Think you have what it takes?

[Steve Wilkins]

The Academy is looking for a few good men and women....enlisted types that is. I know enlisted guys sometimes don't get message traffic passed down to them, so I'm doing it here. The following link is the ALNAV outling the requirements. Remember, if you are an enlisted Sailor or Marine, active duty or reservist, you can apply.

http://www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/43B5C31C-9943-46D2-B4C1-C0E51694B689/0/ALN05067.txt

A couple key notes here: 1) MUST NOT HAVE PASSED 23RD BIRTHDAY ON JULY 01 OF THE YEAR OF ADMISSION and 2) MUST NOT BE MARRIED, PREGNANT, OR HAVE INCURRED OBLIGATIONS OF PARENTHOOD.

Get your applications in and good luck!

 

[phrogpilot73]

For enlisted Marines, here's a link to MCO 1530.11G, which governs applications for the Naval Academy: http://www.usmc.mil/directiv.nsf/bc9ae2674a92558d852569140064e9d8/9339c5ad6ba16dce852564970041b9e7?OpenDocument

 

[Steve Wilkins]

That instruction is 11 years old. Just looking through, I found this:

4. Eligibility Requirements
a. To be eligible for a nomination for admission to the Naval
Academy, an applicant must be:
(1) A citizen of the United States.
(2) Of good moral character.
(3) At least 17 years of age and less than 22 by 1 July of
the year entering the Naval Academy. (Note: This is a statutory
requirement and cannot be waived.)
(4) Unmarried, not pregnant, and have no dependent children
for which they are legally responsible.

The released message said you had to be less than 23. Also, the SAT has changed a couple times since this instruction came out. My point is that the ALNAV's for these types of programs describe the most up to date requirements and where there is a discrepancy between the message and the instruction, it is usually best to follow the message. The message is afterall, from the SECNAV.

 

[mattr]

Is it "easier" acedmically if you enlist and then apply? Not saying that if you want to go to the academy go enlisted first because it will be easier, but I heard they base you more off of you're duty as an enlisted sailor/marine and how well you did in the fleet rather than in school. Any truth to this?

 

[phrogpilot73]

Yeah, unfortunately it is a bit outdated. 23 is the age now, not 22. However, everything else in the MCO is good gouge for a Marine, the sample letters from your CO, etc... Looking on the USMC website, that's the most current one I could find!

As for enlisting before going to USNA, it is much easier. Every year, 85 slots are reserved for active duty Navy/Marines, and 85 slots are reserved for reserve Navy/Marines. In my class, we had somewhere in the neighborhood of 130 prior enlisted guys. So they didn't fill 40 slots. You don't have to scramble for a nomination (if you're given an offer of appointment, you automatically get a SecNav nomination), and they're more willing to discount poor performance in high school if you have the SATs and performed VERY well in the military. I'm living proof.

 

[gaijin6423]

I'll second what phrogpilot said. Not sure if you did NAPS or not, phrogpilot, but I did. I had great PRO/CON marks and was well known in my squadron, both by SNCOs and Officers, so when I went looking for endorsements and reccommendation letters, I had set myself up for success.

Once I got in the grip of the USNA system, I had a bit of a hard time. Tough classes, a different mindset than most mids there, and a bit of a chip on my shoulder all caused me to have a tougher time than I needed to. It's definitely not the easiest route to take, but it can be very rewarding if you let it be.