<p>Probably the best thing you can do now if you are concerned about getting all your ducks in a row is to go to the USMA.edu website and sign up as a prospective student to receive their grade level-appropriate mailings. USMA will add you to their mailing list to receive letters and summer seminar information as well as invitations to informational seminars held by your local laiason officer in your area. The information will be sent out periodically but will not overwhelm prospective students with too many details so that the most important tasks are taken care of on a timely basis, a little at a time. </p>
<p>Start taking ACT and/or SAT tests as soon as you have had enough coursework to cover the majority of the subject tests to get a feel for the tests, then take them as many times as needed until you feel they reflect your abilities.</p>
<p>The winter of your jr. year, (or if you go for a visit to the USMA post) you may fill out a Candidate Questionnaire online. This is basically a pre-application. If you are found to be a competitive candidate based on the CQ, you will be sent information about the Dodmerb medical exam and later a Candidate Kit the fall of your senior year. That will contain all the paperwork needed for the USMA application. </p>
<p>The nomination process will begin spring of jr. year at the earliest, usually after the first of March. You will need to contact your nomination sources, telling them of your desire to be considered as a nominee for your area. These sources will then send you their individual application packets. Be aware, however, that many nominees will not know they have been selected until as late as early February of their sr. year. </p>
<p>It is a long and tedious process, but not so overwhelming that you will miss anything if you are truly dilgent in applying. </p>
<p>(And word of advice from a new cadet: have lots of fun in high school now while you still can. That is not to say don’t work hard, but take time out for play, too, or you may hit burnout before you’ve even started…)</p>