PFT score for Marine Corps Slot from USNA

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maxd950729

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Hi I'm an appointee for the USNA class of 2021. My goal is to become a Marine Corps Officer and I'm training for the USMC PFT that I will have to take at the Academy. I scored a 250 that first time but I'm training to get a 300 by at least my 2/C year at USNA. Does anyone know what score I should be hitting at the academy to be competitive for a Marine Corps slot?
 
You need a first class score(~235?) to go to Leatherneck during 2/c summer. I believe most Marine selects have above a 270. The scoring for the PFT changed in January, so I'd check that out if you haven't already.
 
There is no hard and fast rule, but I would agree a high first class should be your goal. 275+ is always the goal to shoot for as an officer.
 
No hard and fast rule but get accepted to Leatherneck and work hard (my wife always called it Leatherhead). I think Marine Cadre also reviews those selecting USMC .
 
Yes, the Marines at USMC will make up the Marine Corps Service Selection panel. So if they put USMC as their #1 pick they will have a USMC lead on their service selection interview and their packet would then go to the USMC board for review first.
 
AF6872 said:
No hard and fast rule but get accepted to Leatherneck and work hard (my wife always called it Leatherhead). I think Marine Cadre also reviews those selecting USMC .
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As someone who's in the middle of this evaluation, I've got a few things to add about the process in general.

Your company is assigned a Marine Mentor who is usually a Marine instructor on the Yard (but sometimes the company officer if s/he is a Marine). This officer is the one that briefs the board of Marines that determines who is assessed into the USMC upon graduation. He or she writes an evaluation on you based on your grades/pft/aptitude plus things like professionalism, promptness to responding to emails, things of that nature. While this is important, most people typically will not see their Marine Mentor very often. The biggest factor in selection is one's performance at Leatherneck (which is sort of like a mini-OCS for USNA midshipman, with less yelling). At Leatherneck you will be divided into platoons, and each platoon has a Staff Platoon Commander (SPC), who is another Marine on the Yard different from your Marine Mentor. He or she also evaluates you, and usually has a better picture of how you'll perform in the Marine Corps as they have a month to observe you every day. You'll be judged on physical events as well as leadership, followership, confidence, and a litany of other things. At the end of leatherneck, the Marines list everyone in order of their "score" from 1 to 315 or however many there are who attend. Usually they have around 260 spots, so not everyone will get selected. Also, some of those 315 will decide that the USMC isn't for them, and will service select something else, opening up spots for others.

If the OP has any more questions about the current state of affairs, or if that jumble of writing isn't very clear, just let me know.
 
If you had any advice to give on what I can do at USNA to give me the best possible chance of getting USMC what would that be?
 
Don't fail any classes, show solid leadership, join Semper Fi club to expand your Marine network, do well at Leatherneck, get a solid PRT score. Do those things and you should get USMC. They want strong leaders, who can stay out of trouble and not have any physical issues.
 
Curious how this "new" (I know its been in place for years) Service Assignment process works, and what role class rank has. In the old day, the Midshipmen selected their service selection by class rank, ie. no interview/acceptance process. This sometimes lead to undesired results , e.g., I had a Squad Leader during Plebe Year who selected USMC solely because he wanted an Aviation slot; he had no interest in USMC but his class rank wasn't high enough to get a USN Pilot slot. This guy was worthless ....and I've alway wondered whether he got chewed up and spit out at TBS. That being said, Navy assignments generally reward performance, so Class Rank should have some effect. The question is whether a high class rank and mediocre PFT/Leatherneck performance would trump that kid who lives and breathes being a Marine Officer, but is at the bottom of the class ?
 
I can only speak to what I have seen over the years. It is a combo of class rank and 'right fit'. USMC has been pretty competitive the last 2 decades. In my year group we were in the 16-17% range limitation for USMC spots and I believe they are now in the low 20s percent wise. We had around 180 total USMC spots with pilots and NFOs included. We had around 230 ask for it as their #1 pick. The next year it wasn't nearly as competitive. The USMC staff really focused on who would make good Marines, grades I am sure played a role, but not the dominant item from what I could see. Heck we had 2 prior Marines the staff did not give USMC slots to.

We couldn't have eye surgery like they do today so pretty much anyone who had good eyes got a pilot spot. I know pilot is more competitive today as more are qualified with lasik.

Our valedictorian received a SEAL spot and rang out week 1. There were two schools of thought... he earned it and others said he sucked at the screeners and was ranked in the bottom 5 for them and at mini-BUDS, he shouldn't have gotten it. None of us thought he would make it through.

Although I think class rank and grades plays a role, I do think they look at WCS and needs of the Navy (Nuke draft) a great deal during selection.
 
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