Aviation/Commissioning Formula for Rankings (NROTC)

[Chris Hill]

This formula was posted for Navy Midshipmen by my CO last semester. He’s an O-6 NFO. My XO (O-5) is an NFO as well and he confirmed this formula. I couldn't find anything else like this posted on the forum so I thought it would be useful for some of you. Anyway, if you have anything proving this is wrong, let me know. Otherwise, I’m quite confident it’s reliable.

For NROTC service selection:

Commissioning Score:
GPA (out of 4.0) – 45%
Aptitude (out of 5.0) – 35%
Major (Engr=100, Tech=85, Lib Arts=75) – 10%
CO’s Points – 10%

Aviation Score:
Total Commissioning Score from above – 60%
AQR (out of 9) – 15%
PFAR (Pilots) or FOFAR (NFO) (out of 9) – 25%

(ASTB Min: Pilot – AQR 3, PFAR 4 / NFO – AQR 3, FOFAR 4)

Now to explain all that. The commissioning score is used to rank EVERYONE seeking a commission. It’s really just to see who will be commissioned. The aviation score is used to rank everyone going aviation.

However, keep in mind that these things go before boards. Just because you have a better score, doesn’t mean you are guaranteed anything. The Navy isn’t so bureaucratic that everyone becomes a number. Also, as I understand it, they can adjust these numbers every year, although I doubt there is much change. However, these numbers should give you a rough estimate of where you stand.

Hope this helps!

- CH

 

[Jas1029]

Can you explain what the "Aptitude (out of 5.0)" is from, and CO's points?

 

[mules83]

If I understand correctly, the aptitude comes from your eval that is done at the end of every semester at college. The last eval counts so if you graduate in spring of 06 like me, your package gets sent in the fall so the spring eval counts. The CO of the unit ranks everyone in the class from 1 to whatever based on your evals, advisor recomendations, etc. That is where your CO points come from. I'm not sure if i am right or not but I think it is mostly correct.

 

[Jas1029]

Ok, so this is a different formula than used for OCS candidates out of college?

 

[mules83]

The above equation is for a midshipmen in college, not OCS. Im not sure how it works OCS.

 

[Chris Hill]

Can you explain what the "Aptitude (out of 5.0)" is from, and CO's points?

(This is all for NROTC. I don't know about the other commissioning programs.)

Aptitude is from Fitness Reports. These are done out in the fleet for all officers and enlisted E-7 and up (same as "Evals" for E-1 to E-6). They measure leadership qualities, military bearing, etc. If a unit doesn't do them (our's does), they probably have some formula to figure out aptitude.

CO's points are whatever the commanding officer decides to give you. I think the way our unit did it was they ranked everyone getting commissioned, then went down from 100 (99, 98, 97...). So whoever got 100 got full credit for that 10% of his commissioning package. By the way, for Air Force ROTC, CO's points are something like 50% of your commissioning package!

The above equation is for a midshipmen in college, not OCS. Im not sure how it works OCS.

Nor do I. This might be different at the academy too, I don't know.

I know there were some people here who by the formula would have significantly more points (assuming the same aptitude and CO's points), but didn't get a pilot slot for OCS, whereas I got one through ROTC. So if you can still go ROTC, do it. You'll have better chances it seems. (And there was the plug for my commissioning program! )

 

[ben4prez]

In relation to the 35% being Aptitude based, the CO at our ROTC unit mandated that all MIDN recieve all 5s on their fitreps unless they screwed up somehow (even this was very lenient) so that they would have the best chance of getting what they wanted when up against the rest of the nation. Differentiation for unit leadership was solely based on class rankings at the bottom of the fitrep.

Kind of the like the Harvard policy of the "transcript grade" and your "real grade." Employers see the higher transcript grade, only you know what your "real" one should have been...

Now THATs looking out for your people ;-)

 

[Chris Hill]

In relation to the 35% being Aptitude based, the CO at our ROTC unit mandated that all MIDN recieve all 5s on their fitreps unless they screwed up somehow (even this was very lenient) so that they would have the best chance of getting what they wanted when up against the rest of the nation. Differentiation for unit leadership was solely based on class rankings at the bottom of the fitrep.

Kind of the like the Harvard policy of the "transcript grade" and your "real grade." Employers see the higher transcript grade, only you know what your "real" one should have been...

Now THATs looking out for your people ;-)

Well it screws the rest of us over, but good for you I guess. I wonder if there are Navy regs on that kind of stuff... Probably not for ROTC. I got a 4.5 last semester and I tied for best aptitude out of 14 or so graduates.

 

[14BMAC]

SAT scores

where do SAT/ACT scores fit into this equation?

 

[VarmintShooter]

where do SAT/ACT scores fit into this equation?

Others will surely correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure SAT/ACT scores are a thing of the past once you get picked up on the NROTC scholarship (ie. nobody will ever use them again)

By the way, great thread Chris!

 

[Crowbar]

the CO at our ROTC unit mandated that all MIDN recieve all 5s on their fitreps unless they screwed up somehow (even this was very lenient) so that they would have the best chance of getting what they wanted when up against the rest of the nation.

Now THATs looking out for your people ;-)

Yes, but that's also NOT looking at the big picture and realizing there is more involved than your own little world. Ben, I'm certainly not saying anything negative about you, just expressing my displeasure with this policy. It reeks of selfishness. I.e. I'm retiring and don't give a crap....or I've been hated all my life now I'm going to try to do something nice....or the Navy did something to piss me off recently so payback's a *****. If he thought about it, your CO would realize that giving everybody a great shot of getting their first choice, regardless of their personal turd factor, would lead to some real bottom feeders in almost all jobs. There are times in life....all the time to be specific...when you just have to call it like you see it and let things play out. Maybe the belligerent, hot-headed, inept Mid who wanted to be a pilot forever doesn't deserve the chance, but belongs somewhere better like....undesignated.

Okay, enough bitterness from me. Hopefully this thread won't derail too much. And yeah, good job on producing some good reliable info.

 

[NozeMan]

Yes, but that's also NOT looking at the big picture and realizing there is more involved than your own little world. Ben, I'm certainly not saying anything negative about you, just expressing my displeasure with this policy. It reeks of selfishness. I.e. I'm retiring and don't give a crap....or I've been hated all my life now I'm going to try to do something nice....or the Navy did something to piss me off recently so payback's a *****. If he thought about it, your CO would realize that giving everybody a great shot of getting their first choice, regardless of their personal turd factor, would lead to some real bottom feeders in almost all jobs. There are times in life....all the time to be specific...when you just have to call it like you see it and let things play out. Maybe the belligerent, hot-headed, inept Mid who wanted to be a pilot forever doesn't deserve the chance, but belongs somewhere better like....undesignated.

Okay, enough bitterness from me. Hopefully this thread won't derail too much. And yeah, good job on producing some good reliable info.

I think they take all this into account when selecting people for pilot etc. For example, if one unit's applicants all recieve 100's on from the CO's PNS points, they compare it to other units where the CO actually gives points based on merit. I was told they they do filter through that kind of BS....not EVERYONE is worthy of the 100 etc.

 

[Crowbar]

I got on such a tear I forgot to even ask that. So there is some sort of "grader profile" or something like that in effect?

 

[NozeMan]

My CO told me that they look out for other CO's who give their mids high grades just so they can get the slots they want. My Captain told me flat out not to expect anything like that, and he'd grade me based on what he thought of me.

 

[Jas1029]

What is the formula like for OCS applicants?