<p>I'm a junior in high school right now. Just wondering what the proper format for the letter to my congressman, senators, and VP asking for a nomination.</p>
<p>my candidate account for USMA has the sample letter: </p>
<p>Dear Representative_____,</p>
<pre><code> I desire to attend the United States Military Academy and to be commissioned in the Regular Army. I respectfully request that I be considered as one of your nominees for the class entering West Point in the summer of 2009. The following data is furnished for your information....
</code></pre>
<p>We looked on our MOC's and Senators' website (United</a> States House of Representatives, 110th Congress, 1st Session or U.S</a>. Senate) for what they required. Most of them have a section on their site for Constituent Services, and a link to service academy nominations. They usually want you to fill out a packet of information and submit it (some do this on-line, some by mail). They may also want high-school transcipts, recommendations, and lists of honors / awards and extra-curricular activities. </p>
<p>Our S applied to USAFA, and their guidebook had excellent sample cover letters to send with your packet. They are addressed as: The Honorable XXXX XXXXX, and your first line should be: Dear Senator (or Congressman / Congresswoman So-and-so,</p>
<p>Check their web-sites for the timeline requirements. You have plenty of time (most want your nomination package sometime in the fall of your senior year, but it is never to early to contact them for information! :) )</p>
<p>yep check the websites - many applications are online now and most will post a phone number on the website to call to request an application if they still use paper.</p>
<p>You can request so you can see what information they ask for - essay questions - if necessary. Some MOC's won't even make next year's available until the summer.
As far as applying you are early - way too early. Do it late next summer or early fall. The reason for this is - you still have 3/8 of your high school career left. You are going to be updating your resume during this time - getting awards, becoming an officer or team captain- for instance. You will want the "best" you to show so go ahead and wait. There is no benefit to completing the application way ahead of time.<br>
For letters of recommendation you can ask for those as soon as school starts or over the summer.</p>
<p>"my candidate account for USMA has the sample letter: </p>
<p>Dear Representative_____,</p>
<p>I desire to attend the United States Military Academy and to be commissioned in the Regular Army. I respectfully request that I be considered as one of your nominees for the class entering West Point in the summer of 2009. The following data is furnished for your information...."</p>
<p>Just to clarify, this sample letter is only a request for a nomination application packet. It is not a request for the nomination itself. The nomination process is a competitive process that requires an application packet to be submitted (similar to a college application). As others have said the application packet and instructions are often available online on the Member of Congress's (MOC) website, or can be obtained by phoning his/her office directly. MOC's have staff who deal with nomination applications and they can help answer questions that are specific to their office (but check their website first).</p>
<p>Most applications are due around October of your senior year (check the deadlines for your specific MOCs). As others have said late summer is usually a great time to have them complete. Good luck!</p>