Grade by grade, from 10th grade to reporting day

How to use this roadmap

• Students: read your grade's section first, then skim the next one so nothing surprises you.
• Parents: the senior-year timeline (Section 5) and the "Where official sources disagree" box (Section 6) are the most important parts for you.
• "Not yet published" means the academy hasn't posted that date or number. We won't guess. Check the linked page closer to the date.
• Which academies need what: four of the five academies require a nomination. The Coast Guard Academy does not¹. The Coast Guard Academy also uses its own fitness test instead of the Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA)².

1. USCGA Admission Requirements
2. USCGA Apply

Before 10th grade (freshmen and younger): a short note

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

• 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.
• 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 graders³.

1. USNA Advice for Grades 9–12
2. USAFA Grades 8–10
3. USNA Summer Programs

Sophomore year (10th grade): build the foundation

Courses and grades

The academies' recommended courses overlap a lot. Plan your 11th- and 12th-grade schedules now so you don't come up short.

• We found no published high school course list for the Coast Guard Academy. USCGA says strong candidates show "proven academic accomplishment, particularly in math and the sciences"⁶.
• Honors, AP, IB, and dual-enrollment courses are valued¹³.
• USMMA says applicants should "ideally" rank in the top 20% of their class⁴.

1. USNA
2. USMA
3. USAFA
4. USMMA
5. USMA Steps
6. USCGA Apply

Testing

• Take the PSAT in 10th grade¹. USNA accepts PSAT scores for its preliminary application, but not as final admissions criteria².

1. USNA Advice
2. USNA Apply

Sports and fitness

• Compete in team sports and individual endurance sports, run regularly ("two-mile runs are recommended"), and do push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups¹.
• Learn the CFA events now. USNA, West Point, and USAFA use the same six events: basketball throw, pull-ups (or flexed-arm hang for women), shuttle run, crunches/modified sit-ups, push-ups, and 1-mile run²³⁴.
• Coast Guard hopefuls: also practice USCGA's test: one-minute push-ups, a forearm plank, and a 1.5-mile run⁵.

1. West Point: Middle & High School
2. USNA CFA
3. West Point CFA
4. USAFA Requirements
5. USCGA PFT Guide 2026

Leadership and service

• Go for depth over breadth. West Point "considers it more valuable for you to achieve distinction in a specific activity than to participate in numerous activities"¹. USAFA advises "quality over quantity"².
• Examples the academies list include team captain, student government, Eagle Scout/Gold Award, Boys/Girls State, club leadership, community service, and JROTC¹³.
• Working to help support your family counts. West Point "views that experience as a demonstration of your leadership potential"¹.

1. West Point: Middle & High School
2. USAFA Grades 8–10
3. West Point Steps

Summer after 10th grade

• USNA Summer STEM 2027 (rising 9th–11th graders): June 7–12, June 14–19, and June 21–25, 2027¹. Application dates: not yet published.

1. USNA Summer Programs

Junior year (11th grade): the launch year

Junior year is when the academies' application windows open and the summer programs fill. Current juniors are applying for the Class of 2032. That cycle's exact dates are not yet published, so the timing below uses each academy's general "junior year" guidance plus the summer-2027 program dates that are posted.

When the academies' applications open (published pattern)

SAT / ACT

• USNA suggests testing "early and often," starting by December of junior year¹.
• Test policies differ:
  • West Point and USAFA superscore the SAT, ACT, or CLT²³.
  • USNA takes the SAT, ACT, or CLT, wants full score reports, and doesn't accept tests taken with accommodations⁴.
  • USCGA and USMMA list the SAT or ACT only⁵⁶.
  • USMMA doesn't accept non-standard or untimed administrations⁶.
• Score-send codes: USNA SAT 5809 / ACT 1742⁴; USAFA SAT 4830 / ACT 0530³; USCGA SAT 5807 / ACT 0600⁵; USMMA SAT 2923 / ACT 2974⁶. West Point's codes are not listed on the pages we reviewed.

1. USNA Advice
2. West Point Steps
3. USAFA Grades 11–12
4. USNA Apply
5. USCGA Requirements
6. USMMA 8 Steps

Summer programs (apply during junior year, attend summer 2027)

Good to know:

• Summer programs are not required for admission. USAFA calls Summer Seminar "NOT" a prerequisite and "NOT" a preselection program². West Point says SLE "has no bearing on West Point admissions decisions"³.
• Applying to a summer program can also start your admissions file:
  • USNA: the Summer Seminar application is your preliminary application⁴.
  • West Point: the SLE application opens a file³.
  • USAFA: you can "opt in" to have your Summer Seminar application submitted as your Pre-Candidate Questionnaire⁵.
  • USCGA: AIM participants can reuse their portal account and use their AIM fitness score⁶.
• Program eligibility differs. Examples: USAFA requires a GPA of 3.0 or higher and no food allergies²; SLE requires age 16 by July 1³; AIM requires ages 16–18⁷.

1. USNA PAO
2. USAFA Summer Seminar
3. West Point SLE
4. USNA Apply
5. USAFA Counselor
6. USCGA Apply
7. USCGA Apply to AIM

Nominations: start in spring of junior year

• USNA suggests contacting your Representative and both Senators in spring of junior year; "Many Congressional members set an early fall deadline"¹. USAFA notes that "many offices have deadlines as early as Sept. 1"².
• Apply to every source you qualify for: both U.S. Senators, your U.S. Representative, and the Vice President, plus any service-connected categories³⁴. You don't need to know the official personally⁴.
• Vice Presidential nomination (USNA, West Point, and USAFA only): apply online between March 1 and January 31 before your entry year⁵.
• USMMA is different. It accepts only congressional nominations from your state, not Vice Presidential or service-connected ones⁶.
• USCGA requires no nomination⁷.
• Every congressional office sets its own deadline and process (essays, recommendations, interviews). Find yours at house.gov and senate.gov².

1. USNA Advice
2. USAFA Nominations
3. West Point Nomination Planning
4. USNA Nomination Sources
5. White House
6. USMMA 8 Steps
7. USCGA Requirements

Fitness in junior year

• West Point suggests you "begin training for Candidate Fitness Assessment" in the spring of junior year¹.
• Benchmarks worth knowing:
  • USAFA publishes candidate averages. Men: 69-ft basketball throw, 12 pull-ups, 8.1-s shuttle, 81 crunches, 62 push-ups, 6:29 mile. Women: 42 ft, 2 pull-ups, 9.4 s, 78, 41, 7:30².
  • USNA and West Point publish maximum scores³⁴.
  • No academy publishes a CFA "passing" score. Treat the averages as a target, not a minimum.
• USCGA's test: each of the three events is scored out of 100, and you need at least 60 in each to pass. At 60 points: women 21 push-ups / 1:30 plank / 14:15 1.5-mile run; men 37 / 1:40 / 12:00⁵.

1. West Point Timeline
2. USAFA Requirements
3. USNA CFA
4. West Point CFA
5. USCGA PFT Guide 2026

Medical prep (junior year)

• No exam yet, but get ready:
  • Keep your medical records organized. DoDMERB looks for actual doctor's notes, and parents may need to request records for students under 18¹.
  • Don't get refractive eye surgery. USNA calls it disqualifying², and USAFA says not to have it before entry³.
  • Plan to finish orthodontic treatment before entry³⁴.
• Coast Guard hopefuls should know that "Color vision deficiency of ANY KIND is disqualifying" for USCGA⁴.

1. DHA: DoDMERB
2. USNA FAQ
3. USAFA Requirements
4. USCGA Disqualifying Conditions

Meet the local liaison network

Senior year (12th grade): finish strong

Seniors in fall 2026 are applying for the Class of 2031. The month-by-month timeline is in Section 5. The essentials:

Medical exam (DoDMERB, using the DMACS portal)

The process:

1. Each academy sends your name to DoDMERB.
2. DoDMERB emails you a link to the DMACS 2.0 Applicant Portal, where you register and fill in your medical history.
3. A contractor (CIV Team) emails you to schedule exams through DoDMETS. The medical and eye exams may be at different places.
4. If DoDMERB needs more information, your status becomes "Remedial."
5. Waivers are decided by the academy, not DoDMERB¹. - CIV Team tries to reach you up to 4 times. If you don't schedule in that window, you start over¹. - USAFA warns the whole process can take "up to four months"². Check your email, including spam, and schedule right away. - When your name goes to DoDMERB depends on the academy:
   • USAFA: after you finish 3 of 5 checklist items³.
   • USCGA: after it has your counselor recommendation with transcript, test scores, and fitness test score⁴.
   • USMMA: after your application, 11th-grade transcript, and unofficial scores⁵.
   • West Point: once you're an official candidate⁶.

Fitness test

Take the CFA in the fall⁷. The administrator rules differ by academy, so see Section 6. USCGA applicants take USCGA's own test, and the CFA cannot be substituted⁸.

Interviews

USNA requires a Blue and Gold Officer interview⁹. USAFA requires an ALO interview, which is virtual, lasts 1.5–2 hours, and must be held with no parents within earshot². USCGA interviews only if requested, but then it's required⁸.

Teacher evaluations

West Point wants math, English, and lab science teachers¹⁰. USAFA wants 11th- or 12th-grade English and math teachers plus one other². USCGA wants math, English, and counselor recommendations¹¹. USMMA asks for math, chemistry or physics, English, counselor, and CFA evaluator contacts⁵.

Keep your grades up

USCGA asks for an updated transcript each time new grades come out⁴, and USMMA requires a mid-year 12th-grade report⁵.

1. DHA: DoDMERB
2. USAFA Requirements
3. USAFA Grades 11–12
4. USCGA Handbook 2025–26
5. USMMA 8 Steps
6. West Point Medical
7. West Point Timeline
8. USCGA Apply
9. USNA Apply
10. West Point Steps
11. USCGA Requirements

Senior-year timeline: Class of 2031 (fall 2026 to summer 2027)

Dates come from official pages (accessed Oct. 17, 2026). Your congressional offices and your USAFA portal may set earlier personal deadlines, and those win.

Already happened (catch up now if you missed any)

• USCGA Early Action closed Oct. 15¹. You can still apply by the Regular deadline.
• Applications opened: West Point Feb. 15, 2026²; USAFA PCQ Mar. 1, 2026³; USNA April 2026⁴; USMMA May 1, 2026⁵; USCGA July 15¹.
• USAFA candidate checklists opened no earlier than July 1. West Point's medical window opened after July 1²³.

1. USCGA Apply
2. Timeline
3. USAFA 11–12
4. USNA PAO
5. USMMA 8 Steps

October 2026

• Congressional nomination deadlines are happening now. Most offices close by the end of October¹; West Point says most are due in September–October². Check each of your three offices today.
• Take or retake the CFA (USNA, West Point, USAFA, USMMA) or the USCGA fitness test³⁴.
• Respond to DoDMERB and DoDMETS scheduling emails right away⁵.
• Contact your BGO (USNA) or ALO (USAFA) to schedule your interview⁶⁷.
• USMMA may make conditional offers to highly competitive candidates starting in September⁸.

1. USAFA Nominations
2. West Point Nomination Planning
3. West Point Timeline
4. USCGA PFT Guide
5. DHA: DoDMERB
6. USNA Apply
7. USAFA Requirements
8. USMMA Selection Process

November 2026

• Some congressional offices have later deadlines. For example, one House office lists Nov. 13¹. Never assume yours is late. Check it.
• Keep working your checklists and medical remedials.

1. Rep. Newhouse PDF

December 2026

Early December

last practical SAT/ACT/CLT date for USAFA. Tests should be taken by early December, and "tests taken in March will not be considered"¹.

By Dec. 23

USCGA Early Action decisions².

Dec. 31

USNA accepts no new applications after this date³. USAFA's Pre-Candidate Questionnaire deadline¹.

Dec. 1

USAFA Summer Seminar opens for juniors (a heads-up for younger siblings)⁴.

1. USAFA 11–12
2. USCGA Apply
3. USNA Apply
4. USAFA Summer Seminar

January 2027

Early to mid-January

many nomination notifications go out¹.

Jan. 15

USCGA Regular Admission deadline, including supplemental forms and test scores²³.

Jan. 31 (big day)

• USNA application must be complete¹.
• West Point Candidate Checklist and official scores due⁴.
• USAFA official scores due⁵; Vice Presidential and military-affiliated nomination requests due⁶. Your personal USAFA checklist deadline is in your portal⁵.
• Vice Presidential nomination application closes for USNA, West Point, and USAFA⁷.
• USMMA must have received your nomination, or your application is closed⁸.

1. USNA Apply
2. USCGA Apply
3. USCGA Requirements
4. West Point Steps
5. USAFA 11–12
6. USAFA Nominations
7. White House
8. USMMA 8 Steps

February 2027

• Feb. 1: USMMA application deadline, with your mid-year grade report¹.
• Feb. 15: USCGA Early Action candidates must have medical exams done².
• February–April: USAFA reviews applications and offers most appointments³.
• Vice Presidential nominees are "normally" notified in February or March⁴.

1. USMMA 8 Steps
2. USCGA Apply
3. USAFA 11–12
4. White House

March 2027

• Keep checking your portals and finish any remaining medical remedials.

April 2027

• Apr. 1: USCGA Regular Admission decisions are out, and Regular candidates' medical exams must be done¹. West Point's medical exam window ends². At USAFA, if no medical waiver has been requested by now, one is unlikely³.
• By Apr. 15: most USNA candidates know their status⁴.
• Apr. 16: USMMA medical qualification deadline⁵.
• By Apr. 21: most USAFA candidates know their status⁶.
• West Point notification timing: not published on the pages we reviewed.

1. USCGA Apply
2. West Point Timeline
3. USAFA Requirements
4. USNA Apply
5. USMMA Selection Process
6. USAFA 11–12

May 2027

• May 1: reply deadline at USNA¹, USAFA², USCGA³, and USMMA⁴. It is also USCGA's medical qualification/waiver deadline³. West Point's reply date: not published on the pages we reviewed.

1. USNA Apply
2. USAFA 11–12
3. USCGA Apply
4. USMMA Admissions

June 2027: reporting

• June 1: USCGA enrollment paperwork due. Swab Summer begins the last Monday in June¹.
• USAFA In-processing Day is listed as June 24 ("late June")².
• USNA, West Point, and USMMA 2027 reporting dates: not published on the pages we reviewed.

1. USCGA Apply
2. USAFA 11–12

Where official sources disagree or differ (check the official page)

We don't pick a side on these. Follow the page for the academy you're applying to.

• Who can give your CFA: West Point says the administrator "cannot be a relative or coach"¹. USNA allows "a coach" but no family members². USMMA bars parents and guardians³. Read each academy's rule before you schedule.
• USMMA CFA events: USMMA's admissions page lists five events with no push-ups³, while the other academies list six. Check USMMA's CFA instructions before you test.
• CFA scoring and timing (maximums and rest periods) vary by academy page¹²⁴.
• USCGA's fitness test name: USCGA calls it both the "PFE"⁵ and the "PFT"⁶. Use the current guide.
• USNA test-date cutoff: one page accepts tests "taken before January 31"⁷; another says "results are accepted as late as February"⁸. Ask USNA, and don't plan on a February test.
• USNA Summer Seminar Session 1 (2027): one USNA page shows June 5–10⁹, another shows "June 5 – June 20"¹⁰.
• USAFA essays: one page says three questions with the third optional⁴; another says answer two of three¹¹. Follow your portal.
• Medical waivers: USNA automatically considers competitive candidates⁷; USAFA says waivers are "not automatic"⁴.
• Nomination notification timing: the White House says Vice Presidential nominees are normally notified in February or March¹², while USNA says sources notify it by the end of January¹³.
• Age cutoff date: July 1 for most academies, but USCGA uses the last Monday in June¹⁴.

1. West Point CFA
2. USNA CFA
3. USMMA 8 Steps
4. USAFA Requirements
5. USCGA Apply
6. 2026 guide
7. USNA Apply
8. USNA Advice
9. NASS
10. Summer Programs
11. Grades 11–12
12. White House
13. USNA FAQ
14. USCGA Requirements

Quick eligibility check (all grades)