How can I go into the Marines and college at the same time?

July 24th, 2009 | by MakingMarines |
marines
Michael E asked:


I have good grades in school and I love history, but I also am interested in the idea of joining the Marines, possibly as an officer. I heard you have to have almost straight A’s to get into the Naval Academy, however.

I’ve always wanted to end up like Jack Ryan from the Tom Clancy books. Jack Ryan was a Marine, a historian, and a CIA agent, and he got rich off of investing in the stock market.

Marines Boot Camp Preparation

  1. 12 Responses to “How can I go into the Marines and college at the same time?”

  2. By Billy Shat on Jul 27, 2009 | Reply

    Go to the US Naval Academy at Annapolis.

  3. By JsMFp on Jul 28, 2009 | Reply

    If you want to be an officer, you have to attend college, first. They won’t take you without at least a Bachelors Degree. The Academy is one way, but it’s very competetive.

    Another option is to become a Reservist while you’re in college. You would be Enlisted, but that’s a great way to go, as well. Then, when you graduate and apply for commission, you will already have some military experience to put on your application.

  4. By NoWay on Jul 28, 2009 | Reply

    The Naval Academy isn’t that hard to get into. They offered to send me too it every years that I was enlisted. If you are trying to be a fictional character good luck with that. You can go to college when you are active duty. However, the Marines go on field ops and deployments on a regular basis. If you want to go to school a lot while you are on active duty go to the Air Force.

  5. By xXx Tate xXx on Jul 30, 2009 | Reply

    Before, you should finish college and get a 4 yr degree so when you go into the marines you can rank up, and plus you need a 4 yr degree to be an officer anyways. But you can if you want to.

  6. By high flyer on Aug 1, 2009 | Reply

    2 great options to becoming a Marine officer:

    1. The Naval Academy: You go through the rigorous program for 4 years, and they have a “Marine” option. When you graduate you will commision as a Marine officer.

    2. ROTC: apply in high school for a Navy ROTC scholarship. It is available at tons of schools and you can get everything paid for! There is also the Marine option through the Navy. When you graduate from the college of your choice, you will commission into the Marines as an officer.

    Here is a link for some more information:

  7. By rainbow_girlie_chick on Aug 1, 2009 | Reply

    I would go to a school with a MARINE ROTC program. I know my college has one. And there are probably others around the nation.

    That is of course if you don’t want to go to a military academy

  8. By erik k on Aug 2, 2009 | Reply

    well, it is good to hear from a young man who has positive dreams and goals. Believe it or not, those goals are pretty attainable in my opinion. I was a Marine who went to school while in the corps and got my BS degree and now work for the government. If you have a thorough goal, you can do it. In the military there are ways to become an officer after enlisting. In the Corps, there are 2 programs. One is called MECEP and the other one I forgot. These are programs after you enlist only if you are top-notch squared away marine Being a marine is not just a job and you will see that as a young PFC once you enter service. The plans will change but as long as you have a goal and desire to achieve the goal at all cost you will achieve that goal and more. Shoot me an email if you have any questions.

  9. By DCPete on Aug 5, 2009 | Reply

    ROTC at almost any school for four years - upon graduation you enter the military as an officer.

    The Academies are incredibly competitive - so unless you are a straight A student look to a state university!

  10. By Gawel J on Aug 8, 2009 | Reply

    Enlist as a reservist, after boot camp and AIT, enroll in a 4 yr college that has NROTC or close to a school that has it. After 24 college credits you can contract NROTC and your status became undeployable for 4 years. During the four years you drill on weekends and the 2 weeks commitment plus summer training. Then you get your commission !

  11. By Nashville Rebel on Aug 10, 2009 | Reply

    do University of Pheonix online

  12. By Billy J on Aug 10, 2009 | Reply

    i had this exact problem (without the whole tom ryan part but bear with me) so here are some of the answers i got:

    NROTC scholarship: tons of great colleges have nrotc groups including harvard, ND, BC, and Villanova. I am currently going for this to go to VMI.

    Academy: Either USNA or United States Merchant Marine Academy. USNA is a bitch, and if ur gpa isnt above a 95 and you dont play any sports there is a slim chance of getting in. I dont want to bring you down, its just what y guidance counselor said (my school has the most aplicants accepted per year by USNA and this is NOT a lie, Chaminade High School). I started looking at USMMA. Its pretty much free (you have to pay for no more than $6,000 a year for random things but u also get paid once a month). The only problem I had with USMMA (which is also easier to get into, atleast from my school, not to sound pompous in anyway what so ever) is the fact that it is very limited in its majors.

    Reserves: Another way i found was joining the reserves before you go into college, go through boot camp, college and OCS so when you get out you’ll be an officer and have an understanding of how the most important part of the USMC work…the enlsited. This of course is very risky because there is a war going on at this current moment in time and you might get sent over seas and your college education will be interrupted.

    I’m not too sure about the whole reserves route i mentioned above. Like i said it is very risky and that alone turned me off from the whole idea.

    If you want to go CIA or any government agency after the marines than I’d deff. advise either an academy or military college (VMI, the Citadel, you cna find others on wikipedia). Just know that you have to be in those agencies by the age of 37. I am friends with the former assistan director of the DSS and he told me this stuff.

    Hope this helped you as much as it helped me. I myself am looking at either an NROTC scholarship or admission into USMMA.

  13. By wilt0007 on Aug 10, 2009 | Reply

    Theres another option that is actually the most popular route to becoming an officer that im doing right now. Just get into a college and apply for the PLC program your freshman or sophomore year, get accepted and you go to two six week camps over two summers at Quantico, VA. You can wait and apply for OCS but it is more competetive, and its on 10 week camp instead of two six week camps. Once you get your degree, you can accept or decline the commission.

    The day you report to the camp is your pay entry date for the miliitary, and there is no commitment to joining if you change your mind. But if you do want to join after these camps you are eligible to receive some money for school.

    For the PLC program you only need a 2.0 and a 225 on your pft to get accepted since its not as competitive. Just find your local officer selection office and they’ll set you up.

    *Rumor has it that if you want a life in college, then don’t do the ROTC program…

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