Service selection interview

gtBuzz

5-Year Member
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Feb 20, 2012
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Do mids at the academy go through the same interview for nuclear as the guys in nrotc and the nupoc program?
Thanks!
 
Yes. All Mids who want to go nuclear go through the "Nuc Interview." From what I can remember they bused all the Mids down to the Navy Yard for the day for those interviews. They knew that day if they passed or not. Not sure how they do it now.

All Mids for service selection do go through a "service selection interview." For instance if you put Navy Pilot down as your first choice, you will go to a Navy Pilot Service Selection Interview. Generally what this means is a Naval Aviator will lead the board and a few other officers from around Yard will participate and for the most part the board will be Naval Avaiation focused. Every board is different and it all depends on who leads it and who is on it. I put Marine Ground as my #1 pick and I had a Marine Major as my lead and a Navy SWO and someone else (I can't remember) do my interview. It was 30 minutes long and not terribly hard. Mostly why do want to be a Marine? What do you want to do in the Marine Corps? Why?
 
Yes. All Mids who want to go nuclear go through the "Nuc Interview." From what I can remember they bused all the Mids down to the Navy Yard for the day for those interviews. They knew that day if they passed or not. Not sure how they do it now.

All Mids for service selection do go through a "service selection interview." For instance if you put Navy Pilot down as your first choice, you will go to a Navy Pilot Service Selection Interview. Generally what this means is a Naval Aviator will lead the board and a few other officers from around Yard will participate and for the most part the board will be Naval Avaiation focused. Every board is different and it all depends on who leads it and who is on it. I put Marine Ground as my #1 pick and I had a Marine Major as my lead and a Navy SWO and someone else (I can't remember) do my interview. It was 30 minutes long and not terribly hard. Mostly why do want to be a Marine? What do you want to do in the Marine Corps? Why?

The first part is still true, the second part isn't anymore.

Each company now has a representative for each service selection who briefs MIDN to the board. Only SEALs/EOD interview in person: they bring up a bunch of senior SEAL/EOD Os and Es and have them conduct the interview along with the SEAL rep on the Yard.

Particularly with Marine hopefuls, it behooves you to have a good relationship with your company rep. For other service assignments it matters less (community rep input matters less), but the only two guys in my company that put Marine Corps first and didn't get it were also the two most distant from our company Marine rep (who was probably the best on the Yard and had truly gone above and beyond to make himself accessible).

They can "SARB" (Service Assignment Review Board) you, which they say means "two communities want you" but really more often means "your top community doesn't want you/is on the fence." Most commonly this year it was for people who put Navy Pilot first (but not NFO second) and were on the chopping block or who put conventional SWO and were good candidates for Nuke SWO. The infamous "Sub Draft" barely happened, if it all.

What's funny about service selection/assignment is that a fair percentage of the Brigade has a decent sense before it happens whether or not they got their top choice. SEALs/EOD get notified early now (change from last year), subs know the day they interview, Med Corps types find out early, and nearly everyone who puts SWO first gets it. So it's really only a super-scary day for people who want to go Navy Air or Marine Corps, and for the latter most people have a good idea if they got it or not if they have a good company rep.
 
The first part is still true, the second part isn't anymore.

Each company now has a representative for each service selection who briefs MIDN to the board. Only SEALs/EOD interview in person: they bring up a bunch of senior SEAL/EOD Os and Es and have them conduct the interview along with the SEAL rep on the Yard.

Particularly with Marine hopefuls, it behooves you to have a good relationship with your company rep. For other service assignments it matters less (community rep input matters less), but the only two guys in my company that put Marine Corps first and didn't get it were also the two most distant from our company Marine rep (who was probably the best on the Yard and had truly gone above and beyond to make himself accessible).

They can "SARB" (Service Assignment Review Board) you, which they say means "two communities want you" but really more often means "your top community doesn't want you/is on the fence." Most commonly this year it was for people who put Navy Pilot first (but not NFO second) and were on the chopping block or who put conventional SWO and were good candidates for Nuke SWO. The infamous "Sub Draft" barely happened, if it all.

What's funny about service selection/assignment is that a fair percentage of the Brigade has a decent sense before it happens whether or not they got their top choice. SEALs/EOD get notified early now (change from last year), subs know the day they interview, Med Corps types find out early, and nearly everyone who puts SWO first gets it. So it's really only a super-scary day for people who want to go Navy Air or Marine Corps, and for the latter most people have a good idea if they got it or not if they have a good company rep.

Thank you for sharing your insightful information. How many guys actually get picked for reactors engineers? Thanks!
 
Each company now has a representative for each service selection who briefs MIDN to the board.

When you say "Company Rep" - do you mean the Senior Enlisted?

If so, I think that's a HORRIBLE system ... having to get in good with an enlisted individual for your officer assignment.
 
When you say "Company Rep" - do you mean the Senior Enlisted?

If so, I think that's a HORRIBLE system ... having to get in good with an enlisted individual for your officer assignment.

Oh no, it's an officer from around the yard. If the company officer is a Marine, for example, then they are the company Marine rep, otherwise it's semi-random. I think the intent is for the board to get input from an officer in the mid's desired community who knows them well and tells the board how well (or not) they feel they would fit in.
 
Do mids at the academy go through the same interview for nuclear as the guys in nrotc and the nupoc program?
Thanks!

Yes, USNA Mids have a day of interviews for entry into the nuke program (both for subs or SWO-nuke). At least for 2011 and this year's class, there was an "early decision" set of interviews before the end of 2/C (junior) year. The people who interviewed and were selected early got the largest signing bonuses. There was another set of interviews this past fall.

Everyone at the fall interviews had two very technical interviews. The interviewer could ask pretty much any calculus, physics or chemistry questions, which the Mid needed to answer/solve on the spot. Those who passed also had a brief interview with the admiral. As mentioned above, those who passed signed contracts that same day, so that became their "service selection" day.
 
Yes, USNA Mids have a day of interviews for entry into the nuke program (both for subs or SWO-nuke). At least for 2011 and this year's class, there was an "early decision" set of interviews before the end of 2/C (junior) year. The people who interviewed and were selected early got the largest signing bonuses. There was another set of interviews this past fall.

Everyone at the fall interviews had two very technical interviews. The interviewer could ask pretty much any calculus, physics or chemistry questions, which the Mid needed to answer/solve on the spot. Those who passed also had a brief interview with the admiral. As mentioned above, those who passed signed contracts that same day, so that became their "service selection" day.

Thank you for your reply! :)
 
What's funny about service selection/assignment is that a fair percentage of the Brigade has a decent sense before it happens whether or not they got their top choice. SEALs/EOD get notified early now (change from last year), subs know the day they interview, Med Corps types find out early, and nearly everyone who puts SWO first gets it. So it's really only a super-scary day for people who want to go Navy Air or Marine Corps, and for the latter most people have a good idea if they got it or not if they have a good company rep.

Is this still true? So those SEAL/EOD hopefuls are notified before the official service selection night? Do they have time to request Marine Corps Ground if not selected? Thanks!
 
Not for this past class. They were notified on service selection day when everyone else did back in November. You will rank all items you are physically qualified for when everyone else does. Once you get to USNA you will learn the ins and outs service selection, especially for SEALs from upperclass.
 
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