Applying to Jan board 2013

[LFCFan]

Don't you dare knock on the Barron's book.

No other company can prepare me for my ASTMBAGRE better than those crack pots! Shoot man...I owe my entire professional career to coffee, twilight, and Barron's.

It has lots of outdated gouge. You yourself commented that you weren't happy with your score.

 

[LFCFan]

New averages:
SNA
7.0/7.6/7.2, 58.4, 3.36

SNFO:
6.4/7/6.7/55.4, 3.57

 

[Chemystery]

It has lots of outdated gouge. You yourself commented that you weren't happy with your score.

I was trying to bring some light humor into this cabal of seriousness. But yes...I agree...the Barron's book was garbage. The spacial apperception portion was horrible and nothing like what the actual ASTB used. However, I will say this...it was written by an Army Rotary Winged Aviator. It had the best Helo gouge out there. In 3 pages I learned more about helicopters than 40 minutes of youtube videos.

It isn't a bad book, but it is lacking as a gouge specifically for the ASTB. However...it did get me a "7" on the PFAR...so...I guess it wasn't terrible, per se.

I bet if I was taking the AFAST (or whatever the Army is using now)...it would have been the bee's knees.


Gosh...everyone here's just wound up as no other. Because...I must say...even though I am nervous and anxious, life is still good. We all should chill out for a quick bit, forget stats and numbers running and just distract ourselves for another week. It isn't like we are waiting for a phone call for an STD result.

 

[WilliamC]

It isn't like we are waiting for a phone call for an STD result.

You know, no one ever called me after MEPS and said "You're all good buddy", and I figured no news was good news but you never know!!

 

[LFCFan]

It isn't a bad book, but it is lacking as a gouge specifically for the ASTB. However...it did get me a "7" on the PFAR...so...I guess it wasn't terrible, per se.

Gosh...everyone here's just wound up as no other. Because...I must say...even though I am nervous and anxious, life is still good. We all should chill out for a quick bit, forget stats and numbers running and just distract ourselves for another week. It isn't like we are waiting for a phone call for an STD result.

The difference between this and the STD result is that I knew I didn't have any STDs!

I have to admit that the number running on my part is a bit ridiculous, and hasn't helped anything for me. As someone who works with numbers I'm really overthinking stuff like distribution skew.

Ever seen the asshole brain meme?

http://www.quickmeme.com/Asshole-Brain/?upcoming

 

[WilliamC]

My asshole brain is really at it right now.
There should be a meme that goes like this:

Have to write 10 pages about international organizations by morning?
(ASSHOLE BRAIN HERE)
Naval Aviation is so COOL

 

[nombrescreeno]

No point in worrying about it too much at this point -- for all you know, with the holiday slowdown and everything, worst case you might not even know until after the holidays so agonizing now (and before this weekend is about to begin, no less!) isn't going to help. Plus, I think from former boards, a 10 day wait was pretty typical

You seem to have a bit of an attitude in this thread about who this board is selecting and why. Do you have any evidence to back up the claim that these high scorers are the "just looking for a job" crowd? The economy does certainly explain an increase in the quantity of applications, but not necessarily the quality. Have you considered that maybe boards are using the ASTB & GPA more than the "whole person" for some reason lately (maybe it makes application sorting easier?), and thus the ORs are like "You must destroy this test, I don't care if you are an Eagle Scout fraternity president with an LOR from the CNO!" and so people are studying harder for it.

Besides, I don't think "just looking for a job" crowd is looking to sign up for a 4+ year commitment (8-10 years for aviation no less)

And to add to all that, if you check out the OCS application changes thread, you can see that there is definitely a GPA and ASTB requirement they're implementing to sort apps by "quality" and "non-quality" buckets which they're probably using to help filter out applicants/make it easier to go through everyone. Also, going forward, it seems they want SNA/SNFO/SWO and Supply applicants to be PQ before applying to help further simplify the process

My thinking is they're probably tired of sub-par applicants being sent to the board with the OR hoping that some getting picked to make goal and others getting selected but getting DQ'd afterwards, causing the board further headaches

I mean, with all the concern over cutting costs and what not regarding the budget, it makes sense for the Navy to do as much as it can to:
a) Lower the risk of flight school attrites (and academic standards are one way to do it - sure a good GPA might not make you better with the stick, but there isn't much else they can go on to see if you're someone who is serious about the academics involved)
b) Lower the likelihood someone gets selected then DQ'd afterwards at MEPS or by N3M or any other physical

Yeah, I think I remember that. I'm just not sure which GPA actually gets used or matters more. Most applicants probably just have a bachelor's and thus they just write the same thing twice (or something very close if they had a few transfer credits). My application specifically said 3.9 on MA though, but they only list one spot there.

Without busting out my transcripts, a straight weighted average for my GPA on that form would have been about 3.6.

It's submitted with the package I believe -- or at least that's what the checklist says, so the board should see it regardless

 

[Daspyp]

I agree, but it's not just the Navy being more selective. Statistics show that as early as 4 years ago, top tier applicants were few and far between. Everyone has their own reasons for joining the military, but recently we've seen more individuals apply who are just looking for a job in today's economy. To be blunt, they're taking up space for those who actually want to continue to be here.

But what you've got to take into consideration is that those "people" may be able to do that job better than you, or rather, any of us would be able to do... So my question to you is why not allow them to compete for the spot? I understand how badly you want this, but dammit, this is the unfortunate truth we all deal with.

 

[Grantspec]

I am applying for SNA, SNFO.

A bit worried about my 2.92 GPA as well. Hopefully they will hold an engineering degree to a higher regard as I've heard they do. My recruiter told me when I was applying that the last SNA he had picked up had a 2.7ish GPA with a decent ASTB.

As for the ASTB... I used the ARCO book, the FAA handbook, and some gouge from this site. But I attribute my high score in the aviation knowledge section to reading and studying the FAA Pilot Handbook in its entirety before taking the exam.

Best of luck to you all, this is very nerve racking! Hopefully we find out soon!

 

[TolgaK]

A bit worried about my 2.92 GPA as well. Hopefully they will hold an engineering degree to a higher regard as I've heard they do. My recruiter told me when I was applying that the last SNA he had picked up had a 2.7ish GPA with a decent ASTB.

According to my recruiter, the difficulty of your degree is not considered. I bet the guys on the board would be influenced regardless because it's just human nature to do so. Every recruiter has stories of Hornet drivers with rock bottom GPAs. The point any OR I've talked to has made is that they will give more of their time for applications that are more likely to be accepted. Mine called me as much as I called him with updates regarding the progress of my package. He said with scores as high as mine, GPA is less likely to hold me back. Flight time is also considered.

He's an aviator and has put a bunch of pro-recs through. I don't know if he was embellishing, but he basically told me that when I go to board, whether it's in a month or in a year, I'm getting in. On those words, us two have nothing to worry about.

On the other hand, I'll remain a skeptic until I've got papers in my hands.

 

[John wright]

I was trying to bring some light humor into this cabal of seriousness. But yes...I agree...the Barron's book was garbage. The spacial apperception portion was horrible and nothing like what the actual ASTB used. However, I will say this...it was written by an Army Rotary Winged Aviator. It had the best Helo gouge out there. In 3 pages I learned more about helicopters than 40 minutes of youtube videos.
.

I watch so much youtube flying. I can tell you most the videos just from the song.

 

[Grantspec]

On the other hand, I'll remain a skeptic until I've got papers in my hands.

It's all just speculation until the recruiter says yay or nay.

 

[LFCFan]

No point in worrying about it too much at this point -- for all you know, with the holiday slowdown and everything, worst case you might not even know until after the holidays so agonizing now (and before this weekend is about to begin, no less!) isn't going to help. Plus, I think from former boards, a 10 day wait was pretty typical

Several of us have heard from our ORs that we will be hearing sooner rather than later. At one point some of us were even being told that we might go to OCS in January. If I hadn't heard that, I wouldn't be thinking about this so much until about a week from now.

There was at least one guy in the OCS class dates section that was moved from a later date to January. Something is up at NRC, they appear to be moving people around or trying to get people through as soon as possible.

As pure speculation, this board might have some incentive to get us all sorted out in case the whole fiscal cliff or likely defense cuts affects the number of spots. Waiting until after the holidays may not be an option for them.

 

[paddybh1583]

Gosh...everyone here's just wound up as no other. Because...I must say...even though I am nervous and anxious, life is still good. We all should chill out for a quick bit, forget stats and numbers running and just distract ourselves for another week. It isn't like we are waiting for a phone call for an STD result.

Couldn't agree more. Everyone have a beer and enjoy some football over the weekend. Those luxuries go away for 12 weeks if we end up at Newport.

 

[bluebarry]

Well I guess I will toss my hat in the ring too. Applied for the December 3rd board for SNA/NFO too. Playing the waiting game now.