ASTB No Longer Part of Service Selection Equation

[jai5w4]

Big Revision to Sevice Selection Formula: This is big news!!!!

Just got an email from my XO. He informed me the Service Selection Formula has been revised.

1. The ASTB is no longer calculated into the package for aviation

2. GPA now accounts for a full 50%, no weight given to tech/non tech majors

3. Military Aptitude/Professor of Naval Science Points (PNS Points) are 40%

4. PFA scores are the remaining 10%

I will admit, I am now officially concerned with my chances at getting a pilot slot. I was counting on my ASTB scores to somewhat bolster my package (6,6,7), but my XO said they are merely going to do so from a subjective standpoint, not mathematical.

According to his estimates, I am in the 60-70 range with 33-34 points for my GPA (2.7), 20-30 PNS points, and max PFA score of 10. He said he doesn't know where the new cut-off for pilots will be. I am estimating it will be above where I currently stand, though. I realize I am an officer first, and whatever warfare community I get second, but I really wanted to be a pilot. I'll push through finals and will do my best to scrape up a few more GPA points.

Just thought you guys would be interested in the changes.

~jai5w4

 

[Jas1029]

Whats the point of the ASTB now? I just took it last week, I am going for OCS and am not in school, what does this mean now?

 

[E6286]

Is this only for ROTC? I am getting ready to apply for OCS and I have to take the ASTB.

What is PNS and PFA?

 

[gregsivers]

What is PNS and PFA?

PNS - Professor of Naval Science, he's the CO of the ROTC unit
He writes a recommendation of every MIDN getting commissioned

PFA - Physical fitness assessment, aka PFT

 

[DairyCreamer]

That damn well better be for NROTC.

I mean, I'm not sure how someone not in ROTC could have their "military aptitude" determined without at least a basic test like the ASTB. Not sure what PNS is (Other than the identifier for Pensacola Regional Airport ).

Plus, while I didn't get my engineering degree just for the Navy, I'll be damned if they dont weight it more than an english major. Far as I knew when I was going through some NROTC classes, they were planning on weighing technical degrees MORE, let alone zero.

If this applies for all OCS applicants, than I should just screw the pooch now, because my ASTB is the nice bright flare keeping the "PROREC no" missile from tracking my engineering (read lowish) GPA tailpipe. :icon_rage

~Nate

 

[E6286]

Hey dairy, easy there. I have a BA in English, work for the feds, make a good salary and got accepted into a top 20 law school so watch knockin my major. You can keep your engineering degree.

 

[bennett4362]

Hey dairy, easy there. I have a BA in English, work for the feds, make a good salary and got accepted into a top 20 law school so watch knockin my major. You can keep your engineering degree.

yeah. i'd like to see what his gpa would be as an english major; that is, if he could cut it to graduation.

 

[DairyCreamer]

Hey dairy, easy there. I have a BA in English, work for the feds, make a good salary and got accepted into a top 20 law school so watch knockin my major. You can keep your engineering degree.

When the Navy goes around saying they're looking for technically minded people though, while no doubt there are plenty of successful english majors out there (considering the thousands that graduate every semester), it's just tough to imagine the Navy not looking at the engineering sciences in a different light for at least SOME of its programs.

Should have generalized to "Liberal Arts," apologies.

~Nate

 

[DairyCreamer]

yeah. i'd like to see what his gpa would be as an english major; that is, if he could cut it to graduation.

Now now here, I already graduated from a program that has never had a 4.0 in the 100 year history of the department. B.S. Chemical Engineering, Univ. of Colorado, Dec. '04.

~Nate

 

[NozeMan]

Just got an email from my XO. He informed me the Service Selection Formula has been revised.

1. The ASTB is no longer calculated into the package for aviation

2. GPA now accounts for a full 50%, no weight given to tech/non tech majors

3. Military Aptitude/Professor of Naval Science Points (PNS Points) are 40%

4. PFA scores are the remaining 10%

I will admit, I am now officially concerned with my chances at getting a pilot slot. I was counting on my ASTB scores to somewhat bolster my package (6,6,7), but my XO said they are merely going to do so from a subjective standpoint, not mathematical.

According to his estimates, I am in the 60-70 range with 33-34 points for my GPA (2.7), 20-30 PNS points, and max PFA score of 10. He said he doesn't know where the new cut-off for pilots will be. I am estimating it will be above where I currently stand, though. I realize I am an officer first, and whatever warfare community I get second, but I really wanted to be a pilot. I'll push through finals and will do my best to scrape up a few more GPA points.

Just thought you guys would be interested in the changes.

~jai5w4

I dont think the new formula hurts or helps me. I had 8,8,9 on my ASTB....which would be sad to NOT use. But my GPA is 3.75 and a 295 on my PFA. Plus I have fairly good standing with the unit. But i still find it hard to believe that they would change it THAT much...

 

[pennst8]

Can anyone out there independently confirm the changes Jai5w4 posted?

This sounds pretty different than the old standards. Not only the elimination of the ASTB but also counting the PFA for 10%...

Until someone who isn't a mid says this is the real deal, I call bull****. I'll take it back if I'm wrong.

(Also Jai5w4, why'd you post this in 3 different threads... one would have been good enough and kept it from being confusing... just a thought.)

 

[E6286]

Doesn't matter. Plenty of fantastic naval aviators with liberal arts degrees and I bet that there are plenty of ****ty ones with engineering degrees. Take your head outta your ass lol..........

P.S. No offense meant, just playing back a bit.........

 

[red_stang65]

This can't be for real...no ASTB for ROTC? Sounds like a pipe dream. Granted, a very awesome pipe dream, though.

 

[DairyCreamer]

Doesn't matter. Plenty of fantastic naval aviators with liberal arts degrees and I bet that there are plenty of ****ty ones with engineering degrees. Take your head outta your ass lol..........

P.S. No offense meant, just playing back a bit.........

That's all well and good, and I agree. Would you not agree with my viewpoint however, to even a limited degree?

The precedent of the Navy favoring technical degrees has been in place for decades already. It would appear that, due to the technical nature of most Navy jobs, that those with a highly technical degree (such as engineering) would have better potential to succeed in such an environment, or at least pick up on new technical concepts faster.

My initial post being a relatively knee-jerk reaction, I realize it's not the specific degree that matters so much. But between the as-yet uncorroborated post of apparantly extreme changes in NROTC service selection, and the fact that for years now, recruiters, policy, and other indications have continually said that having a technical degree is a bonus, it's just very hard to swallow that they would be weighted absolutely equally.

Even if the percentage is zero, I can't see someone evaluating a bunch of packages not making a mental note of the difference in difficulty in majors.

~Nate

 

[jai5w4]

Can anyone out there independently confirm the changes Jai5w4 posted?

This sounds pretty different than the old standards. Not only the elimination of the ASTB but also counting the PFA for 10%...

Until someone who isn't a mid says this is the real deal, I call bull****. I'll take it back if I'm wrong.

(Also Jai5w4, why'd you post this in 3 different threads... one would have been good enough and kept it from being confusing... just a thought.)

I almost copied and pasted the email from my XO. He is a Commander and is a P-3 NFO. He independently compiled information from other ROTC unit's aviator grads to try to get a sense of what the "norm" for the old system was. This guy knows what he is talking about. If he says NSTC says so, then it is true.

jai5w4