NUPOC Hopeful

[Margaret1]

Hello, I just heard from my officer recruiter that I can take the NUPOC VIP Trip in late July, and I had a few questions that I hope you guys can answer. I am about to begin my senior year at the University of New Mexico and I am completing a BS in Statistics. My GPA is a 4.01 on a 4.33 scale, (or a 3.86). My first preference is to be a submarine officer; my second preference is to be a SWO (N). I have taken Calculus 1, 2 and 3, and earned B+, A, and an A. I have also taken Linear Algebra and Chemistry 1, both A's. I am planning to take Physics 1 and 2 in the next 2 semesters. My Officer Recruiter spoke to someone with the NUPOC Program and they said that I can apply with a Statistics Degree.

1.  Will having a B.S. in Statistics hurt me because it is not an Engineering Degree?

2. I have started to complete the Study Guide my recruiter sent me, and I was wondering what sort of questions will be asked on the VIP Trip.

3. The Study Guide states that there are general questions for all majors, and specific questions for each major. I am assuming that I will be asked the Calculus, Math and Differential Equation Questions. I have not taken the Differential Equation class, and I do not know how to complete these problems. Are these questions fair game for the interviews?

4. As I was searching this site, I read somewhere that being asked to go on the VIP Trip meant you had a good chance of being accepted into NUPOC, as long as you pass your technical interviews. Is this true?

Thanks for the help!

[HalfHazzard]

No one replied, so I'll give it my opinion, backed up with having been a JO on a boat...

1.  A B.S. in Stats shouldn't hurt your chances of getting selected (especially considering your GPA) or getting through the pipeline.

2.  You won't be asked any questions that will relate to getting selected on your VIP trip.  They save that for the interview in DC.  You may, however, do your "mock interview" at this time... that's the chance for an NTO to assess your ability to handle the technical interview in DC.  You've got to do a "mock interview" before going to DC, and the VIP trip might be convenient for them and you.  I did mine in the recruiter's office because an NTO had been in the area.

3.  When you go to the interview in DC, they SHOULD reference your transcripts during your interviews, and ask you something from a class you've already completed.  So if you haven't taken Diff EQ, then you shouldn't be getting asked Diff EQ questions.

4.  I can't answer that accurately, I'll only say that if they've spent money flying you wherever you're going, then they must not think you're a complete idiot.  The technical interview, and the Admiral's assessment of you, are the criteria to get selected.  If you get that far, then someone has confidence in you on paper.

Hope that helps!  PM if you've got other specific questions.

[spekkio]

1.  Will having a B.S. in Statistics hurt me because it is not an Engineering Degree?

No for subs and surface nuke. Yes for NRE. No for instructor duty. FWIW, most if not all math majors are considered a tier 2 major by the Navy (technical major, but not engineering).

2. I have started to complete the Study Guide my recruiter sent me, and I was wondering what sort of questions will be asked on the VIP Trip.

No questions on the VIP trip. On your DC interview, expect questions similar to the ones on your study guide. You may even get asked a couple of them verbatim.

3. The Study Guide states that there are general questions for all majors, and specific questions for each major. I am assuming that I will be asked the Calculus, Math and Differential Equation Questions. I have not taken the Differential Equation class, and I do not know how to complete these problems. Are these questions fair game for the interviews?

No. They have your transcripts and will only ask you questions from technical classes you have completed. For example, since my highest math class was calc 2, one of my questions was to integrate 1/2x^2.

4. As I was searching this site, I read somewhere that being asked to go on the VIP Trip meant you had a good chance of being accepted into NUPOC, as long as you pass your technical interviews. Is this true?

Yes.

[Margaret1]

Thanks for the help! I started to complete my Study Guide, and I was starting to get worried about the Differential Equation questions. I am going on my VIP trip at the end of the month, so hopefully I am prepared if I have my mock interview on the trip. Does anyone happen to know the location of the VIP trip? I have tried searching for a VIP tour schedule, but I can not seem to find one. Several people have stated they went to Jacksonville or Seattle but those were from previous years.

[Lucretius]

Hello!

I have been trying to find others who are going on this July VIP trip, it is good to finally find one.  I am going for a submarine position as well.  My recruiter gave me the scoop:

The trip is in Jacksonville.  Basically, we get there the night of the 27th and have dinner with an Nuclear Officer.  The next day we drive to Kings Bay GA to tour a submarine, then go to Mayport to see a surface ship.

July 29th we pack up and go home.

I was hoping it was in Seattle, because I live in Washington state.  Now I have a lovely nine hours of travel ahead of me to go to the opposite side of the country

[Stormon]

The only thing I could see being an issue is your not having currently taken physics. That is waiverable (unless of course you are applying after you take the classes. Then it doesn't matter.) I wrote my interview process a little if you want to look up my post back in May. I am a Math and Physics dual major. They are supposed to only ask questions from classes you have taken but that doesn't mean they will. I was asked very specifically "draw a stress diagram" or whatever that is called and that has nothing to do with anything I have ever seen but I just told him straight out, "I don't know what that means but in physics we would..." and went on. He was then very helpful and walked me through the process. (OK so it does have to do some with physics but not the terminology. It was a statics question.)

Besides that, just focus on getting an invite to DC. If you get an invite to DC you are golden. By that point as someone told me, the job is yours to lose. Just don't screw up horribly. GPod luck and hope to see you get in!

[Margaret1]

Thank you both for the help! Unfortunately, I am not going on the VIP trip because I am not medically cleared yet.  My forms were submitted to Medical and rejected, so my recruiter is trying to find out if I can get waivers. From what I have found on the Internet, it is possible to get all the waivers I need, but I am not sure if they will accept me with three medical waivers.

I need ones for childhood asthma (no symptoms or attacks since age 10), allergy to penicillin and sulfa, and knee pain (previous pain while running, no surgery, and I can run fine now in my orthodics).

Lucretius, I really hope you enjoy the trip!

Stormon, thanks for the help. I will definitely go back and read about your interview so I can get some more tips.

[Lucretius]

You shouldn't need medical forms to go on the VIP trip...  I have yet to do MEPS, and only submitted my medical pre-screening and I am all squared away and good to go on the trip.  In fact, I think even without the medical pre-screen I would be good to go.  You of course need medical to go to NR (along with the rest of your application) but AFAIK you don't need it to just tour around on a submarine.

But you did remind me I forgot to write my allergies to penicillin and amoxycillin on my medical pre-screen!  Oh well, my OR will know what to do!

[Margaret1]

Really? My medical pre screen was disapproved and I am trying to figure out how to do get my waivers. I asked, and my recruiter said that I had to be medically cleared so I can go on this trip. Was your medical pre-screen approved? I wonder if there is anyone else I can talk to about this because my recruiter said there was no way I could go.

[Lucretius]

Well, currently I am good to go on all my paperwork.  After the NVIP trip, all I need to do is do MEPS (hopefully on August 2nd), and then afterwards it's off to NR.  From what I remember, all I needed was the NVIP screening and my APSR finished in order to go on NVIP.  As for who else you could talk to, my guess would be another recruiter?  I'm not quite sure.  My OR has really been on the ball with things and has worked hard to get me through this application process.  But I never had to get my medical pre-screen approved for NVIP, only for MEPS.

[ToadSuck]

The standard to go on the VIP trip is different depending on the "bosses".

When I was a NUPOC Recruiter from 2008-2010, all I had to do was get all your transcripts first and get them screened by NRC.

Then it was beginning to change to needing to be "proffessionally recommended" to go on the VIP.

VIP is not a requirement...it's a perk.

Some people are easier to deal with than others. Some you have to pull their teeth or babysit them to get their paperwork. Other applicants come with everything in hand and I was scrambling to keep up with them.

Some people have a standard that they won't do anything with you until they have pretty much everything that you can do on your part:

All forms
Professional documents
Medical forms and past medical if needed
security clearance

Anyway...

[ToadSuck]

1.  Will having a B.S. in Statistics hurt me because it is not an Engineering Degree?

2. I have started to complete the Study Guide my recruiter sent me, and I was wondering what sort of questions will be asked on the VIP Trip.

3. The Study Guide states that there are general questions for all majors, and specific questions for each major. I am assuming that I will be asked the Calculus, Math and Differential Equation Questions. I have not taken the Differential Equation class, and I do not know how to complete these problems. Are these questions fair game for the interviews?

4. As I was searching this site, I read somewhere that being asked to go on the VIP Trip meant you had a good chance of being accepted into NUPOC, as long as you pass your technical interviews. Is this true?

Thanks for the help!

1. The only requirement for degree is for instructor or NR engineer...you can have a basketweaving degree as long as you have a year of calculus and a year of calculus based physics....For you to be even able to apply you have to be already done with this or get a waiver...

2. Degree specific questions and problem solving questions to make you sweat to see how you handle the stress and your response when you don't know an answer.

3....

4. The hard part is getting the interview. About 18% of people that meet the minimum requirements and finsh their application get an interview. However, once you get an interview the percentage is in the high 90's