March 2010 Boards

[AnonymousGuy]

I know it is a bit late but I applied for the March Board:

1. NFO
2. SNA
3. SWO (Conventional)

25/M
ASTB: 5/6/6 50
Degree: Professional Aeronautics - Embry-Riddle Aeronuatical University 3.69 GPA (Cum Laude)
PRT: Situps - 103 Pushups - 98 1.5 - 8:43

LOR: (4) 1. LCdr AC/LDO 2. Capt USMC/ATC 3. MSgt USMC/ATC 4. Congressman (Rep)

Pros:
-7 years service in the USMC as an Air Traffic Controller. (7252/53/54/57)
-Served in several different billets at various Air Stations and good working knowledge of Naval Aviation
-Been in charge of as many as 1100 Marines at once.
-A motivational statement that sounds like angels are coming down from the heaven's and strumming their harps
-1500 hours of community service direct/ Supervised over 5000 hours

Cons:
-Involved in litigation, had lawyer submit letter stating that I was not the defendant

Nice to meet you, and best of luck!

Care to share that motivational statement that sounds like angels singing??? lol

 

[AnonymousGuy]

Also, she predicted that January would probably be a bad board to be in because it was going to be filling up the last of its quota for 2010, and its better to be reviewed in a month that is starting a quota (like this March) rather than finishing one up. She was right, the selection rate for January was pretty bad, just hoping shes also right about March being a good month to apply.

What were the January selection rates?
Are selections rates for NFO generally pretty high?

 

[dcjohnsonjr1]

I will share if I get selected, gotta make sure the board feels the same way as I did about it. I based it off my canned answer for all of my Marine of the Quarter, NCO of the Quarter, and Meritorious promotion boards except I put a Navy spin on it. I only studied three days for the ASTB so, the score is kinda low so I am really depending on the statement to sway the board.

 

[nugget61]

My recruiter also said that THEY know what percentage of the applicants they want selected before they go in, so regardless of how many there are, there will be X% selected.

Gonna go ahead call BS on that one. That would mean that if there were a month with few good applicants then they'll let the chaff in just to hit numbers and we've seen that isn't true.

Also, she predicted that January would probably be a bad board to be in because it was going to be filling up the last of its quota for 2010, and its better to be reviewed in a month that is starting a quota (like this March) rather than finishing one up. She was right, the selection rate for January was pretty bad, just hoping shes also right about March being a good month to apply.

The fiscal calendar starts fresh in Octobers, so that would make a month with a new quota October. You may not graduate OCS until the new fiscal year if selected in March but that is no guarantee.

 

[NYYanks]

Gonna go ahead call BS on that one. That would mean that if there were a month with few good applicants then they'll let the chaff in just to hit numbers and we've seen that isn't true.



The fiscal calendar starts fresh in Octobers, so that would make a month with a new quota October. You may not graduate OCS until the new fiscal year if selected in March but that is no guarantee.

If the rumors are true for this (MAR begining FY11 selections), it would make sense. There are guys getting class dates from the JAN boards in MAR. Theoretically, if selected on this board, you would be classing up in JUL and graduating in OCT (if not rolled) and meet a FY11 accession. The numbers and timeframes all match up, only time will tell. Personally, i'll take FY10 or FY11, as long as I can get a chance at earning my commission. Lord knows that if selected for SNA, there are a mulitude of other potential problems/changes down the road for API and Primary. Jast hafta take it one step at a time and continue with the hurry up and wait.

 

[mbraesicke]

Gonna go ahead call BS on that one. That would mean that if there were a month with few good applicants then they'll let the chaff in just to hit numbers and we've seen that isn't true. /QUOTE]

The way I interpreted what my recruiter was telling me is that they have a certain number of slots to give out and do so by breaking it up into quarters and selecting by percentage. She was basing that on the fact that, at least with her applicants, the number selected and the total number were usually pretty close in percentage. As far as letting the chaff in, officer recruiters rarely send up applicants that aren't qualified. My recruiter told me about a few people she wouldn't send an application in for, and told me she wouldn't do it for me if I had a low gpa or low astb scores. There name and reputation for giving the board qualified applicants is on the line as well, as such they won't be sending up anyone they don't think is officer/aviator material.

But in all honesty I take everything she tells me with a grain of salt. I listen to what I want to hear and disregard the rest, kind of like I do with this site. No reason to worry about something someone might have heard from somebody who thinks they know something...when in the long run there's no way to know for sure.

The fiscal calendar starts fresh in Octobers, so that would make a month with a new quota October. You may not graduate OCS until the new fiscal year if selected in March but that is no guarantee.

NYYanks touched on that one

 

[nugget61]

If the rumors are true for this (MAR begining FY11 selections), it would make sense. There are guys getting class dates from the JAN boards in MAR. Theoretically, if selected on this board, you would be classing up in JUL and graduating in OCT (if not rolled) and meet a FY11 accession.

Who would be in the classes starting in April, May and June then? They said in November that January selections were going to be FY11 and that OCS would be slowing down/shutting down till then and they've already reversed that. Don't think that they're going to be doing much of anything that's predictable so we're all going to have to hope for the best. If March selects have to wait to go to OCS till July then I'd be shocked.

 

[NYYanks]

I completely agree with you, I don't think they are doing anything that is quite predictable or known to our level. I do know that the supply bubbas are starting to slow with the relocation of their school to lovely Newport from Athens. As for the other months being filled, there have been threads on other sites (USNavyOCS) that would indicate orders are starting to filter down for those months. The one thing I don't know nor understand is what happens to those applicants who were slated to grad in SEP but roll and grad in OCT. Do they take a FY11 slot? Like I said, I'm not really sure how that works out for quota crunching.

 

[marmy9876]

I was told by my recruiter that all March boards are going to be for FY11....no one will be going to OCS until july at earliest. Thats why there was no feb board from my understanding, they had filled quota for this fiscal year. I don't understand the SEP/OCT thing either....if you graduate in SEP you should be FY10 right? I guess we just hope we get pro-rec'd and final selected and take whatever they give us and be happy!

 

[priceless529]

I also heard that ocs classes were full for the fiscal year, which is why my recruiter told me it was good that i was applying to go in july (i don't graduate til may, and i'm going on a trip and wouldn't be back for june). She also reminded me that a lot of the slots for may and june ocs classes have already been reserved for people doing bdcp. I imagine the rest would be filled with people from january, so it actually would make sense that people applying for march wouldn't start heading to ocs til july.

 

[AnonymousGuy]

I also heard that ocs classes were full for the fiscal year, which is why my recruiter told me it was good that i was applying to go in july (i don't graduate til may, and i'm going on a trip and wouldn't be back for june). She also reminded me that a lot of the slots for may and june ocs classes have already been reserved for people doing bdcp. I imagine the rest would be filled with people from january, so it actually would make sense that people applying for march wouldn't start heading to ocs til july.

I think I like the sounds of this What else did you hear?

 

[sbudnik1]

I as well have heard from the OR, if my memory is not faulty, that March boards are the first that are selecting for the next fiscal year, which should hopefully translate into more pro-recs due to open slots. Also means though that potential OCS dates will be later in the summer or fall so that candidates will be commissioning into the new fiscal year. I have been pushed over to this board also, having missed the December 15th deadline for January by a couple days. Good luck to everybody

 

[AnonymousGuy]

Word from the processor at my NRD is that the board is meeting TODAY :O She usually knows what she's talking about...so maybe.

 

[priceless529]

Word from the processor at my NRD is that the board is meeting TODAY :O She usually knows what she's talking about...so maybe.

really?? that would be awesome! do all the boards meet at the same time? or do they do them one at a time; ie sna first, then nfo, etc...
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[rmalama]

Today?!? Thats grreeat!! This whole waiting thing is really killing me. It would be nice to know they moved it up instead of back!

I was reading through the earlier posts and looks like there are a lot of competitive packets!! Although a little late here's my info...

23/M

SNA Only

ASTB/OAR: 8/7/8-65
GPA: 3.4 University of Washington
LOR's: Scoutmaster, 2 College profs and a family friend
Motivational Statement: Yep

Whenever we all hear back I wish the best for everyone!!