SWO BOARD 17AUG20

[exNavyOffRec]

I asked my recruiter the very same question because I've seen people with good scores not get selected. He said he had someone with great scores but crappy LORs not get selected. I'm a prior with a 3.4 GPA in Finance and 48 OAR score so decent numbers but not great. I have a lot of good qualitative points in my package so I'm hoping they at least glance at it haha.

LOR's are rarely looked at, how much are they going to look at when they do this in 8 hours (at best), that is 480 minutes, take out an hour for lunch bathroom, random phone calls, etc..... and you are down to 420 minutes, estimate at best 1 minute per application some will take more if they want to look at why a person has a waiver.

if he means OAR for "scores" that is just getting you to the board, if he means GPA I have seen some head scratchers before, people with high GPA's not get selected, then go back to board and picked up. Sometimes the board makes a mistake due to how fast they are moving.

 

[Anabbie98]

I asked my recruiter the very same question because I've seen people with good scores not get selected. He said he had someone with great scores but crappy LORs not get selected. I'm a prior with a 3.4 GPA in Finance and 48 OAR score so decent numbers but not great. I have a lot of good qualitative points in my package so I'm hoping they at least glance at it haha.

Oh man, I only have 2 LOR's. One from my boss, and another from a professor who taught a lot of my classes. Most of the applicants I see have former naval and army officers as LORs.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Oh man, I only have 2 LOR's. One from my boss, and another from a professor who taught a lot of my classes. Most of the applicants I see have former naval and army officers as LORs.

Don't worry about it, they are rarely looked at. I had a few board members tell me their thoughts on LOR's and it was not positive.

 

[Chin]

I get what you’re saying with that, it just gives hope to people like me who split the middle of qualifying to apply. There are also those confusing cases where someone will get in with the bare minimum qualifications over somebody who has far exceeded the averages. Granted, there may be waivers, etc. involved, but it’s those kinds of exceptions that make people like me wonder.

I had a statement in the page after Honor courage commitment block. think its remarks. It went something like this.
I wasnt selected back in board Xx and year XX. I had done XYZ to improve myself and see enclosure XYZ for proof. Ask for a board reconsideration Blah blah.
Its not exactly how i wrote but the quickview. For me i waited until i had two consecutive EP eval and with both different reporting senior and 3 SWO O6 appraisal. an LOR from my previous CO who now is an rear admiral O7. Hope it helps

 

[EmmaG]

So here’s a question I have to active duty out there. I applied to the February board and got a prorec-n. I finished my masters in leadership and reapplied for this board. If I don’t get selected this time I’m trying to figure out my next steps. I’m in a dead end job that I have no passion for. I’ve contemplating going enlisted and then trying to pursue a commission after that. Would you recommend this course? Why or why not.

 

[Chin]

So here’s a question I have to active duty out there. I applied to the February board and got a prorec-n. I finished my masters in leadership and reapplied for this board. If I don’t get selected this time I’m trying to figure out my next steps. I’m in a dead end job that I have no passion for. I’ve contemplating going enlisted and then trying to pursue a commission after that. Would you recommend this course? Why or why not.

I been enlisted for 13 years. I would NOT enlist then try to get commission that way. You will likely to enter as an E3. However, its hard to get the evaluations you need, recommedations from high ranking officers because you are not visible until you put in some effort. Keep it in mind , if you go enlisted you now have another Job to focus on before you can get to Commissioning program. Leadership expects you to perform before recommend you. You will likely take 3 years to get your initial OCS application in. I see it as a step back. It seems easier to be a civilian in my opinion.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I been enlisted for 13 years. I would NOT enlist then try to get commission that way. You will likely to enter as an E3. However, its hard to get the evaluations you need, recommedations from high ranking officers because you are not visible until you put in some effort. Keep it in mind , if you go enlisted you now have another Job to focus on before you can get to Commissioning program. Leadership expects you to perform before recommend you. You will likely take 3 years to get your initial OCS application in. I see it as a step back. It seems easier to be a civilian in my opinion.

This is what I would have said.

 

[SeaWarrior]

So here’s a question I have to active duty out there. I applied to the February board and got a prorec-n. I finished my masters in leadership and reapplied for this board. If I don’t get selected this time I’m trying to figure out my next steps. I’m in a dead end job that I have no passion for. I’ve contemplating going enlisted and then trying to pursue a commission after that. Would you recommend this course? Why or why not.

Chin is right. I was enlisted for 6 years and the recruiter will tell you what you want to hear to make you feel warm and fuzzy in order for you to sign the dotted line. I wouldn't even talk to an enlisted recruiter unless OCS doesn't work out and you are dead set on a career in the Navy.

 

[Chin]

Chin is right. I was enlisted for 6 years and the recruiter will tell you what you want to hear to make you feel warm and fuzzy in order for you to sign the dotted line. I wouldn't even talk to an enlisted recruiter unless OCS doesn't work out and you are dead set on a career in the Navy.

Lol i love how us enlisted Sailors are all stand on this common ground. If i can go back, i wished i did try to go to college first instead of the Navy.

 

[n0rthstar]

FWIW, as I am not prior service:

I honestly think the only consistent advice I've been given about this is to not enlist thinking you'll commission later. That, and MEPS doctors are not your friends.

 

[HNB7332]

I'm the opposite. I'm so glad I enlisted. I wouldn't be the person I am today if I hadn't. The Navy has done so much good for me and if I had a choice I would still enlist first. I also had a great recruiter who was actually honest which is a big plus. It definately doesn't work that way for everyone and its unfortunate that there are shady recruiters who only care about numbers.

 

[almond_615]

So here’s a question I have to active duty out there. I applied to the February board and got a prorec-n. I finished my masters in leadership and reapplied for this board. If I don’t get selected this time I’m trying to figure out my next steps. I’m in a dead end job that I have no passion for. I’ve contemplating going enlisted and then trying to pursue a commission after that. Would you recommend this course? Why or why not.

I'm going to give you the same advice I would tell any of my junior Sailors. You have to think about what is most important to you. Service as a naval officer, service as an officer, or service. I've frequently told my junior Sailors to explore their options with other branches and the national guard branches as well as OCS because sometimes it just may end up working better for them in another branch.

If you want to be a Naval officer, I'd keep applying for the Navy. And if the degree you have isn't working for SWO, consider nursing or medical programs if you're eligible to apply to those types of post-graduate programs as well. I'm in the opposite boat, where I don't qualify for the designator I want, so I am applying SWO because I want to be a Naval officer.

Enlisting is the last thing I suggest. Some people will say you'll get more respect being a prior-e, but that's not always the case. Additionally, as others have mentioned, it could be even harder to get to OCS later. Enlisting is a tough road as well and there will be lots of challenges that you don't have control over which can impact whether you are allowed to apply later. And for what it's worth, if you do end up enlisting, do not go Corpsman, unless you want to be an e-3 for a very long time.

 

[almond_615]

Lol i love how us enlisted Sailors are all stand on this common ground. If i can go back, i wished i did try to go to college first instead of the Navy.

The sad part is, my recruiter knew I qualified for the NROTC BATT 2 miles from my house. And had I known, I would have had a much different career path. But they also got ninja punched for doing the things that recruiters do. My new recruiter was actually surprised at the amount of work they put in for me.

 

[GAhnee]

I had a statement in the page after Honor courage commitment block. think its remarks. It went something like this.
I wasnt selected back in board Xx and year XX. I had done XYZ to improve myself and see enclosure XYZ for proof. Ask for a board reconsideration Blah blah.
Its not exactly how i wrote but the quickview. For me i waited until i had two consecutive EP eval and with both different reporting senior and 3 SWO O6 appraisal. an LOR from my previous CO who now is an rear admiral O7. Hope it helps

This is solid advice, but more so for the active duty personnel. I separated from the Air National Guard in July, but even when I was putting my package together while I was in, I was considered a civilian applicant with prior service.
My advice for civilian applicants: if you have a low gpa, wait until you graduate to apply. I was told by @exNavyOffRec that it was a disservice to me that my recruiter sent my package in with a lower gpa before I graduated

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I'm the opposite. I'm so glad I enlisted. I wouldn't be the person I am today if I hadn't. The Navy has done so much good for me and if I had a choice I would still enlist first. I also had a great recruiter who was actually honest which is a big plus. It definately doesn't work that way for everyone and its unfortunate that there are shady recruiters who only care about numbers.

If I had to do it again I would because like you it set my path for the rest of my life. If a person has a goal of being an officer and has the GPA for it then going enlisted is taking the long route. I had a few that after sitting down with them what they wanted to do was along the lines of enlisted jobs, one wanted to be a linguist and spoke many languages, the other was a mechanical engineer but he wanted to turn wrenches on planes, what I had to offer did not line up with what they wanted to do.