Honest answers. Suggestions. Any info really please!
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  1. #1
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    Honest answers. Suggestions. Any info really please!

    I'm very interested in joining. I have a degree and would plan to go to ocs rather than enlist. I'm concerned with the fitness. I'm working on overall fitness and run times. What's a safe run time to go in with without dying lol. Also, what is the schooling like? Is it kind of like you learn everything there or should I prepare myself in some way for that? What are your general tips or experiences? What would you have likes to know ahead of time? I'm trying get some well rounded info before visiting a recruiter as I've heard they BS you. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

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  2. #2
    1) You'll be going to see an OFFICER SELECTION OFFICER, not a recruiter. Go to Officer.Marines.com, fill out the info and an Officer Selection Officer will contact you. Officers and enlisted go through completely different recruitment pipelines.

    2) An OSO won't BS you. He really has no need for you specifically, and there are 30 other potential candidates he has lined up to take your spot. He'll give you the facts, and let you decide if it's for you. He won't "BS you" or make it seem awesome just to get you in.

    3) OCS selection rates are notoriously low. You don't simply apply for OCS and go. You have to submit an application where they evaluate you on the whole person concept, then a board of Marine officers decides whether or not you get selected to attend OCS. Once at OCS, failure to meet standards will eventually result in you getting dropped from OCS and sent home with a final paycheck and no further commitment to the Marine Corps.

    4) I can't really answer your fitness question since it's extremely vague and I have no idea what your current fitness level is. Just understand that you won't even be remotely competitive for selection to OCS with a PFT lower than maybe 282. What is your current fitness level? Do you run? How many pullups can you do?

    5) You seem to have some major misconceptions about the Marine Officer Program and the process of getting into OCS. If you really want to be a Marine Officer, perhaps you should take some initiative and do some research on the process. Also, don't be thrown by the "school" portion of Officer Candidates School. It's EXTREMELY physically and mentally tasking, and failure to keep up for 10 weeks will result in you going home early without a commission.

    Finally, if you have some specific questions, feel free to ask them. However, the vague questions you posed are hard to answer specifically. Vague questions beget vague answers. We have Marine officers on here who have completed OCS in it's entirety. I completed the PLC Jrs program (at OCS) but never went back for Seniors due to some issues out of my control; So I can offer some insight into the training. One thing I'd wished I knew ahead before going; how fast and frequent the runs would be. They tell you that the first run is set at an 8 min pace to break you in...but it's really more like a 6:30ish min/mile pace. It took me a bit to acclimate to the runs. I wished I had gotten my run to sub 20 before hand.


  3. #3
    USMC 2571
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    Mike, excellent response as usual.


  4. #4
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    Great! Your response has given me some good insight. I've been trying to research online but it's hard to find what the right information is specific to me since I have no one that can verify if the info is correct. Very happy to hear I won't be lied to, that takes a tremendous amount of anxiety out of it. I do run, I need to shave a little more time off the three mile run I read somewhere that 31 min for a female is lowest acceptable and while I'm under that, I want to be better. Just filled out the info for oso. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer me.


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    Obviously there is the stuff on the actual Marine Corps website but I guess I just want to hear it in different terms.


  6. #6
    USMC 2571
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    That's one of the current myths, that all recruiters lie, like they have to in order to sign people up, when in fact people are beating down the doors to get in and are being rejected for many reasons.....where this myth came from, I have no idea, but I'm glad it's dispelled, at least on this one thread.


  7. #7
    If you are concerned about your fitness level, you are not officer material. The primary objective of OCS is to evaluate your potential to lead 18-20 year old Marines (that's why one is an officer candidate). That means, leading them from the front in all situations and circumstances mentally, morally, emotionally, physically, appearance, military bearing, etc. When you can look in the mirror and confidently say that's where you're at, then you're ready to go talk to an OSO.


  8. #8
    USMC 2571
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    Good luck to the OP, though, and there will be plenty of other responses here. If you want to narrow down some of your questions, as suggested by LCPL1341, you can do so on this same thread, makes no difference how long it is or how involved it gets, that's what this section of the forum is for, after all. People here are glad to answer questions and to help in any way they can.


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    I am by no means out of shape, but I've read that it can be challenging even for people in good shape. I guess I asked inappropriately, I don't want to be good I would like to go in, if I'm accepted, great.


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    Your right. Good is not enough, be GREAT !!!


  11. #11

    Everything is a test

    Let me offer some quick insight on OCS. If you are passing your college courses, then the classes at OCS are pretty simple. As was noted above, the primary purpose of OCS is to screen and evaluate officer candidates for their potential to lead Marines under tough conditions. It’s hard to replicate the types of situations and stresses that an officer of Marines may face, so at OCS that stress must be engineered. Here are acouple of ways that they do that: First and foremost, they wear you out physically. You will PT every day – and there is a reason for that. As any Marine who has ever deployed in a combat roll will tell you, you’re never in good enough shape. Also, the OCS staff wants to view how you react to certain situations when you are physically and mentally tired. If you are not in great physical condition when you report to OCS, you are already behind the curve. Second, they will give you problems throughout the program that are either difficult to solve with the resources given, or that don’t have a viable solution within the timeframe allotted – in otherwords, they are designed for you to fail – simply to see how you approach the problem, what you do when you find out that you don’t have the resources, and how you react when you come close but fail. Keep in mind, that everything (and I mean everything) is an evaluation – when instructions (‘the word’) change 5 times over the matter of an hour, it’s not because the staff is screwed up, it’s to see how you react. When the vehicles are supposed to pick you up at 1500 and they don’tarrive until 1800, that’s on purpose. When you need 20 feet of rope and they give you an 18 foot rope, that’s on purpose. When they deliver 8 MREs for your team of 15 candidates, that’s on purpose too. Get the picture?

    Your muscles will be sore and tight regardless of how good a shape you are in when you report – but if you are struggling to keep up (or can’t keep up), then your time as an officer candidate is doomed. In an earlier post you mentioned the minimum run time allowed – nothing about OCS is associated with meeting the minimum standards. As was mentioned above, OCS is competitive – there are many more folks who want to be officers of Marines than the Marine Corps has slots, so only the top “X” percent will be offered a commission. It’s a worthy goal, and the journey is difficult – and once you pin on those bars you’ll discover that OCS was easy in comparison with what you will be asked to do - but it’s worth it.


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