Not Selected, Seeking Insight.

[Zequa]

The Selection board happened for OCS 238 and I wasn't selected for aviation, due to "decreasing aviation slots". Not here to waste your time, because there are many other posts on here from people from similar situations. Just seeking advice for what to improve on in hopes of getting selected on the next board, or if you can help me pinpoint the likely reasons I wasn't selected. I'm determined and committed, as this has been a lifetime goal, but the road hasn't always been straightforward as I'm 26 now, but not too late!

My info:
ASTB - 6/8/7 47
NAMI - passed w/ no issues, obv. to get to this point already.
PFT - 296, 34 pull-ups, 120 crunches & 18:39 3 mile. (295 CFT if that helps on a note to the selection board at all) - I'm working on getting these both up to 300 for the next board.
GPA - 2.3 Kinesiology major, Bio minor. (highly competitive college on the selection board criteria, (4/5) points if that helps at all). Difficult program, student athlete and worked jobs to afford. They look into these factors apparently.
LORs - all required from recent employers, managed to squeeze out some letters from professors who can speak well of me, but they aren't high up professors. 2 Marine aviators (1 retired, 1 current O-5) retired one being my flight instructor, 1 USSOCOM senior officer that actually wrote quite a strong LOR, he even gave it to me. Was quite humbled. (I knew all of these people well enough, they weren't just people I approached out of thin air).
Extracurriculars - Not gonna go into depth, I have over 300 volunteer hrs from various nonprofit NGOs, Mission trips & US Forest Service fieldwork. 2x team captain in high school, 2x MVP, state champ decathlon, 4-year college athlete in track & field, held a leadership position in a school club, yeah.. you get the point.
Employment - Typical stuff with perfect records, held 3 jobs for 3 years each. Valet, Manager role at local YMCA, most recently working abroad in an American school in a conflict zone country. Taught P.E., health, & computer classes. Promoted to tech admin after 2 years, also coached 2 sports. Picked up the language too.
Location - California, if you happen to know if west coast selection boards are typically more competitive or not.

If it seems apparent, I think it probably boiled down to my GPA for not getting selected. My recruiting office told me I would get selected for this board, but I didn't settle on that at all, as anything can happen, and it did! OSO told me I won't be told no the second time around, but if anyone here has been in a similar situation, what are some recommendations you could suggest to improve on. Obviously, I can't improve my GPA. Other candidates I know suggest that some people have legacy Marine or inner connections with brass as LORs that help them get selected. I don't hold spite towards that, but I know it is a reality sometimes. I do come from a family where every male in the last 100 years has served, just no marines yet. Serving our country is important and something I've always wanted to do, and I'm determined with any options down the road. Just trying to achieve the dream here and become a Marine officer, pilot if possible. Thanks for reading!

 

[RoarkJr.]

Impressive, obviously despite the GPA. Not sure what the age limit is but you’re getting close. Either keep applying air, then if that fails go ground with hopes at competitive air, or look at other branches if you just want to fly.

 

[0621 Hertz]

Yeah just bad luck this board, you'll get it next time.

 

[Mos]

Obviously, I can't improve my GPA.

Not sure how much this would help, but you could look into doing some grad school. I was halfway done with my masters with AMU when I applied. Finished it later during my shore tour.

 

[Highlander51]

Not sure if you're still in school now, however, I was in your shoes about a year ago. I was 26 due to being prior enlisted, I applied for SNA and got it on the first try my PFT and ASTB scores were slightly lower than yours. However, I had a 4.0 GPA at the time, ended up graduating with a 3.9. One of the biggest things that the boards look at is your abilities as a student and how well you can learn, which is obviously incredibly important for SNAs. The main way they gauge that is your GPA, is it accurate? who knows, but regardless, the board has determined that students with higher GPAs tend to perform better in flight school on average. My advice to you would be to maintain your other numbers right where they are (that PFT is fantastic btw), and work your tail off getting that GPA up. If you can get up to 3.0 or above you'll stand a MUCH better chance of getting selected especially with it being the second time around.

 

[Zequa]

Not sure if you're still in school now, however, I was in your shoes about a year ago. I was 26 due to being prior enlisted, I applied for SNA and got it on the first try my PFT and ASTB scores were slightly lower than yours. However, I had a 4.0 GPA at the time, ended up graduating with a 3.9. One of the biggest things that the boards look at is your abilities as a student and how well you can learn, which is obviously incredibly important for SNAs. The main way they gauge that is your GPA, is it accurate? who knows, but regardless, the board has determined that students with higher GPAs tend to perform better in flight school on average. My advice to you would be to maintain your other numbers right where they are (that PFT is fantastic btw), and work your tail off getting that GPA up. If you can get up to 3.0 or above you'll stand a MUCH better chance of getting selected especially with it being the second time around.

Thanks for the response. Just graduated from OCC 239. I went in as a ground contract but still hoping to try and get an air contract at TBS. Already qualified and everything. Gave it a few shots at being selected for air, but it just wasn't happening. I know those are very competitive and few and far in between. If you're at TBS or have gone through TBS recently, would you be able to speak of how the allocation of competitive air contracts went, or if you witnessed any 1-1 trades of contracts?

 

[Highlander51]

If you're at TBS or have gone through TBS recently, would you be able to speak of how the allocation of competitive air contracts went, or if you witnessed any 1-1 trades of contracts?

I’ll be reporting to TBS soon so I’ll be able to say more then, however, from what I know from friends who are currently in TBS or recently graduated, air contracts are incredibly competitive as you noted. I have heard of air contracts dropping for ground contracts (no idea why but it happens). And if an air contract opens up they will need to fill it, but generally what is available at the beginning of TBS is what’s available and they don’t add to that number.

 

[Zequa]

I’ll be reporting to TBS soon so I’ll be able to say more then, however, from what I know from friends who are currently in TBS or recently graduated, air contracts are incredibly competitive as you noted. I have heard of air contracts dropping for ground contracts (no idea why but it happens). And if an air contract opens up they will need to fill it, but generally what is available at the beginning of TBS is what’s available and they don’t add to that number.

Thanks for the quick response and good luck! Which TBS class will you be reporting into? I've heard the same and get mixed responses sometimes. It sounds like there are usually 1-2 competitive air slots, but I've also heard of scenarios where most people interested in competitive air who qualified were able to get it. Don't know if that's believable or not. If it doesn't work out, I'm also interested in a UAS/UAV contract. Also have other MOS's in the bag that sound exciting. Just have wanted to fly since I was a kid and that's the top priority!

 

[Highlander51]

Thanks for the quick response and good luck! Which TBS class will you be reporting into? I've heard the same and get mixed responses sometimes. It sounds like there are usually 1-2 competitive air slots, but I've also heard of scenarios where most people interested in competitive air who qualified were able to get it. Don't know if that's believable or not. If it doesn't work out, I'm also interested in a UAS/UAV contract. Also have other MOS's in the bag that sound exciting. Just have wanted to fly since I was a kid and that's the top priority!

I’ll be reporting to the 5-22 class, Echo company. And good luck to you as well! I know I didn’t really answer your question but I hope that helps a little bit and I think as long as your make it known to your SPC that you want to go after competitive air and you do everything you have to on your end to be competitive you’ll be in there with a good shot of getting it.