To formally request a nomination, please complete the Preliminary Nomination Application. For materials that you cannot submit via this web form, please send those materials to my Baton Rouge office postmarked no later than November 1, 2023. The Senator’s address is below:

Office of Senator Bill Cassidy
c/o Shawn Hanscom

450 Laurel Street, Suite 1400
Baton Rouge, LA 70801

Acceptance at a Service Academy involves at least a nine-year obligation to the particular service: four years at the Academy and five years with the service.

It is in your best interest to request a nomination through all sources available to you: Presidential, Vice Presidential, Senatorial and your U.S. Representative. If your father or mother serves or served in the military, or was killed in action, you may be eligible for a Presidential nomination. Please contact the Service Academy to which you’re applying for more information. To receive a nomination from your U.S. Representative, visit here to learn who yours is, and then contact their office. For Vice Presidential and other Senatorial nominations, you should contact the following:

Senator John Kennedy
1651 Louisville Avenue, Suite 148
Monroe, LA 71201
(318) 361-1489

Vice President Kamala Harris
Nominations Website

Eligibility Requirements

As of July 1st of the year of admission, applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • Age: At least 17 by July 1st of entering year, but not older than 23
  • Citizenship: U.S. citizen or have obtained citizenship by graduation
  • Residency: A legal resident of the United States (and of Louisiana to receive one of my nominations)
  • Marital Status or Dependency: Unmarried, not pregnant and have no legal obligation to support a child or dependent
  • Academic: Complete SAT or ACT examinations (Contact individual Service Academies for their specific requirements).
  • Health: Must pass academy physical requirements and medical examination
  • Character: Of strong moral character

Nomination Application Procedures

To be considered for a nomination by Senator Bill Cassidy, each applicant must submit an application package on, before, or postmarked by November 1 of the year preceding desired entry to a U.S. Service Academy.

Late applications or materials received separately (such as letters of recommendation, transcripts or other documents), unless having received prior approval from the Senator’s Service Academy coordinator, will not be considered.

Each package must contain the following:

  • Application form
  • A resume explaining your extra-curricular activities (Must be typed)
  • A recent picture of yourself
  • High School and/or College Transcript
  • An essay of less than 500 words on why you want to attend a Service Academy
  • SAT/ACT Scores: You must include copies of your SAT/ACT scores with the nomination application, as the testing services do not always successfully send your scores to our office. All test scores received by November 1 must be printed and included with your packet. Any additional scores that arrive between November 1 and the date of your interview with the Senator’s Service Academy Review Board can be mailed separately, so long as the Senator’s Service Academy coordinator is notified in advance. You are encouraged to repeatedly retake the SAT or ACT exam in order to improve your academic competitiveness. Academies will accept the highest score in each academic area covered by the tests. For example, if a math score is higher on one test date, and a verbal score on another, the Academies will select the highest scores.
  • Letters of Recommendation: There is a limit of five letters of recommendation, with a minimum of three. One letter must be written by your High School Principal or Guidance Counselor, unless given approval otherwise by the Senator’s Service Academy Coordinator. The other letters may be written by teachers, coaches, scoutmasters, clergy or community leaders who can attest to your character, abilities and potential for success in a Service Academy environment. Recommendations by family members are discouraged, but will be accepted in extraordinary, pre-approved circumstances. Letters of recommendation do not need to be sealed, but sealing is acceptable if the writer prefers. It is not necessary to send additional certificates, letters, photos, etc., as only the required documents will be used for consideration.
  • Delivery Instructions: Make sure that all materials requested in this application and the application itself are sent to the Senator’s Baton Rouge office with a postmark no later than November 1.This includes any materials that are mailed separately by your school or by an individual writing a recommendation letter on your behalf.

Interview with Service Academy Review Board

Once your application file is complete, you will be notified of your interview appointment, which will be scheduled in November or December in Alexandria, or via Zoom if you will be out-of-state (if you reside in Louisiana, you must appear physically for your interview.) To select the best nominees from Louisiana each year, Senator Cassidy uses a Service Academy Review Board to interview young men and women applying to the Service Academies. This board is comprised of constituents who have graduated from the academies or otherwise are veterans or important community leaders. The board members are volunteers who recommend the top candidates for nomination based on objective and competitive criteria. Senator Cassidy relies on this board to screen applicants and to recommend who would best represent Louisiana at our nation’s prestigious Service Academies.

Selection Announcement

Nominations will be announced no later than the following February. Furthermore, as Senator Cassidy receives information on who will receive appointments from the Service Academies, that information will be provided to you. Appointment announcements can come as early as January and as late as early June.

Questions

Please contact Shawn Hanscom at (225) 929-7711 or (225) 317-0595, or at shawn_hanscom@cassidy.senate.gov.

Download an FAQ section here.