Posted on Aug 28, 2023
How can I determine if I am competitive enough for Green to Gold ADO or OCS?
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Hello all,
I am a SGT currently in the process of applying for Green to Gold ADO for my MBA. I have an associate in arts degree with a 3.44 and working towards my bachelor’s degree in business administration with a 3.556 GPA. I am also working on 4 Undergraduate Certificates to beef up my resume: Accounting Foundations, Management, Advanced Management, and Leadership/Ethics. I have a 117 GT score and my ACFT score is my only real downfall which is currently a 480 but I will be retaking it soon. I have been in almost 7 years and held numerous leadership positions from squad leader, Platoon Sergeant, and I currently serve as my company’s Operations Sergeant. I will be getting an LOR from my current company commander, previous company commander, BC which is an SF LTC, an SF MAJ, and a CW2. Am I competitive enough for Green to Gold or should I look at doing OCS instead?
Thank you!
I am a SGT currently in the process of applying for Green to Gold ADO for my MBA. I have an associate in arts degree with a 3.44 and working towards my bachelor’s degree in business administration with a 3.556 GPA. I am also working on 4 Undergraduate Certificates to beef up my resume: Accounting Foundations, Management, Advanced Management, and Leadership/Ethics. I have a 117 GT score and my ACFT score is my only real downfall which is currently a 480 but I will be retaking it soon. I have been in almost 7 years and held numerous leadership positions from squad leader, Platoon Sergeant, and I currently serve as my company’s Operations Sergeant. I will be getting an LOR from my current company commander, previous company commander, BC which is an SF LTC, an SF MAJ, and a CW2. Am I competitive enough for Green to Gold or should I look at doing OCS instead?
Thank you!
Posted in these groups: 
Green to Gold
Officer Candidate School (OCS) (Army)
Green to Gold Officer Candidate School (OCS) (Army)
Edited 8 mo ago
Posted 8 mo ago
Responses: 1
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SGT(P) (Join to see) Have you already gotten the letter of acceptance from the PMS? What school are you looking at?
Green to Gold is the better option to let you focus on your studies (and keep your base pay). You could finish an online MBA after OCS (still a selection process), but you would have arguably a better training environment on the path to a commission with the price tag of you footing the bill for the graduate degree.
It really depends on what you want to get out of the deal. Either way, I would recommend you submit. You lose nothing if you don't get it and OCS application is always a path.
As for your competitiveness, it varies by cohort and who the board members are for each one. But I guarantee they are utilizing the Scholar, Athlete, Leader, (SAL) concept to identify top candidates:
They will be combing through your transcripts to evaluate academic rigor relative to the classes you have taken versus the grades you received. A 3.44 means little to Army officers when the degree was Art History and you had 20 electives in basket weaving and failed PoliSci twice. (not disparaging your Art degree)
They will look at your 1059s for PME. Were you Honor Graduate or "exceeds course standards"? Did you do more than just BLC and DLC I and II?
They will hammer you on ACFT. Reach for 540. Not that you won't get the scholarship with 480-500, but the test is easy to train for and they all know it.
Are you joining anything in the community? Volunteering, intramural, team anything? It's an often overlooked part, but some board members take note.
History of leadership positions: evaluated is key here. You mention that you were a squad leader and platoon sergeant, but do you have that on an evaluation? Is your Commander going to be able to sell your performance in their LOR? If I was one of the SELs on the board and saw that in your written statement, I would immediately go and look for that. It is one to say you did it as an E5 and a whole other to say you did it at the level that a standard E6/E7 would. But "you" can't make that assertion as an E5, one of your LORs would have to.
Green to Gold is the better option to let you focus on your studies (and keep your base pay). You could finish an online MBA after OCS (still a selection process), but you would have arguably a better training environment on the path to a commission with the price tag of you footing the bill for the graduate degree.
It really depends on what you want to get out of the deal. Either way, I would recommend you submit. You lose nothing if you don't get it and OCS application is always a path.
As for your competitiveness, it varies by cohort and who the board members are for each one. But I guarantee they are utilizing the Scholar, Athlete, Leader, (SAL) concept to identify top candidates:
They will be combing through your transcripts to evaluate academic rigor relative to the classes you have taken versus the grades you received. A 3.44 means little to Army officers when the degree was Art History and you had 20 electives in basket weaving and failed PoliSci twice. (not disparaging your Art degree)
They will look at your 1059s for PME. Were you Honor Graduate or "exceeds course standards"? Did you do more than just BLC and DLC I and II?
They will hammer you on ACFT. Reach for 540. Not that you won't get the scholarship with 480-500, but the test is easy to train for and they all know it.
Are you joining anything in the community? Volunteering, intramural, team anything? It's an often overlooked part, but some board members take note.
History of leadership positions: evaluated is key here. You mention that you were a squad leader and platoon sergeant, but do you have that on an evaluation? Is your Commander going to be able to sell your performance in their LOR? If I was one of the SELs on the board and saw that in your written statement, I would immediately go and look for that. It is one to say you did it as an E5 and a whole other to say you did it at the level that a standard E6/E7 would. But "you" can't make that assertion as an E5, one of your LORs would have to.
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LTC Trent Klug
Thank you for your response CSM William Everroad. Even this old man learned somethings from your post.
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SGT(P) (Join to see)
CSM Everroad,
Thank you for your response, it was very helpful and gave me some things to consider as well as talking points to discuss with my leadership. From what I have read using my GI Bill to finance my education is an option for G2G ADO cadets and is what I plan to use. As a husband and a father, financial stability was my biggest concern, and keeping my base pay while going to school is an appealing aspect of Active-Duty Option. Obtaining my MBA is a personal education goal regardless of the route to get the degree, the end goal of being a commissioned officer is the most important, it is just finding the pathway to get there.
I have only one 1059 as I haven’t secured an ALC slot yet. I did receive Commandant’s List in BLC, and I have completed DLC I and II. I am training to get my ACFT score up to a more competitive score of at least 540-550. As for volunteer work, I coach my sons’ t-ball and soccer teams, where in the packet would be a good place to mention this?
On my most recent NCOER I have them as additional duties because in my company they are not an MTOE slot but are articulated well in my NCOERs. My commander, previous 1SG, and current 1SG have fortunately been a driving force behind me getting into these positions as a junior NCO. They are tracking my education and career goals and put me in these positions to learn which I am very grateful for. I appreciate your input on if you were an SEL you would go back and check that on the evaluation, that is something I overlooked and I will verify it reflects accordingly. Thank you again CSM, your post was very informative and gave me a lot of valuable information.
Thank you for your response, it was very helpful and gave me some things to consider as well as talking points to discuss with my leadership. From what I have read using my GI Bill to finance my education is an option for G2G ADO cadets and is what I plan to use. As a husband and a father, financial stability was my biggest concern, and keeping my base pay while going to school is an appealing aspect of Active-Duty Option. Obtaining my MBA is a personal education goal regardless of the route to get the degree, the end goal of being a commissioned officer is the most important, it is just finding the pathway to get there.
I have only one 1059 as I haven’t secured an ALC slot yet. I did receive Commandant’s List in BLC, and I have completed DLC I and II. I am training to get my ACFT score up to a more competitive score of at least 540-550. As for volunteer work, I coach my sons’ t-ball and soccer teams, where in the packet would be a good place to mention this?
On my most recent NCOER I have them as additional duties because in my company they are not an MTOE slot but are articulated well in my NCOERs. My commander, previous 1SG, and current 1SG have fortunately been a driving force behind me getting into these positions as a junior NCO. They are tracking my education and career goals and put me in these positions to learn which I am very grateful for. I appreciate your input on if you were an SEL you would go back and check that on the evaluation, that is something I overlooked and I will verify it reflects accordingly. Thank you again CSM, your post was very informative and gave me a lot of valuable information.
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CSM William Everroad
SGT(P) (Join to see) - The volunteerism is something you would discuss with your LOR writers. Typically, when a senior Officer or NCO is asked to write an academy LOR, they should ask to sit down with you and go over selection criteria (or at the very least ask you what the board is looking for). That will shape the conversation. From there they should craft the letter to reflect what they know about you in light of the criteria and what you discussed. It does your packet no good to have a stale LOR that addresses things that are great, like always performs above expectations, but doesn't address anything the board is looking for.
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CSM William Everroad
LTC Trent Klug - That is what I love about RP, I am still learning as well. There are quite a few knowledgable folks lurking about that know some of the most niche and random things.
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