Next Board ~ April 2011

[Lucy]

Cool. good luck in march then.

Ah, Moldova. Thankfully I do know where that is. Being an senior Intl. studies major I could at least put 90% of the countries in thier right place, if given a list of course. Think the most I can list is about 140 of the 170 or so. But anyhow..

Euro studies focus and got to take a wonderful class on Russia and its neighbors last summer. Good class. What did you get to do there? Education, health services? Did you get to stay in a homestay or on your own?

 

[HueyHornet75]

while in Moldova, did you get to see any possessed Vigo paintings, wherewolves or vampires? apparently, they walk in the daytime now.

 

[Kay]

Wow, impressive. Eastern Europe is interesting to me, especially its history. I would not mind taking a class on that.

I was a health education volunteer. Taught health classes in the school, worked in a clinic, and did some community outreach. I stayed with a host family for the first year, I tried to get my own place after the required 9months (every PC country is different) of living with them but was unsuccessful, because there is the common belief over there, that Americans are very wealthy. And while yes, comparatively Americans do have more, they never fully understood that I was a volunteer and I was only given enough allowance to live at the level of the people. Thus, it took me awhile to find a place. I would not have minded staying with a host family but the host family I was placed in was not a good situation. But, the second year I did have my own apartment which was nice.

 

[Kay]

haha no, no possessed painting, wolves, or vampires. I did go visit Romania while I was there and went to Dracula's (Vlad the Impaler) Castle...not as scary as I was hoping, actually very pretty. Great skiing over there though!

 

[J_Cusick]

Hi guys,

I've been reading a lot on these boards but am just now posting for the first time.

My recruiter has told me that I could make the April boards if I take my ASTB very soon. But I have some questions about making my overall packet competitive.

Obviously I don't have the ASTB score yet, which I know weighs heavily, but my basic stats are:

male/24/no prior service
planning on applying for NA, NFO
Currently attending Cal State University, Fullerton's Business school. Overall GPA is a 3.71 - which could go higher after this last semester.

My schooling (and work) has provided me with numerous opportunities for leadership in groups with very different social dynamics.

I received a couple small scholarships, but never really sought anything because I am blessed enough to not need them. I have always been on the Dean's List, with no semester GPA's dropping under 3.5. I also graduated top 5 percent in my high school class of about 800 kids.

I have been working since I was 15 in the photography industry and have never had anything but good reviews. Every year for the past 4 years I have also volunteered about 3 to 4 full days of my time to a local high school film program's film festival. Other than that I have very little community service - will that be competitive enough?

I will be getting a LOR from a recently retired Navy/NATO Admiral, some employers and maybe a college professor. I could probably get some interviews (I was completely unaware of these) from a couple pilots/NFO's I have met down in San Diego.

I have no prior flight experience, I could never afford it.

I feel like other than academia, I am lacking. I'm not completely sure what comprises a competitive "whole person," which is where I was hoping to get some advice. I don't want to submit a packet that is anything other than the very best I can offer, so I'm considering holding off until the June boards so I can add a little more to make me stand out more. But I don't want to wait too long and have everything fill up before I can even submit. I am in constant contact with my recruiter, but he is sometimes very vague.

Any insight would be much appreciated.

Respectfully,

Joseph Cusick

 

[GreenLantern330]

The whole person concept is just that, the whole person. They'll look at everything from your grades, to community service, participation in sports, clubs, organizations, LORs, PRT, officer interviews, ASTB, etc. If you lurk through previous board threads, you'll see who got selected and their stats. That should help you try to formulate a recipe for success if you will. But to add to that, just because you have scores around the average, doesn't mean you'll get it or you won't get it. It honestly depends on how competitive the board is that you apply for, your package, and what the board thinks of your package. There could be a guy with an ASTB of 40 4/5/4 and no community service, but the board picks him/her because that person's package had some other component that stood out. There could be a guy with a 60 /7/7/7 and a lot of service and leadership that might have a crappy motivational statement and LORs and not get picked or vice versa. Just apply. If you don't get selected, do more service, get your grades up, retest on the ASTB (if you score low the first time) and then reapply. Persistence is everything. Good luck!

 

[twobecrazy]

There could be a guy with an ASTB of 40 4/5/4 and no community service, but the board picks him/her because that person's package had some other component that stood out. There could be a guy with a 60 /7/7/7 and a lot of service and leadership that might have a crappy motivational statement and LORs and not get picked or vice versa. Just apply. If you don't get selected, do more service, get your grades up, retest on the ASTB (if you score low the first time) and then reapply. Persistence is everything. Good luck!

Hey I scored a little higher than 40/4/5/4 on the ASTB but your right. Overall package is the most important thing!

 

[GreenLantern330]

Exactly! Haha I was just throwing out random numbers.

 

[chuckyraider]

The whole person concept is just that, the whole person. They'll look at everything from your grades, to community service, participation in sports, clubs, organizations, LORs, PRT, officer interviews, ASTB, etc. If you lurk through previous board threads, you'll see who got selected and their stats. That should help you try to formulate a recipe for success if you will. But to add to that, just because you have scores around the average, doesn't mean you'll get it or you won't get it. It honestly depends on how competitive the board is that you apply for, your package, and what the board thinks of your package. There could be a guy with an ASTB of 40 4/5/4 and no community service, but the board picks him/her because that person's package had some other component that stood out. There could be a guy with a 60 /7/7/7 and a lot of service and leadership that might have a crappy motivational statement and LORs and not get picked or vice versa. Just apply. If you don't get selected, do more service, get your grades up, retest on the ASTB (if you score low the first time) and then reapply. Persistence is everything. Good luck!

This is true. It isn't like college admission where they look at an SAT score and if it isn't good, then they toss the application. If a kid is fresh out of school, then the astb matters more. If someone has been doing diffierent activities since graduation, then astb would be less looked at. Those activities would have to be non-flamboyent type. Important thing would be experience and LOR. Now if they don't look at that, then there is clear corruption in the system.

 

[MGoBrew11]

This is true. It isn't like college admission where they look at an SAT score and if it isn't good, then they toss the application. If a kid is fresh out of school, then the astb matters more. If someone has been doing diffierent activities since graduation, then astb would be less looked at. Those activities would have to be non-flamboyent type. Important thing would be experience and LOR. Now if they don't look at that, then there is clear corruption in the system.

Are we sure this is not hipfinnsy by another name?

Location, solstice? Not to mention in multiple threads you have led everyone to believe you know exactly how the system works, yet never give any evidence to back it up.

Stop trolling.

 

[borednstoked]

My OR told me that my Packet was going before the January 2011 board for Supply. If I'm Non-Select there it goes before SWO in April. I guess what I'm asking is have any of you heard differently or am I one of the few around going before Supply and no one else has posted?

jaden1121, I was just picked up in December's board. By now the results for January are out, good luck. There is a schedule somewhere on this forum and i believe I've read that there's another supply board in March. If you want supply reapply for March. You may have to submit a reconsideration letter. Ask the OR. The navyocs site has a thread about the January board if you're interested. Also check the supply forum hear, rather than the navyocs forum.

 

[J_Cusick]

Thanks for the advice guys. Forums like this are invaluable.

 

[GreenLantern330]

NY recruiter's blog was just updated and said that there will be no selections for SWO in April.

 

[dfmeza87]

M/23/Non Prior
SNA only
8/7/8 65
California State Polytechnic, Pomona
B.S. Mechanical Engineering 3.07
LOR: Supervisor, Flight Instructor, CWO2
Pi Tau Sigma Honor Society (Treasurer)
High School Wrestling (Captain)
Male Student Athlete of the Year 2005
3 Los Angeles marathon's- 3 hours and 30 minutes personal best
Volunteer Tutoring

 

[JMonte85]

Where is everyone listing their Volunteer work on the new application? It doesn't seem right to list it in the motivational statement..