OCS A whole lot of questions about OCS from a non-prior

[cottrouble]

Quickly, here’s my background:

• Political science undergraduate (BS) from a well-known state school (think UCLA, Ohio State), worked my way through school, 3.1 GPA
• Went to work for Fortune 500 company, ranked 9th most promising co. in America by Forbes. Started as a consultant, moved up into two management roles, where I was the youngest person in company history to hold either one, to ultimately manage over 20 people on four teams including managing two managers.
• While there, I started a nonprofit helping military parents and raised $60,000 in the first six months.
• Gave a TED talk at a TEDx event.
• Age: 27 (just turned 27)
• Received a full-tuition scholarship (highest scholarship honor given at the school) to Georgetown University’s business school. That's where I currently am.

Here are my questions about applying:

• Told the recruiter on a questionnaire that I had one puff of marijuana in college. Will that be detrimental? Seems like my honesty about it would be more of a plus.
• Undergraduate GPA is low at 3.09 but does my MBA and/or scholarship now offset this?
• Previous management experience: Managing two managers and 20+ people should be a big plus. How much is this considered?
• Had house I bought in college go into foreclosure, but I worked it out with the bank and it is not in foreclosure anymore. Will this hurt?
• Earned top 20% and top 11% scores on the GRE. Will those scores help?
• I can get character references from Sen. John McCain and Sen. Marco Rubio and a congressman in my state although I haven’t worked for any of them. They'd be in addition to LORs from my previous supervisors. Will this help?
• I'm considering both active duty and reserves. In active, I'm looking SWO and Intel. Reserves, looking Intel and Supply. Does it hurt to apply to both? Does it hurt to apply to multiple communities within each? I'm committed to becoming a Naval Officer, I would think applying to multiple shows that.
• Sounds dumb, but do they screen for flat feet? Mine have always been a little flatter - does this even matter? For context, I've done CrossFit for nearly a year, have done triathlons, have done 4+ mile runs no problems.
• At 27, I'm closer to the cutoff than I'd like. Does it matter?
• How important will my OAR score be?
• How important will my master’s GPA be?
• Would it be helpful if I got a graduate certificate (12+ credit hours) from Harvard in something foreign relations or cybersecurity related?

Whew, thanks in advance for advice on some or all of the questions.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

search is your friend on this site, but some of what you asked I haven't seen asked before so here are some quick answers.

- 1 time no big deal
- the GPA's are combined, but your UG GPA will outweigh your MBA GPA, no one cares if you had a scholarship
- a little, but you have to have good LOR's from your boss to help show this.
- as long as current should be ok
- nope
- not much if any, the board wants to see LOR's from those that have seen you perform, basically almost anyone can blow smoke up someones ass for an hour to get a good LOR
- they look for different things, unless you have many years experience in the civilian Intel field or civilian Supply oriented position you won't be competitive for reserves, reserve boards are only once a year now, so you would have to wait almost a year for the next ones. Your GPA is low and your degree is non-tech so you really don't fit the profile for Active Intel, SWO is your best shot.
- yes, had a few people disqualified for it.
- nope, as long as you can commission by age 27
- little
- combined with BA so it can help.
- given your age concentrate on getting an application in.

 

[cottrouble]

- the GPA's are combined, but your UG GPA will outweigh your MBA GPA, no one cares if you had a scholarship

Is it just an average?

 

[cottrouble]

A few more questions:

• Are more LORs better? To what point? (i.e. 5 is better than three, but 7 is too many)
• A classmate who has become a good friend was a LT from the USNA. Should I have him write a recommendation? In addition to my former bosses of course.
• For the LORs, anything in particular I should have emphasized?

 

[Hopeful Hoya]

I believe more than 3 isn't really necessary as the Board only takes a cursory glance at them. You can turn in more but they aren't likely to have much impact.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

A few more questions:

• Are more LORs better? To what point? (i.e. 5 is better than three, but 7 is too many)
• A classmate who has become a good friend was a LT from the USNA. Should I have him write a recommendation? In addition to my former bosses of course.
• For the LORs, anything in particular I should have emphasized?

What did your recruiter say when you asked them (or should be) these questions?

 

[cottrouble]

The recruiter that contacted me has not been responsive (emailed and left a voice message). Hopefully it's because of Thanksgiving.

 

[Hair Warrior]

The recruiter that contacted me has not been responsive (emailed and left a voice message). Hopefully it's because of Thanksgiving.

Allow a response time of up to two weeks. Maybe three. They will get to it.

If I were to answer your questions:
Submit 3-5 LOR. No more, no less. If there is one really weak LOR out of your 5 (criteria below), then cut it and submit 4. If you have 4 LOR and 1 is clearly weaker, cut it and go to 3.

Reasons an LOR could be weaker:
- Lack of direct observation/ not long enough observation/ many echelons of other folks sandwiched between you and observer
- Lack of "awesomeness" written in LOR, i.e. in LOR, you are merely mediocre and not God's gift to the Navy
- Redundant to another LOR (e.g. you got LOR from your Div Chief AND your Deputy Div Chief - you only need 1 of those 2)
- Not relevant to Navy and/or to the designator of your choice

Apply those criteria to your LT friend from USNA.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

- Not relevant to Navy and/or to the designator of your choice

Apply those criteria to your LT friend from USNA.

for a person going AD they don't care if relevant to designator of choice, they just want to know essentially about your work ethic and any leadership traits the person can talk about.

 

[zack13usa]

Submit 3-5 LOR. No more, no less. If there is one really weak LOR out of your 5 (criteria below), then cut it and submit 4. If you have 4 LOR and 1 is clearly weaker, cut it and go to 3.

hmmm...I didn't get the chance to view any one of my LORs! the processor was in direct contact with my references and I wasn't allowed to intervene....Is this common for Non priors?

 

[mb1685]

hmmm...I didn't get the chance to view any one of my LORs! the processor was in direct contact with my references and I wasn't allowed to intervene....Is this common for Non priors?

Mine had to be e-mailed to my recruiter directly, but they all gave me the courtesy of letting me look at their final drafts before they sent them.

 

[zack13usa]

Mine had to be e-mailed to my recruiter directly, but they all gave me the courtesy of letting me look at their final drafts before they sent them

To be honest, I originally had five references, Both the processor and my OR told me that three should be enough and there will be no more... so had the weakest two cut off (relying on the drafts I saw before hand as well

 

[exNavyOffRec]

hmmm...I didn't get the chance to view any one of my LORs! the processor was in direct contact with my references and I wasn't allowed to intervene....Is this common for Non priors?

My applicants would deliver them and they would be returned to me.