1,001 questions about the ASTB (post your scores & ask your questions here!)

As far as being lazy regarding study habits, not so. As far as poor study habits, not so. I work 40+ hours a week. I am the kitchen manager at a fine dining restaurant. It's a company I started with as a server and moved up to head server then kitchen manager. Anyways, all that work in the restaurant plus being in college full time (Aerospace Administration major, business minor) didn't leave much free time to do much of anything. Anyways, I don't have the luxury of having school paid for so I am a college student stuck in the real world with real bills and a real job to pay for those bills. Will the board like the fact that I'm a manager in a fine dining restaurant? I would imagine that they would look at my stats and think, "Hey this guy's GPA isn't stellar but it qualifies. He works as a full-time restaurant manger while going to school full time. That's good." Is this scenario completely unrealistic? But to set the record straight, look somewhere else for a lazy student. I work my a$$ off to pay for school, but if on BDCP pay I'd quit my restaurant job and have much much more time to study.

Here are my thoughts...

As said numerous times, they look at the whole person concept. Your GPA is a little low, your ASTB scores are okay and your work experience is excellent. There have been people picked up with a GPA lower than yours, ASTB lower than yours, work experience worse than yours. Then again, there have been people picked up with a GPA better than yours, ASTB better, work better etc, etc...

If I were you, here is what I would do...

Work into my motivational statement a sentence or two about how you worked 40+ hours a week gaining valuable leadership experience while paying for school, which resulted in lower grades. Let the board decide if you are whole person. Also, I probably wouldn't worry about retaking the ASTB. From what I have noticed here on AW, your scores are probably right in the middle of those applying. If you don't get picked up by the board, consider retaking for a better (remember, there is always the or worse category) score. Lastly, RELAX!!! Don't worry too much about what you cannot control. Just fill out the paperwork, send it to the boards, and hurry up and wait.

Good Luck!

Nick

Also...remember, these are my opinions. Take them FWIW.

Thanks for the advice. Adding to the "whole person" concept, I'm a private pilot (60 hours). I feel like I have a decent shot at this. It's what I've wanted to do as long as I can remember, and now I'm 21, a junior in college and ready to make it happen. Thanks, I'll keep yall up to date on what happens with the rest of the process.

mtsupilot09...i was speaking for my own experience..i worked 30 hours a week and i had an internship at Boeing on top of that...with my 15 hours of school, i wasnt speaking for you, but with all of those extra things, laziness and immaturity contributed to my low gpa WHILE working almost full time and doing an internship.

Look at the bright side. If it doesn't work out on the first go around, you have 5 years worth of retries (for OCS anyway). Like it has already been said, you have scores and stats that were good enough for some to get accepted.

Good luck.

I would leave out the above underlined part. Keep the motivational statement positive all around. Can you say that you worked full time while going to school full time and still get the message across? Absolutely.

It sounds like the OP has a good package being built. Apply and see what happens! Good luck!

Good Call

Just took the ASTB

I just took the ASTB this morning.
Scores: 59 5/5/4

Is that competitive at all? I have a mediocre GPA (2.88), but a 3.7 the last three years.
I would appreciate any input/suggestions/wisdom of what I should aim for.
I want to go air....but I realize it is competitive.

Do they take into account difficulty of major when they look at GPA?

Of COURSE!

Awesome. Is there a rubric for this or is it just their impression of difficulty? And how much leniency are they giving? (I have a 3.05 in EE, if that helps you to give me odds)

There is no rubric for ANY part of the selection. It is a board of Naval Officers
who consider the needs of the Navy and the various applicants applying for various designators. Sometimes a certain score is sufficient to get accepted. Other times, that same score may not get accepted. The same applies for any other part of the package which is considered. Just accept the fact that there is NO WAY to know if you'll be accepted, other than applying and finding out the hard way.

I had a 3.54 in Aerospace Engineering a 63 8/8/8 etc etc, whereas I know guys who got in with a 2.5 in Business management and a 55 6/7/6 etc etc. You NEVER know if or why you'll be selected or not. You just apply, try to be as competitive as possible and hope for the best.

^Thanks for the info.

And I know I'm hijacking a thread, and I do apologize, but I couldn't find it searching and I don't feel that I can trust a recruiter like y'all - can I take the ASTB and apply for SNA without signing up? ie to make sure I get into the program I want to be in?

When you apply, you apply FOR THE PROGRAM you want. IE: You apply for a pilot slot. You either get offered a pilot slot, or you don't get accepted. When you get accepted, you get OFFERED a pilot slot. You aren't obligated until you sign on the dotted line for the PILOT slot (or whatever you applied for and were accepted for). Even after you sign up, if you are strictly OCS, you can DOR and go home up until commissioning if you so choose (although if you make it that far and quit, you suck).

My sentiments exactly - I mean, if they offer to let you fly and you pansy out? I don't get it, I'd to go hell and back (and hopefully, I will)

I wish I would have found this site a little earlier. It is full of some wonderful information. I just took the ASTB last week after studying for about a month. Mainly trying to brush up on my math. Math and I never really got along. Looking at some of the other scores I think I did pretty well;

AQR: 6
PFAR: 8
FOFAR: 5
OAR: 46

I'm trying for SNA. I currently hold my private pilot's license and have a 3.6 GPA in school. I'm getting a degree in Professional Aeronautics in a few months. You guys think I might have a good shot at SNA?

I´m just gonna throw my two cents in.

How´s this look for SNA. Apply for October 09 boards

7/9/7 56

GPA 3.42 graduated May 08 in Finance
1.5 mile: 10 minutes
LOR: 1) director of business honors program, 2) professor 3) boss (chief IT officer at a financial institution)

Guys, you all have a shot at SNA. A good shot? I don't know; what does that mean? It varies from month to month, and we don't know all of your qualifications.

Just apply and see what happens. Make your application as good as possible. Everything else is useless speculation.

Took the ASTB today on three hours of sleep. Did not do to good but oh well. "got to love those frost control flights in the mornings" But got up to the station and took the test...6/7/6 48...not great i know, but what ya think on scores mixed with 900 hours PIC time

Took the ASTB Today!

I took the ASTB today. My score were:

AQR: 5
PFAR: 5
FOFAR: 6
OAR: 51

My recruiter said that was good, much better than what the processors have seen in the past. So I am going to submit with these scores and just hope for the best!!

The aviation supplemental part was crazy. Did not see that info in Barron's. Definitely not a mix of all the sections, it was all aviation knowledge! The damn computer kept freezing up and not bringing up the next question. It was pissing me off. Oh well, can't do anything about that now.

Are you applying Navy or Marines?
From the contexts of your other posts I got the feeling it was Marines, but I'm probably wrong.

Now, the waiting game If you sent in now you would have to wait a while, I'm guessing, since the selection board meets around the middle of the month and you would probably make the Sept boards... From the advice I've seen on this site I would grab some brews while waiting, and maybe keep studying in case they try to put you on your third choice or something, so you'd be ready to test again if needed. -Just trying to be helpful. No disrespect; I haven't even taken the test so I'd have no room to "talk". I am being sincere.

Good luck in the selection process man.

LOL, yeah, when I corrected you from saying "core" instead of "Corps". I would go either Navy or Marines. Which ever I could get NFO. I can't do pilot because my eyes. But if I don't get NFO even after a retest, I'll probably do something in the Marines because I want to serve regardless. I have not done my app, but I'll finish that tonight and my motivation statement by the end of the week. I have plenty of time to get in for the Sept board if my references dont procrastinate, but I don't think they will. I know it takes a while to find out.

My choices are NFO, Supply, and SWO. I'm a Finance major with a 2.7 GPA. I know its low, but I had to work full time while in school to pay the bills.

Ah
I'm in a similar boat. If I don't get my choice in the Navy, I want to be a Marine. I think flying rotary-wing would be very challeging and cool, plus the Marines are in the shit, so to speak, and they are more likely to get to kill the terrorists (at any given moment). Heh. The thought of landing on a carrier is my main motivation to join the Navy. Thinking of landing at night excites the hell out of me.

Ha, if you definitely want to be involved in close air support all the time, Marines is the way to go. When I was deployed to Iraq in 2005 and attached to a Marine unit, AH-1's and F/A-18s were tearing shit up out in the Al Qaim area all the time. They don't play no games. Rotary wing is very cool, my eyes just suck. But make sure you main motivation is wanting to serve, not landing on a carrier. But I'm sure it is, the carrier part is just a perk. Good luck to you bro.

Thank you. Absolutely, my motivation is wanting to serve first. You are right about the carrier difference was just a dynamic part of the Navy and a good perk.

I checked out the Army, AF, Marines then lastly the Navy in terms of enlistment recruiters (no officer recruiters in Sarasota). I settled on Navy-1 and Marines-2.

I have such a high level of respect to anyone who serves, Coast Gaurd included. My family has a great military history, so I grew up seeing what great people they were (as well as their friends) and how successful most of them became. My uncles (Army, Marines); my dad (Naval aviator); Grandpa (Army Air Core).
Anyway point being, I have a the greatest respect to those who serve.