Enlisted to Naval Academy?

fleet_app8771

fleet_app8771

NAPS '25
Joined
Aug 17, 2021
Messages
27
I am applying for the USNA class of 2026 but all this waiting has got me doubting myself and thinking about other backup plans. I haven’t received a nomination yet and it’s getting closer to the deadline.
I have been researching more and I have really been considering enlisting if I can not get into the Naval Academy this year or prep school. I could do ROTC but I just feel like that is not for me. I am also thinking about going to a normal college and doing PLC through the marines however I feel like I would get distracted in civilian college life. I have searched schools like The Citadel and Norwich and they just don’t seem like the right fit. Honestly I just feel drawn to enlisting and exploring the Navy in a different lense before becoming an officer. I wouldn’t enlist strictly as another way to get to the Naval Academy. I would be willing to serve out a 4 year contract in the Navy if I couldn’t get into the Naval Academy after enlisting.
I want to be a Navy Pilot and I know that it can be strict medically. So my thought is, if I enlist and gain experience then I can use that job experience as a backup career if I can’t become a pilot. If I enlist I want to be a CTR Cryptological Technician Collection or a IS Intelligence Specialist. That could open up a career in a three letter agency after the Navy.
Anyway my main question is on Enlisted that go to USNA. Is it realistic and what grades/ SAT do I need to go from enlisted to USNA if I do that?
 
There are various roads to a commission. USNA is one, NROTC is one, Seaman to Admiral program is another.

You have ZERO guarantee that if you went in enlisted and applied again that you would be selected. Getting through basic training and your job choice training will consume all your time, and applying during that is difficult. You also would need to get your CO's (commanding officer) recommendation to apply, and to do that, you need to be at the top of your game to get the attention needed.

And you should still have a competitive package, so good GPA, decent SAT, etc. The only advantage that you might gain is that you would become a more reasonable candidate to send to NAPS (the Naval Academy Prep School), which is a one year program to place someone into the USNA, where you are actually enlisted as a midshipman candidate.

Just curious, why no love for NROTC?? You can go in as a college programmer (someone not on scholarship), see what being a midshipman is about in a regular college environment, do well in your freshman Fall semester and apply as a college re-applicant? There are also NROTC nomination slots available, so it is a potential additional source for a nomination.
 
IronmanDaremo said:
There are various roads to a commission. USNA is one, NROTC is one, Seaman to Admiral program is another.

You have ZERO guarantee that if you went in enlisted and applied again that you would be selected. Getting through basic training and your job choice training will consume all your time, and applying during that is difficult. You also would need to get your CO's (commanding officer) recommendation to apply, and to do that, you need to be at the top of your game to get the attention needed.

And you should still have a competitive package, so good GPA, decent SAT, etc. The only advantage that you might gain is that you would become a more reasonable candidate to send to NAPS (the Naval Academy Prep School), which is a one year program to place someone into the USNA, where you are actually enlisted as a midshipman candidate.

Just curious, why no love for NROTC?? You can go in as a college programmer (someone not on scholarship), see what being a midshipman is about in a regular college environment, do well in your freshman Fall semester and apply as a college re-applicant? There are also NROTC nomination slots available, so it is a potential additional source for a nomination.
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I have heard that the Secretary of Navy nominations go unused and are not all given out each year. So assuming I had enough time to complete a application I thought I would have a better chance to get a nomination and possibly attend NAPS.

I started my NROTC-MO scholarship application I just need to complete the physical and do my interview however I have lost my drive to pursue the ROTC route. The military offers very little guarantees, however if I were to pursue a different route besides USNA then I would rather do PLC over ROTC because I can get a Aviation Contract. To my understanding, I can not choose my job until about my Junior year in ROTC and then it is based on your ranking in ROTC. If I do PLC then I can sign that aviation contract but the problem with PLC is then I would have to find a way to pay for college.
 
Going the enlisted-to-officer route is certainly a harder road to take, but it is possible.
It will not be easy though, as @IronmanDaremo so aptly mentions above, but you can always use the G.I. Bill to help pay for college if you go the enlisted path and want to become an officer by other means.

Spending an entire enlistment and then reapplying to USNA is a great idea if you really want to have that experience as a sailor first.
Spending 4 years doing a job (any job) that will teach you a lot about life in general is always a good thing to do before heading off to college and after you do, you may decide that college isn't what you want to do after all because you can always use Vet-Tec to train you for a number of high-tech careers, after your active duty is over.

I would say that being on the enlisted side of things and achieving your rates would make you a much better officer later, but in four years you may decide that you just want to stay where you are and make a career out of it. It's hard to say how different you will be as a 22-year old with some real-world experience, than you are now at 18.
 
tsparke said:
I am applying for the USNA class of 2026 but all this waiting has got me doubting myself and thinking about other backup plans. I haven’t received a nomination yet and it’s getting closer to the deadline.
I have been researching more and I have really been considering enlisting if I can not get into the Naval Academy this year or prep school. I could do ROTC
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I think you need to take a deep breath and relax a little. Then reread what you have posted.

It’s nothing but self doubt, worry, a view that you won’t be successful at a civilian school, you don’t deal with distractions, that other military schools you have never attended are not for you, that rotc is not for you, and you are already thinking of possibly enlisting because you now have self doubt because you have not been admitted to the USNA yet.

This is a stressful time for HS seniors but this is not where you want to be mentally.
 
I enlisted into the nuclear power program back in the day. It was my intention to get a Naval Academy appointment out of high school or an NROTC scholarship, but I didn’t have the grades and felt I needed to get going, so I enlisted. I did well in my enlisted schools and I never lost sight of my goal of a commission, but I wasn’t solely focused on USNA. Half the battle after enlisting was staying focused on performance, not getting in trouble, and staying committed to a path to commission. A lot of people go into the service, I think, with the thought that they want a commission, but distractions happen, people decide they want to get started with a family, the status quo becomes easier to live with, and your goals go by the wayside. It takes a tremendous amount of resolve, quite a bit of luck, and a line of people supporting your path to make it, I had a choice between an NROTC scholarship and USNA. Initially, I thought I wanted the freedom of an NROTC scholarship because my three years as an enlisted sailor were so structured. But after discussions with my dad, I realized that the real goal was to get a commission and USNA presented the best opportunity for me because I knew if I started, I had a better chance of finishing there. I was not mature enough to handle the freedom and unstructured environment of the University of Texas. But, I was self aware enough to know what my weaknesses were and to put myself in the best position for success. Looking back, I did not choose USNA because I had to have USNA. I chose it because I wanted to be a Naval officer and I wasn’t going to let my weakest self stand in the way.

Best advice I can give you, is take your time, evaluate your options, and make the decision that fits best with your situation. Think about what you want out of this experience. Talk with those close to you and continue to seek out advice, like you are doing now.
 
If you don't like The Coditel or VMI you won't like USNA. Daughter roommate was prior Marine with two deployments. Enlisted to USNA is hard.
 
Some great advise above. Only things I would add.
DD was ROTC, then dropped out to enlist. Went to USMA from the ranks.
As others have pointed out, it’s not an easy route. You will face obstacles and need to keep your goal in site. DD did very well enlisted. Kicked butt at basic and was the only female selected for airborne. Kicked butt at her unit when she showed up.
Unfortunately, some senior NCOs in her unit were not supportive and, when they heard about her application, she became the “detail %^*#€”. Trash detail, guard duty, KP… even while deployed. It was frustrating for her, but it developed her character and taught her leadership lessons.
Some will tell you the path you take doesn’t matter, that it’s the end result that matters. I disagree. Often the path you take is just as important as the goal.
“If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.”
 
Hey tspark,

I think I can provide some insight for you, I am an IS3 (Intelligence Specialist) that just got picked up for NAPS this cycle. First off, you're going to be hard pressed to obtain a 4 year navy contract, especially with those technical rates you mentioned. Every single person in my A school class had 6 year contracts AKA Advanced Technical Field (ATF) contracts. I am not positive on the Crypto rate's contract lengths, but most of the Navy's tech rates are around that 5-6 year obligation. So right off the bat, that rules out applying after an enlistment, at least in the rates you mentioned.

It is certainly possible to apply while you're enlisted but it can be a daunting process. You won't get to your first command for at least 6 months and upon arrival you likely won't be able to apply right away. As others mentioned, you need to get an endorsement from you CO, as well as your DIVO and CMC filling out questionnaires/recommendations on your behalf, which they will not do sight unseen. In my case, I was top 10% in my A school, I became an ACFL, qualified quickly in my work center, won Junior Sailor of the Quarter, had a 1360 SAT, 3.8 HS GPA, and A's in a few college courses. With all that in mind, my DIVO supported my application and in turn my CO gave me the green light. Things will no always go this smoothly. I got shore duty first and am assigned to a large intel center where I am surrounded by tons of officers, my DIVO is a LCDR who was very supportive of me and my goals and the shore duty aspect allowed me to work on my application fair easily and often. There is a good chance after enlisting you would be assigned to a ship and may even deploy, some of my class mates were flown out to their ship mid deployment immediately after A school. Not to say this makes it impossible, but certainly much harder. Not trying to deter you but just FYI it can be a tough process especially on sea duty or with a less than supportive COC.

I would encourage you to really look into college ROTC or maybe even enlisting into the Navy Reserve and having them pay for college. I do not regret enlisting, but it is a pretty big gamble in my opinion if your end goal is a commission or a pilot slot. Hopefully this word dump was somewhat helpful for you, best of luck for the future, please reach out if you have any navy-enlisted side questions!
 
Crap, I thought they got rid of KP and farmed it out. I do remember it fondly. Scrubbing garbage cans in the steam room, peeling potatoes and washing big pots.:D If you knew what a cullender was you got an easier job.:biggrin: Like running the clipper.
 
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UHBlackhawk said:
Just to clarify something.
If you are accepted to a SA or SA prep school it trumps your enlistment. You do NOT have to wait until the end of your enlistment to attend a SA.
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100% correct, sorry if my reply was confusing. When I report to USNA (as long as all goes well at NAPS) I will have 3.5 years left on my contract but SA trumps it.
 
AF6872 said:
Crap, I thought they got rid of KP and farmed it out. I do remember it fondly. Scrubbing garbage cans in the steam room, peeling potatoes and washing big pots.:D If you knew what a cullender was you got an easier job.:biggrin: Like running the clipper.
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Nope. Someone had to do the cleaning. Show up before the first meal and stay until after the last meal. The cooks rotated in and out, KP didn’t.
The other great job was lining up and doing a police call for unexplored ordinance as they built the FOB. And latrine detail. And no, not cleaning the latrine but burning the waste.
But I think it helped build her character and made her a better officer.
 
tsparke said:
I have heard that the Secretary of Navy nominations go unused and are not all given out each year. So assuming I had enough time to complete a application I thought I would have a better chance to get a nomination and possibly attend NAPS.

I started my NROTC-MO scholarship application I just need to complete the physical and do my interview however I have lost my drive to pursue the ROTC route. The military offers very little guarantees, however if I were to pursue a different route besides USNA then I would rather do PLC over ROTC because I can get a Aviation Contract. To my understanding, I can not choose my job until about my Junior year in ROTC and then it is based on your ranking in ROTC. If I do PLC then I can sign that aviation contract but the problem with PLC is then I would have to find a way to pay for college.
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You CAN get an aviation contract while in NROTC as early as your sophmore year as a Marine Option. Other Marines don't get to select their MOS until sometime during the Basic School after commissioning.
 
Fifty five gallon drum and burning not fun. EOD, tip toe lightly. I think no KP on any CONUS still civilian contractor working mess halls. Deployed yes:biggrin:
 
It sounds like the OP is still in h.s. from glancing at prior posts. If you are already thinking about how you want to use enlisting and/or attendance at an SA to build your resume for when you leave the military, I think you are getting way ahead of yourself. There are many older threads on here talking about the fact there are no guarantees enlisting will get you an appointment to an SA and is really a roundabout way to do that. Even if you attend an SA, the needs of the military could impact your career choice even if you somehow already knew what you wanted to do.
 
I will jump in and say this much, there is nothing wrong with enlisting as long as you know what you are getting yourself into. Be sure to understand the difference between enlisting and commissioning. These are two different paths, both very respectable in my opinion. If you are committed to a military career having the view of both sides is awesome but understand there will be a bit of a age gap after a long hard traveled road to get to where you want to go. Others your age will likely be a higher rank but you will likely have more service time. Figure out the path you want and Get after It!
 
Same age or older than your 2nd or 1st Lt at time of enlistment.
 
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