Information session on applying to U.S. military service academies is Saturday in Cranston

The U.S. Corps of Cadets return to the U.S. Military Academy after their spring break on April 2, 2024. (U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth V. Woodruff/USMA PAO)

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed will visit Cranston Public Library Saturday morning for his annual U.S. Military Service Academy Day, an informational seminar for Rhode Island high schoolers interested in attending one of the nation’s five service academies.

The event runs from 9-11 a.m, with Reed scheduled to deliver opening remarks at 9 a.m. U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse will also attend, as will representatives from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Merchant Marine and Coast Guard academies, who will be able to answer questions about the application process, which is a bit different from civilian academies.

“The application process for the United States Military Academy requires slightly more preparation than many other colleges,” the West Point website notes.

The federal government encourages youth to apply for the academies’ free college education, which covers tuition, boarding and other costs. Applicants must be U.S. citizens between the ages of 17 and 23, unmarried, not pregnant and not have children. The competitive admissions process also assessed potential cadets’ physical fitness and leadership qualities alongside their academic skills. 

But that’s not all: The final step for four of the academies is usually getting a congressional nomination — from someone like Reed, a 1971 West Point graduate. 

“I am honored to nominate outstanding young Rhode Islanders for admission to our nation’s prestigious service academies,” said Reed in a statement. 

The U.S. Coast Guard Academy, located in New London, Connecticut, does not require a congressional nomination.

The United States Military Academy is in West Point, New York. The U.S. Air Force Academy is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The U.S. Naval Academy is in Annapolis, Maryland. The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy is in Kings Point, New York.

Reed, who was nominated to the United States Military Academy by Sen. John O. Pastore, serves as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.  

“Academy Day helps interested Rhode Island students learn about the many available opportunities afforded by our nation’s military service academies and familiarizes them with the application and nomination process,” Reed’s statement continued. 

Saturday’s seminar will review the steps of the application process. Students who want to attend for the 2025-2026 school year need to apply for a nomination by Oct. 15, 2024. Information on nomination can also be found on Reed’s website.

Accepted students are considered on active service the day they enter their respective academy, and are ranked as cadets, or, at the Merchant Marine Academy, as midshipmen. Undergraduates live as soldiers do: They sport uniforms, live in barracks and have daily military training.  

The two outliers are the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine academies: “While graduates of these service academies may also receive an officer commission upon graduation, they differ from the military service academies in many respects (e.g., statutory authorities, application and acceptance processes),” a Congressional Research Service briefing explains.

Regardless of their chosen program of study, all graduates receive a Bachelor of Science degree because the core curriculum is technically-focused. Cadets and midshipmen then accept appointments as commissioned officers, with typical service obligations lasting eight years overall. Usually, five of those years are spent in active duty,

Military academies are also the only type of collegiate institution that can still employ race-conscious admissions. A 2023 Supreme Court ruling struck down race as a contributing factor in undergraduate admissions but allowed service academies alone to continue the practice. In February, the nation’s highest court also avoided involvement in a case involving race-conscious admissions at West Point. 

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