Military 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 Military 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.

Representative Casten may nominate up to ten individuals for each vacant academy slot allotted to our district. To request a Military Academy Nomination from our office, please complete the form below. Best wishes to you as you pursue your goal of attending one of the U.S. Service Academies and serving our country.

In addition to submitting a complete nomination application to Congressman Casten, applicants must also apply directly to their respective military academy. Nominations cannot be awarded unless a file is open with the academy.

Eligibility Requirements

As of July 1st of the year of admission to an academy:

  • Be at least 17 years old, but not have passed the 23rd birthday
  • Must be a U.S. citizen
  • Unmarried, not pregnant, and without legal obligation to support children or dependents
  • Legal resident of Illinois 6th Congressional District. 

2021 Nomination Program Schedule

May 15, 2021               Application Period Begins
November 2, 2021      Application Submission Deadline
November 13, 2021    Interview Day for Qualified Applicants
December 1, 2021      Nomination Result Notifications sent to applicants
December 31, 2021    Nominations Submitted to Academies

Nomination Application

To be considered for a nomination by Congressman Casten, each applicant must complete and submit a web based application before 11:59pm on November 2, 2021.

Items to be received separately

Official High School Transcript sent to the address below.

Official SAT/ACT Scores: Scores must be sent directly to the address below by the testing service.  The institution code: SAT 6605 ACT 7380.

Three Letters of Recommendation: One letter must be written by a science or math teacher and the remaining letters may be written by teachers, coaches, employers, clergy or community leaders. Letters should be mailed separately by the recommender to the address below.

U.S. Representative Casten
Attn: Academy Nomination Program
800 Roosevelt Rd, BLDG C Suite 210
Glen Ellyn IL 60137

Interviews

Applicants who complete and submit their nomination application on or before 11:59pm November 2, 2021, will be interviewed by Congressman Casten’s Service Academy Review Board. The board will submit nomination recommendations to the Congressman.  This highly-qualified, non-partisan board ensures a fair and impartial nomination process.

In addition to submitting a complete nomination application to Congressman Casten, applicants must also apply directly to their respective military academy(s). Nominations cannot be awarded unless a file is open with the academy. 

Application

Click to save, print, and sign the Service Academy Privacy Release form. This form will need to be attached to your web based application at the link below. The web based application found at the link below will also require you to submit a photo of yourself. Please print and sign the privacy release and have a digital version ready to upload, along with your picture to the web based application before starting.

When you have the signed privacy release and a photo of yourself ready, please complete and submit the Service Academy Web Form.

Please reach out to my office with any questions regarding my service academy nomination program: (630) 520-9450.