Applying to Jan board 2013

[LFCFan]

Yes there is another board in the spring actually it looks like Feb from what I was told today, however the more pilots than normal is misleading, yes the numbers went up, but they had thought goal was already going to be made, so the number of spots is actually not abnormally higher than any other board.

I'm glad to hear there will probably be another board in the spring. I'm not clear on the rest of what you are saying: more applicants than usual, so they think that they can make goal without going crazy in giving out pro-recs?

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I'm glad to hear there will probably be another board in the spring. I'm not clear on the rest of what you are saying: more applicants than usual, so they think that they can make goal without going crazy in giving out pro-recs?

Correct, it looks like what happened is when they waived the PQ requirement everyone threw in their application.

 

[LFCFan]

Correct, it looks like what happened is when they waived the PQ requirement everyone threw in their application.

Ah, well I'm not too worried about that. This might be making wild assumptions of optimism on my part, but waiving the PQ requirement sounds like a bunch of people who would have applied in the new year are just applying now, and so all this is doing is shifting around when people apply, and not how many are actually applying (over the next two boards).

 

[Chemystery]

So my advisor is totally onboard with it. He wrote me an LOR as a work supervisor.

**PhDs suck, there is a reason why we'd rather be at sea than grad school. Friends don't let friends get PhDs. Even if I lose my funding or have to completely quit, I'm still going.

So I am kind of in an unique situation. I have only been in graduate school for 3 months now. However, the organic chemistry department (in all of its infinite wisdom) took twice as many students as they had space for. In between this power struggle, backstabbing, PI's being manipulative, and general questioning of why I would want to be unemployed with a tech doctorate degree (it is true...chemistry Ph.D.'s make crap and are lucky to have a job)...I came to the conclusion that being in the Navy was 100% were I should be. Respectable career, service to country, and just a more fulfilling existence (in my limited opinion). Plus, I always wanted to fly planes ever since I was still pissing my diapers.

I was planning on going down to the graduate affairs office and asking if I could take the year off seeing as how the department has more students than space. However, I do not have to join any group or find any PI before March. This is a perfect situation because in theory I would need an OCS class date before March in order to meet the age requirement for aviation. February class date would be cool, however, I would be even happier with a January class date (unlikely).

Basically, my plan was to stick in graduate school until a week before a ship out date. Enjoy the school gym, pretending to fein interest in group meetings, and teaching spoiled 18 year olds the beauty of chemistry. Week before ship out date, simply telling them that I am joining the Navy and won't be coming back.

 

[BDfan88]

So I am kind of in an unique situation. I have only been in graduate school for 3 months now. However, the organic chemistry department (in all of its infinite wisdom) took twice as many students as they had space for. In between this power struggle, backstabbing, PI's being manipulative, and general questioning of why I would want to be unemployed with a tech doctorate degree (it is true...chemistry Ph.D.'s make crap and are lucky to have a job)...I came to the conclusion that being in the Navy was 100% were I should be. Respectable career, service to country, and just a more fulfilling existence (in my limited opinion). Plus, I always wanted to fly planes ever since I was still pissing my diapers.

I was planning on going down to the graduate affairs office and asking if I could take the year off seeing as how the department has more students than space. However, I do not have to join any group or find any PI before March. This is a perfect situation because in theory I would need an OCS class date before March in order to meet the age requirement for aviation. February class date would be cool, however, I would be even happier with a January class date (unlikely).

Basically, my plan was to stick in graduate school until a week before a ship out date. Enjoy the school gym, pretending to fein interest in group meetings, and teaching spoiled 18 year olds the beauty of chemistry. Week before ship out date, simply telling them that I am joining the Navy and won't be coming back.

Oh the joys of ochem, I was a ChemE major. Still have nightmares about nucleophilic aromatic substitutions...

 

[exNavyOffRec]

So I am kind of in an unique situation. I have only been in graduate school for 3 months now. However, the organic chemistry department (in all of its infinite wisdom) took twice as many students as they had space for. In between this power struggle, backstabbing, PI's being manipulative, and general questioning of why I would want to be unemployed with a tech doctorate degree (it is true...chemistry Ph.D.'s make crap and are lucky to have a job)...I came to the conclusion that being in the Navy was 100% were I should be. Respectable career, service to country, and just a more fulfilling existence (in my limited opinion). Plus, I always wanted to fly planes ever since I was still pissing my diapers.

I was planning on going down to the graduate affairs office and asking if I could take the year off seeing as how the department has more students than space. However, I do not have to join any group or find any PI before March. This is a perfect situation because in theory I would need an OCS class date before March in order to meet the age requirement for aviation. February class date would be cool, however, I would be even happier with a January class date (unlikely).

Basically, my plan was to stick in graduate school until a week before a ship out date. Enjoy the school gym, pretending to fein interest in group meetings, and teaching spoiled 18 year olds the beauty of chemistry. Week before ship out date, simply telling them that I am joining the Navy and won't be coming back.

They are pretty good about getting guys that are age critical into OCS so they can graduate and commission before they turn 27, it is good that you were able to get MEPS done already, they will and shoved people into an OCS class that was already full to make this work.

 

[LFCFan]

So I am kind of in an unique situation. I have only been in graduate school for 3 months now. However, the organic chemistry department (in all of its infinite wisdom) took twice as many students as they had space for. In between this power struggle, backstabbing, PI's being manipulative, and general questioning of why I would want to be unemployed with a tech doctorate degree (it is true...chemistry Ph.D.'s make crap and are lucky to have a job)

It is actually normal for grad programs to take more people than they have space for, not everyone says yes and some years you end up with more people than you expect. The existence of a similar policy might explain why intel is closed right now. Something about 50 pro-recs with a goal of 7 or something like that was mentioned in another thread.

I'm in my fourth year. Our program sucks at getting students through on time, and so I only finished the master's degree in the summer. My patience with a career in academia has really run out. No PhD field is better than others in the job market I'm afraid. In many instances they are producing several times more new doctorates than there are jobs. Good to see you are getting out while you still can.

I was planning on going down to the graduate affairs office and asking if I could take the year off seeing as how the department has more students than space. However, I do not have to join any group or find any PI before March. This is a perfect situation because in theory I would need an OCS class date before March in order to meet the age requirement for aviation. February class date would be cool, however, I would be even happier with a January class date (unlikely).

Ah, my program doesn't do rotations so this totally skipped my mind. This also might complicate the "space" issue - I know people in other departments that are struggling to get a PI after their rotations are done. All the more reason to leave.

Basically, my plan was to stick in graduate school until a week before a ship out date. Enjoy the school gym, pretending to fein interest in group meetings, and teaching spoiled 18 year olds the beauty of chemistry. Week before ship out date, simply telling them that I am joining the Navy and won't be coming back.

That was my plan, except I want an LOA just in case my flight physical doesn't go well. I'm not sure I want to go SWO if that happens.

So it sounds to me like you are walking away from less than I am. If I don't get in I'll finish the degree in the next year or two and look at some medical staff corps jobs or things in other branches.

So if I were you I'd still try for the LOA unless you are sure you don't want an advanced degree in chemistry regardless of what happens with the Navy. Do you already have an MA/MS?

 

[Chemystery]

So if I were you I'd still try for the LOA unless you are sure you don't want an advanced degree in chemistry regardless of what happens with the Navy. Do you already have an MA/MS?

No graduate degree here. I have two B.S. degrees if that means anything. If I were to stick out this program for another 2-3 years I might be able to get an M.S. Truth be told, I would much rather just get a degree in the Navy when I am up for promotion ( O-3 to O-4/ O-4 to O-5) or something like that. From what I hear, promotions are basically standard until O-3 and after that, a graduate degree is more or less necessary.

I will most definitely be pursuing a LOA because...well...since I am still in Graduate School, it wouldn't cost me anything. However, I would be happy with SWO. I prefer SNA or SNFO, but any Navy Commission trumps Graduate School in my mind.

Sounds like you are in more of a pickle than I am. A lot of people would have been complacent and dragged their feet about leaving graduate school with 4 years invested. I salute you! Not an easy thing to consider with that light at the end of the tunnel. Congrats on your Master's degree, man! No small accomplishment!

However, 4 years for a M.S. is insane! You must have some patience, sir!

 

[Chemystery]

They are pretty good about getting guys that are age critical into OCS so they can graduate and commission before they turn 27, it is good that you were able to get MEPS done already, they will and shoved people into an OCS class that was already full to make this work.

This just made my evening! Thank you, NavyOffRec!

 

[McHale's Navy]

Correct, it looks like what happened is when they waived the PQ requirement everyone threw in their application.

Will being PQ going into the board make any difference with selection?

 

[LFCFan]

Sounds like you are in more of a pickle than I am. A lot of people would have been complacent and dragged their feet about leaving graduate school with 4 years invested. I salute you! Not an easy thing to consider with that light at the end of the tunnel. Congrats on your Master's degree, man! No small accomplishment!

However, 4 years for a M.S. is insane! You must have some patience, sir!

Thanks! I'm sure some of the bullshit I've had to deal with here will prepare me well for the military. I'm going to hang the thing up right above the crapper. I asked about you having an MS in case that was affecting your decision making process. I started talking to recruiters before it was done, but wasn't going to walk away from grad school without one (2.5 years at that point). Plus my grad school GPA is better than my undergrad GPA

It took three years for the master's - so at this point I'd only have done one semester for nothing. I really don't mind not having the PhD - it wasn't much of a debate once I decided to go this route. I don't really see the LOA as a huge pickle, I just want to make sure I don't close a door or burn a bridge if I can avoid it. But if that bridge must be burned, then I'll tell them they are cleared hot!

About being a SWO, make sure you check out some of the discussions on here about it.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Will being PQ going into the board make any difference with selection?

No, the board doesn't see anything dealing with medical

 

[LFCFan]

No, the board doesn't see anything dealing with medical

My OR had me write that I had a medical waiver on my application in the applicant's comment section - and what the waiver was for. Is that normal? They rang me up and said "add that to page x, sign it, scan it, send it to us" at the last minute.

 

[Chemystery]

About being a SWO, make sure you check out some of the discussions on here about it.

I have read quite a bit about SWOness. Heard such thing as how they eat their young and basically it is job that nobody in the Navy wants. I don't agree with it. Frankly, I just want to be a Navy officer. That is first and foremost. Job is a distant second.

Couldn't agree with you more on the PhD. Most folks say a M.S. makes you more marketable than a PhD in today's economic environment. Moot point seeing as how you have a top tier application! Jealous of your PFAR!

 

[J.McGinnis]

NavyOffRec,


Thank you for all of your help and everything you do on this forum. So I come to find out yesterday that my recruiter never even submitted my package....I give an email to the processor at the office (Who generally has been handling EVERYTHING throughout the whole package) and she says, yeah, your recruiter never submitted your package to me to send off (Which the difference was literally a couple signatures and the remarks section of application) . Long story short, I call him and he says no no I submitted you, all the while receiving a call back an hour later saying yeah, it was never submitted...

It was a low blow and unprofessional / un-genuine, especially due to the fact I went into the office to start the process late June.

So now I will be submitting to the next board (SNA) since the deadline is way past for the 3DEC12 board. Will it be meeting in March? I saw you mention that it could possibly be in Feb. Just some more waiting on my shoulders. Good luck to everyone else who applied!