Program options

[eazymfme]

Hello, I am EO3(SCW) STA applicant. I need some advice on what program I should apply and which one I have the best chances to get. I have read all the information on the STA-21 web site and have narrowed it down to SPECOPS, Nurse, and Pilot. I only have a little under 2 years in but have been very motivated for this program. Only one eval, 4.0 EP(1 of 5 out of 43 E-3 and below) I have been taking 300 level leadership classes at FHSU and just started coaching 11-12 year olds basketball for the youth group center on my base. I have over 80 credit hours of College with a 3.02 gpa. Besides my leadership and general requirement classes I have taken Gen. Chemistry I & II, and college algebra. My ACT scores are 20 English and 25 math. I am also being screened to apply for the EOD program which is why I am considering applying for the SPECOPS option. Someone please help guide me in the right direction! My NC1 isn't much help. I promise to give back to this forum after I interview or get any new info.
Thanks, EO3

 

[digger]

Sounds like you are off to a great start, as for what to choose that is all up to you. STA is a very competitive program; don’t get discouraged if you are not selected. I have applied for STA twice and decided that I was much closer to completing my degree on my own time then having to start over on a new college degree plan if I were selected for STA. You too sound very close to completion of you degree, with 80 college units. Continue your college education; apply for STA, if you don’t know what designator you want you can choose the core option. The core option sends you to college undesignated but you will have to choose your designator in your junior year of college but, this also leaves you at the mercy of the Navy’s needs at the time. The Nurse option requires a specific degree that is only available at a few college’s and you would more then likely have to start your degree plan over again, so make you are will to reinvest you time. I believe you are only given 3 years to complete a 4 year degree, you are expected to not take summers off. That is one of the reasons it is good to have completed at least one year so that you are not cramming as much. I had a guy in my division who went EOD but before doing it he ran a request chit to go TAD to the EOD unit to see if it was what he really wanted to do. Just make sure you are in good physical shape because they measure motivation by pushups and pull-ups. Just maintain superior performance and choose the option that you believe you would be happiest with. If you are a none-select for STA you still have learned how to assemble a commissioning application (OCS and STA are somewhat similar) and probably made some good networking for when you try again.

 

[eazymfme]

Thanks for the quick response and encouragement. Do you know why you did not get accepted? Is it because you had too many credits? It’s good you stayed motivated and continue to help others. The reason that I am considering nurse corps is that the first two years are all basics which I have already completed. Both my parents are in the medical field too.

If I choose pilot I will have to start over on an engineering program. I am not sure about SPECOPS because only one person got selected last cycle.

 

[digger]

I would say I did not get selected because the other sailor's in my command were better off then me at the time.
Active duty is not required to have a technical degree for the pilot option, you just need to pass the ASTB.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

In my experience, the most important factor in your application is your CO's reccomendation. If you are the #1 applicant in your command with a strongly worded reccomendation from the skipper then it sounds to me that the rest of your application package is way above the norm.

My advice on the career choice is to choose something that will make you want to get out of bed in the morning. As the old saying goes, find a job that you enjoy and you'll never work a day in your life. The only caveat to that is to be SURE that you'd be willing to pursue any career option if you elect the STA-21 core option. It isn't a bad thing, just know that you could end up as a SWO, suppo, intel O or whatever if you choose that route. It sounds like you have a strong enough package to get picked up for the specific program that you desire.

 

[Penguin]

A few thoughts on your posts. First, I would also agree that you have what appears to be a very strong package on paper, I can't really comment on your personal attributes since I don't know you. After sitting on several ranking boards for people applying for the various medical commisioning programs, I would recommend you have some idea what you want to do before you submit. If the STA-21 core program allows you to wait to select, fine. I just know that we had sailors who would apply to a different commissioning program each year. It looked as though they were more concerned about NOT being enlisted than they were about contributing to a specific field. One person even said she deserved to be an officer because she needed more pay! (I don't disagree that more pay would be better, just not the best way to phrase it.) Learn all you can about the various specialties that interest you. If you can go TAD as mentioned above, great. If not, at least spend some off-duty time at some of the units that interest you. Lastly, unless things have recently changed, just about any 4 year degree is acceptable for OCS. We have music majors flying...By the way, as I'm sure you already know, there are hundreds of nursing schools out there. If that's what you want, go for it. Just be aware that Navy medicine is going to feel somewhat foreign after the fleet. Good luck.

LT G. MSC, USNR selected for 1395, SNA

 

[eazymfme]

Thanks LT and Shooter, I couldn’t agree with you more. That’s why I really want to choose a program that I will stick with year after year even if I don’t get selected at first. One more question sir, do you think I will have the same chance to be selected for pilot if I were going for a music degree compared to a engineering degree.