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SNA Chances?

Dboom85

Banned
OCS vs ROTC? When it comes to getting a navy pilot slot, which route is better? If I concentrate on grades in college and go OCS, is that better than ROTC and risking less than stellar grades?
OCS is a [Insert your favorite Designator] or no go at all, with ROTC you're at the mercy of the Navy's needs and it is dependent on how well you do in college. if you wanted to go Navy for pilot, I would recommend OCS. If you wanted to go AF for pilot, I would recommend ROTC, Academy if you can get in, but if you go this route you will need to be on top of your school work and ROTC work like white on rice.
 
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and google brought him here…
Exactly! Thank you.

What is the point of making this an interactive site if the go to response for each and every single question is "Use the search the feature" or "Google it".

And, I did use the search function!
 
OCS is a [Insert your favorite Designator] or no go at all, with ROTC you're at the mercy of the Navy's needs and it is dependent on how well you do in college. if you wanted to go Navy for pilot, I would recommend OCS. If you wanted to go AF for pilot, I would recommend ROTC, Academy if you can get in, but if you go this route you will need to be on top of your school work and ROTC work like white on rice.
Thank you, Dboom. I appreciate a serious response for a change.
 

ea6bflyr

Working Class Bum
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
OCS is a [Insert your favorite Designator] or no go at all, with ROTC you're at the mercy of the Navy's needs and it is dependent on how well you do in college. if you wanted to go Navy for pilot, I would recommend OCS. If you wanted to go AF for pilot, I would recommend ROTC, Academy if you can get in, but if you go this route you will need to be on top of your school work and ROTC work like white on rice.
Interesting anecdotal recommendation. Did you attend the Academy or NROTC? How are you qualified to may these assertions?

As a former NROTC instructor, everyone that was qualified for aviation at the NROTC, got aviation. You do know that the Academy and NROTC are consider primary commissioning sources with OCS filling the gaps. Pick your commissioning source, and pick your level of pain.

In the end, every program including the Academy, NROTC, OCS, BDCP, and STA-21 is all about selecting best qualified to fill the billets available. And each program has it’s own selection process and qualification standards.

@wallythenycat, what’s the degree are you working on and what’s your GPA? If you’re a non-tech degree with <2.8 GPA, you’re not competitive for any program. Your ‘about me’ profile is empty, so it makes it hard to take your questions seriously.
 
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ChuckMK23

FERS and TSP contributor!
pilot
I would propose NROTC is just as viable for the potential pilot. If you can successfully pass the wickets of vision/physical, and AQT/FAR (or whatever its called these days) and are deemed "aeronautically adaptable" (sic) then the laws of general distribution, you will almost certainly be selected for SNA if you desire so. I remember SNFO was the most competitive path since you were also likely to be desgnated SWO or if you were a strong academic performer, NUC. NSW is a rariity out of NROTC and you almost certainly had to be identified early on and quite frankly be a D1 NCAA level athlete. Basically - if you complete NROTC and graduate, with descent selction testing and physically qualified, selecting SNA is almost a certainty.
 

Dboom85

Banned
Interesting anecdotal recommendation. Did you attend the Academy or NROTC? How are you qualified to may these assertions?

As a former NROTC instructor, everyone that was qualified for aviation at the NROTC, got aviation. You do know that the Academy and NROTC are consider primary commissioning sources with OCS filling the gaps. Pick your commissioning source, and pick your level of pain.

In the end, every program including the Academy, NROTC, OCS, BDCP, and STA-21 is all about selecting best qualified to fill the billets available. And each program has it’s own selection process and qualification standards.

@wallythenycat, what’s the degree are you working on and what’s your GPA? If you’re a non-tech degree with <2.8 GPA, you’re not competitive for any program. Your ‘about me’ profile is empty, so it make it hard to take your questions seriously.
I guess I am not qualified but what I do know is if you were navy rotc at my university and you had 3.6+ in mechanical engineering or a similar degree it would be highly likely you’d get subs over aviation. All the guys in Air Force ROTC with higher GPAs and did better in the rotc program got ENJJPT from my understanding is highly sought after for a pilot route. As for the OCS route, that’s what I did. I only applied SNA once, did well enough, and got lucky with timing to get my Pro-Rec-Y. I thought it was pretty straight forward and you weren’t at the mercy of getting pigeon holed into a hard commissioning date where you might be at the mercy of a backed up pipeline which is what’s going on now. I’m not claiming to be qualified on anything. Was just trying to give the poor kid an answer instead of being scorned since the site isn’t intuitive for first time users
 

ea6bflyr

Working Class Bum
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I guess I am not qualified but what I do know is if you were navy rotc at my university and you had 3.6+ in mechanical engineering or a similar degree it would be highly likely you’d get subs over aviation. All the guys in Air Force ROTC with higher GPAs and did better in the rotc program got ENJJPT from my understanding is highly sought after for a pilot route. As for the OCS route, that’s what I did. I only applied SNA once, did well enough, and got lucky with timing to get my Pro-Rec-Y. I thought it was pretty straight forward and you weren’t at the mercy of getting pigeon holed into a hard commissioning date where you might be at the mercy of a backed up pipeline which is what’s going on now. I’m not claiming to be qualified on anything. Was just trying to give the poor kid an answer instead of being scorned since the site isn’t intuitive for first time users
Congrats on your selection…I hope it works out for you. You still have many hurdles before you commission and earn your wings.

The bolded section above proves my point that it’s all a competition. The better you do, the more competitive you are. This applies to all selection boards.

As for offering others advice, stick to what you know. Your example above about your school’s NROTC is suspect. Do you personally know how many at the NROTC got aviation? How many got subs? Please provide specific statistics, otherwise it’s all hearsay. Or is this a “a friend of a friend said…”

There is always a back up at flight school….for all commissioning sources. I hope you don’t think when you attend OCS, you will be going straight into NIFE then Primary. There’s always a wait….always…always. The A-pool and C-pool allows NASC total flexibility.
 
I guess I am not qualified but what I do know is if you were navy rotc at my university and you had 3.6+ in mechanical engineering or a similar degree it would be highly likely you’d get subs over aviation. All the guys in Air Force ROTC with higher GPAs and did better in the rotc program got ENJJPT from my understanding is highly sought after for a pilot route. As for the OCS route, that’s what I did. I only applied SNA once, did well enough, and got lucky with timing to get my Pro-Rec-Y. I thought it was pretty straight forward and you weren’t at the mercy of getting pigeon holed into a hard commissioning date where you might be at the mercy of a backed up pipeline which is what’s going on now. I’m not claiming to be qualified on anything. Was just trying to give the poor kid an answer instead of being scorned since the site isn’t intuitive for first time users
Hi Dboom,

What was your GPA and major, if you do not mind me asking? Congrats on getting SNA.
 
I would propose NROTC is just as viable for the potential pilot. If you can successfully pass the wickets of vision/physical, and AQT/FAR (or whatever its called these days) and are deemed "aeronautically adaptable" (sic) then the laws of general distribution, you will almost certainly be selected for SNA if you desire so. I remember SNFO was the most competitive path since you were also likely to be desgnated SWO or if you were a strong academic performer, NUC. NSW is a rariity out of NROTC and you almost certainly had to be identified early on and quite frankly be a D1 NCAA level athlete. Basically - if you complete NROTC and graduate, with descent selction testing and physically qualified, selecting SNA is almost a certainty.
Chuck,

Is NSW SEALs?

Why would flight officer be most competitive? Is that because those can't get SNA all flood towards NFO so they won't get "stuck" with SWO?

Is SWO considered bottom of the barrel for ROTC? Does anyone in ROTC actually want to go SWO?

Thx.
 

villo0692

Well-Known Member
Hi Dboom,

What was your GPA and major, if you do not mind me asking? Congrats on getting SNA.
Dude there’s literally tons of data in each board’s thread regarding ASTB scores, GPA, waivers, age, etc. Just look there

As far as OCS vs NROTC, we had an all hands a couple weeks ago where they showed us the numbers of aviators picked from each commissioning source, and they are almost an even split. The thing with OCS is that having several boards during the year might affect how many ppl get picked in each of these boards. So if there’s over selection in one board, they might pick significantly less people in a subsequent one. in other words, timing is a big factor here. I got picked in May 2021, there was a board in Aug 2021, and all of us picked in those two boards got to go to OCS fairly soon after that. Nov 2021 board and on is a different story and most of them got picked an pushed indefinitely.

Good thing about OCS, you know before going what your designator is (you might still get DQ’d pending on your flight physical)

That being said, if I could do it all again, I would do ROTC
 
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Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
Is SWO considered bottom of the barrel for ROTC? Does anyone in ROTC actually want to go SWO?

If you want to go aviation, yes, it's thought of as bottom of the barrel. That doesn't mean it is. Plenty of people in ROTC want to go SWO.
 
Dude there’s literally tons of data in each board’s thread regarding ASTB scores, GPA, waivers, age, etc. Just look there

As far as OCS vs NROTC, we had an all hands a couple weeks ago where they showed us the numbers of aviators picked from each commissioning source, and they are almost an even split. The thing with OCS is that having several boards during the year might affect how many ppl get picked in each of these boards. So if there’s over selection in one board, they might pick significantly less people in a subsequent one. in other words, timing is a big factor here. I got picked in May 2021, there was a board in Aug 2021, and all of us picked in those two boards got to go to OCS fairly soon after that. Nov 2021 board and on is a different story and most of them got picked an pushed indefinitely.

Good thing about OCS, you know before going what your designator is (you might still get DQ’d pending on your flight physical)

That being said, if I could do it all again, I would do ROTC
Interesting. Thanks.
 

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
Exactly! Thank you.

What is the point of making this an interactive site if the go to response for each and every single question is "Use the search the feature" or "Google it".

And, I did use the search function!

I partially agree with this. The AWs site is a vault of information and it's okay to ask questions, when done the right way. I've learned over the years, both in the military and out, that people are more willing to help and assist you by asking well-thought and researched questions. Additionally, I felt that I learned "better" by actually looking up the information instead of giving up or just asking folks questions. If the information wasn't clear or there simply isn't any available... yes go ask someone.

Based on multiple posters, both "senior" and junior alike telling you the same response of searching around... perhaps it should ring a bell that you ought to do the same. Additionally, asking easy questions like "hey guys what is 'NSW'?" and then claim to actually do research comes to show that you either aren't looking or simply too lazy to look and want strangers to find answers for you. Either or... both aren't good qualities of someone aspiring to serve and lead as a naval officer.
 
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