Becoming a Military Officer after college?

Question

Hello,
I'm really interested in becoming an officer in the US military after I graduate from college. From what I understand, college graduates are guaranteed officer rankings...Second Lt I believe...However, I'd have to apply to a military academy upon graduation. What I want to know is...are my information correct? How competitive are these academies? How long is my obligation to the military (when can I resign)?...and would anybody recommend this path?

Thanks!

Answer 1

way off base. First, having a college degree does NOT guarantee you will be offered a Commission. Second, with a college degree if you were to apply to an Academy you would have to do all four years all over again( NO CREDITS transfer)

If you are currently in college,look into ROTC. even 2 years can help you with a commission. otherwise, you apply to OCS of your chosen Branch. depending on which community and Branch you choose, your obligation can be as long as ten years or as short as six or eight.

Competition is usually fierce. you are not only competing against civilians with no experience, you are also competing against enlisted personnel. Right now the Army has the highest acceptance..with about 99% of eligible candidates being offered Commissions. everybody else you can expect a less than 50% acceptance rate, with some branches being in the low teens.

Answer 2

No guarantee of a commission as an officer.

You do not have to apply to a militay academy, though that is a path you may take.

If you wish to attend a military academy, as the service academies are undergraduate programs, you'd want to apply sooner than later, as a fresman or sophomore, definitely not after you already have a degree.

The academies are very competitve. Go here: http://admissions.usma.edu/prospectus/step_home.cfm

Aside from the acadamies, you can also do ROTC, as either undergraduate or graduate. Reserve Officer Training Corps, is additional coursework to your degree program that will help prepare you to be a military officer.

Another option is Officer Candidate School. This would be best for someone with a degree that is not intending, or not intending now, to persue a graduate degree. Much like OCS, but a dedicated program of officer training.

There is also the Direct Commission, a commissioning channel open to outstanding, well qualified, enlisted members, on an occassional basis (legal and medical officers are often direct commissioned, and the program for thes is alost always open--other branches are generally only open in the event of a shortage.

Answer 3

About everything you said is wrong, so I will help you out.

You would not go to an Academy because these are 4 year schools and you are probably not looking for another undergrad degree.

This leaves you with Officer candidate School, ROTC, or Direct Commission.

You are not Guaranteed an Officer rank, if you don't have a good GT score they will not send you to OCS.

If you are not a DR or Lawyer you will probably not get a Direct Commission.

You can go ROTC and get a masters while you do it and then you will be an officer, or you can enlist for OCS but get OCS in your contract or you will end up a grunt somewhere.

If you do OCS you are committed for 4 years
ROTC without Scholarship 3 years
ROTC with Scholarship 4 years
Academy 5 years

Bottom line BA is not = to LT

Answer 4

If you apply and are accepted into an officer slot, then you are guaranteed a commissioned rank. But you can also join the regular enlisted forces with a college degree. Military academies require application packages including Congressional nominations and demand that their candidates be the best of the best with outstanding academic and extracurricular performance. Acceptance into the academies is extremely competitive. Once you graduate from an academy, you are obligated to serve for a minimum number of years (not quite sure how many). In my opinion, the academy route is the most difficult way to get your commission. If you already have you degree, you might as well apply for OCS or OTS. You may wish to speak with a recruiter about your options.

Answer 5

My husband and my eldest son both graduated from university with a degree and then entered OCS (Officer Candidate School) where the military service branch trains you on how to become an officer. The training period lasts about 5 months and then you are a commissioned officer. Talk to a recruiter for whatever branch of the service that you wish to join. You have to serve four years as a commissioned officer. Should you fail to complete the OCS training period, you then have to give that service time as an enlisted person. My husband retired after 20 years service and my son is just starting his career.

Answer 6

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Becoming a Military Officer after college?
Hello,
I'm really interested in becoming an officer in the US military after I graduate from college. From what I understand, college graduates are guaranteed officer rankings...Second Lt I believe...However, I'd have to apply to a military academy upon graduation. What I want to know...

Answer 7

Well you can achieve this one of two ways
1. through any academy whic is very competitive these acadeyms not only look at your grade but they deffina=itly look at extra cirricular activities and physical fitnes the application to get into an acadeym roughly takes about 1-1.5 years! Im currently in the middle of my application process right now.
and when you get out of the academy your a required a minimum either 4 of 5 years before you can get out

2. The other way is though a civilian collelg that has an ROTC unit available you do this program all 4 years you are in college and upon graduation you go to OTS(Offricer Training School...it's only 90 days long) when you complet this lass you the recieve your wonderful rank of 2nd Lt.

Answer 8

The military academies are, themselves, four-year degree-granting schools. You go to an academy or you go to civilian college. If you go to civilian college, you can participate in the ROTC program at the college and be commissioned on graduation, or you can complete your degree and then apply with a recruiter for Officer Training School (not an academy).

Everybody who enters the military incurs an 8-year military service obligation, some portion of which can be served in the inactive reserves.

Answer 9

You can either go ROTC while in school or OCS (officer canidate school) after school. You don't have to go to a service academy to be an officer.

Go to the web site for the service you are interested in and they should have a listing for officer recruiters in your area.

Answer 10

You have to tell us which branch you are interested in.

I am former Navy enlisted....and just because you got that degree doesn't mean jack buddy. It depends on if you want to go surface, air, or be a bubble head. This is not a decision you can make overnight. You better get to researching hard core.
Good Luck, with it you will find a Quartermaster like me, that cared about his junior officers in the Navy.