Are my chances any good?

[SkywardET]

This is my first post, and I'd like to ask for advice from members of this community. I'm going to lay out my situation and ask for an honest assessment of my chances of getting accepted into STA-21 fiscal year 2009 and picking up the Naval Aviator designator.

Here's my situation:
I'm a 24 year old ET2 onboard a DDG. Prior to joining the Navy in Oct 2004, I received 27 college credits. My college GPA is around 2.8 because quite frankly I didn't take it seriously enough. According to my SMART transcript, my training in rate counts for over 60 college credits. The SMOLAA from the SMART web site suggests that I will need 89 credits to attain a BS in General Engineering Technology from Old Dominion, but the SMART does not include my prior college, so it should be closer to 75 if those credits are accepted. Because of my age and the age requirement for Naval Aviators, I am researching other options to reduce the credit requirement so that I can finish the degree faster.

I am getting set up to take the ASTB either this month or next prior to deployment, and I am looking to take the SAT in October or November. My ASVAB score was a 99 and my advancement exams have been a 65 and a 72, so I have a fair bit of confidence that my ASTB will not be too shabby (I don't mean to sound cocky, but I believe that to be a fair expectation). I have been reading and studying aviation handbooks (Stick and Rudder and Airplane Flying Handbook) to help with the Aviation/Nautical knowledge part of the ASTB, and I have taken several practice ASTBs available from the web or ASTB prep books.

My work schedule is very busy, and will continue to be up until the deadline of 01JUL08. I don't know if I'll be able to get a second board, let alone one that has a pilot on it (my DDG has no Naval Aviators).

I have had PRK surgery, and I am aware that I will need a waiver for it. My vision post-surgery is 20/15.



The things I'm particularly worried about are the age crunch (I will be 25 at the start of Fiscal Year 2009) and the second board, as well as not having a Naval Aviator on a board.

All advice, suggestions, comments, assessments, and et cetera are welcome.

 

[SkywardET]

I believe I may have posted in the wrong forum. If this thread should be in the "Questions about becoming a Navy Officer" forum, I apologize.

 

[scoober78]

Couple things...

Because of my age and the age requirement for Naval Aviators, I am researching other options to reduce the credit requirement so that I can finish the degree faster.

It's good that you are trying to minimize the time it would take you to finish your degree...but unless things have changed, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I was an STA-21 Pilot option select and comissioned after my 27th birthday. The prior service waiver required no effort on my part and was not an issue. That said, I would want to get done as close as possible to 27 as you can. I believe the age is waiverable to 29.

Second, I wouldn't neccesarily be overly concerned with not being able to get a NA on your board. My board consisted exclusively of submarine officers and it didn't seem to be a negative on my package for Pilot Option. That said, the more important aspect would be to make sure that the people on your board are enthusiastic about you and your package. Their endorsement, good, bad or indifferent carries alot of weight. Try to get an aviator, but don't worry too much if you can't.

Couple other words...Unless you are 100% sure that you want pilot or nothing, apply to the core program as well. It can do nothing but improve your overall chances of success.

No one here is going to be able to tell you your chances of sucess. You didn't include several key items, such as SAT scores, evals, command reccomendation etc...These will figure heavily on your overall package strength. Further, even with those, the best we could tell you would be that your package is in line with some that we have seen accepted. Since I don't think anyone here has sat an STA-21 board, we just really don't know.

Best of luck.

 

[EM1]

I'd say you are sitting pretty well. Getting an aviator on your board would be helpful, and with almost a year to make that happen I'd say you could pull it off, and I would try my hardest to make it happen. The GPA isn't too bad either, as long as you are good at your job (my HS GPA was in the mid one's). One other thing too, core will get your foot in the door as a backup option, and to many, its worth it, especially if it means more to you to get a commision than to fly. If its the other way around, then don't do it. Either way it should be something in the back of your mind, I've seen plenty of people get DQed at the last minute (might even be me in a year or two when all my paperwork gets to NAMI). Bottom line in my mind, it shouldn't be devestating if you don't get SNA for whatever reason, STA-21 is still the best deal around bar none, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat even if I had to be a nurse. (not that there's anything wrong with that