Prior Enlisted Navy Question

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poppygaichik

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Does anybody know how competitive it is to receive a nomination from the Secretary of the Navy as a prior enlisted sailor? Is it easier than securing a nomination from a Congressional Representative? I don't think I could stand a chance at securing a Congressional nomination required for admissions.
 
poppygaichik said:
...I don't think I could stand a chance at securing a Congressional nomination required for admissions...
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If that is true, what makes you think that the SECNAV is going to be a pushover? Do you have a Commanding Officer recommendation?
 
SECNAV nominations do not require as much academic rigors. Many Congressional Nominations look over things such as SAT scores, while the SECNAV nomination does not.
 
If you have a strong enough package to be competitive for USNA or prep as a prior, the nom will work itself out. Follow the guidance from the Chief and the admissions website on applying for prior enlisted. If it says to apply for all nom sources, then do it. Never know what will happen.
 
SECNAV nominations, like Presidential, are non-competitive. Under most circumstances, if you apply for a SECNAV nomination and your CO recommends you, then you should automatically receive it. The catch is only 85 regular Navy Sailors can be charged to this category. Which, as mentioned above, apply to all sources so you are not limited/constrained.

Make sure you reading OPNAVINST 1420.1B.
 
Yes, I should have been more clear. The OP needs a CO recommendation, first.
 
What usnabgo08 said is pretty much spot on. Once I recieved my CO recommendation I immediately mailed the recommendation and SECNAV nomination app to USNA. It took two days to ship from Hawaii to USNA and the same day they received it my CIS was updated stating I received the Secretary of the Navy/Regular nom. So overall it is not difficult to receive the nom, big thing is the CO recommendation. I completed this in the beginning of October so if you haven’t already I would route the paperwork to your CO asap or depending on how your unit works, speak to him directly to get the ball rolling as a lot of the congressional nomination application deadlines have well passed. Very doubtful that the SECNAV nominations have all been used up but more for peace of mind.
 
gloredo7 said:
What usnabgo08 said is pretty much spot on. Once I recieved my CO recommendation I immediately mailed the recommendation and SECNAV nomination app to USNA. It took two days to ship from Hawaii to USNA and the same day they received it my CIS was updated stating I received the Secretary of the Navy/Regular nom. So overall it is not difficult to receive the nom, big thing is the CO recommendation. I completed this in the beginning of October so if you haven’t already I would route the paperwork to your CO asap or depending on how your unit works, speak to him directly to get the ball rolling as a lot of the congressional nomination application deadlines have well passed. Very doubtful that the SECNAV nominations have all been used up but more for peace of mind.
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Is there a recommended amount of time that a sailor must serve, before applying? I know there is no hard requirement for prior enlisted Navy to USNA (Enlisted USAF to their service academy requires their enlisted airmen to serve at least 1 year before applying to their Secretary of the Air Force; waivers exist for this requirement, but are almost never given), but is there recommended amount of time before one can apply? Do certain jobs in the Navy make it easier to get the CO recommendation?
 
usnabgo08 said:
SECNAV nominations, like Presidential, are non-competitive. Under most circumstances, if you apply for a SECNAV nomination and your CO recommends you, then you should automatically receive it. The catch is only 85 regular Navy Sailors can be charged to this category. Which, as mentioned above, apply to all sources so you are not limited/constrained.

Make sure you reading OPNAVINST 1420.1B.
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Thank you, that was a very helpful document. You said that only 85 regular Navy Sailors can be charged to this category. I'm assuming the other 85 are Marine Corps members? If so, do you think that there are more or less Marines who apply to the Naval Academy/seek a SECNAV nomination compared to traditional Navy Sailors?
 
It's actually 85 Regular Navy and Marine Corps and an additional 85 Reserve Navy and Marine Corps.
Bottom line, it doesn't matter how many apply -- if you fill out the paperwork and have a positive CO recommendation, then you are very likely to receive one. If 300 Sailors and Marines apply for the SECNAV nomination, there will be 300 SECNAV nominations issued. The Naval Academy chooses how to charge those 85 (out of 300 in the example), something that isn't in your control. It works just like the Presidential...if 500 candidates had parents who served for 8 years (equivalent Reserve points) and apply for the Presidential...then 500 Presidential nominations are issued....but only 100 can be charged to the Presidential nomination category.

This is why all the previous posters have stated to apply to ALL sources. If you don't get a nomination from another source and weren't one of the 85 USNA decided to go with, it just makes the odds less likely. Having a MOC nomination opens more possibilities due to what is codified in law.
 
usnabgo08 said:
It's actually 85 Regular Navy and Marine Corps and an additional 85 Reserve Navy and Marine Corps.
Bottom line, it doesn't matter how many apply -- if you fill out the paperwork and have a positive CO recommendation, then you are very likely to receive one. If 300 Sailors and Marines apply for the SECNAV nomination, there will be 300 SECNAV nominations issued. The Naval Academy chooses how to charge those 85 (out of 300 in the example), something that isn't in your control. It works just like the Presidential...if 500 candidates had parents who served for 8 years (equivalent Reserve points) and apply for the Presidential...then 500 Presidential nominations are issued....but only 100 can be charged to the Presidential nomination category.

This is why all the previous posters have stated to apply to ALL sources. If you don't get a nomination from another source and weren't one of the 85 USNA decided to go with, it just makes the odds less likely. Having a MOC nomination opens more possibilities due to what is codified in law.
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Ah I understand now, thank you!
 
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