Question Concerning Age limit

[traeman]

Dear Marines,

First and Formost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to keeping our home safe for so many years. My fiancee and I have put countless months into cosidering becoming Marines (It was her childhood dream, and she assisted me in realizing mine), but I was concerned on the age limit of becoming a Marine. I spoke with two seperate recruiters, both of which have informed me two different age limits. I was told that 28 was the cut off year and I was also told that 32 was the cut off year. I am currently 23 and though my fiancee is 20 and clearly ok, I was considering going to college and getting my bachelor's degree in Computer Science, which undoubtly would put me in the 28 and older category. I dearly appreciate any assistance that the Marines' family may be able to assist with.

Appreciative sincerity,
Lloyd

[usmc3521]

if you want to become a Marine do it now and get your feet wet. Sign up for the GI bill so to pay for your college while you are in. You would be a fool to do otherwise in my opinion.

Even go the reserve route if you want to focus on school but at the same time still be a Marine. Now off to the recruiters office and sign up!

[Kegler300]

[usmc3521]

now thats old school. GTG

[NoRemorse]

Age is waiverable up to a certain extent on the enlisted side. It's more lenient on the Reserve side of the house if you don't have any prior service on record.

Do what you want but don't come crying regret later.

[Supersquishy]

now thats old school. GTG

Man look at the rear sight! Stone Age!

[brian0351]

With age waivers come more stringent physical standards. If you're not a top PFTer you generally don't see much enthusiasm behind an age waiver.

So if you intend to join the Marines after College why don't you get the Marines to pay for college? Talk to an OSO recruiter and become an officer?

Too be honest, getting your degree just to enlist would be a waste of time and money. Especially since you will be trained in your MOS once you enlist. Your degree won't have much weight in your enlistment. So you will have all that debt for nothing. May as well join first and do college as you go along. Or go to college with the intention of going officer.

[ameriken]

There's one other thing to think about. It's not a major issue, but it still could be an issue. If you wait until age 28, you're going to be considered a grandpa to the majority of recruits. You'll be around a shiitload of 17 and 18 year olds, and in the eyes of the Drill Instructors, you're not going to get any more respect for it, you'll be just as lowly as the youngest recruit and will have to prove yourself like everyone else. In fact, they may give you more shiit for it. And on the other hand, while the DI's are treating you as no better than everyone else, they may actually expect and demand more from you.

Think about it, you'll be 28 with a college degree and several years more life experience, and you'll have a 22 or 23 y.o. DI who may be a HS Grad screaming in your face calling you a piece of crap. In age, education, and general life experience he'll be your junior, yet you have to have the personality and desire to suck it up and learn from them.

Sure, 28 y.o.'s do fine in Boot Camp all the time, so it's not a major issue, but I just think it could be easier doing it at age 23 than at 28 and it's something you need to weigh in to your own personality type. If that's a difficulty for you, sure you can still graduate, but it may make the road a lot more difficult than need be.

[Backhaus 1103]

Enlist now, then when you get out, go to college. Or go to college then be an officer if that's what you want.

The Marine Corps has an age limit, college doesn't. You can go to college at any age, plus it will be paid for after the Marines.

[Supersquishy]

psssst, hey traeman, who says you need a college degree to succeed...ssshhhh!

[ameriken]

look into exactly what is entailed in becoming and being an officer and exactly what is involved in becoming and being an enlisted person

And there's a third option...Mustang. Starting as an enlisted and then becoming an officer later.

[ameriken]

ameriken, your post number 8 is something he should read and re-read and then read again and again. That really sets it out as far as the reality of it goes........
Isn't the mustang route a little bit more difficult or not as guaranteed as the other two routes? It's easier to just go in as an officer or just go in as enlisted, and true, you can possibly become an officer later, after being enlisted, but it is not an easy thing....but true, it is a third route.

I think you're right, I don't know the whole process and I do think it is more complicated and not as guaranteed, but there are some who are sure they want to go in now and want to go in now as an enlisted, and maybe they're not so sure about becoming an officer. If he wants to do a search on Mustang, I think the 'how' has been covered in other threads.

[Supersquishy]

ameriken, your post number 8 is something he should read and re-read and then read again and again. That really sets it out as far as the reality of it goes........
Isn't the mustang route a little bit more difficult or not as guaranteed as the other two routes? It's easier to just go in as an officer or just go in as enlisted, and true, you can possibly become an officer later, after being enlisted, but it is not an easy thing....but true, it is a third route.

MECEP program.

[tdrt]

Is that easy to get into, Supersquishy? And I love that name, by the way........I have no idea what it is like these days, in the olden days, way way back, it used to be a possibility but nothing someone could plan on.

I thought he was referring to a body part.

[Supersquishy]

Is that easy to get into, Supersquishy? And I love that name, by the way........I have no idea what it is like these days, in the olden days, way way back, it used to be a possibility but nothing someone could plan on.

I can't remember the prerquisites, basically if your young enough you can request the Naval academy after one year of Enlistment, or pinning butter bar and going to an acredited college that has rotc. I was in the application mode but declined(got scared) because I had an NJP from MOS school. All you have to do is request it and type up an essay discussing any hardships, or you reasoning that you could not go to college on your own.

Yes its a little know fact that any Marine that is under 27 CAN apply for the Naval academy and they have a HUGE jump start over any civilian applying for the academy as long as your nose is clean, or you can go the other routs and go to a respectable college on the Gov dime. If you fail grades or get in trouble, DWI etc, you go back to your Elisted contract as a SGT. for TEN yes 10 years obligated service, so dont fvck up. FYI