• Applicants must be nominated to the Academy by a U.S. Representative or U.S. Senator from your State of Residence/Domicile.

• An applicant does not have to reside in the same Congressional District as his/her nominator (a Member of the U.S. House of Representative CAN nominate a candidate who resides in a District other than their own, as long as it is in their (the nominator's) State/Territory).  This differs from nominations to the USMA, USNA, and USAFA.

• Securing a nomination is a competitive process. A nomination does not guarantee appointment to the Academy.

• Nominating authorities select their nominees by any methods they wish, including a screening interview. Each nominating authority follows a different process and establishes a unique deadline. You must be familiar with your nominating authorities’ requirement and apply for a nomination as early as possible. Contact information for your nominating authorities can be found at https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact and https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

• Nominations to the Academy must be received by January 31st. Your nominating authorities will notify us of your nomination. If we do not receive your nomination by January 31st, your application will be closed.

• The United States Merchant Marine Academy does not accept Vice Presidential or military service-connected nominations, i.e. Presidential, Regular/Reserve Component, ROTC.

Secretarial Appointments

The Secretary of Transportation may appoint up to 50 qualified applicants per year to the Academy. There is no separate application process for Secretarial appointment.  Applicants must complete the application before the annual deadline and meet all eligibility requirements, including scholastic, physical fitness, character and medical standards, to be considered.  The Academy will identify and recommend individuals for Secretarial appointment who demonstrate strong aptitude in mathematics and science, possess the physical resilience demanded by a career at sea, and exhibit the leadership potential and character needed to become licensed merchant marine officers.  Applicants without a congressional nomination may be considered under this authority.  Contact your regional admissions officer to learn more about this process.