OCS Best Time to Talk to Officer Recruiter

[NatalieES]

Hello Air Warriors, new member here finally thrilled to join this community. OCS is my ultimate goal post-graduation and I'd like to get the ball rolling as soon as possible here in my sophomore year. Searching the forum I've discovered the best (and only) undergraduate applicants will be in their senior year of collegiate schooling with their bachelor's just over the horizon and/or 90 credits fulfilled on their transcript. My athleticism is good, my GPA is currently sitting at a 3.2, and I'm in great standing with my civilian employer (retail). Looking forward to bettering myself in all those respects in the coming year.

When should I begin consulting with an officer recruiter? Would there be any benefits getting on track so early? Getting some advice to hone my academics and physical fitness towards a competitive OCS package would be wonderful. Or, will they not bother with someone who isn't even a stone's throw away from earning their degree?

Should it be of any concern, I'm seeking a career as a SWO and I'm currently majoring in International Studies.

Thank you all so much!

 

[koliver]

Sooner is better than later. There will alwaus be delays and waiting on stuff but get the ball rolling when you know it's something you want to pursue.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Hello Air Warriors, new member here finally thrilled to join this community. OCS is my ultimate goal post-graduation and I'd like to get the ball rolling as soon as possible here in my sophomore year. Searching the forum I've discovered the best (and only) undergraduate applicants will be in their senior year of collegiate schooling with their bachelor's just over the horizon and/or 90 credits fulfilled on their transcript. My athleticism is good, my GPA is currently sitting at a 3.2, and I'm in great standing with my civilian employer (retail). Looking forward to bettering myself in all those respects in the coming year.

When should I begin consulting with an officer recruiter? Would there be any benefits getting on track so early? Getting some advice to hone my academics and physical fitness towards a competitive OCS package would be wonderful. Or, will they not bother with someone who isn't even a stone's throw away from earning their degree?

Should it be of any concern, I'm seeking a career as a SWO and I'm currently majoring in International Studies.

Thank you all so much!

possible that the OR you meet now will be gone when you can apply, go to a career fair next fall at the start of your junior year and introduce yourself to an OR, then keep in touch until you are more in the target time.

 

[NatalieES]

Sooner is better than later. There will alwaus be delays and waiting on stuff but get the ball rolling when you know it's something you want to pursue.

It's a career path I decided on long ago and my personal goals are now firmly in place. Nice to see a Washingtonian on here by the way!

possible that the OR you meet now will be gone when you can apply, go to a career fair next fall at the start of your junior year and introduce yourself to an OR, then keep in touch until you are more in the target time.

Of course, that makes plenty of sense that OR's have a two or three year tour in their present capacity. If there is one OR transitioning out and another into the office will the former keep the latter apprised of any unofficial, pre-application contacts or would it be prudent for me to take the initiative with constant communication throughout the recruitment process?

 

[kshimmy1]

I'm currently a college senior and submitted my package around December/January for the March board. I know that they will only accept packages if you're within 6 months of graduation; in addition, you have to submit a completed degree plan signed by the dean of your school.
I started the whole process around May of last year, so you should definitely contact a recruiter, at most, a year before you graduate. You will have to gather Letter of recommendations, take the ASTB, and schedule a MEPS visit, all of which can take a while.

If you have any questions, feel free to message me any time.

 

[Buster95]

If you're a sophomore, I would probably focus on school and staying involved in clubs/organizations in the meantime. I would contact an officer recruiter around spring semester of your junior year to get your application process started. My timeline went like this for reference (I graduate in December 2017):

Started talking to my recruiter first week of August 2016. Got everything done and submitted first week of December 2016. Waited around for two months for board to meet. Found out the results mid-February 2017. Now I'm waiting around to graduate.

It took me about 4-5 months to get the actual application process done (Meps, LORS/DD370s, medical paperwork, etc). I tried to get something finished every week, and I lucked out because my recruiter was awesome at helping me get things done and turned in. There's a lot of going back and forth.

Things will also come up that are out of your control that can make the time to complete everything take a little longer, so make sure to keep that in mind.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

It's a career path I decided on long ago and my personal goals are now firmly in place. Nice to see a Washingtonian on here by the way!



Of course, that makes plenty of sense that OR's have a two or three year tour in their present capacity. If there is one OR transitioning out and another into the office will the former keep the latter apprised of any unofficial, pre-application contacts or would it be prudent for me to take the initiative with constant communication throughout the recruitment process?

all forms need to be dated and signed with a specific time, so there really isn't anything that they could keep from one to another unless you were in the process of applying and graduating fairly soon.

There is nothing wrong with saying hi though.

 

[NatalieES]

If you're a sophomore, I would probably focus on school and staying involved in clubs/organizations in the meantime. I would contact an officer recruiter around spring semester of your junior year to get your application process started. My timeline went like this for reference (I graduate in December 2017):

<SNIP>

Things will also come up that are out of your control that can make the time to complete everything take a little longer, so make sure to keep that in mind.

Sounds like a plan! I hope everything goes swimmingly for you in the coming year with your graduation. Getting started junior year seems ideal from all the entrants I've read testimonials from. Things being totally out of my control has been my entire lifestory so patience and persistence are invaluable traits for me.

all forms need to be dated and signed with a specific time, so there really isn't anything that they could keep from one to another unless you were in the process of applying and graduating fairly soon.

There is nothing wrong with saying hi though.

Thank you! I suppose it's not really an OR's obligation and a candidate worth keeping will take it upon themselves to make an impression with any incoming recruitment staff.

 

[koliver]

It's a career path I decided on long ago and my personal goals are now firmly in place. Nice to see a Washingtonian on here by the way!

I've had two recruiters because one retired. Not a big deal to switch. They just won't be as interested in you since you have more time until your kit will be due. It's good to get a jump on taking the ASTB/OAR just in case you need to retest, and to get the ball rolling with getting letters of recommendation and medical records done. Are you going through Spokane or Seattle recruiting?

 

[NatalieES]

I've had two recruiters because one retired. Not a big deal to switch. They just won't be as interested in you since you have more time until your kit will be due. It's good to get a jump on taking the ASTB/OAR just in case you need to retest, and to get the ball rolling with getting letters of recommendation and medical records done. Are you going through Spokane or Seattle recruiting?

Seattle. I'm attending UW. Concerning the ASTB/OAR, the latter is a component of the former battery, yes?

 

[koliver]

Seattle. I'm attending UW. Concerning the ASTB/OAR, the latter is a component of the former battery, yes?

Ya it is, but if you're applying for just SWO you don't need to take the entire astb

 

[NatalieES]

Ya it is, but if you're applying for just SWO you don't need to take the entire astb

Yeah, that's what I figured with the ASTB being primarily geared towards the aviation community if only by name. The general academic and applications components seem like they'd be core identifiers across all the communities.

 

[Jun Chen]

The recruiter working out of the Seattle district is on point. I literally showed up on the day after calling this person without an appointment and he still managed to schedule me a MEPS date that Friday. This person also assembled and pushed my completed package in a week. Granted I didn't study and walked in cold-turkey for the OAR, but he managed to help me get that scheduled too within that week time-frame.

 

[NatalieES]

The recruiter working out of the Seattle district is on point. I literally showed up on the day after calling this person without an appointment and he still managed to schedule me a MEPS date that Friday. This person also assembled and pushed my completed package in a week. Granted I didn't study and walked in cold-turkey for the OAR, but he managed to help me get that scheduled too within that week time-frame.

That's fantastic to hear and I'm thrilled it all went so smoothly for you. Thank you so much for your head's up about Seattle's OR!