Please review all information below thoroughly before proceeding to the submission form.
An appointment to the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, or U.S. Merchant Marine Academy is a distinct and rare honor. Acceptance of an academy appointment requires at least a nine-year service obligation, including four years at an academy and five years of active duty service.
Eligibility
To be eligible for appointment, you must be an American citizen, at least 17 years old and not yet 23 years old on July 1 of the year you enter an academy (25 years old for United States Merchant Marine Academy). Further, you must not be married or pregnant, and you must not have any legal obligation to support children or other dependents. To apply for a nomination through my office, you must also be a legal resident of TX- 16 or the child of a resident of our district. If you are not certain that your legal domicile is in the TX 16th district, call my office and request address verification.
Nomination
The nomination process is very competitive. I urge you to apply for a nomination from me as well as our Senators who can nominate qualified applicants to the four service academies. If you are interested in attending the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, and U.S. Air Force Academy, you may also qualify for nomination through other sources, including the President, who nominates children of career military personnel, deceased or disabled veterans, military or civilian personnel in missing status, and Medal of Honor recipients; the Vice President, who nominates five individuals from across the United States per year; and The Secretary of the Army, Navy, or Air Force, who nominates members of regular military, reserve components, and participants in the ROTC. Please note that the United States Merchant Marine Academy only accepts congressional nominations.
Further information regarding application procedures for these nominations is available through each academy's website, listed below. Applying for more than one nomination could increase your chances of securing a nomination. More than one nomination, however, is not required to gain an appointment. If someone else nominates you, please notify me so that I may allow other candidates the opportunity for nomination.
Evaluation Criteria
The academies consider evidence of character, scholarship, leadership, physical aptitude, medical fitness, personal goals, and motivation in performing each nominee's "whole-person" evaluation. These are also the criteria I use to determine nominations. Specific criteria in the "whole person" evaluation include character, scholarship, leadership, physical aptitude, medical fitness, and motivation.
Character
Absolutely critical in the evaluation of a candidate is a positive determination of the candidate's character. Absence of good moral character is cause for disqualification. Candidates are considered to have good moral character unless evidence exists to suggest otherwise.
Scholarship
Each element of a candidate's academic record is carefully evaluated by a service academy's admissions board. The elements evaluated include a complete high school record (and college record, when applicable) and class standing. All strengths and weaknesses in a candidate's academic background are considered.
Leadership
Participation and achievement in organized athletics, student body and class government, clubs and class extracurricular activities, scouting, boys or girls state, and church or other community-related activities demonstrate evidence of leadership potential. Candidates who have found it necessary to work to provide family support are considered to have demonstrated desirable leadership potential.
Physical Aptitude
Measuring strength, endurance, agility, and coordination, the academies' fitness tests are designed to determine each candidate's readiness to undertake the rigorous athletic and physical education program at one of the academies. Each academy has its own test requirements. Results of the examination are evaluated, assigned a numerical score, and included in the whole-person evaluation by West Point. The Air Force, Naval, and Merchant Marine academies evaluate the results on a pass-or-fail basis.
Medical Fitness
A candidate who meets minimum scholastic standards will be scheduled to take a service academy qualifying medical examination at a military or civilian contract facility near the candidate's home. Although medical qualification standards vary among the academies, only one exam is required. Different tests may be necessary, however, depending upon the academy. Scheduling and evaluation of the exam are arranged by the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DODMERB). Candidates who have questions about their medical exam results should direct them to:
DODMERB
8034 Edgerton Drive
Suite 132
USAF Academy, Colorado 80840-2200
(719) 333-3562
Medical scheduling and evaluation are time-consuming processes, especially if consultation, re-testing, or corrective action is required. The process may take from six weeks to four months.
Motivation
Motivation is an intangible quality and difficult to evaluate; however, since it is most frequently the factor that determines an appointee's success or failure at a service academy, I make every effort to gauge a candidate's motivation. An attempt to measure motivation may be made through observation of the candidate's interest level in attending an academy and serving as an officer in the armed forces. Motivation may also be measured through an evaluation of correspondence, personal contact, and care with which application materials are prepared.
Applicant Evaluation by Service Academies
Each academy uses a questionnaire to make an initial assessment of an applicant's potential for appointment. The results of this evaluation are provided by each academy to Members of Congress to assist them in screening their applicants. Soon after the applicant returns the questionnaire, the admissions office will provide the applicant with an evaluation of the applicant's demonstrated ability to meet admissions standards. An applicant who meets the standards is declared a candidate; those who do not meet the standards at that point may later submit additional test scores or information to the academy for re-evaluation. Be sure to complete a pre-candidate questionnaire for each academy in which you are interested.
Service academy websites are:
Address correspondence regarding your application for a nomination to:
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar
ATTN: Service Academy Nomination
221 N. Kansas Street
Suite 1500
El Paso, TX 79901
or
ServiceAcademy.TX16@mail.house.gov
A nomination is only one of the requirements for matriculation at one of our nation's service academies. You must also apply directly to each service academy individually. At the same time you contact this office, you should also request admissions information from each academy to which you plan to apply, by contacting them at:
United States Naval Academy
USNA Candidate Guidance Office
Annapolis, MD 21402-5018
https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/index.php
United States Air Force Academy
Admissions Office
USAF Academy, CO 80840-5025
https://www.academyadmissions.com/
United States Military Academy
Admissions Office
600 Thayer Road
West Point, NY 10996-9902
https://westpoint.edu/admissions
United States Merchant Marine Academy
Office of Admissions
Kings Point, NY 11024-1699
https://www.usmma.edu/admissions
The Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) is the only United States service academy that does not require a Congressional nomination for appointment. For information about the USCGA, you may contact:
United States Coast Guard Academy
Admissions Office
New London, CT 06320
https://www.uscga.edu/admissions/
Deadline
To be considered for nomination, you will need to submit the following to my office to complete your nomination application:
- Online nomination application
- Official high school transcript with ranking and college transcript (if applicable)
- 2 letters of recommendation: from a teacher, principal, or guidance counselor and/or from an employer, coach, or extracurricular faculty advisor. Must not be from a relative. Homeschooled applicants can get a letter from someone who is related to them and has been able to speak to the candidate’s academic and personal accomplishments
- 500 Word Essay: Who is the most influential person in your life? And why? How have they contributed to your personal growth?
- Video (90 seconds max) detailing additional information about the applicant and his or her moral character
- Interview with a corresponding member of the Selection Committee scheduled by applicant
Nominations will be announced no later than January 31st, 2024.
A completed application must be received at our District Office by December 8th, 2023, 5pm MT.
Please forward the requested information at your earliest convenience. For questions, please email ServiceAcademy.TX16@mail.house.gov.
To fill out the submission form, click here.
