College now?

[Smalcom]

Ive been getting offers from schools to go to college and run XC and track for them. An Oregon state rep came to my house offering a full ride.

I really have no idea what to do now.

[Marine84]

OK then....................flip a coin - heads, you go in the Corps.............tails, you go to college

[devildoghopeful]

Remember you can still join the Corps after college, only you have the option of going to Officer Candidates School through the Platoon Leaders Class or the NROTC and becoming an officer. Even then if you don't want to become an officer then you can still go enlisted right? If Enlisted is what you really want then the question is: can you/do you want to wait four more years?

[marinegreen]

Damn dude !! Take that full ride scholarship and (run) with it,not to many get that oppurtunity.The Marine Corps will still be there when you graduate and then should you still wanna be a Marine, become a officer !! Dont pass up a full ride scholarship......................
MG

[Camper51]

Only a huge fool would pass up a full ride scholarship. All that crap you stuff into your brain is yours forever and can never be taken away from you. You can still join the Corps after college and you can choose to be an enlisted person or a leader of Marines as an officer (more money, too). You open more doors with that education than you ever will by joining now and skipping the education. I know what I am talkin about because I am a high school dropout. Been there and done that, got the hat to prove it. Go for the education then go for the Corps...

[Achped]

For what it's worth, I turned down an all-expenses paid 4 year ROTC Army scholarship (which I spent hours applying for), once I learned what the Corps. was about.

Did you already DEP in? I did, and that's another reason why I feel like I have to continue with the course I'm already in. I don't think I'd be allowed to join the military "again" if I "got out" of my DEP commitment.

[Mike McIntyre]

What about NROTC?

[hawks]

Take the full ride, as soon as you step foot onto campus, APPLY FOR PLC, itll be two 6 week courses over the summer. Do it!

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

Take the full ride. Be a Beaver and embarass the Ducks for me. Nothing better than beating them at distance running... the one thing they've been good at.

[rktect3j]

Take the ride. Simple. Then join the Corps.

[quillhill]

Wow. First, congratulations. Getting a cross country scholarship, much less a full ride, to a Division I school is quite an accomplishment. You could always join the Corps and go to school later, heck even run then, too, but the scholarship may not be there.
I just hopped on the Oregon State Web site and it looks like they have a solid (from my untrained eye) NROTC program. You can even, through the NROTC program earn, a Naval Science Minor by doing a Marine Corps Sequence.
http://catalog.oregonstate.edu/Minor...806&college=11
Going to OSU and running in a very competitive conference like the Pac-10 can only give you a leg up when you do join the Corps, whether you go enlisted or officer. And with the NROTC program, you can do so much once you do graduate. It will open a lot of doors.
If you have your heart set on going enlisted after graduation, though, I can see why that's a tough choice.
Have you talked it over with parents? I know it's your decision, but I am curious what they think. Have you talked to your recruiter?
The Marine Corps is more than 200 years old. I suspect it will be around in a few years if you choose to go to college first.
Good luck. I know this will be a tough decision.

[Barret]

You could also go to the USMC Reserves, and be a Marine while you go to college. There are many options you can take. I would advise going to college before you enlist, if you decide to enlist.

[J-Ro]

A Full-Ride!!!

What could we possibly tell you, Go to school bro

The Corps is going on its Two-hundred and thirty first Birhday in two months, We'll still be here. Whatever decision you make I'm sure it will best for yourself.

No better friend...
No worse enemy>>

[Kildars]

If you've already DEP'd in you should honor your commitment to the Marine Corps, if you aren't, I would go go to bootcamp, and then join the Marine Reserves. Get bootcamp done the younger the better. Not only does the Marine Corps pay you while you're in the Reserves you earn time served, and rank and you also get to be a Marine.

You also run the risk of getting deployed, unless you enlist in an officer course cause a recruiter once told me an officer course takes the place of an enlisted contract, he may have been fibbing though.

Anyways good luck, in the end it's what YOU WANT TO DO. Not what we think you should do.

[hawks]

I dont know, but if you go Marine Corp first also, you'll put on a lot of muscle probably, that'd probably slow run time, say if you went Reserves.