OCS Applicant Seeks for Your Experience!

[Nathan22]

Hi. My name is Nathan. I'm a recent graduate from the University of Georgia w/ a degree in Finance/Banking. 3.6 GPA. Currently working with AIG. Just put in my 2-weeks notice to train for the next 2 months to prepare myself for OCS.

Just took my OAR today and scored a 59. I should have studied for more than just 2 days. My recruiter said it's a pretty competitive score, esp. if I am to do SWO or Supply.

I am interested in those MOS's (designators?), but I'm also looking to try out for the Navy Seal. Exactly how hard/competitive is it?

Basically, those are my 3 choices if I get selected for OCS.

All I know about them are from what I have read and saw in the media. If anyone could share with me their personal experience or experience shared by a naval officer with regard to any/all of the three MOS's, I would really appreciate it.


Respectfully yours,

Nathan

 

[exo]

I can't help you with the questions you actually asked, but I will say, it may be a bit early to be giving your notice. You haven't applied yet. You may have great scores and get in, but it's going to be a lot longer than 2 months till you get to OCS, keep that in mind. I applied in October and still waiting.

I'm sure others will be around to answer or not answer you actual questions.

 

[picklesuit]

I find it hard to believe someone would give up a good job to "prepare" for OCS...especially without having been accepted (a seperate point, why would anyone give two weeks anymore?)

I had a 58 OAR...still took me 4 tries to get in. You might want to reconsider leaving a paying job to follow this path.

 

[OUSOONER]

^----

Good advice right there, but the OP might have a decent shot..it took you 4 tries, but you're also bald and a Raiders fan.

 

[picklesuit]

^----

Good advice right there, but the OP might have a decent shot..it took you 4 tries, but you're also bald and a Raiders fan.

Don't you have to go watch OU lose another BCS bowl or something?

 

[Single Seat]

I find it hard to believe someone would give up a good job to "prepare" for OCS...especially without having been accepted (a seperate point, why would anyone give two weeks anymore?)

I had a 58 OAR...still took me 4 tries to get in. You might want to reconsider leaving a paying job to follow this path.

+1 billion dude. In today's economy people are clawing, crawling, begging, and pleading for job security (which the military has), thus The Man can pick and chose. I'd hang on to that job until the day prior to your OCS show day.

 

[Nathan22]

Thanks

I appreciate everyone's input.

I know the process will take 2-3 months (at least that was what the OR said), and keeping the job (7:30-6:15pm includes driving) will prevent me from training properly for it. I heard seemingly endless swimming (500yard nonstop) is involved and that will be my biggest challenge.

Mr. Picklesuit, you said it took you 4 tries even with a 58 OAR. Can it possibly be something else that held you off or are you telling me my chance is quite slim. My impression from talking to my OR for the past month and from seeing him today was that I have a pretty good shot at Supply and SWO, and even SEAL if i can do 500yd in 9 mins (hard), 85 pushups in 2 min (easy), 110 situps in 2 min (easy), and 1.5 mile run in under 9 min (ok).

I was hoping to get in by early April. Is that unlikely?

I would really hate to put so much time/effort in this process and get a "please try again" letter.

 

[OUSOONER]

I appreciate everyone's input.

I know the process will take 2-3 months (at least that was what the OR said), and keeping the job (7:30-6:15pm includes driving) will prevent me from training properly for it. I heard seemingly endless swimming (500yard nonstop) is involved and that will be my biggest challenge.

Mr. Picklesuit, you said it took you 4 tries even with a 58 OAR. Can it possibly be something else that held you off or are you telling me my chance is quite slim. My impression from talking to my OR for the past month and from seeing him today was that I have a pretty good shot at Supply and SWO, and even SEAL if i can do 500yd in 9 mins (hard), 85 pushups in 2 min (easy), 110 situps in 2 min (easy), and 1.5 mile run in under 9 min (ok).

I was hoping to get in by early April. Is that unlikely?

I would really hate to put so much time/effort in this process and get a "please try again" letter.

Sounds like you have a good plan and are motivated. However, I would throw any timeline out the window. I started the process in Feb-March 2008 and just now got pro-rec'd for pilot in January 2009. I still am waiting for my OCS date.

You have not gone to MEPS yet (I assume) and you don't know what will or won't need a waiver. There is no set timeline, it could go very quick or agonizingly slow. There is no cut off benchmark that will get you the pro-rec and onto OCS...some higher qualified than you will get rejected, some lower qualified (on paper) will get accepted. I would keep the job until you get in the door.

At this point in time, there are just too many unknowns, and like Single Seat said, there are a TON of highly qualified people now all the sudden wanting to go work for Uncle, so what stats that may have been a shoe-in before, might just make you middle of the pack. All I know, keep your job, and keep applying early and often as you can.

Good luck.

 

[Nathan22]

I am definitely motivated and determined.

I guess all I can do now is get everything is ASAP and then wait and hope things will work out in my favor. In the meantime, I'll just train with a couple of marines and an army friend.

If it takes longer than 2 months, any extra day will just be extra training for PST.

 

[Single Seat]

I'm telling you dude, you're playing with fire quitting your job to "train" for OCS.

As long as you can run 1.5 in 11:30 or less, and do 50-60 each of push ups/situps, you're in good enough shape to show up. If you're not a strong swimmer they'll teach you, and there is no 500 yard swim in OCS (unless they changed that).

 

[Thisguy]

I know the process will take 2-3 months (at least that was what the OR said), and keeping the job (7:30-6:15pm includes driving) will prevent me from training properly for it. I heard seemingly endless swimming (500yard nonstop) is involved and that will be my biggest challenge.

OCS is not something you need to quit your job to train for. If you're in decent shape and already have a habit of working out, you'll do OK.

The one thing you do have going for you is that Supply and SWO are larger designators so they take more of them. The hardest part of getting a SEAL slot isn't meeting the physical or application requirements, it's getting one of the precious few quotas. SPECWAR is such a small community that they just don't need that many Officers. I went through OCS in 2002, and every SEAL designator I saw (3, none in my class) was a prior SEAL. I even saw a prior SEAL who took an intel designator because he couldn't get a SEAL slot through OCS. Keep in mind that USNA and ROTC send guys through BUD/S, and the more slots they fill that route, the less there will be available through OCS.

Finally, agree with the others. It may only take you 2-3 months to get selected, but your actual class date may be another 2-3 months (or more) down the road because they fill a lot of these quotas a FY or two in advance sometimes via BDCP (college juniors and seniors who sign contracts to go to OCS upon graduation).

Best of luck.

 

[Picaroon]

500 yards is seemingly endless swimming? Maybe the guy should work out "full time" :icon_smil

I think you're overestimating how much work it'll take you to get into OCS shape unless you're really set on BUDS, but that could take forever to get into if you can even get a spot.

 

[blackjaw]

Just reading on these boards you will see that this is not a quick process. A lot of these guys have been trying for this since last summer and just now heard from the January boards that they were selected.

I started the process in December and probably won't get in until the March boards if I'm lucky. If I do get in for March and I'm pro-req'd it will probably mean going to OCS anytime between April-September depending on the needs of the Navy and if I even get seen/selected in March.

That makes my personal process anywhere from 4 months to 9 months to actually get into OCS...barring any difficulties or set backs in between. Technically if you get turned down the first time, get moved to a later board, or need a waiver for MEPS it can take anywhere from 6 months to 12 months or more.

Like the others stated, if you are indeed quitting your job to do this, you've made a poor decision and I hope you are prepared financially or prepared to work a few part time jobs to get by while you go through with this.

The Navy moves in mysterious ways and they only know one way to skin a cat and you won't get anywhere trying to rush or change that process.

 

[firefriendly]

Gob Bluth (Nathan22): "I've made a huge mistake."

 

[m0tbaillie]

Wow man, you should un-do that 2wks notice...

I started filling out paperwork in November/December-ish, went to the January boards, was PRO-REC'ed in February, got final selected in March and didn't swear in to BDCP until May 5th.

Relax man, you've got plenty of time...don't quit work until you get a copy of your orders with a ship date and THEN give your two weeks notice.