USMC PLC Juniors after Junior year?

B

BusterScruggs

New Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2022
Messages
4
Hello all,

I was just selected for PLC juniors this summer, active duty ground contract (295 PFT, 3.6 GPA). I recently changed my major and was down exactly 1 credit hour from a “junior status” according to the Marine Corps at the time of my application, making PLC-C not an option. After this semester of taking extra classes I will be fully back on track as a junior and will be graduating in May of 2023. I am worried that going to PLC juniors after my junior year of college and PLC seniors after my senior year may be weird and cause some problems as this is a program designed for freshman and sophomores to start with PLC-C being reserved for juniors, I am most worried about having a longer than average wait between OCS and TBS because theoretically no one should commission right after PLC seniors as they should have at least a year of college. Does anyone have any insight on this? I can not find a single soul that has started PLC juniors after their junior year. Thanks!
 
It must happen occasionally, because the USMC website mentions this scenario:

"Attending PLC Seniors before you graduate college means returning to school prior to commissioning. If you attend after graduating you will commission immediately and go straight to The Basic School."

usmcofficer.com

Marine Commissioning Programs

The Marine Commissioning Programs offered provides opportunities for enlisted Marines, college students, and high school students to earn the coveted title of Marine Officer.
usmcofficer.com
 
Makes sense. Cheaper to send you across I95 than send you home and bring you back. I'm pretty sure TBS has a class starting mid-July, mid-Aug, and mid-Sept. Depending on when you complete Seniors you would undoubtedly end up in one of those classes, probably July or Aug. This is all surmise based on past experience on my part
 
Last edited:
First, I wouldn’t worry about when you attend PLC and who it is designed for or not. You will be a candidate like everyone else and meet folks from every walk of life. It will be weird and everyone will be lost at first. Heck there are 26 year olds who attend boot camp with 17 year olds.

More than likely you will attend TBS relatively quickly, but also be prepared to have a gap too. I have seen some wait 6 months to attend. You need to talk to your OSO about all the details if this happens and when you will start getting paid. Usually it’s once you report to TBS.
 
Thank you all for the excellent advice! I appreciate it greatly. There's a wealth of knowledge online about PLC but I couldn't find anything relating to my specific question/situation - I'm glad I joined this forum and asked. I've talked with my OSO and he assures me that everything will go smoothly but did tell me he's never sent anyone to juniors after their junior year either so there's still a bit of uncertainty, but here's uncertainty in everything - isn't that a saying? "the only thing certain is uncertainty"? - anyways, after a little more research, my nerves are soothed. I'm sure it will all work out just fine. Thanks again for the reassurance.
 
BusterScruggs said:
Thank you all for the excellent advice! I appreciate it greatly. There's a wealth of knowledge online about PLC but I couldn't find anything relating to my specific question/situation - I'm glad I joined this forum and asked. I've talked with my OSO and he assures me that everything will go smoothly but did tell me he's never sent anyone to juniors after their junior year either so there's still a bit of uncertainty, but here's uncertainty in everything - isn't that a saying? "the only thing certain is uncertainty"? - anyways, after a little more research, my nerves are soothed. I'm sure it will all work out just fine. Thanks again for the reassurance.
Click to expand...
You got this!!
 
I thought if you went after Junior year it was 10 weeks and done instead of two 6-week sessions.
 
@USMC8993 Correct, but my situation was unique. I had dropped a class after changing my major from biology to economics the semester before getting selected (no way I was suffering through organismal diversity for no reason). I was enrolled in 6 classes to catch up on credits when I got selected but those credits did not count because I had not completed them yet. So, technically I was 1 credit shy of junior status according to the Marine Corps, despite still having an anticipated graduation date of May 2023 and being considered a junior by my school.

I thought that would make things weird but I was somehow one of the youngest guys in my platoon. Apparently, It is not uncommon to be attending juniors after your junior year because there are a lot of people behind on credits at that point and time (the most common time to switch majors/ transfer is the end of sophomore or beginning of junior year). Plus, a few guys were in 5-year undergrad programs.

Long story short it all worked out and I'm going back to seniors in May and will be commissioning directly after.
 
BusterScruggs said:
@USMC8993 Correct, but my situation was unique. I had dropped a class after changing my major from biology to economics the semester before getting selected (no way I was suffering through organismal diversity for no reason). I was enrolled in 6 classes to catch up on credits when I got selected but those credits did not count because I had not completed them yet. So, technically I was 1 credit shy of junior status according to the Marine Corps, despite still having an anticipated graduation date of May 2023 and being considered a junior by my school.

I thought that would make things weird but I was somehow one of the youngest guys in my platoon. Apparently, It is not uncommon to be attending juniors after your junior year because there are a lot of people behind on credits at that point and time (the most common time to switch majors/ transfer is the end of sophomore or beginning of junior year). Plus, a few guys were in 5-year undergrad programs.

Long story short it all worked out and I'm going back to seniors in May and will be commissioning directly after.
Click to expand...
Good luck in Seniors.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top