U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand formally announced her nominations to the United States service academies last week. Among the top-tier candidates, four were selected from Brooklyn: Frankie Austin, Sabrina Bressi, Sydney Edwards, and Alexandr Ivanov. All four received nominations to the United States Air Force Academy.
“These talented New Yorkers have shown honor, dedication and unique skill sets that will make them great assets to our nation’s service academies and armed forces,” said Gillibrand. “Our service academies cultivate top tier officers who are committed to serving our country. I am always honored to nominate courageous men and women with the opportunity to serve in our country’s Armed Forces.”
The application process for the United States Air Force, Naval and Merchant Marine Academies and West Point is highly competitive. Each year, the service academies receive tens of thousands of applications with some of the lowest acceptance rates in the country. The U.S. Air Force Academy had a 13% acceptance rate for the class of 2017 while the U.S. Naval Academy accepted less than 8% of applicants.
Unlike most college and university admission processes, receiving an appointment to a U.S. service academy requires two parts: a nomination from a U.S. Senator or the Vice President of the United States and an appointment—or formal acceptance letter—from the service academy to which the student was nominated. In order to be a qualified “candidate” for a service academy appointment, the applicant must first receive a nomination. Those who do not receive a nomination do not proceed in the admissions process.
Gillibrand formed a selection committee to interview a large number of highly qualified applicants from New York City. Nomination recipients were selected based on academic record, leadership potential, and overall achievement.
Though their names were released to the public last week, selected candidates were informed and congratulated with a phone call from one of Senator Gillbrand’s representatives in late December.
“It was almost like an early Christmas present,” said Alexandr Ivanov from Sheepshead Bay. “I called my mom and told her I got a nomination. My whole family was thrilled.”
Ivanov is a student at the High School of Economics and Finance in Manhattan. He has dreamed of going to the U.S. Air Force Academy since he heard about it from a military veteran neighbor in the seventh grade.
“I applied to the Air Force Academy because I want to become a pilot,” said Ivanov. “It’s one of the elite academies and it has a great aeronautical engineering program. If I get in and finish my four years plus five years of active duty—although I want to serve more—I want to work for or even start my own company to do something with space.”
Upon graduation from the service academies, Cadets and Midshipmen are commissioned into the United States military. These newly-commissioned officers serve five years in exchange for their free college education valued at nearly $500,000.
Most applicants are high school seniors, though some choose to attend a service academy prep school for one year before applying or reapplying to the corresponding service academy. Crown Heights/Flatbush native Frankie Austin chose this path.
“I think it was a great choice for me to go to the [Air Force Academy] Prep School first,” said Austin. “I had wanted to go to the Air Force Academy since the summer before my tenth grade year.”
For Austin, the Prep School was a major eye-opener as to what the Academy was actually like. Many of his peers came in blind, not knowing what to expect.
“I feel like I’m more adaptable because of it. I’m glad I’m doing it this year here and not as a freshman there,” he said. “The best way I can describe prep school is: it’s one year the Air Force gives us to get better.”
Austin credits his brother, an Air Force Master Sergeant, for making him consider the military as an option. After researching ROTC programs and the service academies, Austin began his pursuit. Almost four years later, he is nearly there.
“I feel very confident now that the nomination is underway,” said Austin. “I can essentially focus more on my grades and trying different leadership styles to prepare for freshman year so it’s one thing off my back. I am very grateful I received a nomination.”
Ivanov agreed.
“I feel very honored,” he said. “It’s major competition even for a nomination not just an appointment from the Academy so I feel pretty happy about it.”
Candidates expect to be notified of their admission status around late March or early April.
