Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA -- Each year Representative Rob Wittman, First Congressional District of Virginia, has the privilege of nominating a select few students with letters of recommendation to their service academy of choice.
This year he nominated 21 students in the Prince William and Stafford County area during the annual Service Academy Reception at Marine Corps University (MCU) Feb. 17.
A total of 40 students were nominated within the congressman’s district out of 150 applicants.
Back in September Wittman welcomed more than 100 students to the Alfred Gray Research Center aboard Quantico to educate the students on the nomination process.
The nomination process is highly competitive and according to Forbes, four out of five of the service academies are ranked among the top 50 universities in the nation, with the United States Naval Academy and United States Military Academy West Point ranked in the top 25.
Jan. 1 typically begins the first day of the application process for high school seniors; however, most high school seniors began seeking nominations from their congressmen at the end of their junior year.
Applications for the class of 2023 are currently being accepted.
However, according to Wittman, it is only the beginning of the journey for students who received a nomination for the class of 2022.
Where a nomination does not guarantee admittance into the military academies, it is an important first step toward their acceptance.
He reminded the students, where nominations from Virginia hold a lot of weight and the state has one of the highest acceptance rates into military academies, gaining acceptance is still highly competitive.
“You have made an important first step towards serving your country,” Wittman said to the nominees.
He reminded students, if they are committed to serve their country, failing to receive acceptance into the class of 2022 does not mean no forever, but no for now.
Students were also reminded of other prestigious programs available, such as the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Tech, the college which Wittman is an alumnus.
If interested in admittance to any of the service academies or receiving information on the nomination process, attend the next Service Academy Day on May 5 at MCU’s Warner Hall.