MECEP questions.. Mustangs, please help!

[DIBLO7]

Should you go to a school in the state you enlisted in? Or the state you are a legal resident in?

It doesn't really matter for most states as they will give you the in state tuition rate since you are there on orders. You would have to check on the individual state. I'm from Washington and going to school in Idaho.

Depending on where you're from it might be an idea to try and get a school close to home, since it will be the only time in your career that you would have a chance to be anywhere near family.

[DIBLO7]

sorry i know i shouldn't post here...but what are the qualifications to get into mecep and how hard is it to get in???

Well first you need to be a Marine.

Read the above links and go to the USMC website and look up last years MARADMIN. It should tell you all you need to know.

If you want to know statistics go to the Marine Corps Recruiting Command Website, then to G-3 tab on the right. Next click on Officer programs, then Enlisted to Officer. Then MECEP.

[DobbinsBlythe]

Diblo7

Thanks for the info on the instate tution thing with the orders. (Even though that didn't come out clearly, I understand what you just said LOL)

Anyway, I think he wants to stay here in Florida, but I will talk to him about going back to Alabama. I don't know if that will work out. Plus, I think we're going to do some research on what schools have NROTC programs. Do you know of a good database of those schools?

Thanks again!

God Bless

[DobbinsBlythe]

Nevermind!!!! I found it!
https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/colleges.cfm

[Brewer0311]

As big of an Alabama fan I am I'd have to recommend he go to Auburn, Ole Miss, or Memphis just for the fact that you two would be able to see family more often. I'm also looking a little into this. Waiting until I'm done with this pump and see what the wife thinks.

[DobbinsBlythe]

He went to the University of Alabama... I don't know if he could handle Auburn. We might consider Tennessee.. but He's still not 100% sure of what he wants to do. Either way, I think the whole thing is hinging on OCS. I don't know if he wants to go through with another "Boot" process.

Any thoughts?

[Retmarinewife]

Hey there...I am new here but I am married to a guy who was in the Marine Corps 12 years. He retired because he was wounded.
He was enlisted for 6 years and then went on to become an Officer. He did that for 6 years too.
If your Marine has college, at least 2 years he can also look into the Meritorious Commissioning Program. That is the way my husband did it.
My husband said OCS was difficult but his prior service really helped him out. Also, they get weekends off after the first few weeks. You don't get that in boot camp. He was 1st in his academics. In TBS he was 7th overall. I think being prior gives a little advantage because they know some of the information already. For example, Land Navigation was easier for my hubby.

I think it was one of the best choices he made in his career.

Good luck to you

[Brewer0311]

He'll always be a boot to someone else. Doesn't matter if he's the SgtMaj of the Marine Corps. He'll still be a boot to the Commandant lol. While he's in NROTC it won't really be like being a boot at all becuase there will be a group of his peers there that have already been in and then the group of others that are fresh out of high school. If anything him being enlisted prior will help him out a lot. At least with the mental aspects. However, I haven't went through yet (I may stay enlisted so I may never go through it).


On a side note I just realized how close that our original homes are from each other. I'm from Muscle Shoals originally. Went to Calhoun and then UAB before I got in also.
'

What kind of officer is he wanting to be? With as many Marines in different MOSs here I'm sure someone could give some insight into what he'd be doing as one of his choices. Or is he going to try and be an officer in the field he's already in?

[DobbinsBlythe]

Well, he wants to stay with the field he's already in.. he's a 2651 Signals intel guy.. and he really enjoys it. Actually, the degree he's pursuing now is really befitting of what he's doing now, and I think he wants to stay with it.

I can't believe you lived back there! David and I grew up in Huntsville. I actually went to Calhoun for a semester!!! Crazy! David and I lived down the street there on Old Madison Pike and his parent's still do!


CRAZY!

[Brewer0311]

Yeah it is pretty crazy. I've got 7 different guys from my high school that are Marines now. 3 were my best friends. One that became a Corpsman and a few from different high schools right next to mine. Anyone else reading this would think it's pretty common, but I live in a very small town.

That's about how long I went to Calhoun too lol. And I know where you guys are from exactly. Sounds like he has a pretty good idea of what he's wanting to do then and that's good. I'm a grunt so I know that all our officers have degrees in different things since there isn't exactly an Bachelors of Infantry lol. So I don't really know if he has to have a degree in that MOS. I'm assuming no since the Marine Corps will pretty much teach you everything you need to know about your MOS. All up to your husband though. If you two want to make a career out of the Marines then do it. Me and my wife already came to a deal with it. I have to try to get accepted into the MECEP program and can finish out my 20+.

[Melissa84]

I am new here but what caught my eye was this topic. My husband is thinking of doing this. And alot of my questions have been answered but I still had a few more. I am confused. Are there deadlines for this? My understanding is that he can put his package together anytime but I read that there is a board in Nov and Feb so since Feb has passed would he need to do it now to make Nov? How long does it take for him to find out? If he is doing community college now where we are stationed does that help? He wants to go (if he gets in this program) to school In Norfolk, Va and there are several schools he can go to but how long would him and I need to be apart. Obviously the 10 weeks for the prep school but if he lives in Barracks at prep school would we still recieve BAH for my cost of living? o so many questions!!!!

[Brewer0311]

I am new here but what caught my eye was this topic. My husband is thinking of doing this. And alot of my questions have been answered but I still had a few more. I am confused. Are there deadlines for this? My understanding is that he can put his package together anytime but I read that there is a board in Nov and Feb so since Feb has passed would he need to do it now to make Nov? How long does it take for him to find out? If he is doing community college now where we are stationed does that help? He wants to go (if he gets in this program) to school In Norfolk, Va and there are several schools he can go to but how long would him and I need to be apart. Obviously the 10 weeks for the prep school but if he lives in Barracks at prep school would we still recieve BAH for my cost of living? o so many questions!!!!

I can answer a few of these. THey may not be 100% true so I'm sorry in advance if what I say gets corrected. I'm just going to say what I've seen.

I'm not completely positive about deadlines, but I know one Marine that put his package in and found out within a few weeks. This was around Feb. so that may be why. I've also been told that you almost never get accepted the first time. I haven't put mine in so I don't know.

I've been told that college credits prior to putting in your package does help.

Can't say how long you'd be away from each other. More than likely during OCS and TBS? I'd have to ask one of the Mustangs we have in our battalion to find that out for sure.

I want to say that he will still recieve BAH while he is at schooling (For MOS not college. I know he'll be getting it while in college.) It should work the same way as if he went to boot camp. Once your a Marine then you recieve the BAH. Enlisted boot camp you don't recieve it, but as soon as you graduate and go to a school you do.

Hope this helps you out. And again I'm sorry if some of my answers are wrong.

[Melissa84]

thanks for the answers. They do help and I know that when he goes to OCS which is in Va then i will go ahead and move up there and stay w a friend In Norfolk then he is wanting to go to school at Old Dominion in Norfolk so we will just rent/buy a place there.

[DobbinsBlythe]

I was told that TBS (the basic school) in Quantico, VA was only Monday through Friday. He should still receive BAH.. especially if he's training. Your family still has to have somewhere to live right?

OCS he will be away from you. You will live with him when he goes to school. I'm pretty sure he'll have the weekends with you during TBS also. That's what I've gathered from everyone who's posted with helpful answers here.

I'll be interested also to find out about the deadlines and the application process. There are probably answers on the usmc.mil page. That's where I found a lot of the documents with lots of helpful answers.

[Brewer0311]

I was told that TBS (the basic school) in Quantico, VA was only Monday through Friday. He should still receive BAH.. especially if he's training. Your family still has to have somewhere to live right?

OCS he will be away from you. You will live with him when he goes to school. I'm pretty sure he'll have the weekends with you during TBS also. That's what I've gathered from everyone who's posted with helpful answers here.

I'll be interested also to find out about the deadlines and the application process. There are probably answers on the usmc.mil page. That's where I found a lot of the documents with lots of helpful answers.

Actually the BAH is for the Marine to live not the family. He makes like 200 more a month becuase he's married. But i see what your saying lol.