Academy Dreams
Aerial view of West Point on the Hudson River

USMA · High school roadmap

Freshman year: U.S. Military Academy9th grade · Build the habits

Your 9th grade checklist for USMA, built from the official pages we track.

West Point and the Hudson River from the air, 2013. Photo: Joe Mabel (on Flickr as Joe Mabel from Seattle, US) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Why this year matters

You don't need to apply yet, but the habits you build now matter.

Checklist for freshman year

Start here

  • Get moving. Join a sports team, or a local program if your school doesn't have one1.
  • Look for leadership programs such as JROTC, Scouts, or Civil Air Patrol1.

Key deadlines

The official pages we track list no dated USMA deadlines for freshman year. Dated steps start in junior year. See junior year or the full deadline list.

Dates change. Always confirm on the official USMA admissions site and your congressional offices’ pages.

USMA-specific notes

Eligibility basics2

  • Age: 17–22 on July 1
  • Other basics: U.S. citizen; unmarried; no legal obligation to support children

Sources

  1. USAFA Grades 8–10 (usafa.edu)
  2. West Point Steps (westpoint.edu)

Keep every USMA date on your calendar.

Coming soon: reminder emails before applications open, nomination deadlines close and summer program windows shut.

Reminders coming soonAll deadlines