Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is delighted to announce the nominations of 13 excellent students from American Samoa for consideration by the prestigious military service academies this year. The students can apply to more than one academy, so there are 15 nominations in all.

This year, the U.S. Air Force Academy has the most nominees with seven applicants, the U.S. Naval Academy has six nominees, the U.S. Military Academy (Army) has two nominees, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy has none this time.

“Congratulations to these excellent students for their commitment to keeping up good grades every semester of high school, along with the efforts to have high test scores, community or volunteer involvement, good reputations, and completed applications,” said Congresswoman Amata. “It’s a joy each year to see another class of motivated nominees with wonderful educational futures. Thank you to the proud families of these accomplished students, and to all their educators throughout our schools.”

Only completed applications on file with the Academy can qualify for a nomination from the Member of Congress. The nominations each year are based on the quality of the students' combined academic records; essays; letters of recommendation from their teachers, church leaders, and local community leaders; and verification that they have already applied separately to the academy or academies of their choice.

The service academies are fully funded federal colleges whose mission is to train future officers and leaders that will serve in each respective armed service. The admissions process is extremely competitive, as the academies seek candidates with high potential to become leaders as commissioned officers in the United States Armed Forces. The outcome depends on the upcoming decisions of the academies. Any students who are offered an appointment for the class would then be able to enter that academy in the summer.

The U.S. Coast Guard Academy does not require a congressional nomination as part of its competitive application process, however, if known, Congresswoman Amata is always pleased to include any accepted applicants from American Samoa in announcements each year, as well as highlight any presidential academy nominees if they were to occur from American Samoa.