Chances at OCS selection?

[KingsburyK]

Hello All,

I’m a college Junior, who is strongly considering the Navy as my career choice. I’ll be applying for OCS within a year or so, and wanted to get some honest opinions outside of a recruiter’s office.

My degree will be in International Affairs, and I’ll graduate with around a 3.85 GPA. I’ve got my letters or recommendation lined up from several professors that I’ve done academic research with, and a family friend who’s a current Captain in the Navy. I’m in great shape; I played high school soccer for all 4 years, and continue to play just about every sport my university’s intramural program offers. I’ve volunteered at hospitals and I am currently a youth soccer coach.

I’d love to be a pilot; only obstacle is my vision. I’ll be having PRK done in the summer, so if all goes well on the table, I hope to be granted a waiver. I’ve yet to take the ASTB, but am currently preparing with practice books and such. If the Navy says no to my pilot ambition, I wouldn’t mind going the Intel or NFO route either.

Is there anything else I can really improve on? Or any general advice you can give me? I appreciate your time and effort for looking this over!

Thanks, Kyle

 

[gstapes12]

study hard for the astb and do well. write a good motivational statement. don't get a DUI. your stats look pretty good on paper, it looks like you've done everything 'right' so far in my humble opinion. good luck!

 

[twobecrazy]

Hello All,

I’m a college Junior, who is strongly considering the Navy as my career choice. I’ll be applying for OCS within a year or so, and wanted to get some honest opinions outside of a recruiter’s office.

My degree will be in International Affairs, and I’ll graduate with around a 3.85 GPA. I’ve got my letters or recommendation lined up from several professors that I’ve done academic research with, and a family friend who’s a current Captain in the Navy. I’m in great shape; I played high school soccer for all 4 years, and continue to play just about every sport my university’s intramural program offers. I’ve volunteered at hospitals and I am currently a youth soccer coach.

I’d love to be a pilot; only obstacle is my vision. I’ll be having PRK done in the summer, so if all goes well on the table, I hope to be granted a waiver. I’ve yet to take the ASTB, but am currently preparing with practice books and such. If the Navy says no to my pilot ambition, I wouldn’t mind going the Intel or NFO route either.

Is there anything else I can really improve on? Or any general advice you can give me? I appreciate your time and effort for looking this over!

Thanks, Kyle

Not a bad intro. I will try to help you the best I can. Search around this forum. There is a wealth of information that can be found here. We ask that you search before you ask as this forum has a wealth of knowledge and many questions have already been answered. By all means if you search and can't find the answer the members of this forum will be happy to provide any insight that we can. We also ask that you use proper internet etiquette. There are many members of this site that are current, retired, or prior military officers. Welcome aboard.

Now lets see if we can give you some direction.

Here is a good thread concerning recruiters.
http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php/17296-Recruiters/page6

Here is a great thread with tons of ASTB material.
http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/sh...r-scores-amp-ask-your-questions-here!)/page72

Since you had PRK you may want to check out this thread.
http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php/136669-The-PRK-process-from-start-to-finish

You will need to do a motivational statement so this one will help you out as well.
http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php/142053-Motivational-Statement-MEGA-Thread

This thread has tons of information about OCS.
http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php/138577-sTUPID-qUESTIONS-aBOUT-ocs/page95

I think that gives you plenty to look at for now. Good Luck.

 

[BusyBee604]

Grades Rule!

Is there anything else I can really improve on? Or any general advice you can give me?

A. Continue to score top grades
B. Continue sports/community service
C, Avoid recreational drugs
D. Avoid legal problems (arrest/traffic citations)
E. Get/stay in top physical shape
F Have a backup plan in case of vision waiver denial

Your dossier listed looks good; however, "needs of the Navy" will determine your "chances" after you graduate. No one can predict that now. The competition at present is TOUGH! Keep on strokin' and good luck. :graduate_
BzB

 

[BACONATOR]

Why not apply now, if you're a year out from graduation?

 

[JMonte85]

Start getting in touch with some officers in the fields you aspire, and line up some interviews. Talk to them, let them know your plans and see if they're are interested in giving you a graded interview. Also, if you have the money, get some flying hours. People may say it's a waste of time but no one really knows what is or isn't and it can only help not hurt. Plus it's fun. Even if you don't get accepted, I'm sure you must enjoy aviation beyond the hollywood side of it.. Heck, if you've never flown before you might get up there and realize it's not for you. Save you the headache of going through all the motions.

Like others said, have a back up plan.

 

[KingsburyK]

I was told by the recruiters that I shouldn't start the paperwork until I'm fully recovered from PRK. Which given the 6 months required for the waiver, and my surgery date in June, I should be able to start the process this upcoming December.

 

[twobecrazy]

I was told by the recruiters that I shouldn't start the paperwork until I'm fully recovered from PRK. Which given the 6 months required for the waiver, and my surgery date in June, I should be able to start the process this upcoming December.

Get started now. I have been in the process for over a year. I won't be leaving for OCS until sometime in August which puts me over a year and a half. I'm not saying this is normal but I wouldn't wait on getting paperwork and stuff ready now. You can have everything done and waiting for the waiver which will greatly reduce the amount of time you will need to wait to be seen at the boards. When working towards getting LORs just make sure they are post dated so you don't have to worry about them expiring.

 

[that mike guy]

Get started now.

+1

I started trying to contact recruiters last May and began filling out the application in September. While it did take a bit longer than I had hoped, I'm now waiting to start OCS in April. These things take some time and the boards this year are fewer and further between than they were this past year, with no sign of increasing in frequency. Although I don't know how competitive things are right now, the general consensus on this forum (and of my ORs) is that things are only getting more competitive; apply as soon as you can. Pilot, Intel, and NFO are already very competitive and a recent forum topic said that SWO is closed until 2012.

If your recruiter won't give you the paperwork to start on, you can get almost everything you need from here. The first form linked on that page is the actual application that you need to fill out and the DD370 is the form that you need to send to your LoR writers (they can write the letter on their own letterhead and send it along with this form if they wish). These are two things that you could go ahead and do (just don't date them yet) and have ready to turn in to your OR the first time you go visit him or her (they will probably be very eager to help you and fill up their box on the application if you took the initiative to get these things done without their help as well ).

 

[KingsburyK]

I appreciate the advice! I'll mosey on down to my recruiting district ASAP and see if I can't get the ball rolling sooner.

 

[JMonte85]

The hardest stuff is the stuff you don't even need your recruiter for. Start getting LOR's those take the longest because you have to chase people down for them. Get a electronic copy of the 370 and have your last 3 employers fill that out. Start looking on your own for some officer interviews.. Also ask your recruiter to help you as well on this. Start working on your motivational statement and maybe do some extra stuff to continue to better your application.

Like twobe says, now is the time to start. You will be amazed the process it's gonna be. Good luck! Your biggest hump is the ASTB. Most recruiter will not take you serious until you pass the ASTB.

Actually, take and pass the ASTB, then proceed with all the other mumbo jumbo.

 

[that mike guy]

Actually, take and pass the ASTB, then proceed with all the other mumbo jumbo.

I will have to respectfully disagree with this comment (but agree with the first parts of your post ). While the ASTB is a huge portion of the Navy's "whole person concept", you sound like the type of person who "has all their shit in one sock" and should do well on the ASTB. If the Navy is what you really want to do, go ahead and fill out the parts of that short, 4 page application that you can and get your letters of recommendations. The worst that can happen is you do terribly on the ASTB and you have to retake it later or you do just okay, submit your application, then don't get a pro-rec; in either case, the LoRs and that application you have filled out can/will be reused when you reapply.

About the LoRs: iirc, its a minimum of three with no maximum, however no more than six should be needed imho. I had five LoRs and I think that was about the average of the people who received FS from the November boards.