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Questions About OCS Packets

LTJG_Fluffy

Is it luck or is it fate?
After being DQ'ed for USNA because of a minor medical condition I had, I've decided to maybe just finish up my degree at my current university and apply for OCS. I am currently trying to decide on OCS or NROTC since I was told by my BGO that NROTC is a bit more lenient and gives waivers more liberally than USNA. I am currently a junior with a major in Global Studies and minor in Political Science and German with a 3.7 GPA. I do not know much about the whole OCS process except that:

1) There is a rolling board that is constantly being updated
2) Packets can be sent in Fall of your senior year of college
3) Doing well on ASTB can determine if you get SNA
4) An Engineering Degree is beneficial but not a requirement

(Feel free to correct me if I am wrong about any of these since this is what I've gathered from spending time on this forum and taking bits and pieces here and there)

I've scoured this site for several weeks now and noticed a lot of OCS applicants besides their GPA's have a lot of volunteer hours and recommendations from current or former military officers included in their packets. Is having volunteer hours and recommendations a requirement or just something bonus. Also, if anyone can give me a link about OCS requirements and packet guides, that would be greatly appreciated. I've found basic information for the requirements to be an candidate but nothing regarding putting together a packet online.

Thanks
 

Scaevola

Arts and Crafts SME
OCS recruits are chosen by selection boards for specific communities, so some are rolling while others are scheduled depending on community needs. Either way, you could end up having to wait several months for the next board to meet depending on what you apply for. If you decide to go OCS rather than NROTC, now is probably a good time to make contact with your local officer recruiting office to get the lay of the land. That way you can start studying for the ASTB this summer and work on finalizing your materials to be ready to go in front of a board sometime this fall.

Recommendations are required, but not necessarily from current/former military if you don't have those contacts. You need one from each employer within a certain time frame (5 years?) and a minimum total number (3 if I recall). If you still need more to meet the minimum after satisfying the employer requirement, the rest can be character references from professors or others. You can submit more than the minimum if you think it will boost your credentials.

Volunteer hours are not required for civilian applicants. Could be a good source of recommendations or leadership experience, though!

This is similar to, if not the same as, the checklist my recruiter used to review my packet:

http://www.futureofficer.com/downloads/OCS_CKLIST-_15_MAR_20131.pdf

Your recruiter should give you direction on this and help you pull all the pieces together as required. You'll fill in the pieces but the recruiting office builds and submits the final package.
 

mb1685

Well-Known Member
I'm just an applicant, so this could be incorrect and therefore you should take it with a grain of salt. But I've been around the forum for quite a while and soaked up a good bit of information, so here's my thoughts:

1. The SNA/NFO boards are rolling right now, yes. When they're rolling, the loose timeline seems to be that they meet every 90-120 days, but that is in no way guaranteed. However, your wording makes it sound like you might be under the impression that they're always rolling, which is not the case. Sometimes they're scheduled ahead of time for specific dates (per fiscal year), but keep in mind that even when that's the case, those boards can still be cancelled or rescheduled.

2. I'm not sure exactly what the timeline is for being able to submit a package before graduating, but you are correct in that a package can be submitted prior to graduation. I think I've heard that you must be within 6 months of graduation, but I could be wrong. I believe you'll have to submit paperwork signed by an adviser that proves you'll graduate when you anticipate.

3. As long as you meet the minimum requirements (age, GPA, physically qualified, etc.), ASTB indeed seems to be the most important factor in getting selected for SNA and NFO.

4. For SNA and NFO, major is pretty much irrelevant. Again, ASTB seems to be the most important determinant in getting selected for SNA and NFO. The only way an Engineering degree might be beneficial for an SNA/NFO package is to theoretically offset a slightly low GPA (since most would agree that Engineering degrees tend to be more difficult than other undergraduate degrees), but again, good ASTB scores and any degree will do much more for your chances than average/bad ASTB scores and an Engineering degree.
 
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exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
What many people think are "minor medical conditions" are a big deal for the military, so keep in mind you will have to explain it and have it evaluated again.
 

LTJG_Fluffy

Is it luck or is it fate?
Hi all, thanks for all the feedback and help in getting a better picture of OCS.

RUFiO181, I had a rash on my shin that DoDMERB determined to either be eczema or psoriasis due to the fact that I didn't have the typical symptoms associated with either condition. However, several candidates that received appointments had confirmed cases of having eczema and received waivers for it. The rash went away on it's own a few months after my physical exam.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
was DODMERB the only one who mentioned eczema or psoriasis? I have had/know of several that have been DQ'd for OCS programs for that same issue.
 

LTJG_Fluffy

Is it luck or is it fate?
Yeah, DODMERB was the only one who mentioned it. I had sent them my past medical history and only on one from when I was around 3 said I may have eczema. There was nothing that stated that I had the condition.
 

AttackCanary

Active Member
Recommendations are required, but not necessarily from current/former military if you don't have those contacts. You need one from each employer within a certain time frame (5 years?) and a minimum total number (3 if I recall)..

Just as a note, you do NOT need a recommendation from your current employer or any within any time frame. I just recently got selected and my recommendations were all former military guys who work with me but have never been my boss or even worked in the same division as me. I'm pretty sure you just pick whoever you think can give the best representation of you.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Just as a note, you do NOT need a recommendation from your current employer or any within any time frame. I just recently got selected and my recommendations were all former military guys who work with me but have never been my boss or even worked in the same division as me. I'm pretty sure you just pick whoever you think can give the best representation of you.

depending how NRC is they may kick that back, an attempt has to be made with previous employers, if they don't respond then it should be noted as such then you can replace employer LOR's with others.

It is not uncommon for employers not to respond due to wanting to avoid any potential legal issues.
 

Scaevola

Arts and Crafts SME
Just as a note, you do NOT need a recommendation from your current employer or any within any time frame. I just recently got selected and my recommendations were all former military guys who work with me but have never been my boss or even worked in the same division as me. I'm pretty sure you just pick whoever you think can give the best representation of you.
My recruiter made it sound like a requirement, so I must be mistaken. He didn't say it needed to be from my supervisor, just a rec from someone at that employer; like your case, I got a current coworker to write one. Wouldn't have gone over well for me to ask my boss...
 

Skywalker

Student Naval Aviator
I hope this is the right place to put this.

I realize that choice of college major isn't super relevant for SNA/SNFO. For me, that's good news - because here is my situation:

I am in a situation such that I have classes that need to be taken in sequence, in order to graduate with a BS in Mathematics in May of 2018. Tonight, the mathematics department at my school torpedoed that, cancelling a class I was signed up for in the summer that was a prerequisite for another course I was signed up for this summer, as well as several classes I'm signed up for in the fall. Of course, waiting this late to do this, taking these classes at another college as a transient student is not an option - all of the applications are closed. From where I sit now, my best case scenario for a BS in Mathematics is August of 2018.

The alternative is to switch back to the major I started college with: Political Science. It's what I have the most upper division credits in other than math, and I could swing it by May of 2018 for sure. Unfortunately this makes my bad GPA look even worse, and closes the door to becoming an astronaut unless I can finish a BS in Mathematics while also on active duty, which sounds like it would be quite difficult to do.

My packet has already been sent in for the 11JUL17 NA/NFO board.

It's 0135 EST, so I haven't called my recruiter yet, and have yet to inform her of this.

The point of this post was this: Which would be worse for me here - pushing back graduation a semester, or switching majors to meet the target time? Also, since my paperwork will have to either be pulled or amended no matter what, did I just miss this board?
 
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