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enlist with college degree or OCS

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BigDaddyBossFoss

New Member
Hello everybody, I'm looking for some advice about enlisting in the navy with a degree or applying for OCS.

I'll be honest, I was never motivated to go to college but I persevered and finished because my father and brother started and never finished. All of my aunts, uncles, and cousins on both sides of my family are college graduates so I felt pressured to go even though I was never crazy or passionate about it.

Joining the military has been an itch that I never scratched because I didn't want to make any excuses to quit college because I probably would have never returned if I left.

I graduated last December with a bachelors of arts in Electronic Media, a fancy word for Broadcast Journalism/TV News, from Texas State University. My GPA was 2.75, but to me, a GPA is just a gauge of someone's discipline and attitude. That's one reason why I am leaning towards joining the military. I believe it will challenge me and bring out the best in me.

I know my OCS package would be considered weak because of my degree type and GPA. I'm not interested in being a pilot. I'm looking into Supply, Crypto, Intel, or Public Affairs.

Would a high OAR score help?

Is it out of the ordinary for someone to enlist with a degree, finish their enlistment contract then apply for OCS?

If so, would I be eligible for an age waiver?

Or can you enlist with a degree and apply for OCS during your enlisted contract?

I just turned 28 in February and was thinking about enlisting because I have some student loans to pay off and I understand that the LRP is only available for enlisted.

I haven't spoken with a recruiter just yet, I just want to be prepared before I go.

Thanks.
 
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exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Your package would be very weak, there are people getting turned down that are a full GPA point higher.
Supply you won't be able to get to OCS before you hit age limit
IW (was crypto years ago) looks for tech degrees and high GPA, Intel is going to be closed for a long time, PAO is closed currently except for those on active duty.

high OAR can help a little bit, but GPA is main issue.

some do it, but don't have specific numbers

if you are over age limit before waiver time won't help

yes, but your GPA is still going to hurt you bad
 
ea6bflyr

ea6bflyr

Working Class Bum
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
What do you want out of the military? Do you want to re-pay (or forgive) your student loans? Did you want to use your degree? If you are enlisting to pursue a commission, it may never happen. I've known several people that served an entire career with a degree....they either could not or did not want to make the transition. Heck you may do your first enlistment and find out you don't like the challenges of military service.

If you want to enlist, then enlist, but do your homework first and get what you want....not what you are given.

-ea6bflyr ;)
 
rreagan3

rreagan3

VP-NESS
None
first post, here it goes:

The military can certainly be a great career to start or a great way to start in another career...

BUT...

Enlisting with the goal to backdoor your way into a commission is a bad idea. It's a tough market right now, which means everybody, including the military, gets their pick of the litter. While it's anecdotal, we have a new 28 y/o E-3 in our squadron who, after getting his bachelors and masters degrees and having been denied an age waiver, quit a top law school to enlist in the Navy to pursue his dream of becoming a Navy Pilot. He's got our skipper, XO, and a CAPT going up to bat for him, but he's finding that all the waiver doors are getting slammed in his face. He's new and he seems sharp, disciplined, and motivated, but his chances are looking really slim right now. He's gunning for Aviation, but its a tough market for everybody. Don't get me wrong - it's not uncommon for enlisted to get commissioned - and many great officers come up that way - but it's no sure bet. I know there are many priors on here that have a better knowledge of that path, so I'll let them speak for it.

That being said, I don't want to discourage you from looking at the military. With your degree, it sounds like you'd be a natural for MC (if you enlist) or PAO (if you get commissioned) and may very well find a lot of fulfillment in the Navy. If you do find yourself in that field of the military, try to do something about AFN - those commercials suck.
 
picklesuit

picklesuit

Dirty Hinge
pilot
Contributor
BDFF (I am NOT spelling your name out) I have to, respectfully, disagree with rreagan3.
I graduated with a 3.02 with a BS in Animal Science in 2002. I worked as a dirty civilian for about 2 years and realized I wanted to join the Navy. I took the OAR/ASTB and had mediocre ASTB scores with a decent (58) OAR score. I applied for OCS, got laughed at (I assume) and told no. I then enlisted, because service was my primary reason to join. We all have our own reasons, money should not be the reason you join the Navy, you will be disappointed. I had the long term goal of getting a commission.
I went to RTC, Aircrew School, A-school, and then the FRS. I dropped my package in October 2005, and, again, was told no. I reapplied in 2006 (March-ish) for a special NFO select board, and got accepted into OCS. There is always a way. The job market sucks, we all know that. There are many 4.0 Enginerd types who are applying right now. You are correct, you will not be very competitive as a civilian. But you put a couple of years of good service in, you will have that to add to your package. The board likes prior-E's, as does the Navy.
Do some research on the age limits for the designator you would like. Pilot is one of the most restrictive, as it should be, but there are many other fields that take old farts like you, I commissioned at 27.
If you want to serve your country, then join. If you would rather make money, find a job.
Pickle
 
Brett327

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Honestly, people of the OP's age with a degree should not enlist if they want to be officers. By the time they'd be eligible to apply, they'll be too old for most designators. Why waste your degree? The economy will get better and you can work in your field - do that.
 
picklesuit

picklesuit

Dirty Hinge
pilot
Contributor
Brett327 said:
Honestly, people of the OP's age with a degree should not enlist if they want to be officers. By the time they'd be eligible to apply, they'll be too old for most designators. Why waste your degree? The economy will get better and you can work in your field - do that.
Click to expand...
Brett,
I agree,for the majority of Designators, the OP is getting long in the tooth, but several don't age out until 35, and he could be thropugh his 4 year commitment before then...
Pickle
 
Brett327

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Regardless of designator, I think the conventional wisdom is that if you have a degree, it's easier to get picked up "off the street" than from the fleet. While there may be exceptions, that's good advice for most people.
 
E

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
picklesuit said:
Brett,
I agree,for the majority of Designators, the OP is getting long in the tooth, but several don't age out until 35, and he could be thropugh his 4 year commitment before then...
Pickle
Click to expand...

Nearly all of the designators that age out at 35 require a tech degree and if it isn't required not having calc and physics is a significant negative factor, and if you add up the spots for all the designators that age out at 35 the number is small, about 50 total.

If he was age eligible for Pilot getting 8 or 9 on the PFAR might convince the board to select him with a low GPA, but the other designators are tough to get into even with a tech degree and GPA.
 
Silhouette

Silhouette

Well-Known Member
Well, fook. Guess I can take Pilot off my app... I'm 28, my birthday is January 17 and I don't get my degree until December of this year. Must've been in denial to not realize that earlier.

<--- grrrr
 
E

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Silhouette said:
Well, fook. Guess I can take Pilot off my app... I'm 28, my birthday is January 17 and I don't get my degree until December of this year. Must've been in denial to not realize that earlier.

<--- grrrr
Click to expand...

You are a reservist right? that time will count as well toward a waiver for NFO.
 
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