Posted on May 2, 2020
Would it be recommended to insert 5 or 6 letters of recommendation into my Army OCS packet?
15.6K
41
22
7
7
0
I figure it might be beneficial to give 6 letters of rec. for maximum results and endorsements, however maybe perhaps it might backfire and may not look good maxing out the letters of rec. Any thoughts on this would help. Thanks in advance!
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 9
I threw in one extra for my WOCS application, worked out well (from a MG). I believe when it comes to extra LORs that it is more of the quality and "who" wrote them, rather than how many you have. 3 extra LORs from teachers, CPTs, etc... they better write really well, an extra from a General/CW5/Congressperson, etc.. that'd make a statement.
(6)
(0)
As long as you have at minimum 3 letters of recommendation you will be fine. What makes you competitive isn’t so much the letters but everything else. The APFT, your ASVAB, college are some but the biggest one is just you. When you are sitting in front of the board be confident because how you portray yourself will carry more weight than anything in your packet.
(4)
(0)
Toshi Nara
sorry for the late reply, and yes absolutely agree with you. I am currently working in recruitment industry so the need for a strong interview is a must. To further give better candidacy for OCS I want to improve my packet in an effort that would stand out from the rest.
(0)
(0)
Two is enough. I had one to make a .warrant. One to go to OCS. I decided I did not want to die in Nam. 1969. Go warrant. And put your picture so we can see you scammer
(3)
(0)
You don't need 6. Have only 3. Ensure they are from quality high ranking military people or department heads. If you have a General Officer endorsement it's essentially what you need. If not, than great letters from people who are willing to back you with their name. Make sure this is employeers, volunteer organizations, etc. What makes you stand out? Ensure that's in a letter of recommendation.
(3)
(0)
My recommendation is that you get six letters of recommendation if you can. OCS applications are a bit more competitive than they used to be and they aren't sending too many people right now so there is probably a backlog of applicants.
It doesn't look bad maxing anything so long as they are good letters of rec.
It doesn't look bad maxing anything so long as they are good letters of rec.
(3)
(0)
2LT (Join to see)
MAJ Jason Sierakowski - Sir, although the items that a prospective candidate have more or less remained consistent, the selection process has in fact change. The USAREC boards have been re-instituted. The selection rate from one of them was 20%. The statistics for the board that occurred from the one 4 months ago are as follows:
126 applicants, 77 selected, 53 non selected. Gt average 132 Gpa avg 3.5 Apft avg 272
Any prospective OCS candidate should do everything in their power to make their application as competitive as possible, especially because of how many holdunders are currently in OCS.
126 applicants, 77 selected, 53 non selected. Gt average 132 Gpa avg 3.5 Apft avg 272
Any prospective OCS candidate should do everything in their power to make their application as competitive as possible, especially because of how many holdunders are currently in OCS.
(1)
(0)
Toshi Nara
I am currently prioritizing in making a competitive ocs packet by improving my ASVAB score, building relationships for LoRs, staying consistent with workout routines, volunteering, are some of the tasks I am doing. Overall, I graduated a 3.15 GPA in a liberal arts degree but I plan to make up for that with improving everything else.
(0)
(0)
2LT (Join to see)
Toshi Nara The most important thing is your PT score. They probably won't even look at your ASVAB score.
(1)
(0)
I also would like to know. I've got 4 solid ones and can get more if need be
(3)
(0)
2LT (Join to see)
Sergeant, thinks are a bit different for in-service candidates. You are an E-7. You should be fine. Just expect the process to take a while.
(2)
(0)
2LT (Join to see)
Also, be prepared to be treated like a child again. Although cadre *might* treat you with more respect when you talk with them one-on-one, you are back in TRADOC and will be sporting a Camelbak.
(2)
(0)
MAJ Byron Oyler
2LT (Join to see) - He is right if you are commissioning from a SFC to 2LT. It is painful and if you take away the pay difference, I would rather go back to E1 than O1. Then when you make MAJ, gold in the Army means you are at the bottom. MAJ are at the bottom of the field grades and I have felt it.
(1)
(0)
I had 6 in mine (PSG, 1SG, BC, BN XO, CSM, BN CDR). Quality is more important than quantity honestly. Letters from people that truly know you and can attest to your character and fitness to lead soldiers will be far more impactful. Regardless if that’s 3, 4, 5, or 6.
(2)
(0)
Read This Next