Thank you for your interest in attending one of our Nation's service academies. Every year, I have the honor of nominating highly qualified young people for appointment to each of these outstanding institutions.

I will be happy to consider you for selection as one of my nominees. To be eligible for appointment, you must be an American citizen, at least 17 years old and not yet 23 years old on July 1 of the year you enter an academy. Also, you must not be married or pregnant, and you must have no legal obligation to support children or other dependents.

To apply for a nomination through my office, you must be a legal resident of the Fourth Congressional District of Virginia and you must complete the following steps. Only complete applications can be considered. If you have any questions, please contact Jason Gray in my Colonial Heights Office.

1) A personal letter to me requesting a nomination which includes:

- Full Name
- Social Security Number
- Gender
- Legal Address
- Current Temporary Mailing Address (if different from your legal address)
- Phone Number
- Email Address
- Date of Birth
- High School Name (or college where currently enrolled) and address
- Class Rank
- Month and Year of H.S. Graduation
- Academy Preferences
- Your accomplishments to date

2) A completed Application for Nomination.

3) Three letters of recommendation, one from a high school administrator or teacher

4) All school transcripts

5) All college board scores (send directly to my office, SAT code 5603)

6) An essay (no longer than one typed page) on why you desire to attend a U.S. Service Academy.

7) A resume of social or athletic activities and notable accomplishments.

Please mail to:
Congressman Randy Forbes
Attn: Jason Gray
2903 Boulevard, Suite B
Colonial Heights, VA 23834

It is essential that you take the above steps to be considered for nomination to a Service Academy. My office must receive all information no later than October 31, 2008 for those interested in entering one of the Academies in 2009.

You should also contact the admissions office at the academy you are interested in and complete a pre-candidate questionnaire. Their respective websites are:

United States Military Academy

United States Naval Academy

United States Air Force Academy

United States Merchant Marine Academy