Posted on Jun 15, 2021
What advice would you give to a college junior who is interested in OCS?
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Hello everyone,
I am a college student going into junior year this fall. Recently I have been interested in joining the military and I have concluded the army is the best for my interests. I want to become an officer but I am really struggling to decide whether I should finish my degree and go for OCS or maybe enlisting and then attempting a Green to Gold (like three recruiters have already suggested). I would love to get some advice from different people to make a more fair assessment of what I should do.
A little bit about myself: I am studying in a top 14 university going for a BS in a stem field and I should finish with a pretty high GPA (above 3.6). I also did pretty well on my SAT so I should be competitive on that as well.
My first question is: is G2G really as guaranteed as it sounds? All of the recruiters I have spoken to have made it sounds like its a sure way of becoming an officer but people online have been warning that all recruiters say that and not to trust it as much.
Second question: If I get into OCS with a bachelors, would I have any opportunities to have the Army pay for a masters degree?
3rd question: if I am planning on doing OCS is there anything I could do as a junior in college to make the process of joining the army as an officer faster (maybe like starting basic training the summer before)?
4th question: is it really that tough to end up with a desirable job after OCS unless you finish top 5 percent?
I really appreciate anyone who takes the time to give me some input and share some advice. Thank you!
I am a college student going into junior year this fall. Recently I have been interested in joining the military and I have concluded the army is the best for my interests. I want to become an officer but I am really struggling to decide whether I should finish my degree and go for OCS or maybe enlisting and then attempting a Green to Gold (like three recruiters have already suggested). I would love to get some advice from different people to make a more fair assessment of what I should do.
A little bit about myself: I am studying in a top 14 university going for a BS in a stem field and I should finish with a pretty high GPA (above 3.6). I also did pretty well on my SAT so I should be competitive on that as well.
My first question is: is G2G really as guaranteed as it sounds? All of the recruiters I have spoken to have made it sounds like its a sure way of becoming an officer but people online have been warning that all recruiters say that and not to trust it as much.
Second question: If I get into OCS with a bachelors, would I have any opportunities to have the Army pay for a masters degree?
3rd question: if I am planning on doing OCS is there anything I could do as a junior in college to make the process of joining the army as an officer faster (maybe like starting basic training the summer before)?
4th question: is it really that tough to end up with a desirable job after OCS unless you finish top 5 percent?
I really appreciate anyone who takes the time to give me some input and share some advice. Thank you!
Posted in these groups: 
Officer Candidate School (OCS) (Army)
Green to Gold
Officer Candidate School (OCS) (Army) Green to Gold
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 10
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LTC (Join to see)
LTC Jason Mackay exactly like, why take the risks of applying to OCS some time in the future when he could do ROTC, get benefit now and lock in a commission.
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Recruiters will always tell you to enlist because that is their job, and to be honest, it's a pretty 100% works out in the end solution. That doesn't mean it's the best solution for you. It takes money and sacrifice to get the education to become an officer. How that works into your personal life and situation the best depends on where you are with your life and family and how much suck you can take. Most officers who accessed as officers will tell you to join as an officer and most officers who accessed as enlisted will tell you to enlist first. The best path for you to take to become an officer is the one that works best for you. No single path is better than another.
First question: there are three G2G paths, some more competitive than others. The non-scholarship option is almost guaranteed acceptance if you meet the basic requirements because you will use your GI Bill to pay for it. Zero risk for the Army.
Second Question: You can still use TA as an officer for a Masters, it just incurs an Active Duty Service Obligation. There are also Masters Programs you may be competitive for
Third Question: you can't join for OCS until you are qualified, meaning you have a Bachelors.
Fourth question: OCS is competitive and you probably will not end up in the top five percent. Everyone is better than you, more experienced, and they are all at the top of their game as well. You will be surrounded by the best of the Army's best competing for a starting position among them. Regardless of that, the Army places people where they need them. The top five percent aren't guaranteed anything and who gets what choices will vary from class to class. "Needs of the Army" is the phrase you will hear a lot. The most likely outcome is that you will end up in combat arms, or branch detailed to combat arms for the first few years. In my limited experience, many of the officers who are branch detailed to combat arms love it and consider those years to be some of the best of their careers.
But, this is my view as an enlisted NCO and the observations of other officers who have taken this route will have more weight than mine.
First question: there are three G2G paths, some more competitive than others. The non-scholarship option is almost guaranteed acceptance if you meet the basic requirements because you will use your GI Bill to pay for it. Zero risk for the Army.
Second Question: You can still use TA as an officer for a Masters, it just incurs an Active Duty Service Obligation. There are also Masters Programs you may be competitive for
Third Question: you can't join for OCS until you are qualified, meaning you have a Bachelors.
Fourth question: OCS is competitive and you probably will not end up in the top five percent. Everyone is better than you, more experienced, and they are all at the top of their game as well. You will be surrounded by the best of the Army's best competing for a starting position among them. Regardless of that, the Army places people where they need them. The top five percent aren't guaranteed anything and who gets what choices will vary from class to class. "Needs of the Army" is the phrase you will hear a lot. The most likely outcome is that you will end up in combat arms, or branch detailed to combat arms for the first few years. In my limited experience, many of the officers who are branch detailed to combat arms love it and consider those years to be some of the best of their careers.
But, this is my view as an enlisted NCO and the observations of other officers who have taken this route will have more weight than mine.
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Mauricio Cervantes
Thank you very much for the comprehensive response, it helps me a lot. I appreciate the time you took to write this.
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You are halfway through. Contact ROTC and an officer recruiter and talk about options for becoming an Officer. Stay in school and finish what you started. Enlisting will do nothing but push back you finishing your degree for years while you go through training and submit for programs to finish your degree when you are already where you need to be to finish.
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