There is a lot of information on Service Academy admissions on online forums and various websites, and our goal is to ensure you focus on the right areas. Understanding the admissions process will help you apply effort to the areas that matter most in your application. We use the terms The Naval Academy, USNA, and Annapolis interchangeably in this guide.
Here is an overview of the major sections in this guide:
The Annapolis Mission
The Mission of the United States Naval Academy is to develop midshipmen morally, mentally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty in order to graduate leaders who are dedicated to a career of naval service and potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.
Why You’d Make a Good Candidate
With 5 Service Academies to choose from, it’s important to research and understand why you are choosing the Naval Academy. With the mission above in mind, think about your reasons. Above all, a desire to become a Naval or Marine Corps Officer should be amongst the top reasons. Passion about leadership and service is a must. Deciding to attend the USNA is a career choice, not just an educational one.
Basic Requirements – Who The Naval Academy is Looking For
There are both legal requirements and additional requirements for admittance into Annapolis. Legal Requirements:
- 17-22 years old
- U.S. Citizen
- Unmarried
- Not pregnant; with no legal obligation to support a child
While there is no perfect answer as to what to do to get an appointment to Annapolis, midshipmen excelled academically, athletically, and sought leadership opportunities during their high school careers. The Naval Academy publishes a class portrait that provides statistics about each class, which can be helpful in understanding the typical candidate profile.
Academics
The USNA admissions team recommends the following classes during your high school career. If available, taking Honors, AP, and IB classes are recommended.
- Required
- Math – 4 years of mathematics with geometry, algebra, and trigonometry
- Pre-calculus and calculus are also highly encouraged
- Science – 1 year each: chemistry and physics
- English – 4 years with a focus on writing and an emphasis on English and American literature
- Optional but highly recommended
- Foreign language – at least 2 years
- History – U.S history and European or world history
- Computer and typing courses
USNA Admissions recommends striving to be in the top 20% of your high school class to receive an appointment.
Testing early and often with the SAT and/or ACT is a great way to determine if you should retest again during your junior year or even your senior year. Here are scores from a recent class showing what 50% of the class scored between. Scoring in these ranges could indicate you are competitive, depending on the rest of your application. If you are not within these ranges, we recommend retesting!
If you do retest, make sure to submit your scores each time as USNA takes the highest scores into account.

Naval Academy SAT score statistics

Naval Academy ACT score statistics
Fitness
Fitness is a major part of the application process. The physical test, known as the Candidate Fitness Assessment, is a series of 6 exercises that you can practice before the test, and we highly recommend doing just that! Here are instructions for the fitness assessment.

Naval Academy maximum fitness test scores
You can calculate your estimated CFA score using our Candidate Fitness Assessment Score Calculator.
Unlike the other service academies, USNA admissions does not post average scores. The admissions team will let you know if you fail though. You can take the test again and re-submit scores through the Jan 31 deadline — but keep in mind that your new scores (even if they are lower) will override your old scores.
The good news is that this test is the same across all service academies, so if you are undecided about which service academy to apply for you can still prepare for all and only test once. The test can be administered by any physical education teacher, coach, an active-duty commissioned officer, JROTC instructor, or your Blue and Gold Officer.
You’ll also want to make sure you meet the height and weight requirements for the Naval Academy.
Leadership
Since the mission of the Naval Academy is to produce leaders, demonstrating an aptitude for leadership in your high school career is important. We recommend finding something you love to do and getting involved in a way that will allow you to showcase your leadership talents. Take a leadership role in extra-curricular activities and staying consistent with those activities will also demonstrate commitment.
If you enjoy a sport, become a team captain. About 90% of the Annapolis class participated in sports in high school. If you enjoy clubs, become the President or Vice President of the club. Understand that this is more than just a title. Getting involved and leading means taking an active role in the organization. Be ready to explain how you lead your group and what difference you made!
Teacher Recommendations
One of the requirements for getting into the Naval Academy is for an English teacher, Math teacher, and a coach to rate you and write a letter of recommendation via the online portal. Develop relationships with your chosen teachers early. Make sure your teachers know of your intention to apply for USNA and ask them early for letters of recommendation. Use our Naval Academy Recommendation Letter Samples to get started.
Personal Essays
Another portion of the admissions process is to provide writing samples. The key here is to learn more about being a Naval officer. Asking serving or retired Naval officers about their experiences is a great way to do this. Visiting NROTC programs and Reserve units will help you exponentially. Emphasizing selfless service and putting others before yourself will help you with the following prompts:
(1) Describe what led to your initial interest in the naval service and how the Naval Academy will help you achieve your long-range goals, and
(2) Describe a personal experience you have had which you feel has contributed to your own character development and integrity.
For more information on how to craft successful personal essays, read our article on Naval Academy Essay Example with Commentary: How to Get Into Annapolis.