The bottom 20 members of Congress include Rep. Bobby Rush of Chicago, an Army veteran who has nominated just 12 students in five years. Sharon Jenkins, a spokeswoman for Rush, said he wants to raise awareness in his inner-city district but that people rarely apply for nominations.
"He cares about this," Jenkins said. "He knows that those numbers are not what he'd like to see."
Ara Carmel Quinones, an 18-year-old senior at Baltimore Polytech, said she has had her eye on attending the Naval Academy since her freshman year, when she joined junior ROTC at the inner-city magnet school.
Quinones, who emigrated from the Philippines, said the prospect of a prestigious education at no cost is a big enough draw that if she doesn't get in, she plans to enter the reserves and reapply.
"It's amazing what they can offer you for free," she said. "It's like maybe a Harvard or what one of the best colleges can offer you."
Associated Press writer Susanne M. Schafer in Fort Jackson, S.C., contributed to this report.
