some questions about bdcp

[NightStalker62]

thanks a lot for the info thisguy and irfly. i didnt actually know bdcp was a bonus. does this mean out of a civilian college i can attempt to get into OCS?

now that i know i shouldnt apply very early since they wont have any reference to my college grades when should i actually go to an officer recruiter and speak with them?

 

[Thisguy]

BDCP is just the program that pays you while you finish college. OCS is the commissioning source, so you can go from any accredited college whether you graduated two days ago, or two years ago. The catch to BDCP is that you better become an officer, because if you sign paperwork saying that if you drop out of OCS, you'll get sent to Great Lakes. If you don't do BDCP, you can drop out of OCS if you decide it's not what you want to do, no strings attached.

I didn't get in touch with a recruiter until about a month before I graduated, so I was going just for OCS, no BDCP money.

As for when to talk to a recruiter, I think it'd be a good idea to make initial contact in the Fall of your sophomore year. You can start the pain in the ass paperwork, put some thought into your personal statement, get LORs, etc. etc.

 

[NightStalker62]

ok but wouldnt it be harder to get accepted into OCS if i wasnt accepted into bdcp? i dont really care about the money. im just thinking its a better stepping stone if i get into that. also could someone explain to me all of the abbreviations that are being said? i know a couple of them but like every test has an abbreviation and i dont know what its all about. thanks a lot guys!!!

 

[NightStalker62]

ok, well its been a couple months but this is where i stand now. i am in the school of engineering here at rutgers and im not sure about majoring in enginerring so i might change my major to a non-technical major. the reason to this is because they put me in algebra I so i would have to do that alg. II, calc I , calc II, then differential equations i think. i think i would die ffrom that. also i am taking no sciences since my math is so far behind so i would have to take summer classes to catch up with my class. i am thinking if going up to calc I and doing chem. and physics and then just concentrating on my major. i am still leaning towards the bdcp or just ocs if anything. does anyone know if this put a dent into my chances if i go into a non-technical major? i doubt it would but i know i have to keep my grades up no matter what.

 

[lance]

when should i go to an officer recruiter to talk about bfcp or anything else (nrotc)???

I would start talking to a recruiter as soon as you can. There is nothing that says you can't start working on an applicatoin early. I can't remember for sure but i think you can apply once you have completed 60 hours of credits. Which if you have everything done early means. The day your transcipts come out with 60 hours on them.

My recruiter is working hard on the freshmen and sophomores to let them know more about the program. Because the school is an aviation school we are obviously pushing the SNA slots. I am not sure what you are applying for, but what ever it is get some experience to put on your application. K-State has 7 students in the last 2 yrs for SNAs all of us had prior experience, and the recruiters were like a pack of dogs on a one legged cat. They had our advanced paper work done before we had our primary board.

 

[NightStalker62]

i have a couple more questions if anyone can help me out with them. i think one or two ive asked before but im just making sure i guess.

1) will things like getting cpr certified and getting a scuba license help out for extra curricular activities? i dont mean only those but those are the only things i have in mind that i could do on my free time. that and volunteering and maybe a job and some clubs starting next fall.
2) i am not planning on taking physics and maybe only one calc since im going to go for a B.A. and i think to keep my gpa i must do this. ive never been good at any math or science and im expecting it to hurt me but there has to be someone here that got in ok from taking barely and math and sciences. pleace reassure.
3) im thinking of finding my officer recruiter and calling him sometime in april and see if he will actually helpe me out even though this is only mt 2nd semester in college. should i bother now (i know it is kind of answered right above but i still want to be reassured)?

thanks a lot guys.

 

[Thisguy]

3) im thinking of finding my officer recruiter and calling him sometime in april and see if he will actually helpe me out even though this is only mt 2nd semester in college. should i bother now (i know it is kind of answered right above but i still want to be reassured)?

Since you're not going for a technical degree, you're only eligible for 24 months of BDCP, but it couldn't hurt. The only thing I'd caution is if the current recruiter is on the tail end of his tour, and he doesn't pass your info on to the next guy. That would make your first visit a waste of time (especially if your recruiting office isn't close to campus).

The upside of course, is that your recruiter should be able to provide you with valuable info, more than most people on this board can provide.