NUPOC Qualifications

[A]

This question is for NUPOC Recruiters/Interviewers and Grads of NUPOC.
I apologize in advance for any noob questions.

Masters - USC - 3.8 GPA - Aerospace Guidance & Controls
BS - Georgia Tech - 3.2 GPA - Aerospace
Work Experience - 5 years at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab
Age: 27
Status: girlfriend and her dog.

Is age an issue, and am I qualified enough?  I made some pretty s****y grades at Georgia Tech (an A in thermodynamics, an F in circuits, an A in aerodynamics, a C in controls, etc.), but for some twist of fate put me at NASA and not bad grades at USC.

Thanks for the input.

[alphacookie]

This question is for NUPOC Recruiters/Interviewers and Grads of NUPOC.
I apologize in advance for any noob questions.

Masters - USC - 3.8 GPA - Aerospace Guidance & Controls
BS - Georgia Tech - 3.2 GPA - Aerospace
Work Experience - 5 years at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab
Age: 27
Status: girlfriend and her dog.

Is age an issue, and am I qualified enough?  I made some pretty s****y grades at Georgia Tech (an A in thermodynamics, an F in circuits, an A in aerodynamics, a C in controls, etc.), but for some twist of fate put me at NASA and not bad grades at USC.

Thanks for the input.

From the Purdue Website.......Same program at other Universities.

United States Navy Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate (NUPOC) Program

The U.S. Navy provides money for college through the Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate (NUPOC) Program. Qualified Purdue students can earn up to $2,700 per month for 30 months as a full-time student living in the West Lafayette area. An additional $15,000 signing is available for some students. You may apply as early as your sophomore year after completing one academic year of calculus and one academic year of calculus based physics.

Following graduation from Purdue, you will be commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy and serve as a Naval Reactors Engineer in Washington, D.C.; as a Nuclear Power Instructor at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command in Charleston, South Carolina; or as a Nuclear Trained Officer on board a submarine or aircraft carrier.

Academic Qualifications – Must have completed 2 semesters of Calculus and 2 semesters of Calculus based Physics, G.P.A. of 2.8 and a C average in Calculus and Physics. You can be pursuing any degree.

Physical Qualifications – Must be with the Navy's height and weight standards. No serious medical problems including asthma, and be able to run 1.5 miles in under 12:30, complete 50 sit-ups and 45 push-ups for men and 30 push-ups for women.

Moral Qualifications – No serious police involvement, and no serious drug use.

Benefits:

    * Full salary while completing your degree
    * Full medical and dental coverage as a student
    * While finishing your degree you earn vacation time that carries over to active duty
    * Commissioned as a Naval Officer upon receiving you degree and completing Officer Candidate School (OCS).
    * Guaranteed employment with one of the world's largest Nuclear Engineering programs
    * Fully funded graduate programs with pay.
    * Leadership position from the start.

Training:

    * 13 weeks in Pensacola, Florida where you earn a commission as a Navy Officer.
    * 12 Months of graduate level courses in Nuclear, Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical Engineering, Thermodynamics, and Physics
    * 3 years running a Nuclear Power facility and managing a large staff of very bright Nuclear trained enlisted members of the Navy

From Another website:

Age: At least 19 and less than 29 years of age at the time of commissioning. Waivers may be considered on a case basis for those who would not exceed 31 at commissioning.
********************************************************************************************************
I put this info up to help anyone else regarding NUPOC.

As you can see, it is a college program for those currently in school.  In your case, you already have multiple degrees.  So........all you really need to do is to contact a Navy Officer Recruiter and tell him you want to join the Navy Nuclear program.  You will then be off to OCS==>Nuclear Power School==>Protoype==>Basic Sub School==>USS Submarine (If you want to be Submariner)    -OR-   OCS==>Surface Warfare Officer School==>Conventional Surface Ship for initial sea tour ==>Nuclear Power School==>Protoype==>USS Aircraft Carrier (If you want to be nuclear Surface Warfare Officer).

[CaseEEStud]

I recently went through the whole NUPOC interview process. The requirements from Purdue are correct.  Looking at your qualifications you will have no problem for the interview. A couple of the people that interviewed while I was there were in the same position as you were. Once you get to the interview just make sure that you are ready to answer some very basic physics/math questions that you might not have done since freshman year. You will get a study guide that will prep you before hand.
Also be prepared to answer question about any bad grades, why you switched schools, etc...
Hope this was helpful.

[NukeNTO]

You're looking fine for NUPOC.  Your definately not too old (can be up to 31).  You'll need an academic waiver for any classes with D's or below, but you're definately qualified.  Where are you located now?  Send me a PM if you'd like me to refer you to a local recruiter.

[daxdaxdax]

Hey I'm going to write here since I could find a way to start a topic of my own.

First off let me tell you this forum has helped me a lot. I am a future sailor in the DEP program for NUC rate going in as E-3. The thing is that my situation is very specific. I'll sum it up next:

#1: I am a US citizen that has lived abroad in Nicaragua for the past 15 years, currently 24 years old.
#2: I have 149 college credits from a Jesuit university in Nicaragua in the field of environmental engineering which is mostly chemistry, physics and science oriented classes. My GPA is 3.5+, roughly, and I have seen Physics, what would be calculus 1, 2 and 3, and Chemistry lots of it. My ASVAB score was 91, and I had to do the other exam for NUC because my high school diploma is foreign but I also nailed it. It was a little bit hard because I hadn't been studying in the last 6 months and my dealings with college have been hectic because of my family stability and other such issues. But even so I managed to pass all exams very well and my college grades are also in the least acceptable. This considering from a twice college drop out. I dropped out with good grades though my problems have always been family wise.
#3: I have no one in the US and I am having a hard time.
#4: My recruiter didn't appropriately tell me of the NUPOC program. Don't get me wrong I read all the pamphlets they provided me in the recruiting office and information that I could pick up here. My main goal for going in the NAVY is to study and finish my bachelors so I knew the NUPOC was there for me and I would have to fight for it from within NUC. The thing is that a few days ago on my monthly DEP meeting, I started talking to the only other NUC recruit and she told me she was going NUPOC right off the bat because she had Calc 1 and 2 and calculus based physics in her last year of engineering career.
#5: This is where I got mad. I have been in the program for the last 10 months. With 149 credits from an engineering career. My recruiter could have told me that If I validated my transcripts here I could get in the NUPOC program and go in as an Officer as this has always been my intention. I'm 2 months away from shipping out.
#6: I had figured the 96 NUC credits you get in all my schools and the 149 credits I had had to sum up into something good for me. But because of lack of money and time, but mainly money I have avoided delving myself into transcribing my credits to a college here because I don't know where I was going to be 2 years from now which is the period of my studies as a NUC.
#7: What can I do from here? Please help as my intention is 100% to achieve my bachelors and become a NAVY Officer. How is the process for getting in the NUPOC program from the inside? Should I start transcribing my college credits or look into it as of now? NUPOC is my ultimate goal and the sole reason why I'm here now.

Thanks in advanced.

Future Sailor Alvarez

[cheme09]

Pretty sure NUPOC is not available to active duty enlisted members.

[HydroDave63]

NUPOC is my ultimate goal and the sole reason why I'm here now.

What is your backup plan?

[spekkio]

For you to go NUPOC, you must:
-Tell your enlisted recruiter thanks but you will not be enlisting.
-Enroll in a regionally accredited American university.
-Have at least sophomore standing with a calc and calc based physics sequence credited by that university.
-Be eligible for TS/SCI clearance.
-Contact an officer recruiter and tell him that you want to apply for NUPOC.

You cannot do NUPOC after you enlist. You cannot do NUPOC if you aren't enrolled in college with the min coursework listed above.

Your enlisted recruiter's job is to make you a Sailor, not an Officer. Also, you currently aren't eligible for any commissioning programs.

Also one thread was enough.

[daxdaxdax]

What is your backup plan?

My back up plan is finish my bachelors degree in science and try to make something out of the 149 credits I brought from Nicaragua and the 96 credits of the NUC school.

[DadofMM-ELT]

Two quick points:
1) 149 credits, if all or most transfer, would make you nearly done here.
2) The "96 credits" are more a suggestion to colleges regarding the academic content of the various A-schools, power school & prototype than they are generally useful college credits. Whether or not they turn into actual credits will depend on whether or not a specific college or university has equivalent courses.

And now some advice from the father of a son who dropped out when he was almost finished with college, became a nuke and is on his first patrol as I write:

Get in touch with a Jesuit school near you ( http://www.ajcunet.edu/ ) and explain to an admission counselor your academic situation. Ideally do it in person, with a copy of your transcript in hand. You may find that you're closer to a degree than you think. Incidentally, most of these schools have extremely strong academic reputations, not to mention excellent basketball teams.

Once you know your true academic situation you can start to make more informed decisions.