First, be sure you talk with an officer recruiter responsible for officer candidate recruitment. OCs know what officer community they are going into before they report in, so that is an area to research. Early connection with a recruiter allows you to get on their radar as well as get insight on academic choices.
OCS is highly competitive because it depends on the needs of the Navy. It serves as an intake adjustment valve to add more or fewer new Ensigns to the annual crop created by USNA, NROTC and other commissioning programs. The Navy can cherry-pick exactly who it needs for specific communities. If it needs fewer officers, the classes will be smaller. You could be the greatest candidate ever, but if the Navy doesn’t need you and your skill set to fill a specific seat, there won’t be a seat for you.
Strong academics, not necessarily a STEM major, physically fit, well-rounded. There is no “cookbook” profile. Diversity is always desired, and that can include things other than the physical characteristics.
USNA grads have the most professional preparation before joining the Fleet, followed by NROTC, but that edge quickly disappears as OCS grads, no dummies, learn the ropes. In the Fleet, as I am fond of saying, it’s performance, performance, performance that counts. No one cares about your commissioning source.
I’m an OCS grad. I fondly recall the high caliber people in my class. I’m still in touch with many. Several of us had full careers and commanding officer roles. There were good “stats” all around plus stellar college careers and life experience. There were high-performing whip-smart prior enlisted who had gotten their college degree, there were people who were ineligible for USNA because they had a dependent or missed the age limit, there were people who had never thought about a Navy career in subs or the military until officer recruiters showed up at their college and talked about it, and so on. I think what got me in were some key HS stats, more recent performance in terms of college GPA, the college merit scholarship I held, active in intramural team sports, working several part-time jobs (time management not an issue, clearly), college ECA participation and a childhood growing up around small motorboats and sailcraft on the ocean.
Don’t forget to research the NUPOC and CEC Officer college programs.
Good luck!
