Tim meets with Academy students and nominees in South Dakota

Each year, I nominate outstanding South Dakota students to the United States Air Force, Military, Naval, and Merchant Marine Academies (the U.S. Coast Guard Academy does not use a congressional nomination process). Nominees are selected on a competitive basis from applicants across South Dakota.


Application materials should be submitted through the mail and postmarked by October 31:
- A completed Service Academy Application (Download Application)
- Three letters of reference
- A current high school transcript
- ACT or SAT scores
- Current photograph
- List of student/community activities, leadership positions, awards, honors and employment
- One page, double-spaced essay explaining why you are an exceptional candidate for nomination to a service academy

Only legal residents of South Dakota may apply for a nomination from Senator Johnson. All other applicants should apply to the Senators and Representatives of their home state.

From time-to-time, applications are received from South Dakota residents whose parents are on active military duty and are stationed outside of South Dakota. Applications also are received from exchange students, children whose parents are missionaries, and other bona fide residents of South Dakota who are temporarily located outside of the state due to special circumstances. Such applicants are considered South Dakota residents provided they complete a signed Affidavit of Domicile certifying the reason they are temporarily absent from South Dakota and authorizing Senator Johnson to verify this information.

Download the Affidavit of Domicile

NOTE: Applicants must not apply for a nomination from Members of the U.S. Congress outside their state of permanent residence. Applicants attempting to do so may be excluded from consideration for an appointment.

Application material should be submitted to:
Senator Tim Johnson
C/O Amy Bilka Skilbred
715 S. Minnesota Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57104

If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email my Sioux Falls office. Please add this email address to your contacts so you will receive important updates about your application.

Please note that applicants must apply for admission directly to the academy or academies of their choice, in addition to applying for a nomination from Senator Johnson. Qualified applicants will be scheduled for an interview with the Senator's Service Academy Advisory Panel. These interviews are conducted the first Saturday in December. The slate of nominees will be announced each year no later than December 31st. It is important to remember that a nomination is required in order for an applicant to be appointed to a service academy. However, a nomination does not guarantee an appointment. The academies, themselves, make the final appointment decisions.


Current Academy Student Profiles | Information on Eligibility | How to Apply for a Nomination | The Academies: U.S Military Academy at West Point | U.S. Naval Academy | U.S. Air Force Academy | U.S. Coast Guard Academy | U.S. Merchant Marine Academy |