USNA Marines

Less Broad Questions:

Are there any extracurriculars that would help for USNA training/NROTC/PLC/OCS? Or Marine Corps enlistment?

If I don't get into USNA, should I enlist, do college part time with reserve duty, or go NROTC/PLC/OCS?

Does Duke or NC State have good NROTC programs? If not, anywhere else?

Should I say on an application to USNA that I want to go Marines?

Should I do Sea Cadets, Young Marines, or Civil Air Patrol if my eventual goal is Marines?
(The nearest YM unit is 30 minutes from my house)

Thanks. (and sorry for the broad last question)

FutureMarine07 said:

Should I do Sea Cadets, Young Marines, or Civil Air Patrol if my eventual goal is Marines?
(The nearest YM unit is 30 minutes from my house)

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The program matters less than what you do in it.

• Show leadership
• Be involved
• Show passion

Choose what you can logistically handle and that you care about.

FutureMarine07 said:

Should I say on an application to USNA that I want to go Marines?

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Why not? You can convey your feelings in the essay. Just don't defame the squids in the process.

These are still broad. If you want to be a Marine Corps Officer then no, you don't want to enlist.
If you enlist, there are ways to become an officer later, but man that can be a long tough road with no guarantees.

Just my opinion mind you, but I think that it would be premature to state on your USNA application that your end goal is to be a Marine Corps officer. There are a lot of things that have to happen while you're at the Academy, before that course can be plotted. Keep your mind and your options open.

If you don't get offered an appointment to USNA, then your "Plan B" should be an alternate commissioning source like NROTC.

I have no idea what sort of programs that NC State and Duke have, but here is some data;

NC State graduated 23 Naval officers and 5 Marine Corps officers last year.
Duke graduated 10 officers last year (they don't say how many Navy and how many Marine Corps, but I would assume only 1 or 2 Marines).

As for Sea Cadets, Young Marines, or CAP - you should do any one of those if you're interested in them - but joining any of them just to "make your resume look better" is not a good enough reason, and a waste of everyone's time. Again, these are my opinions.

As far as extracurriculars;
Varsity sports are always good. Varsity sport team Captain is even better.
Scouting. Eagle Scout is even better.
Community Service (again, only if you enjoy doing this sort of thing already)
NRA junior/apprentice Instructor certification
Martial Arts

FutureMarine07 said:

If I don't get into USNA, should I enlist, do college part time with reserve duty, or go NROTC/PLC/OCS?

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NROTC/MO is the next best way to commission.

PLC is not as advantageous as it is used to "top off" the need for officers. So if in a particular year USNA and NROTC/MO meets the total need for Marine officers, PLC might not offer any slots.

As far as extracurriculars;
Varsity sports are always good. Varsity sport team Captain is even better.
Scouting. Eagle Scout is even better.
Community Service (again, only if you enjoy doing this sort of thing already)
NRA junior/apprentice Instructor certification
Martial Arts

Well, BSA is open to girls now.
Also, I never thought about NRA Instructor. My parents probably wouldn't like it.

There's nothing wrong with saying in your application that you want to be a Marine. In fact, your BGO will ask your intended career path (recognizing it could well change). That is an excellent time to explain why you want to be a Marine.

Just recognize that it's not a sure thing that you will get to be a Marine just because you want to be one. So you need to be open to other options.

FutureMarine07 said:

Also, I never thought about NRA Instructor. My parents probably wouldn't like it.

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Do your parents know you are interested in the Corps? If they wouldn't like NRA instructor how will they feel about the Corps?

+1 to AROTC-dad's comments. PLC and OCS can always be a backup, in that order, if an NROTC path goes awry.

I lived in the RTP region for about 27 years. Duke and NC State have excellent NROTC programs. They are part of a consortium with UNC, which only means they do some things together.... freshman orientation, Birthday Ball, probably commissioning (but I'm guessing), and who knows what else. DS's MOI for 3 years was a Duke NROTC grad. Excellent officer.

If you are interested in colleges in the southeast, you might consider University of South Carolina. They too have an excellent program, use the facilities at Ft. Jackson (army) frequently, due to proximity, and the Marines train at Parris Island one weekend each semester. DS attended South Carolina. Excellent NROTC tailgates and the aforementioned MOI's father-in-law would bring several bushels of oysters once a year. I was very sorry to see the MOI move on. The unit usually places in at least the top 3 at the Tulane Drill Meet, if not outright winning it. New Orleans during Mardi Gras can be fun, but I was always afraid to ask DS how he got all those beads.

South Carolina was DS's first choice. He won a Woodrow scholarship from the school which is only available to out of state students. It brought the cost down to near in-state rates so he was able to attend without a scholarship. At the time it was only a couple thousand more than sending him to NC State, which was only a 20 minute drive and probably why it wasn't at the top of his list.

kinnem said:

FutureMarine07 said:

Also, I never thought about NRA Instructor. My parents probably wouldn't like it.

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Do your parents know you are interested in the Corps? If they wouldn't like NRA instructor how will they feel about the Corps?

+1 to AROTC-dad's comments. PLC and OCS can always be a backup, in that order, if an NROTC path goes awry.

I lived in the RTP region for about 27 years. Duke and NC State have excellent NROTC programs. They are part of a consortium with UNC, which only means they do some things together.... freshman orientation, Birthday Ball, probably commissioning (but I'm guessing), and who knows what else. DS's MOI for 3 years was a Duke NROTC grad. Excellent officer.

If you are interested in colleges in the southeast, you might consider University of South Carolina. They too have an excellent program, use the facilities at Ft. Jackson (army) frequently, due to proximity, and the Marines train at Parris Island one weekend each semester. DS attended South Carolina. Excellent NROTC tailgates and the aforementioned MOI's father-in-law would bring several bushels of oysters once a year. I was very sorry to see the MOI move on. The unit usually places in at least the top 3 at the Tulane Drill Meet, if not outright winning it. New Orleans during Mardi Gras can be fun, but I was always afraid to ask DS how he got all those beads.

South Carolina was DS's first choice. He won a Woodrow scholarship from the school which is only available to out of state students. It brought the cost down to near in-state rates so he was able to attend without a scholarship. At the time it was only a couple thousand more than sending him to NC State, which was only a 20 minute drive and probably why it wasn't at the top of his list.

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Thanks. My parents do know I want to join. I also live in NC, so USC would be good.

The NROTC schools in the Raleigh area have traditionally produced great Marines. If being a Marine is goal, there is nothing wrong with saying that on your application. A few things to note... if a 24/7 military environment is your thing then absolutely apply to USNA and also apply for NROTC MO. If you don’t get into USNA or a scholarship join a unit as a college programmer and compete for a scholarship once in school. If that doesn’t work then pursue PLC. If that doesn’t work then pursue OCC. If being a Marine Officer is your goal then don’t enlist. It won’t help your application.

Speaking of USNA. Congress dictates how many Marines can go USMC each graduating class. I think it’s somewhere around 25% right. A current Mid can hopefully chime in. It isn’t that difficult to get Marines at USNA. The things they look for; leadership, good PT scores, don’t be an idiot. During the summer you can complete Leatherneck which is a 4 week glimpse of TBS and general USMC life. There are also opportunities to do some time with Marine fleet units during the summer too. Do well there and it definitely helps. USNA also has a Leatherneck club as an ECA. In this club you will spend time with the Marines assigned to USNA, do field training, learn about Marine history and traditions and a variety of other things. All great ways to gain exposure and learn about the USMC.

A few things to note. When you apply for NROTC you can only apply for Navy or Marine option. At USNA you don’t request USMC until your senior year. In NROTC MO you will have to complete OCS.

Do sports, get great grades, show leadership. You can see on these forums and USNA class profiles what is expected of an applicant. Only do young Marines or Sea Cadets if you want to. They can be great programs.

On the NROTC note: The caliber of each NROTC unit can change regularly. Instructors are still in the military and will not stay at a university forever. Several BGOs I have spoken to have all said to pick the university for the university, not for a specific NROTC unit. You will spend much more time living as a civilian at a university than you will doing anything with NROTC.

If your end goal is to be a Marine officer, enlisting (especially without a degree) will slow the process. Participating in programs like MCJROTC and the Young Marines for a certain number of years can lead to a promotion out of boot camp. I don't know if that extends to CAP or Sea Cadets. Those are all still solid leadership opportunities that will benefit your USNA application.

NavyHoops said:

Speaking of USNA. Congress dictates how many Marines can go USMC each graduating class. I think it’s somewhere around 25% right. A current Mid can hopefully chime in. It isn’t that difficult to get Marines at USNA. The things they look for; leadership, good PT scores, don’t be an idiot. During the summer you can complete Leatherneck which is a 4 week glimpse of TBS and general USMC life. There are also opportunities to do some time with Marine fleet units during the summer too. Do well there and it definitely helps. USNA also has a Leatherneck club as an ECA. In this club you will spend time with the Marines assigned to USNA, do field training, learn about Marine history and traditions and a variety of other things. All great ways to gain exposure and learn about the USMC.

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NavyHoops is correct in saying about 25% go Marine Composite every year. I believe the Corps gets to decide the actual numbers regarding Air v. Ground. Usually, it isn't terribly difficult to go Marines. Last year, putting Marines essentially guaranteed you a spot as long as you were qualified. This year (my class) selecting Marine is fairly competitive. Roughly a third put Marine as a first choice. The Marines on the Yard have made great strides even within the past few years in exposing more Midshipman to the Marine Corps prior to PROTRAMID and Leatherneck. Semper Fi Society is now one of the largest ECAs on the Yard.

To the poster, do what you're passionate about, not necessarily what you think will get you in. Research all options, figure out what's best for you, but come up with a solid Plan B and Plan C...maybe even a Plan D. Service should be your goal, your preference of branch is taken into account at USNA but not the deciding factor. Also, people change their minds constantly. For example, everyone and their brother wants to be a Navy SEAL going into PS. That changes. My class's polled numbers for Marine Composite suggested they would fall short of their quota, but when it came to putting in final preferences, it turned out nearly 100 over.

Jackflerp said:

Several BGOs I have spoken to have all said to pick the university for the university, not for a specific NROTC unit. You will spend much more time living as a civilian at a university than you will doing anything with NROTC.

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^ This. A thousand times, this.