Official Candidate Letter

Dear :
I am pleased to inform you that you are an official candidate for the U.S. Naval Academy
(USNA) Class of 20XX. This is the initial step in the candidate process that may lead to a future
Offer of Appointment to USNA. The Naval Academy uses a rolling Admissions Board process;
therefore, it is to your advantage to submit your documents promptly. Your candidate number,
indicated below, must be used in all correspondence, e-mail, or telephone contact with
USNA.
Once you have carefully read the enclosed “Application Guidance for the Class of
20XX” proceed online to www.usna.edu/Admissions. At this website, select the tile labeled
Continue (Continue Your Previously Submitted Application) located on the right, center of the
webpage where you will be required to sign into your candidate information page. Your login
is:
User name: usnacandidate
Password:
GoNavy21
Candidate Number: xxxxxx
The candidate information page should be your first stop when seeking information
regarding your application status. The names of your Admissions Counselor and your Blue
and Gold Officer (BGO) are located on this site, and they will assist you if you have questions or
encounter difficulty during any phase of the application process. As soon as possible, contact
your BGO to arrange your admissions interview. Your application must be completed no later
than XX January 20XX.
Evaluation of your candidacy will be based upon the information provided on the
application forms; therefore, carefully read the Candidate Instructions for each portion of the
application. Your official transcript is the only form that must be submitted via the U.S. postal
system. For high school students, it must include the first six semesters (freshman through junior
year) of high school and must be submitted directly from your high school. College applicants
must submit their final high school transcript as well as a fall semester transcript of the current
academic year, which includes all college level courses taken. It is to your advantage to
complete your record as early as possible. Completed high school candidate application records
will be reviewed by our Admissions Board starting in the summer of 20XX; college records will
be reviewed beginning in January 20XX.
Transcripts must have an official signature and/or school seal and may be mailed to:
Dean of Admissions
52 King George St.
Halsey Field House
Annapolis, MD 21402

All candidates must qualify from a whole-person assessment by the Admissions
Board, obtain qualifying scores on the Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA), and qualify
medically. You will be notified by Concord, the contrnctor for the Depaiiment of Defense
Medical Examination Review Board (DoDMERB) to schedule your service academy medical
examination once 50% of your application is complete, which will suffice for all service
academies and ROTC programs you may be considering. The CFA can be administered by a
physical education instructor, commissioned militaiy officer on active duty or a Blue and Gold
Officer.
Additionally, in order to be eligible to compete for an Offer of Appointment, you
must have an official nomination. It is in your best interest to seek nominations in all

categories for which you ai·e eligible. In most cases, this will include your two U.S. Senators,
your Congressman, and the Vice President of the United States. Each office has its own
procedures, selection criteria, and deadlines for accepting nomination requests. The House and
Senate websites, www.house.gov and www.senate.gov, will enable you to identify your
Members of Congress, and their individual websites will advise you on how to contact each
office directly and complete the appropriate application. Candidates cunently serving in the
Aimed Forces, or who are the sons or daughters ofa service member on active duty, in the
reserves or retired from the aimed services, may also be eligible to apply for a service-related
nomination. The USNA website, www.usna.edu/Admissions, describes the vai·ious types of
official nominations available and provides guidance on qualifications, how to apply, and any
documentation required.
All updates in the status of your application will be displayed on your candidate
info1mation page. It is ve1y important that you refer to this page to ensure your personal
info1mation is conect and that you u-ack the status of all documents required for your
application. Completion of your application is your responsibility. If you decide to
discontinue your candidacy, you may withdraw your application through the candidate
info1mation page.
Best wishes as you complete your application for the Class of20XX at the Naval
Academy!
Sincerely,

Director, Candidate Guidance

Application Guidance for the Class of 20XX
Explanation of Privacy Act Statement: The information required to complete the
application is requested for the purpose of evaluating your qualifications for admission to
the Naval Academy. Information you provide will be used to determine your eligibility
and competitive standing for an appointment to the academy. Authority for requesting
such information is contained in Title 10 USC, Ch 603 Sec 6958. Disclosure of the
information is voluntary; however, failure to provide requested information will result in
an incomplete evaluation of your qualifications, may prevent proper referral of necessary
information to pertinent congressional nominating sources, and may preclude further
consideration of your application.
Your Social Security number is a required item when you complete the Preliminary
Application. Most of the information used to evaluate your qualifications for admission
to the Naval Academy is computer-processed for recall through your Social Security
number. Failure to provide the correct social security number may result in delayed or
inaccurate determination of your qualifications due to confusion of your personal
information with that of other candidates having the same or similar name. Your Social
Security number will not be used or released except as necessary within the Department
of Defense and as otherwise indicated on the Privacy Act Statement.
Submission of online forms constitutes your requisite written authorization by the party
about whom the record is maintained for release to the following individuals/entities:
appropriate Members of Congress (sources of nomination), other officer accession
programs and parent or guardian of record. Release to any other individual or entity is
only as permissible by law.
Previous Candidates: Candidates for this year’s class who were unsuccessful applicants
for previous classes should ensure that complete and up-to-date information is available
to the Naval Academy Admissions Board. College applicants must submit a high school
transcript that includes freshman through senior year as well as a college transcript that
includes the fall semester of the current academic year. Additionally, college applicants
shall designate new teachers for the Math and English School Official’s Evaluation
Forms (please refer to the directions at www.usna.edu/Admissions/Steps-forAdmission/Previous-Candidates-and-College-Candidates) All previous candidates must
obtain a new nomination in order to be eligible to compete for an appointment.
You should pursue a technically-oriented curriculum with at least twelve credit hours,
including calculus, chemistry with a lab, and English during the first semester.
Subsequent semesters/courses should continue to include higher level mathematics such
as Calculus II, chemistry and/or physics, and other technical courses. It is also highly
recommended that you re-take the SAT or ACT.
Qualifying Medical Examination: Once you become an official candidate to the Naval
Academy, and 50% of your application is complete, your name and address will then be
sent to the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DoDMERB).
You will notify by Concord (DoDMERB contractor) concerning scheduling your medical
examination. If you have not been contacted by Concord within 30 days of submitting
your fifth document, please contact the Admissions Medical Technician at 410-293-1817
or admissionsmedical@usna.edu.

DoDMERB will notify you in writing of the results of your medical examination,
advising whether you are qualified, incomplete, or disqualified. If you are a previous
year candidate that was deemed medically qualified, your qualifying medical
examination is valid for two admissions’ cycles.
A final point: A preliminary medical screening examination by a private physician taken
by you on your initiative does not qualify you for entry, and fees for such examinations
must be paid by you. You must still take the official service academy medical
examination as scheduled by Concord at an authorized medical examining facility.
Notification of Appointment: To be fully qualified for an appointment, you must
receive an official nomination, be found Admissions Board and medically qualified, and
meet the qualifying standards for the Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA).
Appointments are formally made by the Superintendent of the Naval Academy in the
name of the President to fully qualified candidates who are in line to fill the vacancies to
which candidates are nominated. Candidates with outstanding qualifications may be
offered Letters of Assurance (LOAs) beginning in September. An LOA is a statement
that a candidate is highly qualified scholastically and will be given a full Offer of
Appointment upon satisfactory completion of all remaining requirements (including
nomination, Candidate Fitness Assessment, Blue and Gold Officer interview, and
medical). About 40 percent of the total Offers of Appointment will have been made by
mid-January. The remaining candidates selected for appointment will normally be
notified by mid-April.
If you receive an appointment, you will be asked to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
Entrance Examination Tests: All candidates for admission to the Naval Academy are
required to take either the SAT or the ACT. Detailed information and registration forms
for tests may be obtained from the following websites: SAT - www.collegeboard.com; or
ACT - www.actstudent.org. The two tests are designed differently and we have
observed that most candidates perform significantly better on one than the other.
Additionally, students often see a considerable test score improvement on a second or
third attempt at both tests. The Naval Academy Admissions Board uses the highest
critical reading score for SAT or the English score for ACT and the highest math scores
from all the SAT or ACT tests taken by the candidate. It is your responsibility to ensure
that your scores are forwarded to the Naval Academy. The Naval Academy code for
the SAT is 5809 and the ACT is 1742. Scores recorded on an official transcript are also
accepted. SAT and ACT tests must be completed prior to 1 Feb 20XX.
Non-standard, untimed test scores are not accepted.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS:
Candidate Guidance Office, USNA: (410) 293-4361 Fax: (410) 293-4348
Nominations and Appointments Office, USNA: (410) 293-4392 Fax: (410) 293-1828
Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DoDMERB): (719)
333-3562,
8034 Edgerton Drive, Suite 132, USAF Academy, Colorado 80840-2200

Calendar for Candidates
We recommend you complete your application
in a timely manner to be competitive. Files not
complete by January XX will be closed.
Immediately. Candidates request nominations
from both U.S. Senators, Congressman, and Vice
President.

Personal Check-Off List
This checklist will help you complete the
requirements for entry into the Naval Academy.
Forms must be received by the academy, along
with prescribed tests and examinations, before
you will be considered for appointment
o

SAT/ACT scores

Immediate - January XX. If eligible, apply
for a Presidential nomination or other military
and/or service connected nominations.
Information to apply for these nominations can
be found on-line at www.usna.edu/Admissions.
Please be sure to include the proper supporting
documentation as stated in the directions.

o

Candidate Personal Data Record,
Academic Interest, Current Studies and
Personal Statement

o

Candidate Activities Record

o

Candidate Academic Information

After June XX. After completion of 50% of
your application, Concord (DODMERB’s
contractor) will send you information on
scheduling your medical examinations at a
designated examining center.

o

English Teacher Evaluation of
Candidate (must be a junior or senior
year teacher. If you are using your
senior year teacher you must have been
in that teacher’s class for at least 1
quarter of the academy year). If you are
a previous candidates or college
candidates please refer to the directions
at www.usna.edu/Admissions/Steps-forAdmission.

o

Math Teacher Evaluation of Candidate
(must be a junior or senior year teacher.
If you are using your senior year teacher
you must have been in that teacher’s
class for at least 1 quarter of the
academy year). If you are a previous
candidates or college candidate please
refer to the directions at
www.usna.edu/Admissions/Steps-forAdmission

o

Official High School Transcript

o

Preparatory School/College Transcript
(if applicable)

o

Candidate Fitness Assessment

o

Qualified Medical Examination

o

Apply for all eligible nominations

o

Complete Blue and Gold Officer
interview

September XX. Letters of Assurance and
Offers of Appointment are made to outstanding
candidates. Offers continue into the following
spring as admissions files on candidates are
completed and well-qualified candidates are
identified.
January XX. Deadline to apply for Vice
President nominations and all service connected
nominations. Information to apply for these
nominations can be found on-line at
www.usna.edu/Admissions.
January. The SAT and the ACT can be taken
up until the end of January.
January XX. Deadline for completing the
application, including the Candidate Fitness
Assessment.
April XX. All candidates are notified of their
final application status.
Late June or Early July. Candidates report to
the Naval Academy for Induction Day

We recommend that you take Advanced
Placement (AP) examinations if you
complete AP courses at your school.
Registration forms may be obtained from
your high school guidance counselor.

Getting Physically Prepared for the Naval Academy
The mission of the United States Naval Academy is to develop midshipmen morally, mentally
and PHYSICALLY. The Naval Academy will prepare you: morally to conduct yourself as an officer,
mentally to uphold the standard of a graduate from one of the finest undergraduate institutions in the
world, and physically to ensure you are prepared for the rigors of today’s military. The physical
development begins with plebe summer and doesn’t stop until you retire from your service career. Plebe
Summer places strenuous physical demands on the upper and lower body.
The most frequent injuries during Plebe Summer are to the lower extremities. These injuries are
normally caused by overstress (stress fractures, shin splints, etc.). As a preventative measure we
encourage the following program prepared by the Medical and Physical Education Departments at the
United States Naval Academy. Times listed are the fastest each distance should be run to condition the
lower extremities.
RECOMMENDED PHYSICAL TRAINING PROGRAM
1ST Week: Run 1 mile at an 8 ½ - 9 ½ minute pace, 5 days a week.
2nd Week: Run 2 miles at an 8–9 minute pace, 5 days a week.
3rd Week: Swim or ride a bicycle for 30 minutes daily. *
4th Week: Run 3 miles at an 8 minute pace, 5 days a week.
5th Week: Run 3 miles at a 7 ½ minute pace, 5 days a week.
6th Week: Swim or ride a bicycle for 45 minutes daily. *
7th Week: Run 3 miles at a 7 minute pace, 5 days a week.
8th Week: Run 3 miles at a 6 ½ minute pace, 5 days a week.
MAINTAIN THE 8TH WEEK TRAINING LEVEL
*During the 3rd and 6th week, no weight-bearing stress is placed on the lower extremities.
Stronger new bone cells are constantly replacing weaker old bone cells with increased weight-bearing
activities. If you develop foot or leg pain during this running program reduce the distance or change to an
alternate day running plan. Persistent pain in either the foot or leg should be evaluated by a physician.
Remember to use pain as a guide to determine the level of activity for each day. Never attempt to run
through pain. Pain is the first signal of overstress.
Although emphasis has been placed on strengthening the lower body, abdominal and upper body
strength is also required. Crunches, push-ups and pull-ups should be performed daily with the physical
training program to fully prepare you for the physical activities demanded during Plebe Summer.

Stick with the program!