0812GM
FY09 STA-21 NFO Select
I just got this in an email and thought it might help the FY10 applicants.
So you want to be an officer, and you want a free college degree, have you considered the Seaman to Admiral 21 Program!
Now that you have enlisted in the Navy, and have become familiar with the service and all that it has to offer, are you thinking that you have both the desire and ability to be a Naval Officer, but you are missing one of the key prerequisites - a college degree. What are your options now? Well there is one you may, or may not, have considered; and that is the Seaman to Admiral 21 Program, otherwise referred to as STA-21.
I recently had the privilege of participating in the STA-21 selection process. Let me say I was impressed both with the professionalism and fairness of the selection process, and with the quality of the candidates. The leadership of our Navy can take heart in the fact that we have some truly great Sailors doing many great things. My experience also left me with some lessons learned regarding the STA-21 Program.
The STA-21 Program is, in my opinion, one of the best officer commissioning programs that the Navy has to offer. In summary, STA-21 pays up to $10,000 per year for college costs, i.e. tuition, books and fees. All the while Sailors draw their full pay and allowances for their current pay grade. Sailors have 36 months, including summer semesters, to complete their Bachelors degree requirements. There are many program options; the current ones are Pilot, Naval Flight Officer, Surface Warfare Officer, Surface Warfare Officer/Information Professional (SWO/IP), Nuclear (Submarine and Surface), Special Warfare, Special Operations, Special Duty Officer (Intelligence), Special Duty Officer Information Warfare (IW), Civil Engineer Corps, Supply Corps, Nurse Corps, and Medical Corps, as well as the CORE Option, in which candidates do not request which Unrestricted Line designator they desire until just prior to graduation. The full details of the program, specifics for each of the program options, and the on-line application can be found on the STA-21 website at https://www.sta-21.navy.mil/. If you are interested in the program this is the place to start. Additionally, refer to OPNAVINST 1420.1A (Chap 8) and associated NAVADMIN messages, for the directive guidance for the program. Please note that the STA-21 website has the most accurate program information. A change to the OPNAVINST which also incorporates the additional guidance published in the several NAVADMIN messages is being staffed. In the interim the website has the definitive information all in one place.
I think that not only our Sailors, but the Navy overall benefits greatly from this program. First, the average candidates have at least two years, and in most cases four or more years, of observed performance to assist in the process of selecting the best Sailors to become officers. For high school graduates going straight to the Naval Academy or ROTC there is very little, if any, opportunity before selection to have their performance observed and documented by Navy Officers and Chief Petty Officers. Also, STA-21 candidates are on average a little older than the most Midshipmen. Some see this as a drawback as it makes for older entry level officers, but with age comes maturity, and this helps account for the over 95 percent completion rate for the STA-21 program. Lastly, because many Sailors already have some college credit coming into the STA-21 program not all of them need the three years allotted to earn their degree. All of these factors, proven performance for better selection, maturity for higher completion rates, and some college credit to help shorten the time in the program, serve to save the Navy money while producing a top quality experienced Naval Officer.
However, it is not the intent of this article to reiterate verbatim what is on the STA-21 website and in the instructions, nor to debate the merits of the program. Instead, for those of you who are interested in this program, and the leadership of the commands processing applications, I would like to offer some advice and recommendations to help ensure our best Sailors get selected.
Overall preparation: In the STA-21 Program, as it is in many competitive selection processes, it is often the little extras that make a difference. With so many great Sailors to chose from selection boards often look for the tie breakers or the indicators of extra effort, potential and desire. In this regard the STA-21 Program is no exception. As always, performance is the number one criteria. So I repeat what I know every Sailor has heard already, and that is to do well in all that you do. When given the chance to lead, take it. No matter how small the opportunity, step up and lead people, and lead them well. Also attend to your physical as well as your professional preparedness. If everything else is equal and one candidate scores excellent or outstanding on their PFA and the other barely passes, guess who is most likely to get selected. The bottom line it is your career and it is up to you to attend to the details.
Grading Sailor Potential: Commanding Officers, and other reporting seniors, if you think you have a Sailor who has the potential to be selected as an officer, chief, or candidate for any other special program, then comment on his or her performance evaluations on their leadership and potential early in their career; even if the numeric grade and promotion recommendations, which we know are also influenced by time on board, time in grade and peer ranking, are not fully consistent with the comments.
Officer Interview Boards: Commanding Officers and Executive Officers before assigning members to an interview board, I recommend you conduct training with them on how to be board members, and how to participate in a board. Convey to them how the best Sailors should be ranked high and that the comments and grades should match, and conversely to be honest in their reviews of Sailors who are not performing up to the level expected for the program they are applying for. If a Sailor is the number one candidate at either the Command - Officer Interview Board or the Nomination Review Board (NRB), then the grades and remarks should match their outstanding ranking. Quite often candidates are graded Outstanding by their Commanding Officers, and/or Chair of the NRB, only to be graded all over the map by the more junior board members. Also the grades should match the comments. For instance, comments to the effect that a Sailor would make a "great officer with unlimited potential" when coupled with mediocre grades, especially a grade of "Good" or lower in the Officer Potential block, sends mixed signals. This lack of consistency has to be reconciled by the Selection Board, and it only makes it that much harder to evaluate a Sailor's true potential. The bottom line is to make sure your top candidate(s), both in a given year, and as compared to all Sailors interviewed throughout your career, truly stand-out in the board appraisals. (Note: I say all this because I know not every junior officer is properly prepared for these type boards. I distinctly remember as a Lieutenant being ordered to go sit on similar type boards without any guidance, training, or preparation from my seniors. My only tools were the limited instructions on the appraisal form itself, and my own good judgment.) For Sailors going before a review board remember this is your chance to show you have leadership potential, so put forth your best effort at "leading" the board to recognize your best qualities. I recommend before going before a board, that you ask some Officers or Chiefs to do a mock board for practice. You should be prepared to answer the big questions of Why and What. For example, WHY do you want to be an officer, and WHAT do you expect to do for the Navy as an officer. Also, if there is a skeleton in your closet this is a good chance to explain it away. For instance, if your transcripts show that you did poorly in college before enlisting, but there were extenuating circumstances as to why, this is your chance to explain what they were.
QA the Application Package: Career Counselors, Officer Program Coordinators, Commanding Officers and Executive Officers, should assist their applicants by taking time to closely scrutinize their packages for correctness and to determine if the applicant really meets the requirements for the program option applied for. Every year approximately one third of the applications received for the STA-21 Program are determined to be Not Qualified for one reason or another. The top three reasons for being Not Qualified are: no SAT/ACT scores, the applicant did not qualify for the STA-21 Program or the program option applied for, or the application lacked a mandatory document. The STA-21 Program application packages are due the same time every year, postmarked by 1 July, but far too many applicants, and their commands, wait until the annual STA-21 message is released, and then they scramble to put their packages together and submit them in time. This includes taking the SAT or ACT. The number one reason applications are Not Qualified is due to a lack of SAT or ACT scores. Because these tests can be taken up to three years before the board, Sailors should be encouraged to think ahead and take the SAT or ACT some time during the year before they plan to submit their application, if not sooner. The number two reason for being Not Qualified is the applicant does not meet a program, or program option, requirement, particularly the age requirement. Both applicants and their commands need to closely scrutinize the eligibility requirements for the program, and its' various options. If after careful scrutiny either the command, or the applicant, is still unsure if the program requirements are met or not, then either one can contact the STA-21 Program office by email at PNSC_STA21@navy.mil or call (850) 452-9563, DSN: 922-9563. The office personnel can answer all questions, and explain if a specific requirement can be waived, or not. (Note: As previously mentioned the STA-21 website has all the current information regarding the requirements for each program option.) Lastly, all too often application packages are missing mandatory documents. This is regrettable, and especially so when it is documents added after a candidate has submitted the application package for command review, endorsement and submission. For example, both a Commanding Officers' Endorsement letter and a Commanding Officers' Recommendation Form are required. Samples of both can be downloaded from the website. Also for every Sailor, you should attend to the details of your application package, after all it is your career and the completeness of your package or lack thereof sends a message as well. There really are no excuses for mandatory items being missing, the one notable exception being SAT/ACT scores that are pending receipt from the testing agency. Let me repeat that if even one of the mandatory items is missing then the application, and in turn the applicant, is deemed Not Qualified.
Take the SAT or ACT: The STA-21 Program requires a minimum SAT score of 500 Critical Reading and 500 Math, or an ACT score of 20 English and 21 Math for eligibility. The one exception is the Nuclear option where the minimums are a composite SAT score of 1140, or a composite ACT sore of 50. These requirements cannot be waivered. As previously stated, if you think you are interested in this program then take the test. The score for any test taken within three years of application is acceptable. Because of the delay between testing and score release it is strongly recommended you be proactive and take the test early. Also, by testing early, you will find out if you meet the minimum requirement before investing your time to put a package together. If you do not meet the minimum requirement the first time you test, you can take the test again. It is also recommended that if you have been out school for awhile, or did not test well on your first attempt, that you consider taking a SAT or ACT test preparation course, or at least get a test study guide for review.
Take some college courses: Having some college already completed is a big plus for a program the only allows Sailors only 36 months to complete a Bachelors degree. For those who may not have been strong students in high school, or in their pre-service attempts at college, going to college off duty and establishing a track record, even if it is only a few courses, can make a big difference. However, if you do take courses you need to make sure you are prepared to do well, in other words you have both the time and motivation to get good grades. Although it is certainly not a prerequisite, with one or two program options as exceptions, being halfway to graduation with either an Associates Degree, or the equivalent number of courses, is very good.
Take the right college courses: While taking college courses is important, it is also important to take the right college courses. Calculus and physics are requirements for almost all STA-21 Program options, and having successfully completed them before entering the program is significant. This issue will be even more important for applicants in 2009 or later because attending BOOST to help prepare for the rigors of college, especially math and physics, will no longer be an option. Of course it is important to get good grades, no matter what the course. Universities require minimum grades before a course taken elsewhere can be accepted and applied toward one of their degree programs; also the grades for all accepted courses will be included into the new degree programs GPA calculation.
Have a college plan: If you are going to pursue a college degree off-duty, whether in preparation for STA-21 or not, then you should have a degree plan. According to their transcripts it appears that many Sailors are taking college courses in a random, unorganized fashion. Additionally, many applicants state they are pursuing a particular degree but have not taken any courses in support of that degree. For instance they want to pursue, or are already pursuing, an engineering degree, but to date they had not taken a single technical course, and the courses they have taken are not transferrable to a technical degree program. Sailors should have a purpose and a goal in their pursuit of a college degree, and they should be counseled by Navy Campus and their Career Counselors along these lines.
Make a strong statement: As part of the application Sailors must submit a personal statement. I recommend that your Personal Statements should provide specifics on why you want to be a Navy officer, and in turn be a member of whatever officer career field you have chosen. Also you should demonstrate an understanding of the requirements of that career field and a sense of what you can do for the Navy and not just how you will benefit personally if the Navy selects you for this program. All too often these Personal Statements are simply a list of prior jobs and qualifications, without any substantive comments about why a Sailor wants to be a Naval officer, nor what he, or she, expects, or plans, to contribute to the Navy. The Personal Statement is your best opportunity in the STA-21 application to tell the Navy why you think they should select you for this program, and what you expect to do with the opportunity if it is afforded to you.
The Seaman to Admiral 21 Program is an excellent career opportunity. I encourage every Sailor who thinks they have the right stuff to be an officer to take a long, hard look at this program. It is not an easy program. You really have to apply yourself to complete your degree requirements in 36 months. Going to school will be your full time job, which is why you also have to attend summer sessions, even if you do not need to in order to meet the 36 month limit. Also you will be assigned to a Navy ROTC Unit, and have to meet all of their requirements for Naval Cadets. However, I can assure you that the rewards more than compensate for the sacrifices. It is an opportunity well worth the effort, and for all of you that apply, and are accepted, I wish you the best of luck.
So you want to be an officer, and you want a free college degree, have you considered the Seaman to Admiral 21 Program!
Now that you have enlisted in the Navy, and have become familiar with the service and all that it has to offer, are you thinking that you have both the desire and ability to be a Naval Officer, but you are missing one of the key prerequisites - a college degree. What are your options now? Well there is one you may, or may not, have considered; and that is the Seaman to Admiral 21 Program, otherwise referred to as STA-21.
I recently had the privilege of participating in the STA-21 selection process. Let me say I was impressed both with the professionalism and fairness of the selection process, and with the quality of the candidates. The leadership of our Navy can take heart in the fact that we have some truly great Sailors doing many great things. My experience also left me with some lessons learned regarding the STA-21 Program.
The STA-21 Program is, in my opinion, one of the best officer commissioning programs that the Navy has to offer. In summary, STA-21 pays up to $10,000 per year for college costs, i.e. tuition, books and fees. All the while Sailors draw their full pay and allowances for their current pay grade. Sailors have 36 months, including summer semesters, to complete their Bachelors degree requirements. There are many program options; the current ones are Pilot, Naval Flight Officer, Surface Warfare Officer, Surface Warfare Officer/Information Professional (SWO/IP), Nuclear (Submarine and Surface), Special Warfare, Special Operations, Special Duty Officer (Intelligence), Special Duty Officer Information Warfare (IW), Civil Engineer Corps, Supply Corps, Nurse Corps, and Medical Corps, as well as the CORE Option, in which candidates do not request which Unrestricted Line designator they desire until just prior to graduation. The full details of the program, specifics for each of the program options, and the on-line application can be found on the STA-21 website at https://www.sta-21.navy.mil/. If you are interested in the program this is the place to start. Additionally, refer to OPNAVINST 1420.1A (Chap 8) and associated NAVADMIN messages, for the directive guidance for the program. Please note that the STA-21 website has the most accurate program information. A change to the OPNAVINST which also incorporates the additional guidance published in the several NAVADMIN messages is being staffed. In the interim the website has the definitive information all in one place.
I think that not only our Sailors, but the Navy overall benefits greatly from this program. First, the average candidates have at least two years, and in most cases four or more years, of observed performance to assist in the process of selecting the best Sailors to become officers. For high school graduates going straight to the Naval Academy or ROTC there is very little, if any, opportunity before selection to have their performance observed and documented by Navy Officers and Chief Petty Officers. Also, STA-21 candidates are on average a little older than the most Midshipmen. Some see this as a drawback as it makes for older entry level officers, but with age comes maturity, and this helps account for the over 95 percent completion rate for the STA-21 program. Lastly, because many Sailors already have some college credit coming into the STA-21 program not all of them need the three years allotted to earn their degree. All of these factors, proven performance for better selection, maturity for higher completion rates, and some college credit to help shorten the time in the program, serve to save the Navy money while producing a top quality experienced Naval Officer.
However, it is not the intent of this article to reiterate verbatim what is on the STA-21 website and in the instructions, nor to debate the merits of the program. Instead, for those of you who are interested in this program, and the leadership of the commands processing applications, I would like to offer some advice and recommendations to help ensure our best Sailors get selected.
Overall preparation: In the STA-21 Program, as it is in many competitive selection processes, it is often the little extras that make a difference. With so many great Sailors to chose from selection boards often look for the tie breakers or the indicators of extra effort, potential and desire. In this regard the STA-21 Program is no exception. As always, performance is the number one criteria. So I repeat what I know every Sailor has heard already, and that is to do well in all that you do. When given the chance to lead, take it. No matter how small the opportunity, step up and lead people, and lead them well. Also attend to your physical as well as your professional preparedness. If everything else is equal and one candidate scores excellent or outstanding on their PFA and the other barely passes, guess who is most likely to get selected. The bottom line it is your career and it is up to you to attend to the details.
Grading Sailor Potential: Commanding Officers, and other reporting seniors, if you think you have a Sailor who has the potential to be selected as an officer, chief, or candidate for any other special program, then comment on his or her performance evaluations on their leadership and potential early in their career; even if the numeric grade and promotion recommendations, which we know are also influenced by time on board, time in grade and peer ranking, are not fully consistent with the comments.
Officer Interview Boards: Commanding Officers and Executive Officers before assigning members to an interview board, I recommend you conduct training with them on how to be board members, and how to participate in a board. Convey to them how the best Sailors should be ranked high and that the comments and grades should match, and conversely to be honest in their reviews of Sailors who are not performing up to the level expected for the program they are applying for. If a Sailor is the number one candidate at either the Command - Officer Interview Board or the Nomination Review Board (NRB), then the grades and remarks should match their outstanding ranking. Quite often candidates are graded Outstanding by their Commanding Officers, and/or Chair of the NRB, only to be graded all over the map by the more junior board members. Also the grades should match the comments. For instance, comments to the effect that a Sailor would make a "great officer with unlimited potential" when coupled with mediocre grades, especially a grade of "Good" or lower in the Officer Potential block, sends mixed signals. This lack of consistency has to be reconciled by the Selection Board, and it only makes it that much harder to evaluate a Sailor's true potential. The bottom line is to make sure your top candidate(s), both in a given year, and as compared to all Sailors interviewed throughout your career, truly stand-out in the board appraisals. (Note: I say all this because I know not every junior officer is properly prepared for these type boards. I distinctly remember as a Lieutenant being ordered to go sit on similar type boards without any guidance, training, or preparation from my seniors. My only tools were the limited instructions on the appraisal form itself, and my own good judgment.) For Sailors going before a review board remember this is your chance to show you have leadership potential, so put forth your best effort at "leading" the board to recognize your best qualities. I recommend before going before a board, that you ask some Officers or Chiefs to do a mock board for practice. You should be prepared to answer the big questions of Why and What. For example, WHY do you want to be an officer, and WHAT do you expect to do for the Navy as an officer. Also, if there is a skeleton in your closet this is a good chance to explain it away. For instance, if your transcripts show that you did poorly in college before enlisting, but there were extenuating circumstances as to why, this is your chance to explain what they were.
QA the Application Package: Career Counselors, Officer Program Coordinators, Commanding Officers and Executive Officers, should assist their applicants by taking time to closely scrutinize their packages for correctness and to determine if the applicant really meets the requirements for the program option applied for. Every year approximately one third of the applications received for the STA-21 Program are determined to be Not Qualified for one reason or another. The top three reasons for being Not Qualified are: no SAT/ACT scores, the applicant did not qualify for the STA-21 Program or the program option applied for, or the application lacked a mandatory document. The STA-21 Program application packages are due the same time every year, postmarked by 1 July, but far too many applicants, and their commands, wait until the annual STA-21 message is released, and then they scramble to put their packages together and submit them in time. This includes taking the SAT or ACT. The number one reason applications are Not Qualified is due to a lack of SAT or ACT scores. Because these tests can be taken up to three years before the board, Sailors should be encouraged to think ahead and take the SAT or ACT some time during the year before they plan to submit their application, if not sooner. The number two reason for being Not Qualified is the applicant does not meet a program, or program option, requirement, particularly the age requirement. Both applicants and their commands need to closely scrutinize the eligibility requirements for the program, and its' various options. If after careful scrutiny either the command, or the applicant, is still unsure if the program requirements are met or not, then either one can contact the STA-21 Program office by email at PNSC_STA21@navy.mil or call (850) 452-9563, DSN: 922-9563. The office personnel can answer all questions, and explain if a specific requirement can be waived, or not. (Note: As previously mentioned the STA-21 website has all the current information regarding the requirements for each program option.) Lastly, all too often application packages are missing mandatory documents. This is regrettable, and especially so when it is documents added after a candidate has submitted the application package for command review, endorsement and submission. For example, both a Commanding Officers' Endorsement letter and a Commanding Officers' Recommendation Form are required. Samples of both can be downloaded from the website. Also for every Sailor, you should attend to the details of your application package, after all it is your career and the completeness of your package or lack thereof sends a message as well. There really are no excuses for mandatory items being missing, the one notable exception being SAT/ACT scores that are pending receipt from the testing agency. Let me repeat that if even one of the mandatory items is missing then the application, and in turn the applicant, is deemed Not Qualified.
Take the SAT or ACT: The STA-21 Program requires a minimum SAT score of 500 Critical Reading and 500 Math, or an ACT score of 20 English and 21 Math for eligibility. The one exception is the Nuclear option where the minimums are a composite SAT score of 1140, or a composite ACT sore of 50. These requirements cannot be waivered. As previously stated, if you think you are interested in this program then take the test. The score for any test taken within three years of application is acceptable. Because of the delay between testing and score release it is strongly recommended you be proactive and take the test early. Also, by testing early, you will find out if you meet the minimum requirement before investing your time to put a package together. If you do not meet the minimum requirement the first time you test, you can take the test again. It is also recommended that if you have been out school for awhile, or did not test well on your first attempt, that you consider taking a SAT or ACT test preparation course, or at least get a test study guide for review.
Take some college courses: Having some college already completed is a big plus for a program the only allows Sailors only 36 months to complete a Bachelors degree. For those who may not have been strong students in high school, or in their pre-service attempts at college, going to college off duty and establishing a track record, even if it is only a few courses, can make a big difference. However, if you do take courses you need to make sure you are prepared to do well, in other words you have both the time and motivation to get good grades. Although it is certainly not a prerequisite, with one or two program options as exceptions, being halfway to graduation with either an Associates Degree, or the equivalent number of courses, is very good.
Take the right college courses: While taking college courses is important, it is also important to take the right college courses. Calculus and physics are requirements for almost all STA-21 Program options, and having successfully completed them before entering the program is significant. This issue will be even more important for applicants in 2009 or later because attending BOOST to help prepare for the rigors of college, especially math and physics, will no longer be an option. Of course it is important to get good grades, no matter what the course. Universities require minimum grades before a course taken elsewhere can be accepted and applied toward one of their degree programs; also the grades for all accepted courses will be included into the new degree programs GPA calculation.
Have a college plan: If you are going to pursue a college degree off-duty, whether in preparation for STA-21 or not, then you should have a degree plan. According to their transcripts it appears that many Sailors are taking college courses in a random, unorganized fashion. Additionally, many applicants state they are pursuing a particular degree but have not taken any courses in support of that degree. For instance they want to pursue, or are already pursuing, an engineering degree, but to date they had not taken a single technical course, and the courses they have taken are not transferrable to a technical degree program. Sailors should have a purpose and a goal in their pursuit of a college degree, and they should be counseled by Navy Campus and their Career Counselors along these lines.
Make a strong statement: As part of the application Sailors must submit a personal statement. I recommend that your Personal Statements should provide specifics on why you want to be a Navy officer, and in turn be a member of whatever officer career field you have chosen. Also you should demonstrate an understanding of the requirements of that career field and a sense of what you can do for the Navy and not just how you will benefit personally if the Navy selects you for this program. All too often these Personal Statements are simply a list of prior jobs and qualifications, without any substantive comments about why a Sailor wants to be a Naval officer, nor what he, or she, expects, or plans, to contribute to the Navy. The Personal Statement is your best opportunity in the STA-21 application to tell the Navy why you think they should select you for this program, and what you expect to do with the opportunity if it is afforded to you.
The Seaman to Admiral 21 Program is an excellent career opportunity. I encourage every Sailor who thinks they have the right stuff to be an officer to take a long, hard look at this program. It is not an easy program. You really have to apply yourself to complete your degree requirements in 36 months. Going to school will be your full time job, which is why you also have to attend summer sessions, even if you do not need to in order to meet the 36 month limit. Also you will be assigned to a Navy ROTC Unit, and have to meet all of their requirements for Naval Cadets. However, I can assure you that the rewards more than compensate for the sacrifices. It is an opportunity well worth the effort, and for all of you that apply, and are accepted, I wish you the best of luck.
