Enlisting and then attending USNA

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bhessler

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Would it be more difficult to get accepted to the academy as an infantrymen in the Marines than a student at Nuclear Power School in the Navy?

I would like to enlist and then apply to the academy after a few years and wanted to know if it would be more difficult if I was in infantry. I would like to do something in combat, but my recruiter told me I would be a strong student at the Navy Nuclear Power School. I was just wondering if I would have better chances at getting an appointment if I went to Nuclear Power School instead of going into infantry in the Marines? Thanks.
 
Yes nukes are known for getting accepted to the academy. As for a job and whether you would like it more I don't know. But you must excel and do very well in nuke school to be recommended for USNA. They do make up the majority of enlisted applicants though I believe. I am an aviation machinist mate. Just my 2cents

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The issue of enlisting as a means of entering USNA has been discussed frequently on this forum and if you search under "enlist," you'll pull up a lot of good information/discussion about the pros and cons.

I won't repeat it all here except to say that enlisting is not the best means to obtain an appointment to USNA. (At the risk of using a double negative), that is not to say it can't be done only that it's difficult and requires things beyond your control, such as support of your command to complete the process.

If USNA doesn't work out, you will spend four years in the USN/USMC as an enlisted. That's a terrific way to serve your country, but if you have the desire to be an officer, there might be other ways for you to accomplish that goal more quickly/directly in ways other than direct application to USNA. For example, there is ROTC, OCS and also military colleges such as Citadel and VMI that offer paths to a commission.

To address your specific question, it's probably easier to get to USNA from the nuclear power program than from the USMC. Again, there are definitely prior USMC enlisted at USNA but a decent number come from NPS.
 
^^^ I agree. If your main goal is to be an officer and you want to attend USNA, that is where you should be applying. Enlisting is a roundabout way with no certain outcome. Be careful of what recruiters may tell you since they may be more focused on meeting their sign-up goals then in your particular career interests.
 
For reference sake, the class of 2018 appointed 6 from the Navy Nuclear Power program. There were 67 appointments to former enlisted personnel total-57 from the Navy, 10 from USMC. That figure includes 11 entered directly from the Fleet(10 Navy 1 USMC) and 56 from NAPS(47USN, 9USMC).
 
The reference they don't tell you is how many at naps were nukes which I do know is the majority

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I know it is a little tricky but if a nuke went to naps he would not fall under the nuke category but rather the naps category. So out of the 47 from naps how many were nukes. And if you are coming from prior enlisted you have been out of school for a year/ 2 years maybe so if your age permits they will send you to naps first. They prefer this atleast. This is my experience from enlisted atleast

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Please note that even if the majority of prior enlisted come from NPS, that does not mean the majority of those who applied to USNA from NPS were accepted or that the process is simple for everyone.

If you enlist, your primary goal should be to become the best sailor you can be. USNA should be a secondary goal.

If USNA/becoming an officer is your primary goal, try for that first. If it doesn't work out, you can always enlist and try again via that route.
 
The number of enlisted for this year's NAPS class (future USNA class of 2019 if all goes well) is even less than the class of 2018... They started mid July with 40 sailors and 6 marines.
 
Just checked with my DS (one of the 6 USMC and a current striper). He didn't have the exact number but said that in this year's NAPS class, the number of sailors from Nuclear Power School is in the high twenties to low thirties. His buddy is one of them and between the two they came up with that number. Hope that helps.
 
Hey this is all really great info. I am very excited to be one of those 40 sailors applying this year. I would be honored to make it. Goodluck to everybody enlisted and everyone else ha

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