Aerial view of the Naval Academy grounds and the Severn River in Annapolis

USNA · High school roadmap

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

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

The Naval Academy and the Severn River from the air, October 2012. Photo: U.S. Navy (National Museum of the U.S. Navy) via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (U.S. government work).

Why this year matters

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

Checklist for freshman year

Start here

Take challenging college-prep classes and earn strong grades. The Naval Academy says the key is "good grades in challenging college prep courses," plus athletics and leadership in clubs and community service¹. The Air Force Academy says the same for grades 8–10: strong grades "especially English, math and science," and AP, IB, or Honors courses where you can².
Get moving. Join a sports team, or a local program if your school doesn't have one².
Look for leadership programs such as JROTC, Scouts, or Civil Air Patrol².

Key deadlines

The official pages we track list no dated USNA 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 USNA admissions site and your congressional offices’ pages.

USNA-specific notes

Early look at an academy: USNA's Summer STEM program is open to rising 8th–11th graders¹; the 2027 sessions are listed for rising 9th–11th graders⁴.

Eligibility basics³

Age: 17 to not past 23rd birthday on July 1 of the entry year
Other basics: U.S. citizen by July 1; unmarried; not pregnant; no dependents

Sources

Keep every USNA date on your calendar.

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

Reminders coming soon All deadlines