Accessions and Branching Questions

Jcleppe

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Now that LDAC is over and the new MS4's are in the process of Accessions and Branching I just had a few question for those that might be in the know since things have changed so much this year.

Will cadets know their OMS score, since the OML will not be published will they at least have this number to help guide them in branch selections?

Will the Cadre know the cadets standing on the OML, will they know ahead of time if the cadet will make AD. If the PMS knows the OML standings on the AD list for each cadet, will they be able to use that information when counseling the cadet?

Are those cadets that finish in the top 10% of the AD OML still given their first branch choice. Will these cadets know if they are in the top 10% before they make their branch wish list?

If the PMS does not know the OML standings of each cadet, how will this effect the way the provide branch counseling?

With cadets not knowing their standing on the OML I would imagine that using the past Branch Models to access where they stand and what their chances are for a particular branch won't be much help this year.

It will be very interesting to see how the counseling and branch selection goes this year with cadets kept so much in the dark as to where they stand.

Since cadets will not find out if they even have made AD until at the earliest Nov. 12th, it's going to be a rush for them to make other plans if they don't make AD.

How will these cadets that don't know if they have made AD until branching results are released select a branch, since the process is different for the Reserves and NG then AD Branching. Will these cadets just have to start over, looking for a unit that has an opening for their desired branch.

To me it seems like this new process of keeping the cadets in the dark will make it a lot harder for the cadets trying to figure out their branch selections, and the Cadre trying to counsel them on how to make those selections.

Under the old system when my older son branched, almost everyone in his Battalion received one of their top 3 choices. I credit this to very good counseling by the PMS and the fact that the cadet had the information needed to make suitable choices. The new system takes away a lot of that information.

I can forsee a lot of cadets thinking they are higher on the list then they really are, and listing branch choices that are out of their reach. The result may be a lot of cadets receiving branches they didn't want, had they known better where they stood they could have listed something else they may have preferred.

This will be an interesting board to read when the results are finally posted.

Best of luck to all the MS4's.
 
I can't seem to find it, but I've seen the calendar for accessions decisions. And IIRC, you will know your OMS when you arrive back on campus, the OML in late September and will have about a week or 2 to finalize your branch list and ADSOs.

And the Cadre usually use previous years' branching as a model to predict whether or not a branch is within your reach as part of guidance during this time. I have a spreadsheet from a couple years back that you could plug in your OMS and a branch and it would tell you whether you are likely to get it with/without ADSO or whether you were in the deadzone.

With the changes to pre-branching this year, I would say they will need a new spreadsheet, but the general distribution curve generally is predictable as well as the branch choices. That being said, with the new set-asides for certain branches (2.75 and a certain major) the predictability may not be as good this year for some branches.

My daughter has another week at CTLT before flying back to school, so she has to wait a while still.
 
As of now, everything needs to be submitted by Sept. 25th, the Branch results are scheduled to come out Nov. 12th. During this time the cadets will not know their OML placement or whether they have received AD.

At least it's nice to know that the cadets will know their OMS score. Still curious about the top 10% and whether they will know that ahead of time, before they make their branch selections.

I agree, for those looking at the Engineering and Signal Branch, it will an interesting year.

I hope your daughter has enjoyed her CTLT, best of luck to her this year.
 
As of now, everything needs to be submitted by Sept. 25th, the Branch results are scheduled to come out Nov. 12th. During this time the cadets will not know their OML placement or whether they have received AD.

I agree, for those looking at the Engineering and Signal Branch, it will an interesting year.

I don't know if anyone has covered this yet so I though I'd chime in. The branches that would guarantee placement with a certain degree and over a 2.75 are not limited to Signal and Engineering. I know AG and Chemical were also on there. I think there were six total.
 
I don't know if anyone has covered this yet so I though I'd chime in. The branches that would guarantee placement with a certain degree and over a 2.75 are not limited to Signal and Engineering. I know AG and Chemical were also on there. I think there were six total.

What the heck degrees do they want for AG?
 
I don't have a hard copy of the briefing in front of me atm, but it says on there specifically that they are taking away the pre-branching and OML portion that they've had in years past. So, in other words:

1) Cadets will have to estimate as best they can from their OMS (LAMS) worksheet where they will fall.

2) The OML is not being released prior to branching - this was done specifically so that Cadets would stop "war gaming" their choices and trying to find alternate ways in to their branch.

3) Every Cadet will find out on Nov. 12 what their component (AD/USAR/NG) and branch is at the same time.


There were several points in the brief that Accessions branch reiterated that they want Cadets to choose their actual true choice and be willing to ADSO for it. With the new pre-branching they are encouraged to select only the branches that they actually want. The theory is that the new DABM will do a better job at allocating branches to people who really want them. It's a great theory but we'll have to see how it turns out.
 
I think it's a bad decision all around. Encouraging Cadets to put their most desired branches in the top three doesn't mean they're going to qualify for any of the three. Going in blind isn't going to make your OMS any different. The bit about dealing with disappointed Cadets who realized they weren't getting their branch of choice because the OML was published in September is just plain silly. They're going to be disappointed either way. At least by arming them with more information, they can make a better informed compromise.
 
The fact of the matter is that we don't know how exactly they've changed DABM to reflect true branch choice. We do know that the dead zone is gone, so cadets in the 25-50% range on the AD OML actually have a chance of getting their branch.

Remember, with that dead zone gone, many branches will fill with people who want it. You might even argue that without a dead zone, more people who deserve the branch will actually get it if they're willing to ADSO and put it down as their primary choice. Many cadets who did above average were denied any chance at popular branches with the old model.

I guess we'll have to see through people that we know whether or not this new model is more or less fair. It has the potential of being better, but the whole "magic box" DABM algorithm is somewhat troubling for cadets who are on the edge.
 
I'm all for that. I just don't like the idea of having to make a decision without being able to look at the cards on the table. Doubly so because I graduate in December. I've been told to expect to be above the AD cutoff, but what of for some reason I'm not. I have family to worry about. If I were referred Reserve duty, that's something I want to know about as soon as possible.
 
The fact of the matter is that we don't know how exactly they've changed DABM to reflect true branch choice. We do know that the dead zone is gone, so cadets in the 25-50% range on the AD OML actually have a chance of getting their branch.

Remember, with that dead zone gone, many branches will fill with people who want it. You might even argue that without a dead zone, more people who deserve the branch will actually get it if they're willing to ADSO and put it down as their primary choice. Many cadets who did above average were denied any chance at popular branches with the old model.

I guess we'll have to see through people that we know whether or not this new model is more or less fair. It has the potential of being better, but the whole "magic box" DABM algorithm is somewhat troubling for cadets who are on the edge.

Regardless of the algorithm and methods used, there will always be cadets on the edge. It's called life. I know it's hard but there is nothing to do for it other than press on, push forward, and continue to do your best. Hang tough. :thumb:
 
I have family to worry about. If I were referred Reserve duty, that's something I want to know about as soon as possible.
I am with you on that. Preparing for Reserve duty + Civilian job requires dozens, if not hundreds of hours, of preparation. Job research, resume prep, specific job search, interview prep, networking with anybody the cadet ever knew well. And, non-ROTC students who know they are getting a civilian job when they enter college work toward internships after sophomore and junior years in college that lead to job offers as seniors. Those who are in ROTC generally don't do those civilian internships after sophomore year (what employer will give an internship to someone who is 85% sure to go AD?), and can't do them after junior year b/c of LDAC.

Bottom line, full and earnest participation in ROTC really hurts a cadet's ability to prepare for a Plan B civilian job they must take if they are referred to Reserves/Guard. It is really a catch 22.
 
There is also the unknown of when you will go to BOLC. As pointed out sometimes there can be a few months delay between graduating and going to BOLC so you must find a way to earn money during that time to support your family.
 
There is also the unknown of when you will go to BOLC. As pointed out sometimes there can be a few months delay between graduating and going to BOLC so you must find a way to earn money during that time to support your family.

I've seen a range of one week to ten months between commissioning/graduation and BOLC report date.
 
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