OCS help

[Syl]

Ok, it’s quite possible that I’m completely in the wrong place due to the fact that this appears to be a forum primarily for Navy Pilots and those who wish to become Navy Pilots. So please feel free to point me in the right direction.

First, I have decided that I want to become a SEAL. I also however want to be an officer. I know that I have a long hard road ahead of me, but I am more than willing to put out whatever effort is necessary to attain this goal.

I have been reading around on the forums for a few hours now, trying to figure this all out. I have read in many cases where you guys have told people asking similar questions to talk to an officer recruiter. I am going to do this but i also wanted to get some of your opinions on this.

I don’t really feel that I have a ton to offer as it is right now. I’m going to be a junior in college, I’m still relatively young (I will be turning 20 in September), and I’m in the process of changing my major.

In high school, I didn’t do very well, I really wish I would have applied myself, however I was in all Honors and Advanced Placement Courses. I wrestled for my freshman year, I was on swim team, and Varsity Quiz for my sophmore and Junior years. Between my junior and senior year I attended Nevada Boys State. My Senior year I was a senior officer on the all male dance/drill team (not gay btw, emphasis on hip hop, military, and ballroom styles of dance, we competed in two national competitions, and 4 regionals against top California teams and took many firsts and seconds, and third at nationals in our division). Lol... and I went to homecoming with the homecoming queen... probably not something I would mention though.

Academically, I graduated with High Honors (should have been valedictorian, but like I said, didn’t try very hard.) Nonweighted gpa was 3.411, weighted was 4.111, and I was invited to join the National Society of High School Scholars... for whatever that’s worth.

SAT
CR: 580
M: 620
W: 550

ACT
English 21
Math 23
Reading 26
Science 26
Composite 24

Currently, I’m not involved in any extracurricular activities, and my major is Linguistics. My GPA isn’t great, in the upper 2.0 range, need to fix a math grade and just get straight A's from now on and I’ll be up there in the 3's. There’s no NROTC program at the university I am attending (UNLV), so I am thinking of joining a student leadership club, and maybe doing some Student Body stuff if that will put some fluff on my academic resume. Another possibility is that I am an avid cyclist, and I wanted to start a team at UNLV... that probably would be the best choice, and probably the most difficult. I am also a tri-athlete and I train religiously.

Thanks for any advise that you fine people give!

 

[skim]

I don't know what you want us to say. You don't sound like you suck. The SEALS program can be hard to get into but not impossible. I knew of about 4-5 SEALS candidates while at OCS. They just take in fewer people to bring in as officers.

 

[BACONATOR]

FTR, when you go officer, High School doesn't mean squat. They don't even see your HS transcripts. It's all about college performance.

 

[Syl]

Oh i apolagize, i totally left out what i wanted to know. Basically, what are my chances of being accepted as a SEAL officer, and what can i do now to improve those chances. From what i understand you choose three different areas that you would want to be an officer in, but if your doing the SEAL challenge thing does it work differently?

Im still trying to figure out how all of this candidate selection sort of stuff works, so any information on that would be helpful too.

 

[Spekkio]

Well, no one can really tell you what your chances are. There's no crystal ball that us officers have to let you know, since it depends on a bunch of extraneous (sp?) factors. What I can tell you is that they take about a dozen SEAL wannabes a year, and to be competitive for SEAL officer, you have to be in peak physical condition. If you aren't maxing the PFA without much sweat, along with pullups and swimming, then you need to get going on that.

The SEAL prospect in our OCS class was a genius as well -- graduated HS at 16 and college at 19, but not every SEAL officer must have those credentials. I can also tell you that he had to workout for two years straight to even be in shape to apply. The upshot for you is that they're taking in more SEAL officers this year than normal.

Workout, get as good grades as possible your next two years, and apply. If you really want it, you'll get it.

 

[BACONATOR]

Oh i apolagize, i totally left out what i wanted to know. Basically, what are my chances of being accepted as a SEAL officer, and what can i do now to improve those chances. From what i understand you choose three different areas that you would want to be an officer in, but if your doing the SEAL challenge thing does it work differently?

Im still trying to figure out how all of this candidate selection sort of stuff works, so any information on that would be helpful too.

1. Your guess is as good as ours, so we can't really help you there. Some guy will get accepted with a 2.7 after a guy with a 3.4 gets turned down. Too many variables to tell who will get in and who wont. All you can do is put your best foot forward and hope for the planets to align. But many of us have made it, and so can you if you keep trying.

2. That's an obvious answer. Anything that is still within your control to change (ie: still in school, then GPA etc) change. If you can get better/more sincere letters of rec, then do it. WHATEVER you can do to improve, do it and your chances improve.

Good luck.

 

[Morgan81]

Your percentages of making it are whatever you make them. If you devote yourself 100%, then eventually you'll be accepted. Whether or not you make it through BUD/S is a question I can't answer but I'm sure you know it's no joke.
As far as the "areas", you put down what designators you want to apply for (pretty sure if you're applying SEAL you can only put that but don't quote me). Whatever you get professionally recommended for is your choice to accept (e.g. apply for SNA, SNFO and Intel get pro-rec'd for all three then you choose SNA so that goes before the final select board).

 

[Syl]

what happens if i app for OCS as a SEAL, then get denied, do i have to go into a different field? or do i just go on to BUD/s and keep re-apping?

I understand the basics, GPA, fitness, extracurriculars. Highschool doesnt matter, so make college look amazing.

I should have done more research before posting, because i still dont understand alot of the process.

 

[Spekkio]

what happens if i app for OCS as a SEAL, then get denied, do i have to go into a different field? or do i just go on to BUD/s and keep re-apping?

If you're commissioning via OCS, you can apply for specific fields. If you get shut down for one community, you are not obligated to serve in another.

If you fail out of BUD/S, however, you will probably become a SWO.

The process is simple: step 1: kick ass in everything you do. Step 2: go see a recruiter. Step 3: write all those kickass things in step one on a piece of paper. Step 4: Recruiter submits app. Step 5: Go to your vacation aka OCS. Step 6: Go to BUD/S.

 

[BACONATOR]

what happens if i app for OCS as a SEAL, then get denied, do i have to go into a different field? or do i just go on to BUD/s and keep re-apping?

I understand the basics, GPA, fitness, extracurriculars. Highschool doesnt matter, so make college look amazing.

I should have done more research before posting, because i still dont understand alot of the process.

You don't go to OCS until you've applied and been accepted for a specific job. If you get a pilot slot, you go to OCS and then flight school. If you get a SEAL slot, you go to OCS and then BUD/S. You don't go to OCS without knowing where you're going next.

Now if you fail out of flight school or BUD/S...then it is a toss up where you'll end up based on what the Navy needs, but hopefully you won't have to find that out.

 

[CaptainRon]

Oh I know that guy...he's a nihilist.

 

[Syl]

im a nilihist?

and thanks for the clarification.

 

[CaptainRon]

Na man. It was a Big Lebowski joke. It was referring to Bogey Spotter's new avatar. The Dude sees Logjammin' on the tv and he says the nihilist thing. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Herc_Dude]

Na man. It was a Big Lebowski joke. It was referring to Bogey Spotter's new avatar. The Dude sees Logjammin' on the tv and he says the nihilist thing. Sorry for the confusion.

I don't see any connection to Vietnam, Walter.

 

[CaptainRon]

I don't see any connection to Vietnam, Walter.

Well there isn't any literal connection.