Steps to Admission at USMA

Your step-by-step guide for applying to the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point

Start your USMA application

Steps to Admission at USMA

Your step-by-step guide for applying to the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point

Start your USMA application

Steps to Admission at USMA

  • Follow the steps below to start and complete your West Point application. You can also view the application timeline to help meet important deadlines. For common questions related to the application process, please visit our Admissions FAQ page. 

For assistance at any point during the application process, please contact your Regional Admissions Officer.

1. Meet the Basic Requirements

  • U.S. citizenship
  • Age (17-22 on July 1 of the year of admission)
  • Unmarried
  • No legal obligation to support children

Not old enough to apply yet? Join our mailing list to stay in touch until you are.

Tip: Visit westpoint.edu to identify and contact the admissions officer assigned to your region.

FAQs about eligibility FAQs about requirements

2. Take the ACT or SAT

  • Standardized tests are required.
  • We superscore your results, combining your best scores from each subject and taken across multiple test attempts.
  • Official scores are due by Jan. 31 of your senior year.

Pro tip: You don't need your scores before submitting your application, but it's always a good idea to start early!

The West Point Admissions Committee is committed to a holistic assessment of applicant credentials, which include reviews of academic achievement, academic aptitude, leadership experiences, physical fitness, and other unique attributes during the application process.

FAQs about college exams

3. Submit Your Application

Be prepared with your information, including:

  • Personal information (e.g., home address, date of birth, etc.)
  • Schools attended
  • Congressional District
  • Sport and extracurricular activities
  • Self-reported GPA and test scores (if available)

Pro tip: To apply to our Summer Leaders Experience (SLE), complete this step and the SLE checklist before April of your junior year.

FAQs about online application

4. Obtain a Nomination

Apply for a nomination from an authorized nominating authority (e.g., U.S. Representative, Senator, President, Vice President).

Locate your Congressional Representative or Senator.

Note: Each nominating authority has its own application process and deadline, so read and follow instructions closely. 

FAQs about nominations

5. Complete the CFA

The Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA) is a series of physical tests to assess strength, agility, and endurance. Your CFA can be administered:

  • By a PE teacher
  • By a Field Force Representative
  • By a Military Academy Liaison Officer (MALO)
  • By a U.S. military officer or non-commissioned officer from any service branch
  • By a J/ROTC instructor
  • Or while attending SLE
FAQs about the CFA Guidance on practicing for the CFA

6. Pass the medical exam

To be offered admission to USMA at West Point, you must be medically qualified by the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DoDMERB).

DoDMERB exams are provided at no cost to you.

Note: You will be notified to schedule a DoDMERB exam after West Point Admissions has reviewed your initial application (step 3) and confirmed your eligibility.

FAQs about the medical exam

7. Complete Your Candidate Checklist

A completed checklist will include:

  • Your official SAT or ACT scores
  • Your official school transcripts
  • Your essays
  • Your qualifying CFA scores
  • Letters of recommendation from three teachers
  • Updated records of your sport and extracurricular activities

Note: Your candidate file is complete when we have received your application (step 3), your nomination (step 4), your qualifying medical exam (step 6), and your completed Candidate Checklist (step 7).

Important: Your candidate checklist must be completed by Jan. 31 of your senior year.

FAQs about online application

Recommended Steps While You Wait

Contact Your Field Force Rep

Who better to speak with than an engaged and well-informed graduate? Your local Field Force Representative is a great source of information and your advocate throughout the admission process. All applications must include an interview with their representatives. You can locate your Field Force member’s contact information after starting your application.

FAQs about preparing for your interview
Visit West Point

Throughout the year, West Point offers tours for prospective and current applicants. As a current applicant, you’ll shadow a cadet for a day and experience life at West Point first-hand.

Schedule a visit
Attend Summer Leaders Experience (SLE)

Attending SLE is an unmatched opportunity that provides rising high school seniors with a
first-hand experience of cadet life, military training, and academics at West Point.
To apply for SLE, complete and submit your application (step 3)
and complete the SLE Checklist by mid-April.

Explore what SLE offers
Connect With the Community

USMA is more than an educational experience. It's a community of shared interests, cooperative efforts, and mutual respect. You can see the excitement on the faces of sports fans, the devotion of the Long Gray Line, and the enthusiasm of cadets and faculty as they conduct workshops, activities, and competitions across the United States.

Visit the West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG) Learn about academy events

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