Posted on Oct 12, 2018
Minimum College GPA to Qualify for Army OCS?
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My son is a college graduate and is interested in going to Army OCS. He's 24 years old and in excellent physical condition. He was a solid C student while in college so his GPA was not stellar, but it was more due to a lack of effort than lack of intelligence. He's snapped out of it now and has realized the value of giving everything he does his very best (be all you can be!), and he REALLY wants to be an Army officer, but the recruiter he spoke with is insisting he can't go to Army OCS without a higher GPA.
My understanding is that the Army does not have a minimum GPA requirement for OCS -- so long as the person applying has earned a degree from an accredited college/university and has no other issues, they are qualified to be considered.
Is that still true -- that the degree itself is the main criteria -- or have the standards changed for admission to OCS and there is now a minimum GPA required?
My understanding is that the Army does not have a minimum GPA requirement for OCS -- so long as the person applying has earned a degree from an accredited college/university and has no other issues, they are qualified to be considered.
Is that still true -- that the degree itself is the main criteria -- or have the standards changed for admission to OCS and there is now a minimum GPA required?
OCS
Recruiter
Officer Candidate
Potential Recruit
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 21
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Everyone taking basic training , almost right off the bat we were all marched across base Ft. Ord (1969) and tested for days on end not physical just paper . I one failed they were removed to their assembly area to wait finally after 3 days of passing , I realized all my platoon were in formation outside waiting for the last man (me and two others to keep passing those tests. ie getting up tight . so on the 3rd day I purposely failed . Yet still I qualified for OCS . Hint last time I looked 4 yr grad is almost an automatic acceptance for OCS or possibly commission as a 2nd LT. but that was many moons ago
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I told my kids to try hard in life, that will minimize the bridges you burn.
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I just went through the process. As long as he has his degree, he should be fine. However, if the topic comes up during the interview, then he has to be able to explain why his GPA is low. As long as he has solid reasons, then he's good to go.
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I am currently a recruiter for the Army, and i assure you that GPA is taken into consideration. To apply for PCS, the applicant has to appear before a board usually consisting of company commanders and the battalion commander. The GPA is not a disqualifier, but it is something they strongly consider and will question during the interview. I can tell you that in ROTC, A 2.8 GPA won't be competitive enough to get an active duty officer position.
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SGT (Join to see)
I want to be clear though, your son has the qualifications to appear before the board though. It just met be recommended he go as a reserve officer or enlist first. It depends on Army needs and how he performs at the board. He should by all means continue the process if that is his true goal. A recruiter should not tell him he isn't qualified, just inform him of possible outcomes of the board and alternative course of action if not recommended.
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5 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Doing ROTC
I recently got asked to make a 5 Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Joined the Army video and decided to make one for ROTC first. These are the 5 things I th...
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If your son can run 2 miles in under 13 minutes and do over 100 pushups and do over 85 sit-ups then he will be looked favorably by the Cadre. The Army is changing the physical fitness test in 2 years and being a PT stud will be much harder. When I was younger, I could do those standards I just described. It open doors for me even though I wasn't the sharpest pencil in the bunch. Physical fitness will help your son greatly!
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Just lock the little bastard up in the basement for two weeks, give him sammiches and ASVAB books. Then send him over to the MEPS building to take the ASVAB. Cross fingers for 110GT+ and a smiling young dapper dan man....and he'll be off to the races. Oh, throw a treadmill down there too....don't want him failing the entrance PT test.
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Patricia McIntosh-Mize
Oh he is well supplied with ASVAB study materials. Alas, he No worries on the PT part -- the kid is in great shape. Unfortunately locking him up is not an option because he has his own place with his brother. :-D
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OCS candidates should be selected from applicants that are within the ranks. I used to tell my solders - forget everything you mom every told you - it will get you killed. Listen to you NCO that wears a CIB. Experience as a junior ranking soldier is essential to becoming a good officer from OCS. Without troop experience you child will not do well in OCS and worse as a new butter bar - that thinks they know what they are doing.
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COL James Krilich
Its not the enemy that kills you - its your lack of cognizance to stay ahead of what is happening around you and inability to control it to your advantage.
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Patricia McIntosh-Mize
I appreciate your submitting a more thoughtful and respectful response. Your opinion is duly noted.
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Your screwing everything up. OCS is for enlisted people that are in the army that have proven themselves capable of being a leader. Having mommy try to create a contract with a recruiter that guarantees that her baby can get a guaranteed classroom seat - in OCS is as backwards and insulting as it gets. Your baby should simply enlist in the Army and then after a year, apply for OCS .
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Patricia McIntosh-Mize
I don't think I care for your tone, Colonel, nor your spelling. And don't put words in my mouth. (It's "you're screwing everything up," not "your...")
OCS is for whoever meets the criteria the Army has set forth, enlisted or otherwise. I am not trying to "create a contract with a recruiter." I am trying to help my son differentiate between what is fact and what is fiction when he's dealing with these used car salesmen in fatigues you call recruiters. Back off with the attitude. It's just rude.
OCS is for whoever meets the criteria the Army has set forth, enlisted or otherwise. I am not trying to "create a contract with a recruiter." I am trying to help my son differentiate between what is fact and what is fiction when he's dealing with these used car salesmen in fatigues you call recruiters. Back off with the attitude. It's just rude.
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My recommendation is to find a recruiter that is willing to work with him to build an OCS packet. How the board considers GPA is heavily dependent on the major the applicant pursued. STEM degrees are given more leeway than liberal arts degrees which is why I think a minimum GPA requirement is suspect.
Have your son find a new recruiter/station and walk in with the intention to build an OCS packet. Enlisting is a much quicker route for recruiters which incentivizes them to talk potential recruits into a regular enlistment. While enlisting a recruit into OCS is worth more in points, the process is lengthy and the chance for something to interrupt it is higher.
To be crass, you don't want someone building a packet for your son that doesn't think he will be selected or doesn't want him to commission.
Have your son find a new recruiter/station and walk in with the intention to build an OCS packet. Enlisting is a much quicker route for recruiters which incentivizes them to talk potential recruits into a regular enlistment. While enlisting a recruit into OCS is worth more in points, the process is lengthy and the chance for something to interrupt it is higher.
To be crass, you don't want someone building a packet for your son that doesn't think he will be selected or doesn't want him to commission.
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