Academy Nominations

As a Member of Congress, I take great pride in the opportunity to nominate the finest students from North Dakota to the U.S. Air Force Academy, Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Naval Academy and West Point. Nominations are not needed for the Coast Guard Academy; however, my academy coordinator would be happy to assist you with any information you may need.

Eligible applicants must be:

• Unmarried citizens of the United States with no dependents and;
• At least 17 years old but not past their 23rd birthday on the first of July of the year they wish to be admitted and;
• A resident of North Dakota. You, or your parents, must claim North Dakota as your primary state of residence.

As a student interested in attending one of the Service Academies, there are a few things you must do:

• First, contact the academy directly to open a pre-candidate file.
• Second, in order to be considered for a nomination, you must contact my Military Academy Coordinator, in my Minot office and submit the following items to my Minot office no later than October 11, 2024 by mail, not fax:
• Academy Nomination Application Form: Can be filled out online by clicking here.
• SAT/ACT scores
• Three letters of recommendation: one from a teacher, principal or guidance counselor; one from an employer, coach, or extracurricular faculty advisor; and one from any person of your choice who is not related to you.
• A copy of your high school transcripts, including your GPA, the size of your class, and your ranking within that class. If you are in prep school or college, please provide transcripts through your senior year.

• A personal essay to Senator Hoeven titled, “Why I want to become an Officer in the U.S. Military”

• A current colored 4 x 6 or 5 x 7 photograph of yourself

Below is additional information about the nominations process, as well as the forms needed to begin the process. The application deadline is October 11, 2024 for those students who are in their senior year of high school. Should you have any questions about the application process, please call my Military Academy Coordinator, in my Minot Office at 701-838-1361. I look forward to hearing from you.

Related Forms and Information

• Academy Nomination Fact Sheet

  Interested in learning more about the nomination process? Start here.
  

• Nomination Application

  Please print off and fill out this form and return it along with the other materials

• Academy Nomination Recommendation Form

  Cover letter to be used on all letters of recommendation

• Application Checklist

ROTC/OCS

Every year many highly qualified candidates are not selected or nominated to a service academy. Their dreams of becoming military officers need not end there. ROTC offers the same officer commission and career opportunity as a service academy. Many full tuition and fees ROTC scholarships are available to attend many private and public colleges and universities across the country.

Students should consider applying for these scholarship opportunities as well as to the academies.