The nation’s three major military academies said Wednesday that applications for the incoming Class of 2013 were up significantly from previous years, citing aggressive marketing, declining casualties in Iraq and the economic downturn as factors. … The rise in applications … is similar to the trend at many well-known public colleges, reflecting perhaps their lower cost. The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; and the University of Virginia, Charlottesville; all reported higher application numbers this year.