Congressman Faleomavaega announced today that he is currently accepting applications for Congressional nominations to fill one vacancy at the U.S. Air Force Academy (www.usaf.edu) in Colorado Springs, Colorado and one vacancy at the U.S. Naval Academy (www.usna.edu) in Annapolis, Maryland for the class entering the academies next summer.  He is also accepting applications for Congressional nominations to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (www.usmma.edu) which is located in Kings Point, New York. 

The deadline for accepting requests for nominations this year is Monday, December 31, 2012.

At this time, with the exception of the Merchant Marine Academy which can sometimes accept more midshipmen provided there are vacancies in the national pool, by law, American Samoa is only permitted to have two cadets/midshipmen at any one of the academies at any given time.  As such, American Samoa’s two slots at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, are currently filled until 2014. 

Applicants interested in applying to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, must apply directly to the Coast Guard Academy since it has its own application process which does not require a nomination from a Member of Congress.  Interested applicants may obtain more information about the Coast Guard Academy’s application process and deadline by visiting its online site at www.cga.edu.

To apply to the Military Academies, applicants must be of good moral character and meet the following basic eligibility requirements:

• An applicant must be at least 17 years of age and must not have passed his/her 23rd birthday on July 1 of the year of admission;
• Unmarried, not pregnant and have no obligation to support children or other dependents; and
• A U.S. citizen (U.S. nationals may be nominated but must obtain their U.S. citizenship before graduating from the Academy).

To request a Congressional nomination, applicants must provide a letter to Congressman Faleomavaega explaining what their goals are and reasons for seeking a nomination to the academy.  Letters should be sent via email to Faleomavaega@mail.house.gov and/or by facsimile to (684) 699-8582.  The letters should also include the following information and any other pertinent information the applicants wish to share about themselves:

• Which academy they are seeking a Congressional Nomination
• Whether or not they have opened an official file at that Academy
• Their postal mailing address
• Telephone number(s)
• Email address
• High school and grade/class
• GPA and ranking in class
• SAT and/or ACT scores
• Extra-curricular activities (sports, community work, etc)
• If they are in good physical condition to meet the physical challenges at the Academy.

To meet the high qualifying standards set forth by the academies, Faleomavaega requires applicants to have a minimum Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) combined verbal and math score of 1,000 or an American College Test (ACT) score of 25 for English, 27 for Math, 26 for Reading, and 26 for Science Reasoning.  Please keep in mind that these scores do not automatically qualify an applicant for admission.  The final decision as to whether or not an applicant will be offered an appointment or admission will made by the academies. For this reason, it is recommended that all applicants take the SAT and/or ACT more than once if they believe they can improve their test scores.

The deadlines for applicants to complete their files with the academies are as follows:

• U.S. Air Force Academy:  January 31, 2013
• U.S. Naval Academy:  February 28, 2013
• U.S. Merchant Marine Academy:  March 1, 2013

It is important to note that the Academies will disqualify applications from receiving any further consideration if the application has not been completed and returned on or before the deadlines.  
 
Candidates who are successful in gaining admission to one of the service academies, which are ranked among the top rated educational institutions in the United States, can look forward to being challenged academically and physically.  They will also receive a four-year education which ranges in value from $350,000 to $500,000, and the opportunity to serve their country as an officer in the U.S. Armed Forces. 

For more information, please contact Faleomavaega’s office in Tafuna at 699-8577.