Coast Guard Academy Recommendation Requirements

I'm considering applying to the United States Coast Guard Academy and trying to gather all the necessary recommendation letters. Does anyone know what the specific requirements are for recommendations? Any tips on who I should ask to write them?

The application process for the United States Coast Guard Academy is unique compared to traditional colleges. For the Coast Guard Academy, you don't need traditional teacher letters of recommendation, but rather require specific evaluations.

The main review factors of the United States Coast Guard Academy include three evaluations: a school official evaluation, a math teacher evaluation, and a physical fitness evaluation. The school official evaluation can be completed by your high school principal, vice principal, or guidance counselor and assesses personal attributes like your leadership potential and moral character.

Next is the math teacher evaluation. Ideally, this should be filled out by your current or most recent math teacher. The academy is interested in your potential to succeed in engineering-focused coursework which is a part of the required curriculum for all cadets, so they specifically request an evaluation from a math teacher.

Lastly, a physical fitness examination is required. Your results on this exam give the admissions committee an idea of your physical readiness for the demanding training at the academy. This examination must be administered by someone at your school, such as a gym teacher or sports coach, or a member of a local police or fire department, or a military recruiting office.

When requesting these evaluations, it's best to ask individuals who know you well and can speak to your abilities, both in the classroom and in a physical fitness capacity. Consider the attributes that the Coast Guard Academy values—leadership, character, physical stamina—and ask those who can highlight these traits in their evaluations.

Start these conversations well in advance of the application deadline to give your evaluators plenty of time to complete their assessments. It's also wise to consider who can address different aspects of your ability and potential. That way, the admissions committee will receive a well-rounded view of you as an individual.