CEC Collegiate Program

[Dwhite1017]

Hey y’all I just got accepted into the CEC Collegiate Program and haven’t found too many resources regarding the program. I know that when I was going through the process I had a ton of questions and a specific thread like this would have been super helpful.

If there are any current collegiates or applicants I figured we could ask our questions here and maybe we could help each other out!

I’ll ask the first question:

When do y’all think we should get our FINSEL, swear in, and start getting paid? My recruiter told me I should swear in within the month and my AO said I should get my FINSEL “soon”... I heard back 2 days ago so I know there’s no rush and I shouldn’t expect anything for a few weeks. I was just curious if y’all’s recruiters mentioned a similar timeline?

 

[Alex0401]

Hey congrats! For me my timeline was a little longer than most but I was prorec'd on 7/10 and received my FINSEL on 9/3. From other collegiates I've spoke to the average seems to be about a month or so between the two. And once you swear in you get paid a month from then and they will back date it to include the time since you swore in.

 

[JimIII]

Congratulations! My timeline is very similar to Alex's timeline. My FINSEL came a month and a half after I was prorec'd. Pay came a month after that.

 

[andrew.castaneda89]

Hello all,
Thank you all for the great gouge thus far. As for the degree plan that must be submitted as part of the application for the Collegiate Program, what are the requirements from the school? I have reached out to recruiters in my area, but it has been a few days, and no response. Given the covid environment, my school's advisors are slammed with zoom meetings, virtually non-stop, so speaking to an advisor is difficult, presently.

In spite of that, I've built a degree plan that gets me inside the 24-month window required for application, but the advisor is asking me what the degree plan needs to say, with what verbiage that will suffice with this program. She is also hesitant to certify it, because as she says: "this plan is a rough forecast of the classes you can take in each term, however, there is no guarantee that these specific classes will be available to enroll in. The class schedule, while mostly routine, fluctuates, so if a situation arises where a class is not available, your degree plan can fall through."

Thank you all, in advance!

 

[Alex0401]

Hello all,
Thank you all for the great gouge thus far. As for the degree plan that must be submitted as part of the application for the Collegiate Program, what are the requirements from the school? I have reached out to recruiters in my area, but it has been a few days, and no response. Given the covid environment, my school's advisors are slammed with zoom meetings, virtually non-stop, so speaking to an advisor is difficult, presently.

In spite of that, I've built a degree plan that gets me inside the 24-month window required for application, but the advisor is asking me what the degree plan needs to say, with what verbiage that will suffice with this program. She is also hesitant to certify it, because as she says: "this plan is a rough forecast of the classes you can take in each term, however, there is no guarantee that these specific classes will be available to enroll in. The class schedule, while mostly routine, fluctuates, so if a situation arises where a class is not available, your degree plan can fall through."

Thank you all, in advance!

I can message you the degree plan that you'd give your advisor to fill out. For the scheduling, just make sure the plan you made is feasible and you're comfortable with it so you're not too tight on timing for the two years.

 

[JimIII]

Hello all,
Thank you all for the great gouge thus far. As for the degree plan that must be submitted as part of the application for the Collegiate Program, what are the requirements from the school? I have reached out to recruiters in my area, but it has been a few days, and no response. Given the covid environment, my school's advisors are slammed with zoom meetings, virtually non-stop, so speaking to an advisor is difficult, presently.

In spite of that, I've built a degree plan that gets me inside the 24-month window required for application, but the advisor is asking me what the degree plan needs to say, with what verbiage that will suffice with this program. She is also hesitant to certify it, because as she says: "this plan is a rough forecast of the classes you can take in each term, however, there is no guarantee that these specific classes will be available to enroll in. The class schedule, while mostly routine, fluctuates, so if a situation arises where a class is not available, your degree plan can fall through."

Thank you all, in advance!

I can see what you are saying with regards to your advisor not wanting to sign the plan because classes can change and what not. In my experience as long as you remain a full time student and as long as you are on track to graduate with your degree when you said you would, it's not that big of a deal to change it. I had to change my original degree completion plan because of some classes I had to shuffle around and it was not a big deal at all. I just had to re-fill it out have my advisor sign it and give it to my officer recruiter.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I can see what you are saying with regards to your advisor not wanting to sign the plan because classes can change and what not. In my experience as long as you remain a full time student and as long as you are on track to graduate with your degree when you said you would, it's not that big of a deal to change it. I had to change my original degree completion plan because of some classes I had to shuffle around and it was not a big deal at all. I just had to re-fill it out have my advisor sign it and give it to my officer recruiter.

I would make sure the advisors know that at this time this is what needs to be done to graduate and that if classes change you just submit an up to date one.

It is important to make sure not to push yourself, like you said.

 

[JimIII]

I would make sure the advisors know that at this time this is what needs to be done to graduate and that if classes change you just submit an up to date one.

It is important to make sure not to push yourself, like you said.

In your experience would they ever deny a plan for being too difficult (i.e. too many credits)?

 

[exNavyOffRec]

In your experience would they ever deny a plan for being too difficult (i.e. too many credits)?

yes, in the screening I have seen one shot back due the CEC AO being concerned

 

[Dwhite1017]

Hello all,
Thank you all for the great gouge thus far. As for the degree plan that must be submitted as part of the application for the Collegiate Program, what are the requirements from the school? I have reached out to recruiters in my area, but it has been a few days, and no response. Given the covid environment, my school's advisors are slammed with zoom meetings, virtually non-stop, so speaking to an advisor is difficult, presently.

In spite of that, I've built a degree plan that gets me inside the 24-month window required for application, but the advisor is asking me what the degree plan needs to say, with what verbiage that will suffice with this program. She is also hesitant to certify it, because as she says: "this plan is a rough forecast of the classes you can take in each term, however, there is no guarantee that these specific classes will be available to enroll in. The class schedule, while mostly routine, fluctuates, so if a situation arises where a class is not available, your degree plan can fall through."

Thank you all, in advance!

You mentioned the 24 month window - when would your graduation be? The reason I ask is because I initially contacted a recruiter ~23 months out from graduation. I didn't swear into the program until I was ~17 months from graduation - meaning I could have technically started the process 30 months out from graduation and still been fine (not sure if it works this way tbh). The process takes time and I understand wanting to get into the program ASAP because that means you'll get paid sooner. The point I'm getting at is that it may be best to take an extra semester, depending on your graduation date. This will allow you to be less stressed and get paid more for doing less - which is always nice!!

In terms of the degree plan, you are just given a blank sheet that lists your remaining semesters and classes you plan to take. You or your advisor will fill out the sheet and will sign off on it. My recruiter told me that anyone from my school can sign off on it - professor, advisor, Dean, etc... And whatever date you put as your graduation date can not change. The worst thing that can happen is for some crazy reason, you can't get into a certain class when you planned on it thus pushing out your gradation date.

If you plan to take class X in Spring 2021 and class Y in Fall 2021, you don't necessarily have to go in that exact order. You will update your degree plan accordingly. The most important thing is that you can graduate when you say you will graduate.

 

[andrew.castaneda89]

You mentioned the 24 month window - when would your graduation be? The reason I ask is because I initially contacted a recruiter ~23 months out from graduation. I didn't swear into the program until I was ~17 months from graduation - meaning I could have technically started the process 30 months out from graduation and still been fine (not sure if it works this way tbh). The process takes time and I understand wanting to get into the program ASAP because that means you'll get paid sooner. The point I'm getting at is that it may be best to take an extra semester, depending on your graduation date. This will allow you to be less stressed and get paid more for doing less - which is always nice!!

In terms of the degree plan, you are just given a blank sheet that lists your remaining semesters and classes you plan to take. You or your advisor will fill out the sheet and will sign off on it. My recruiter told me that anyone from my school can sign off on it - professor, advisor, Dean, etc... And whatever date you put as your graduation date can not change. The worst thing that can happen is for some crazy reason, you can't get into a certain class when you planned on it thus pushing out your gradation date.

If you plan to take class X in Spring 2021 and class Y in Fall 2021, you don't necessarily have to go in that exact order. You will update your degree plan accordingly. The most important thing is that you can graduate when you say you will graduate.

thank you! I do plan on taking as many classes as possible before beginning the process of application, but the copy of the degree plan form I received only has room for 5 semesters. For those applicants who are deemed exceptional, are eligible to apply 24 months out, that means 6 terms. Does that mean that there is another form they have to fill out?

In your experience, did your recruiter take a long time to reply to calls/emails? I’m not sure what the workload for an officer recruiter is, but I remember when I was enlisting, the recruiter was pretty attentive.

Once I do make contact, is the process degree plan, OAR, and then interview?

thanks again for all the help! I really appreciate it

 

[JimIII]

thank you! I do plan on taking as many classes as possible before beginning the process of application, but the copy of the degree plan form I received only has room for 5 semesters. For those applicants who are deemed exceptional, are eligible to apply 24 months out, that means 6 terms. Does that mean that there is another form they have to fill out?

In your experience, did your recruiter take a long time to reply to calls/emails? I’m not sure what the workload for an officer recruiter is, but I remember when I was enlisting, the recruiter was pretty attentive.

Once I do make contact, is the process degree plan, OAR, and then interview?

thanks again for all the help! I really appreciate it

I applied and was accepted as an exceptional student meaning I was accepted towards the end of my 2nd semester sophomore year (swore in during the summer). I filled out my degree completion plan to only include the 4 semesters of my junior and senior year (fall and spring junior year and fall and spring senior year).

I did have to send in my transcripts when the 2nd semester sophomore year was over but I did not fill out a degree plan for that semester.

 

[andrew.castaneda89]

I applied and was accepted as an exceptional student meaning I was accepted towards the end of my 2nd semester sophomore year (swore in during the summer). I filled out my degree completion plan to only include the 4 semesters of my junior and senior year (fall and spring junior year and fall and spring senior year).

I did have to send in my transcripts when the 2nd semester sophomore year was over but I did not fill out a degree plan for that semester.

Makes sense. I’m having a hard time now because I’m going from ERAU to ASU, so I have to start laying the groundwork for the lower division Mech. Engr classes.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

thank you! I do plan on taking as many classes as possible before beginning the process of application, but the copy of the degree plan form I received only has room for 5 semesters. For those applicants who are deemed exceptional, are eligible to apply 24 months out, that means 6 terms. Does that mean that there is another form they have to fill out?

In your experience, did your recruiter take a long time to reply to calls/emails? I’m not sure what the workload for an officer recruiter is, but I remember when I was enlisting, the recruiter was pretty attentive.

Once I do make contact, is the process degree plan, OAR, and then interview?

thanks again for all the help! I really appreciate it

2 years = 4 semesters, the generally will not look favorably on a degree plan that requires a person to take the summer term.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Makes sense. I’m having a hard time now because I’m going from ERAU to ASU, so I have to start laying the groundwork for the lower division Mech. Engr classes.

They may be more flexible now, but I NEVER saw them accept a person in the collegiate program that hadn't completed at least 1 term at the school they were going to graduate from.