Rhode Island high schoolers interested in attending one of the nation’s five military service academies can learn about the application process on U.S. Service Academy Day on Saturday, May 10, at the Community College of Rhode Island’s (CCRI) Knight Campus in Warwick.
Hosted by U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, this year’s event runs from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Bobby Hackett Theater on the CCRI campus. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is unable to attend in person, but a member of his staff is scheduled to attend.
Representatives from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Merchant Marine and Coast Guard academies will be available to answer questions.
The service academies are a postsecondary experience on the government’s dime, with tuition, housing, and related expenses covered without any cost to students. But the application process is a little more intense than most colleges. To apply, one needs to be a U.S. citizen between 17 and 23 years old, not married or pregnant, and without dependents. The competitive admission process evaluates applicants on academic and physical performance, as well as leadership skills.
The final piece needed for four of the academies is getting a congressional nomination. Reed did, and he attended West Point from 1967 to 1971 after successfully getting a nomination from then-U.S. Senator, and former Rhode Island Governor, John O. Pastore.
“Attending West Point was a tremendous honor for me and it’s also an honor to nominate outstanding young Rhode Islanders for admission to our nation’s service academies,” Reed said via email Thursday. “Academy Day helps inform interested Rhode Island students about the opportunities available and familiarizes them with the application and nomination process.”
Reed chaired the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee from 2021 through Jan. 3, when he was replaced by Sen. Roger Wicker, an Air Force Veteran and Mississippi Republican.
The U.S. Military Academy is located in West Point, New York. The U.S. Air Force Academy is in Colorado Springs, Colorado, while Annapolis, Maryland, is home to the U.S. Naval Academy. The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy is in Kings Point, New York.
The U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, is the one exception and does not require nominations.
Applications for the 2025 cycle opened on May 1 and will close on Oct. 15.
Reed’s website has more information on how to request a nomination. Congressional delegates are limited to the number of appointments they can make, so Reed’s website recommends applying “to all the congressional offices that apply to you.” Applicants can seek a nomination from Reed, Whitehouse, and whichever U.S. Representative represents the district where the applicant lives. (Currently, that’s either Reps. Seth Magaziner or Gabe Amo.)
Applicants who pass an initial round of consideration may be invited to Reed’s Cranston office for an interview with the senator and his selection committee, which includes people with military, educational, and leadership backgrounds. Applicants must also submit a complete package that includes a questionnaire, personal essay, two letters of recommendation, standardized testing results, and a high school transcript.
Students are considered to be on active duty from the day they enter their academy and hold the rank of cadet or midshipman. Like soldiers, academy undergraduates wear uniforms, live in barracks, and engage in military training every day. But there are also elements of civilian college life on military campuses like varsity sports and clubs.
Distinct among the service academies are the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine academies, as the institutions differ in key ways, including their statutory authorities and admissions processes, according to a Congressional Research Service briefing. These two academies are also overseen by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Transportation, respectively, while the other three are the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).
Regardless of academic focus, all cadets and midshipmen learn professional development and graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree. After completing their training and studies, graduates are commissioned as officers and begin an eight-year service obligation — typically five years on active duty, followed by three in the reserves.
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
