FY09 STA-21 Soup to selection and beyond MEGA thread

[cyristvirus]

They should change the instruction to have pilot and NFO apps required to have a flight physical in their package. I think that would help with a lot of issues going on.

 

[0812GM]

Hello,

I am putting in a package this year for NFO/CORE and was wondering if anyone out there could tell me how my package may hold up against others this year. My info is as follows:

Been in the Navy for 5 years, GM2(SW) stationed at NAS Pensacola as the base armorer and a Small Arms Marksmanship Instructor.

Last 5 Evals: MP(new command >7months), EP, EP. EP, MP; the last 4 recommend me for any program leading to a commission

ACT: 24 English, 23 Math

ASTB: 5, 5, 5, 49

70 Semester hours; by the time the board convenes I will have completed an Associates of Science in Information Technology but the degree won't be finished until August 29th which is past the date to ammend your package.

1 FLOC, 4 COs letter of commendation

4 Letters of Recommendation: 1 0-4 (current dept. head), 1 E-8 (Current dept. LCPO), 1 E-7 (my old chief), and 1 from a congressman who I sent a copy of my package to.

Now the bad stuff: Screwed away senior year in H.S. and in 2002 I failed a semester in community college because I had to work to take care of my daughter and dropped out after the withdrawal date. Things were pretty rough for a 19 year old with a kid....really glad I joined the Navy...but I think that I covered it pretty well in my personal statement.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[FMRAM]

GM2,
Take the ASTB again if you have time. I would also see if you can get the Dean of your institution to write a letter (almost like a letter of rec.) that will announce your candidacy for a degree and that he or she fully expects you to complete all requirements for A.S. degree on 29 August. This could be one way of circumventing the deadline for additions to your submitted package. I don't know what your math background is, but if you haven't ever had calculus I, I would get started ASAP.

Good luck!

 

[Flamedog]

I wouldn't worry too much about your HS and CC grades. Take a sentence or two to address what happened and how you've grown/learned from it. I had a crappy GPA in CC before I joined the Navy too, it's not going to ruin your chances of being selected if you show them that you've grown from it.

 

[IS2(SW)]

Here's a question for you guys. I'm going on an IA to Iraq this summer and will not be back until March or so. How will this effect me getting selected for this year's program if it will at all?

 

[cyristvirus]

Here's a question for you guys. I'm going on an IA to Iraq this summer and will not be back until March or so. How will this effect me getting selected for this year's program if it will at all?

I am not sure if any of us know the answer to this question but I would think that they may have a problem with someone going IA to be selected for a program. There are a lot of things you need to do once you are selected that I think it would be hard for you to do if you were IA or maybe not be able to do at all. You may want to e-mail Ed on the main STA-21 website to find the real answer to your question so that you don't waist your time or take a spot when you won't be able to go. It's a good chance they wont know that you are IA unless you told them but you are required to keep the STA-21 department up to date on your situation.

 

[cyristvirus]

Hello,

I am putting in a package this year for NFO/CORE and was wondering if anyone out there could tell me how my package may hold up against others this year. My info is as follows:

Been in the Navy for 5 years, GM2(SW) stationed at NAS Pensacola as the base armorer and a Small Arms Marksmanship Instructor.

Last 5 Evals: MP(new command >7months), EP, EP. EP, MP; the last 4 recommend me for any program leading to a commission

ACT: 24 English, 23 Math

ASTB: 5, 5, 5, 49

70 Semester hours; by the time the board convenes I will have completed an Associates of Science in Information Technology but the degree won't be finished until August 29th which is past the date to ammend your package.

1 FLOC, 4 COs letter of commendation

4 Letters of Recommendation: 1 0-4 (current dept. head), 1 E-8 (Current dept. LCPO), 1 E-7 (my old chief), and 1 from a congressman who I sent a copy of my package to.

Now the bad stuff: Screwed away senior year in H.S. and in 2002 I failed a semester in community college because I had to work to take care of my daughter and dropped out after the withdrawal date. Things were pretty rough for a 19 year old with a kid....really glad I joined the Navy...but I think that I covered it pretty well in my personal statement.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Your package looks very close to how mine was. I had about all the same scores, the same type of letters or recommendations, and same awards. I didn't have a problem in high school but I did have issues in college. Make sure as others have told you to address that in your personal statement, make it sounds good. This is what I was going to use for this years package:

[FONT=&quot]My goal has always been to become a Naval Officer. While I was in college I was unable to attain competitive ACT scores to be accepted into the NROTC program. I decided to enlist in the Navy and begin my career, but I never forgot my original goal. I have accomplished improving my ACT scores, my college grades, and chosen as an alternate selectee for the STA-21 FY08.

[/FONT]Maybe you can think of some ideas with that information. I hope you do well and remember that a lot of your package is your personal statement and your CO's recommendation, the rest is just addition info. If you meet the requirements and get good interviews for your board, then you should be good.

Good luck and I hope to hear you make it!

 

[k_smittay]

Here's a question for you guys. I'm going on an IA to Iraq this summer and will not be back until March or so. How will this effect me getting selected for this year's program if it will at all?

Apply. There was a guy this year on IA who was selected and sent home for the program.

 

[AmericanRiver]

FY09 CORE Hopeful

I read through this thread and there is some great information here.
Really helping to get me motivated.

I applied last year for SWO/CORE and was selected as a CORE Alternate. Since the FY08 board I have completed an additional 12 units (78 units total) and been meritouriously advanced to E6.

My last 5 Evals have been MP, MP, EP(transfer),MP, EP (transfer), EP, EP
The last three evals have recommended Officer Programs

ACT 26

2.89 High School GPA

3.41 College, No calculus but I have taken Algebra and Stats as well as a intro to Physics class. (78 Units) AS degree on my SMART Transcript

2 Nams, 1 FLOC, 6 Gold Reaths for Recruiting

Recently I rewrote my personal statement and believe it is stronger then last year. I highlighted my community service (driver for local community designated driver program & previous comrels) and work ethic as well as pride in serving and family support.

This year I am applying for the CORE program.

I did not submit any LOR's last year. Does anyone have any suggestions to make FY09 my year.

I am currently recruiting and did not think to get LOR from my two previous squadrons. My prior CO's/Dept Heads have moved on from there. I have multiple Master Chiefs in my current command and a small number of Junior officers.

 

[EM1toNFO]

Recruiting was good to me last year.. It seems that you've done pretty well too. Keep a PMA (positive mental attitude) and it will all work out for the best. Your evals were/are better than mine. You also have more college credits. I'd say re-write your personal statement, get a couple of recommendations, and re-submit. You have a very good shot at it. Good Luck.

 

[AmericanRiver]

Pma

Thanks, Recruiting can really pull at you. I just came off leave and hope to maintain an enthusiastic attitude through summer and my remaining 11 mission days. I just came back to an attrite but it's all good. I'll pick it up.

Any recomendations for studying for the interview boards. My boards last year went very well but they didn't ask a lot of the stuff I thought they would.

 

[ELT(SS)]

I used NKO to get email addresses from my old COs, only one wrote back, but he wrote on hell of a LOR. Probably not the right way to do that, but it worked for me. My interview board was current events, which will probably be bigger this year because of the elections, and my CO asked what I would do to make the command better if I was in his spot. I also got harassed about submarines, but I don't think that will happen to many other people. My personal statement, looking back, makes absolutely no sense whatever, it was clearly a large grouping of words I thought they would want to see, so I don't know if that is as big of a deal as they say. Either way good luck. And for everyone that gets picked up check this site for NSI info, this fall I will put out a list of helpful info, as many other people said they were going to. It was ridiculous trying to figure out what was going on.

 

[mh53eflyguy]

wow 53 guy....that would be one large package if every qual was put into the package. think about it, plane captain, brake rider, wing walker, GSE, APU engine qual, CDI, powerplants, airframes-----that's alot of paper. some people prob have 15-20 quals. i would recommend choosing the biggest quals like plane captain or engine turn because they include most of the other quals and will not take up an entire 1/5th of the package.......

Sorry I'm a little delayed with this response.

It's not a bad thing to have too much information. If they don't need it, they won't look at it. Your page 4 in your service jacket will suffice, but if you have all your designation paperwork, which is what I put in, its gravy too. I happened to have all my designation paperwork. I included my "A " school grad, FRAQ grad, Crew Chief Designator, Utility Aircrew qual, Plane Capt Qual, APP/Blade fold paperwork, etc. And those are not the big ones.

Like I said, it's just my suggestion, and it obviously didn't hurt me in the selection since I was picked up. This was also recommended by a LTJG who was picked up in 2002 that went through my school house, he did the same thing.
I think that enclosure section in my package was about 15 pages thick, and my transcripts from high school and college was 6 pages thick (I moved around a lot in high school) So I wouldn't worry about the volume of paper as much as what the paper itself is actually stating!

Again, this is just a suggestion from someone who was selected last year for a pilot slot.....

 

[cyristvirus]

Sorry I'm a little delayed with this response.

It's not a bad thing to have too much information. If they don't need it, they won't look at it. Your page 4 in your service jacket will suffice, but if you have all your designation paperwork, which is what I put in, its gravy too. I happened to have all my designation paperwork. I included my "A " school grad, FRAQ grad, Crew Chief Designator, Utility Aircrew qual, Plane Capt Qual, APP/Blade fold paperwork, etc. And those are not the big ones.

Like I said, it's just my suggestion, and it obviously didn't hurt me in the selection since I was picked up. This was also recommended by a LTJG who was picked up in 2002 that went through my school house, he did the same thing.
I think that enclosure section in my package was about 15 pages thick, and my transcripts from high school and college was 6 pages thick (I moved around a lot in high school) So I wouldn't worry about the volume of paper as much as what the paper itself is actually stating!

Again, this is just a suggestion from someone who was selected last year for a pilot slot.....

Just make sure your page 4 is updated or it will take a little time for you admin to update them. They may need some paperwork if you have not been keeping track of your page 4 in the past.

 

[et1nuke]

I used NKO to get email addresses from my old COs, only one wrote back, but he wrote on hell of a LOR. Probably not the right way to do that, but it worked for me.

I did the same thing and got a terrific response only after I tried sending an actual letter through the mail with no response.