One of the great privileges I have representing The Natural State as a U.S. Senator is making nominations to our nation’s military service academies. This process is competitive and challenging as some of the best and brightest students try to secure appointments to the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Each of these institutions has its own selection process, but they all require a nomination from a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator or the Vice President. 

After participating in this process for many years, I am happy to encourage students who are considering this path with insights into the application process. 

First, start early. Applying to the academies is not the same as applying to a traditional college or university. You will need academic records, recommendations, medical records, fitness tests and other requests that are unique to entry at a military school. 

Your junior year in high school is a great time to start looking at the requirements for each academy and open an application file with any that interest you. This will make the entire process less stressful.

Second, apply for the week-long summer programs hosted by each academy between your junior and senior year. These provide the chance to show your favorite school how committed you are and can also help you decide if academy life is a good fit. 

If you are already a senior and are just learning about these opportunities, rest assured there is still time to apply. You’ll want to get started right away and keep an eye on the upcoming deadlines for nomination requests. 

Of course, the most important step is to apply to each academy that interests you. Then, you can apply for a nomination from your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative. It is strongly recommended you request nominations from each office that serves you – two Senators and one Representative – to give you the best chance of success. Every Member can only nominate a small number of students and applying with each of your representatives can increase the competitiveness of your application.   

The deadline to apply for a nomination from my office is November 1. You can find an application on my website. 

Finally, consider applying for the national ROTC scholarship program at the same time you apply to an academy. You will already have all the records and information to make it easy, and it will give you another scholarship opportunity that could pay for most, or all, of your college career. It is also another excellent way to become a military officer.

I am looking forward to meeting this year’s applicants from Arkansas and doing all I can to support their willingness to become military leaders in our nation. I hope any interested candidates will reach out to my office and apply.