<p>If you happen to have a S or D who did this please share how much he/she likes it. I know I would not be the only one interested in going from the academia into the military either as a career or as a prelude to the Real World. </p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>My brother went from the college ROTC program at Texas A&M to the Marine Corps and did well. A cousin got a basic degree at A&M (no ROTC participation) and then joined up and ended as a pilot. Some programs have you take basic training in the summer between the junior and senior college year. Then the student goes directly to Officer Candidate School right after graduation. </p>
<p>Make sure you talk to not just recruiters (who can promise a lot) but also to officers who recently did this (what you are trying to do here, I suspect). You can ask a local recruiter to put you in touch with another recent graduate from your college or home town. Or check local newspaper archives on line to search for recent Marine Officers completing training. Good luck!</p>
<p>ACCecil …</p>
<p>Take a look at the schools that offer Navy ROTC at <a href=“Naval Education and Training Command - NETC”>Naval Education and Training Command - NETC;
<p>If you were to contact one (or several) of these units, know that each Navy ROTC unit has a Marine Corps option representative. Those represetatives could help you with the questions you have, including getting a hold of recently commissioned USMC officers to discuss the transition from academia to the military.</p>
<p>S1 went to college on NROTC scholarship. He’s an Ensign (soon to be Lt. jg) in the Navy. He’s been in for twenty months now since commissioning May '09. He loves it and has no regrets. He had always wanted to be in the military. </p>
<p>ACCecil, do a search for U.S Marines Platoon Leaders Course. It’s a a good alternative to ROTC and OCS. A good friend of S1’s did Marines PLC.</p>
<p>The Marine Corps’ PLC (Platoon Leader’s Course) is the way to go. You get to Quantico for OCS during two of your college summers (only six weeks each). There is no commitment after the first summer. They want you to get a realistic look at the program. If you don’t like it, you can leave. If you don’t want them, they do not want you.</p>
<p>Go to a USMC recuiting office (or call them on the phone) and ask for the Officer Slection Officer. He or she won’t promise anything. You will get straight scoop.</p>
<p>Big thanks. Big thanks. </p>
<p>I will absolutely follow up on some of this information. </p>
<p>By the way, my OP is misleading. I am interested in hearing about being a marine officer after college for my kids NOT for me. I’m too old and ugly to be a marine. Plus, I do not run up hills. I also can’t follow order real well. </p>
<p>I’m not gay but nowadays that’s not an issue anymore. </p>
<p>Way to go Mr. Obama! If you want to serve, you should be able to serve.</p>
<p>You can be too old to be a Marine but you can never be too ugly . . . .</p>
<p>We recently attended a wedding at Quantico. My H and I ended up sitting at a table with a half dozen young officers at the reception, all of whom seemed highly enthusiastic about their career choice. A retired military officer made a toast to the bride and groom in which he said the groom’s allegiance would be service to country first and family second. The day that changed was the day it was time to find a new job. Every young marine at our table nodded in complete agreement, as did the bride.</p>
<p>Darling godson went to Marine officer training several years after graduation from engineering school. He had massive loans (his family provided no financial help for college), and some or all of the loans will be forgiven (bit by bit) depending on how long he stays in. (Sorry I don’t have a detailed explanation of how this will work.)</p>
<p>He is very happy with his decision. I met many of the officers that he trained with at his recent wedding and they also seemed happy with their choice.</p>
<p>You might want to read the book “One Bullet Away” by Nathaniel Fick. He’s a Dartmouth grad who became a Marine Corps officer after graduation, and participated in campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. (He joined before 9/11.)</p>
<p>There is nothing like the commitment of an officer in the Marine Corps. Almost without exception, they are a very purposeful bunch, happy and devoted. If the intention is not to be a ‘lifer’, the USMC officer has a lifetime of carryover skills, for life and for the workplace, and that first 4 years or so, they’re just a blip on the radar. </p>
<p>Not normally a Ronald Reagan fan, but he got it right when he said: “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don’t have that problem. They know they’ve made a difference.” </p>
<p>I wish him the best and Ooo-Rah!</p>
<p>My son is a Marine and I agree!!</p>
<p>My son met with a recruiter to discuss the Platoon Leaders Course at Quantico. He is a freshman in college. He would have the option of doing 6 weeks after freshmen or sophmore year and 10 weeks after Junior year. He would be paid during training, but as long as he accepted no scholarship money he would not be obligated to join the Marines after graduation. The Marines would also not be obligated to offer him a commission. The minimum requirment gradewise is a 2.0 and 1000 points on the critical reading and math, the recruiter was very happy to see S’s stats. There is also physical fitness reqirements as well. S hasn’t committed, he is also looking at other opportunites.</p>
<p>I have a friend whose son graduated from Franklin and Marshall and just started at Quantico.</p>
<p>With only a 2.0, one will never get near a commission.</p>
<p>glido, I am sure you are right, but the recruiter told my son 2.0 was the absolute minimum. S was surprised they condsidered the SAT as well and was also surprised by the relatively low score they would allow. The physical reqirements, ie minimum number of pull ups, how fast he could run (3 miles) I think were much tougher then the academic requirements.</p>