It is a great pleasure to nominate qualified individuals
to the United States Naval, Merchant Marine, Military or Air
Force Academy.
Once you have decided which academy you would like to attend,
you should either contact my office or the academy directly
for a Pre-Candidate Questionnaire. Upon completion and return
of this form to the academy, you will be informed of academy
requirements, such as medical examinations and physical aptitude
tests. It is also recommended that each candidate attempt
to visit the academies to meet with admissions representatives,
talk to cadets and view the facilities.
Nominees to the service academies must be United States
citizens and applicants to Congressman Shays' office must
be permanent residents of the fourth district. Candidates
must be at least 17 years old, and not yet 22 years old by
July 1 of the year of admissions. Candidates must be unmarried
and have no legal obligation to support any dependents.
Congressman Shays accepts applications for nominations to
the following service academies:
- U.S.
Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado
- U.S.
Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York
- U.S.
Military Academy, West Point, New York
- U.S.
Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland
The U.S.
Coast Guard Academy in New London does not
utilize a congressional nominating system.
The law pertaining to congressional nomination stipulates
that each Member of Congress is allowed a maximum of five
"charges" at each academy in any given year (Merchant Marine
is an exception). When a "charge" graduates, a vacancy is
created that the member may fill. Each member nominates
a slate of ten candidates for each vacancy. Congressman
Shays uses a "competitive" form of nomination. Using this
method, he submits to the academy an unranked list of nominees
for each vacancy. The academy then reviews the list and
selects the most fully qualified candidate. This candidate
becomes the Congressman's "charge". The remaining nominees
are then considered and may also be offered appointments,
but they will not be the member's "charge".
Due to the competitiveness of the selection process, it
is strongly recommended that in addition to Congressman
Shays, each candidate apply to Senator
Dodd, Senator
Lieberman and Vice
President Cheney.
If an applicant has a parent who is an active or retired
military person, a disabled or deceased veteran, a POW/MIA,
or a Medal of Honor winner, the candidate may be able to
apply for a Presidential or other forms of nomination. For
further information, please refer to the academy catalog
or speak to an admissions representative or liaison officer.
Application Process
I require the following six (6) items for consideration
of a candidate:
- (1) Complete application
for nomination online and print.
- (2) Essay. A 750 - 1000 word essay describing yourself,
your
- goals and the reasons you would like to attend an academy.
- (3) Official high school transcripts. Must arrive with
application
- package in sealed envelope from guidance counselor.
- (4) SAT and/or ACT scores. Applicants may notify the
- SAT/ACT testing centers at (609) 771-7600 to request
that
- scores be sent directly to Congressman Shays's office,
SAT
- code #3536. Due to the cost of requesting original copies,
- guidance counselors may submit these scores with the
- candidate's official transcripts.
- (5) Three recommendations. These letters may be written
by
- teachers, principals, employers, clergy, neighbors,
or other
- non-family members who can accurately comment on the
- applicant's character, abilities and potential for success
in an
- academy environment. Three letters of recommendation
must
- be submitted with your application and each recommendation
- must be limited to one page.
- (6) Photograph A recent wallet size photograph of the
- applicant.
Materials submitted to my office will not be returned
to the applicant unless otherwise requested. After an application
has been completed, it must be returned to my office by
Friday, November 7, 2008. Any application file not completed
by this date will not be considered. SAT/ACT scores for
the November testing dates are the only materials accepted
after the deadline.
Please submit all application materials in one complete
package to:
Congressman Christopher Shays
Attention: Diana Washington
10 Middle Street
Bridgeport, CT. 06604
Soon after your completed application has been received
by, you will be sent a letter of acknowledgment.
Selection Process
In the middle of November, you will receive notification
as to whether or not you passed the initial screening. If
you are included in this select group of qualified individuals,
you will be scheduled for an interview with Congressman
Shays' Service Academy Selection Committee on a weekend
in early December. You will be informed of whether or not
you have received a nomination by the end of December.
The selection committee will consist of distinguished
members with varied backgrounds from across Connecticut.
The committee will conduct "whole person" evaluations to
determine each candidate's overall qualifications. Specifically,
they will examine each candidate's personal character, scholarship,
leadership, physical aptitude, goals, motivation to pursue
an academy education and desire to serve as a military officer.
Typically, the committee will only consider you for the
academy specified as your "first choice" on the application.
You may find the application process for a congressional
nomination to be very challenging. If you have any questions
or experience difficulty at any time, please do not hesitate
to phone, write or e-mail Congressman Shays.
