I think I remember last year my DD putting in her top 5 her MS3 year. My understanding was this was to start the conversation. It was also part of a class assignment so that everyone researched a branch and gave a brief on it. This is different than listing branches 1 to 17 (or 1 to 15 for females not “opting in” for infantry or armor). i also remember it feeling stressful for her as well because she felt like she didn’t know what she wanted. It is possible it is different now with the new system, but I would suspect this is just part of the process of getting them thinking about it. The difference when it is official is it is entered into the system, a meeting with the PMS is set to go over the choices, his/her recommendation, OML score (need to go to camp first) and the cadets personal statement. The TAB is also reviewed. Also, the request for NG vs AD also happens early in the fall after camp. So he has lots of time to think about that too. I would definitely check in around this, my guess would be that this list is not official and can be changed many times in the next year. FYI, my DD has changed MANY times and changed again the week before she listed it this September. Now it is final and she should know in 10 days what her branch is, so we are all anxiously waiting. I know it will be a little different with the new system, but a year different seems unlikely.
Can any ROO’s weigh in?