of recommendation.
To apply for a nomination, complete the online application and upload the other materials listed above. If you need to send anything via mail you can use the following: Senator Tina Smith, Attn. Nominations Coordinator, 60 Plato Boulevard East, Suite 220, St. Paul, MN 55107 or by email to service_academies@smith.senate.gov. On June 1, Sen. Smith will be accepting applications for the academy classes entering in the summer of 2023 and graduating in 2027. Please note that students are required to begin the application process with the academies themselves before being considered for a nomination to that academy.
Interview Information
The final step of the Congressional Nomination process is an in-person interview at the St. Paul office. All interviews will be conducted in person on a Saturday in November in conjunction with Senator Klobuchar’s office. Our offices academy nominations coordinators will coordinate the timing of the interviews so they do not overlap to allow appropriate travel time.
All applicants who are eligible and complete their applications by the deadline will be invited for an interview; service academy alumni and/or official Senate staff will interview the candidates. Sen. Smith and her selection committee will make final selections and notify nominees in late-January to mid-February.
Applicants will be subjected to a “whole-person” approach during their interview session. Applicants are expected to speak fluently about their desire to serve, character, scholarship, motivation, physical fitness, extra-curricular activity, and leadership abilities.
If you have any questions about the academy nominations process, please do not hesitate to call the St. Paul office at (651) 221-1016 and ask to speak to the academy nominations coordinator or email service_academies@smith.senate.gov.
Service Academy Links
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