When Should I Start the Process

[i_like_planes]

Hi everyone. I am a freshman in college and recently received the TWE from USNA. I'm not planning on reapplying again so I decided to start looking into OCS. Can anyone let me know the best time to reach out to a recruiter about applying for OCS so that I can start asap after graduation? Also is there anything else I should know about the process? Thanks.

 

[kinnem]

Are you interested in Navy or Marines. The Marines have a program called Platoon Leaders Course that you should look into now. I'll leave it to others to answer about OCS and/or Navy.

 

[Sargon]

Hi everyone. I am a freshman in college and recently received the TWE from USNA. I'm not planning on reapplying again so I decided to start looking into OCS. Can anyone let me know the best time to reach out to a recruiter about applying for OCS so that I can start asap after graduation? Also is there anything else I should know about the process? Thanks.

Why not NROTC?

 

[Capt MJ]

It is not too early to contact an officer recruiter to ask questions, learn about what makes a competitive OCS application in time to address any lacking elements while in college and get on the radar as an interested future applicant. This coming fall would be fine. You can also wait another year or so, but I’m a fan of getting known and learning what they are looking for as soon as possible.

Research all you can find online. Strong STEM class performance never hurts. Physical fitness will continue to be important.

Be aware OCS is highly competitive, since it acts as the adjustment valve for officer accession numbers in any given year. If USNA, NROTC and other paths did not produce sufficient numbers of “X” flavored officers, then the OCS quota will adjust to address that shortfall in that year’s crop of ensigns. The needs of the Navy drive class size. OCS candidates already know which community they are earmarked for upon reporting in. You can be the most amazing candidate for OCS and want aviation, but if the Navy doesn’t need anymore that year, you won’t get that.

Be sure you talk to an officer recruiter, not the fine enlisted recruiters in the local joint recruiting office. Officer recruiters typically work out of a regional recruiting office to visit colleges, etc. I met my officer recruiters at a campus resource table set up near the Post Office - well before internet resources, of course.

If you have any interest in being a nuclear power officer, check out the NUPOC program:

Navy NUPOC: Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program (2023)

The Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate (NUPOC) program is a scholarship program offered by the U.S. Navy for college students in STEM fields who wish to serve as commissioned Navy Nuclear Officers upon graduation.

navalofficerrecruiter.com

Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program

The basic requirements for selection to the Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program (NUPOC). Program leads to appointment on active duty as a Navy Ensign.

www.navycs.com

 

[USNA_STEM_Prof]

Hi everyone. I am a freshman in college and recently received the TWE from USNA. I'm not planning on reapplying again so I decided to start looking into OCS. Can anyone let me know the best time to reach out to a recruiter about applying for OCS so that I can start asap after graduation? Also is there anything else I should know about the process? Thanks.

As @Capt MJ stated, if you want to lock things in ASAP: NUPOC can contract you as a sophomore and pay benefits the remainder of your time in college.

Otherwise, if you targeting the typical May/June graduation my advice is start preparing your application one year out from graduation. That way your recruiter can submit it for the boards earliest in the new FY (October 1st), generally maximizing your odds of selection. Moreover, at the beginning of a FY the goals for each flavor of officer are pushed to the field, so regardless of what flavor you're targeting, they region you're in likely needs that kind of applicant. However, if you wait and the region gets the 12 SWOs they needed and that's what you want, the recruiter won't be very motivated to assist because he or she is trying to find the flavors they still need. It's business in the end.

As for the process itself -- it'll vary a lot depending on the recruiter you get. I was a very successful recruiter and hustled hard, so my applicants had it pretty easy. The unfortunate truth is you may get someone who just did four years of sea duty and is trying to decompress before they leave the Navy, so their motivation may not match yours. In that case, you just need to be your own advocate and knock out paperwork with precision and accuracy. While I busted my butt, I was consistently astonished at the sloppy quality I'd get back from interested applicants. For example, someone telling me they want to fly jets but 1/3 of a given form is blank. Medical will remain a big hurdle and you'll really need to focus on the OAR/PFAR/FOFAR. Regardless of your degree, the test is the great equalizer and you need to approach it with the same intensity you did the SAT/ACT IMO.

For now, the advice remains the same as it was for USNA: get the best grades you can in the most challenging classes. Maintain an impeccable moral character and stay in shape. Trust me: you can do all of that and still enjoy the heck out of your college experience!