Which makes a soldier stand out more from his peers: a 300 pt score or a Bachelor’s degree?

Neither one on it's own. These things matter when it comes down to the promotion and points. 40% of promotion points are weapons and APFT score, all other items to include civilian education is accumulated to the remaining 60%. In all things considered, a high APFT score is great, but not impressive. A BS or BA from an accredited school means more in the long run. At the end of the day, you score 300 once every six months, you will always be a college graduate no matter what once you complete the degree. After 18 years of service; I can tell you this, when is time to create a resume for a career after the Army, what do you want listed? "300 APFT score" or "BS from such and such university with a 3.8 GPA"? Don't take me wrong, apft is the most important thing to do every morning, but is not the only thing you do all day.

Having a 300 APFT is going to be a thing of the past with this new Army Combat fitness test because, in my belief, you'll want to conserve your energy and just do the minimum so you have enough energy for the 2-mile Run. I am a soldier that has been in the Army for over 20 years and I have attained a 300 APFT for half that time. I would say the bachelor's degree is more important because with that, you can get the promotion points for NCO or you can get into officer candidate school and become a commissioned officer. If you don't want to be an officer, the bachelor's degree will do more than the 300 APFT. We have less than two years before the old APFT goes away. Do your best to stay in shape, stay away from stay away from cigarettes and chew. Why get mouth cancer? You can stay awake in other ways. This is just my opinion but I used to be a specialist (E-4) prior to being commissioned. Those are 300 APFT could help you out on the order of Merit list, once we go to the new Army Combat fitness test oh, it's going to be a totally new animal. In the meantime, do your best for the APFT. I have one next Thursday and I am trying for a 300 though most likely I will get a 295 because I can't run as fast as I used to. I am also 56 years old.

This is not an either/or situation. One if the principles of leadership is to know yourself and seek self improvement.

The answer is to develop yourself physically and mentally. Doing anything less makes you less than your potential.

A leader is both a scholar and a warrior, so go to the gym as well as the education center. This will make you stand out.

When I retired, I had a masters degree as well as a string of maxed PT tests.

Neither is uniquely impressive, in and of itself. No one says “oh sh*t, here comes SPC snuffy, he has a bachelors..”. Or, “oh sh*t, here comes SPC snuffy, he got a 300 APFT.” You can find soldiers with either, in a wide array of MOSs, every day.

However, it was my experience that a maxed out APFT just about always tends to be one of the first questions when assessing a soldier. Going to a promotion board? “What’s his PT score?” Just got a DUI and the Commander is trying to figure out a level of punishment? “Well What’s his PT score?”

The best way for a soldier to stand out is to consistently put in a best effort. If 270 is the absolute very best you can muster, great. It’s better than a 290 from a guy that could max out+, but half-asses his way through it. One of the best ways soldiers stand out is by maximizing their potential.

It depends on what you mean by stand out, and stand out to whom. For example, on a day to day basis in a soldiers platoon/company, a max PT test will probably cause you to stand out, because all the soldiers taking the test at the same time will actually see you excel, and PT is a daily event. Having a degree isn't something others see every day, and in many cases wouldn't manifest itself in daily job performance.

OTOH, if you want to stand out to an OCS board, for example, the degree is something important. So it sort of all depends on what kind of standing out you are talking about.

others have answered your question, but i'm going to throw in my opinion from another direction. from what i saw during my career, the soldiers who stood out the most were the "team players". those were the ones who offered assistance to other solders when they were done with their own work and asked for nothing in return. it was the ncos who were willing to workout with other ncos or soldiers to help improve their fitness or help them prepare for a board, and then not boast about what an awesome nco they are. it was the 1sg who helped teach a young solder how to drive by having that soldier be their driver during stx week. i think you get the picture. continue to build on your education and keep working out, and remember, always be a team player

They both equally display a commitment to excellence, on physical and one mental. The key it to be well rounded in your development and understand the “Total Soldier Concept”. I like to simplify this as Character, Commitment, and Competence. Strive for excellence and you will stand out from your peers - but understand the point isn’t necessarily to stand out from them - it’s to develop yourself into the best leader you can be.

For what its worth I agree that being an overall, well rounded soldier is the best policy. But always keep in mind its important to make connections with people that will help your career along. I like to associate with like minded, positive people. The ones always complaining and counting the days until their ETS are not going to help. Getting a degree is an accomplishment within itself and not a thing that many will accomplish. I think it speaks for itself based upon the level of commitment that it takes. And a great PT score is impressive, however it is not the end all be all in the scope of a well rounded soldier. Just my two cents.

In 5 years when private snuffy has a bum knee and a jacked up back from being ran through the mud and he's got that permanent walking profile, he will still have his bachelor's....but his 300 will be nonexistent. Pt scores only matter for the now, a bachellors is for life.

Your peers probably dont care about either one. Your leadership might, but not by themselves individually. If you cant do your job the APFT score is useless, if you're a shitbag the Bachelors wont hold much water. When considering personnel and making plans or changes, leadership needs to use a holistic look at the Soldier. There are many bad characteristics that could offset having both.
Speaking of both, why does it have to be a choice? Use your TA and get your BA, and maintain a 300 APFT.