32 C.F.R. PART 575—ADMISSION TO THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY
Title 32 - National Defense
Authority: Secs. 3012, 4331, 70A Stat. 157, 238; 10 U.S.C. 3012, 4331–4355.
Source: 44 FR 11781, Mar. 2, 1979, unless otherwise noted.
(a) Organization and administration. (1) The United States Military Academy is under the general direction and supervision of the Department of the Army. The Secretary of the Army has designated the Chief of Staff of the Army as the officer in direct charge of all matters pertaining to West Point. (2) The immediate government and military command of the Academy and the military post at West Point are vested in the Superintendent. In the absence of the Superintendent, the Deputy Superintendent, if present for duty, shall have such government and command. The Dean of the Academic Board has charge of the faculty and all academic work, and acts as representative of the academic departments and as adviser on academic matters to the Superintendent. The Commandant of Cadets is in charge of the administration and training of the Corps of Cadets and is also head of the Department of Tactics. (b) Mission. The mission of the United States Military Academy is to educate, train, and motivate the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate shall have the character, leadership, and other attributes essential to progressive and continuing development throughout a career of exemplary service to the Nation as an officer of the Regular Army. (c) Courses of instruction. Courses include academic education and military training. In accomplishing its mission, the Military Academy strives to develop in each cadet the following traits: (1) The knowledge, skill, intellectual curiosity, discipline, and motivation provided by a sound education in the arts and sciences requisite for continued professional and intellectual growth. (2) A highly developed sense of personal honor and professional ethics. (3) Professional and personal commitment to the responsibilities of an officer for soldiers. (4) Selflessness. (5) The willing acceptance of responsibility for personal actions and the actions of subordinates. (6) The initiative and good judgment to take appropriate action in the absence of instructions or supervision. (7) Physical and moral courage. (8) The physical strength, endurance, and conditioning habits required of a soldier. (a) In one major respect, the requirements for admission to the United States Military Academy differ from the normal requirements for admission to a civilian college or university; each candidate must obtain an official nomination to the Academy. The young person interested in going to West Point should, therefore, apply for a nomination from one of the persons authorized to make nominations listed in §575.4. In the application, each prospective candidate should request a nomination to the United States Military Academy, and give residence, reasons for wanting to enter the Academy, and status of education and training. (b) A candidate's mental qualifications for admission are determined by performance on one of the regularly administered College Entrance Examination Board series of tests. The Military Academy will consider scores made on the tests which are offered in December, January, March, and May at more than 700 College Board Test Centers throughout the United States and abroad. In general, a center will be within 75 miles of the candidate's home. Candidates register for the prescribed tests in accordance with the regularly published instructions of the College Board and pay the required fee directly to the College Board. (c) The candidate's physical qualifications are determined by a thorough medical examination and physical aptitude test. To qualify, a candidate must be in good health, have good vision and hearing, have no deformities, and have the physical strength, endurance, coordination, and agility of active persons in their late teens. The medical examination and physical aptitude tests are held at selected military installations throughout the country (and overseas) on the Thursday and Friday preceding the regularly scheduled March administration of the College Board tests. Admission to the Military Academy is gained by appointment to one of the cadetships authorized by law. Graduation of the senior class normally leaves about 915 vacancies each year. Candidates are nominated to qualify for these vacancies the year prior to admission. Those nominees appointed enter the Academy the following July and upon graduation are obligated to serve in the Army for a period of not less than 5 years. There are two major categories of nomination (Congressional/Gubernatorial and Service-Connected) and two minor categories (Filipino and Foreign Cadets). Cadetships authorized at the Military Academy are allocated among various sources of nominations from the major categories as follows: (a) Congressional / Gubernatorial Nomination. (1) Up to 10 nominations may be submitted for each vacancy. Nominating authorities may use one of three methods of nomination: (i) Name 10 nominees on a totally competitive basis, (ii) Name a principal nominee, with nine competing alternates, or (iii) Name a principal nominee, with nine alternates in order of preference. (2) The priority that a fully qualified candidate may receive when considered for appointment is actually governed by the method of nomination used. For example, a principal nominee who is found minimally qualified must be offered an appointment. Conversely, the same individual nominated on a totally competitive basis, may be ranked as one of the least qualified nominees for that vacancy and, consequently, may not be offered an appointment. Many nominating authorities hold preliminary competitive nomination examinations to select their nominees. Those selected are required to be actual residents of the geographic location represented by the nominating authority. (b) Service-connected nominations. There is no restriction on the residence of nominees who compete for an appointment under these quotas. All applications for a service-connected nomination must be submitted to the Superintendent, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, not later than 15 December for the class entering the following July. A description of the Service-Connected nomination categories follows: (1) Presidential: Children of career military personnel in the Armed Forces who are on active duty, retired, or deceased, are nominated through this category. The term “career” includes members of the Reserve Components currently serving 8 or more years of continuous active duty and Reserve retirees receiving either retired or retainer pay. Children of reservists retired while not on active duty are ineligible. Applications should include the name, grade, social security number/service number, and branch of service of the parent as a member of such regular component, and the full name, address, and date of birth of the applicant (complete military address and social security number, if in the Armed Forces). Adopted children are eligible for appointment if they were adopted prior to their 15th birthday; a copy of the order of court decreeing adoption, duly certified by the clerk of the court, must accompany the application. (2) Children of Deceased and Disabled Veterans: This category is for children of deceased or 100 percent disabled Armed Forces veterans whose deaths or disabilities were determined to be service-connected, and for children of military personnel or federally employed civilians who are in a missing or captured status. Candidates holding a nomination under this category are not eligible for nomination under the Presidential or Medal of Honor category. The Veterans Administration determines the eligibility of all applicants. The application should include the full name, date of birth, and address of the applicant (complete service address should be given if the applicant is in the Armed Forces), and the name, grade, social security number/service number, and last organization of the veteran parent, together with a brief statement concerning the time, place, and cause of death. The claim number assigned to the veteran parent's case by the Veterans Administration should also be furnished. (3) Children of Persons Awarded the Medal of Honor: Applications from children of persons awarded the Medal of Honor should contain the applicant's full name, address, and date of birth (complete service address should be given if the applicant is in the Armed Forces); the name, grade, and branch of service of the parent; and a brief statement of the date and circumstances of the award. Candidates appointed from this source may qualify in the same manner as a congressional principal candidate. All who are found fully qualified will be admitted as cadets, regardless of the number. (4) Honor Military Schools: Certain Honor Military Schools designated by Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, and Department of the Air Force are invited to recommend three candidates for nomination annually from among their honor graduates. Appointments are filled by selecting the best qualified candidates regardless of the school from which nominated. Application should be made through the school Senior Army Instructor. (5) Army ROTC: This category is for members of college and high school Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps units. Application should be made through the Professor of Military Science or Senior Army Instructor at the school. (6) Regular Army: This category is for enlisted members of the active Army. Appointments may be awarded to 85 Regular Army candidates. Application for admission, through command channels to the United States Military Academy Preparatory School (USMAPS) constitutes application for nomination under this category. (7) Reserve Components: This category is for enlisted members of the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. Application for admission should be made through command channels to USMAPS. Enlisted members who are not on active duty should apply to the Commandant, United States Military Preparatory School, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey 07703. (c) Filipino cadets. The Secretary of the Army may permit each entering class one Filipino, designated by the President of the Republic of the Philippines, to receive instruction at the United States Military Academy. (d) Foreign cadets. The law permits 20 persons at a time from the Latin-American Republics and Canada to receive instruction at the United States Military Academy. A maximum of three persons from any one country may be cadets at the same time. Such persons receive the same pay and allowances (including mileage from their homes in proceeding to the Military Academy for initial admission) as cadets appointed from the United States. However, they are not entitled to appointment in the United States Armed Forces upon graduation. Citizens of other foreign countries have been permitted from time to time to attend the Military Academy upon specific authorization of the United States Congress in each case. Applications must be submitted to the United States Government through diplomatic channels by the governments concerned. Requirements for the admission, advancement, and graduation of foreign cadets are similar to those for United States Cadets. This section describes the specific requirements which candidates must fulfill in addition to obtaining an appointment as outlined in §575.3. (a) Age. On 1 July of the year admitted to the Military Academy a candidate must be at least 17 years of age and must not have passed his/her 22d birthday. The age requirements for all candidates are statutory and cannot be waived. (b) Citizenship. A candidate must be a citizen of the United States, except those appointed specifically as foreign cadets. (c) Character. Every candidate must be of good moral character. (d) Marital Status. A candidate must be unmarried and not be pregnant or have a legal obligation to support a child or children. The latest edition of the catalogue, United States Military Academy, contains additional information regarding the Academy and requirements for admission. This publication may be obtained free of charge from the Registrar, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, or from the United States Army Military Personnel Center, HQDA (DAPC-OPP-PM), 200 Stovall Street, Alexandria, VA 22332.
Title 32: National Defense
PART 575—ADMISSION TO THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY
Section Contents
§ 575.1 Military Academy.
§ 575.2 Admission; general.
§ 575.3 Appointments; sources of nominations.
§ 575.4 [Reserved]
§ 575.5 Entrance requirements.
§ 575.6 Catalogue, United States Military Academy.
§ 575.1 Military Academy.
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§ 575.2 Admission; general.
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§ 575.3 Appointments; sources of nominations.
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------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cadets at the Academy Congressional/Gubernatorial at any one time------------------------------------------------------------------------Vice President............................................. 5100 Senators (5 each)...................................... 500435 Representatives (5 each)............................... 2,175Delegates in Congress from: District of Columbia..................................... 5 Virgin Islands........................................... 1 Guam..................................................... 1Governor/Residential Commissioner of Puerto Rico........... 6Governors of: Canal Zone............................................... 1 American Samoa........................................... 1------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Annually Service-Connected Allocated Cadetships------------------------------------------------------------------------Presidential............................................... 100Enlisted Members of the Regular Army....................... 85Enlisted Members of the Army Reserve/National Guard........ 85Sons and Daughters of Deceased and Disabled Veterans 10 (approximately)...........................................Honor Military, Naval Schools and ROTC..................... 20Sons and Daughters of persons Awarded the Medal of Honor... Unlimited------------------------------------------------------------------------
§ 575.4 [Reserved]
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§ 575.5 Entrance requirements.
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§ 575.6 Catalogue, United States Military Academy.
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