Univision 145 scholarship | | Bias and Error in the Conscription Crisis of 1944 Article

So I just finished my junior year and it was probably the best year in high school so far from me.
I have a 3.8 unweighted gpa and have achieved more than my last two years of high school.
Im very passionate about art but want to major in architectural or civil engineering for UT!! My extracurriculars I say are decent for now, I won state art competitions in Texas like the Houston Rodeo and VASE, and im getting to attend an art academy through a scholarship for a whole month this summer with housing and everything paid, which will get me college credit as well!
I’m also planning on doing a city engineering internship after I return from the art academy. I’m also in NHS as a historian, NAHS, and Stu-Co.
I do wanna add that I am a Hispanic first-generation male student and I’m very ambitious about going to UT
I’m just worried about my standardized testing scores, my SAT wasn’t the best but I’m planning on retaking it soon when school starts again.
And I’m the top 5% of my class right now, rank 3/145. Thank you to anyone who reads this just want some advice

I have a bachelors degree in CS from a no name state school. I have about 145 credits (I had to start from 0 with my stem degree and had a bad academic advisor, lol.)
I work in IT as a sys admin. I make around 75k. I don’t hate my job but I don’t love it either. (Which is fine by me)
I’m completely fine with staying, but the recent layoffs have me very on edge. I feel as if the tech sector will be saturated for years to come. Salaries are dropping everywhere and job security is very low.
I have the unique opportunity where I have a lot of credits and also have the financial means to go to grad school or get some sort of other education (work scholarship).
I’m used to staring at a screen all day, mundane tasks, and I’m great with numbers. Feel like accounting is a decent plan.
Should I consider accounting? What are my next steps? I don’t care to make a shit ton of money, I just want job stability.

i know there’s something in the 145-1 regulations about cross commissioning from army rotc to other branches, but i was wondering, does anyone know how this works if you’re on a GRFD scholarship? can you serve that reserve contract in a different branches reserve component?
my wife is a Marine and i read an old 145-1 from 2011 saying that you can commission into the reserve component if your spouse was currently serving in that branch but obviously it doesn’t hit on the scholarship portion.

3.7 GPA 145 LSAT … I took the LSAT three times. The first time I scored a 142, so I took it a second time and brought up my score to 145. Encouraged, I took the test a third time but went down a point instead. I was so drained and discouraged by that point that I submitted applications for this fall. I only applied to seven schools. I was admitted to three sub 100 ranking schools with scholarships that covered half of the tuition. I was waitlisted by a school I would’ve been happy attending, bombed the interview and was removed from the waitlist. By this point,I had already panicked and paid a deposit for one of the schools I was admitted to but now I’m overthinking everything. Everything I read on Reddit says to retake the test if I have a 145. But then there’s some posts with successful transfer stories, some with horrible transfer stories and others in similar situations as mine (but didn’t specify what their final decision was). At the end of the day I don’t wanna waste more time by deferring this year and retaking the LSAT. I am also terrified I’ll do horribly and would’ve wasted another year, and being mentally drained by the LSAT studying. I’ve worked as a paralegal for three years now and at this point, I am tired of not being able to do more than just paralegal tasks. I just wanna attend school and work towards my career, but all of the concern regarding scholarship money and schools and transfer rates are overwhelming me and I don’t know what to do. My hope is to attend the school I put a deposit down for and transfer to a better school after a year. I understand how hard this is but I am pretty determined. The only thing that’s stopping me is how everyone says you receive no money when you transfer. Please advise however, you see fit, but I would appreciate some kind words.

Custom made the Bullworth patch logo stands, each stand is custom to fit the feet of the print. The Bull mascot’s right arm messed up during the print unfortunately… I have loads of other models ready to print soon… Petey, Russell, Gary, Alge Derby, Johnny, etc, and even Sheldon😂

Introduction

Both this year and last year, I offered to review 50 applications of students who were puzzled with their results or just wanted some guidance on their choices. Between these and other applications I review as part of my work, I’ve read hundreds of complete application packages (or all except letters of recommendation). Although I haven’t personally worked as an admissions officer, I’ve sat down (virtually) with former admissions officers from MIT, Stanford, Yale, Cornell, and UChicago to go through dozens of my students’ applications, so I have a good idea of what top schools are looking for. We typically spend about half an hour discussing each application, a similar amount of time to a real application review.
I’m privileged to be able to work with a wide range of applicants and families every year: those from “feeder” schools and those who are the first to apply abroad from their high school; politically connected families and members of persecuted minorities; children of C-level executives at Fortune Global 500 companies and those whose parents were farmers or soldiers and need full-ride scholarships. I don’t envy the job of admissions officers who must choose from among such an extraordinarily talented and diverse applicant pool.
This post is an overview of the mistakes and weaknesses I tend to see, particularly where outcomes are not as expected based on a student’s profile. A lot of this is based on intuition and pattern-recognition rather than quantification, but that reflects the subjective process itself. I generally combine this outlook with a data-driven approach (more on that in future posts).
There are two important principles to remember about colleges when you think about the admissions process and evaluate what admissions representatives tell you:
1) Colleges are businesses, not charities.
2) Colleges try to maintain an appearance of fairness while implementing admissions policies that are unfair by design.
In general, international students applying to competitive universities and/or seeking financial aid need to:
1) Demonstrate that they are, without a doubt, prepared for a rigorous liberal arts curriculum.
2) Establish that they would contribute to their campus as representatives of their country.
These principles will crystallize as I discuss mistakes students and families make throughout the admissions process.

Mistake #1: Improperly addressing or attempting to compensate for low grades

If you’re aiming for the most competitive colleges and/or generous financial aid packages, you need a stellar academic record. For the most competitive programs, it’s very difficult to overcome low grades. Introducing so-called “excuses” such as family stresses and mental health issues may actually do more harm than good. Colleges want to accept students who perform well under pressure. So, while a dip in grades might be understandable, there are likely other applicants out there who faced similar circumstances and did not see their grades drop. Acute illness during exam season may be an acceptable reason for a low grade or two, but chronic health issues (mental or physical) don’t instill confidence that you will maintain consistent academic performance. If such a condition has been treated, sufficient documentation of this treatment and a positive prognosis is advised.
There’s also, in my opinion, an over-reliance on predicted grades, especially after a relatively weaker 11th grade result. Yes, you and/or your counselor can explain grading practices such as grade deflation in 11th, but at the end of the day, there are applicants at other schools (and likely even your school) who have a better record. The only way to compensate for lower 11th grade marks is with a full year of 12th grade marks. In the past I’ve seen Indian CBSE students with 11th grade marks in the 80s or even high 70s get into Ivies. It still happens, but it’s much rarer now. Sometimes I even recommend that families avoid sending their children to schools that practice this type of grade deflation if they have the choice.

Mistake #2: Not maximizing standardized test scores

I know this sounds trivial, but there is strategy involved.
If you’re an international student coming from a curriculum other than IB, standardized tests should be considered a requirement even at test-optional schools. A high score in the SAT RW section especially can help AOs feel confident that you are ready to perform as well as your American and other international peers.
I don’t have enough data to determine whether applying test-optional helps or hurts students with any given score; only colleges themselves will have this data (and I promise you they don’t want to release it). Whether you should submit that 790/730 is context-dependent. In general, the 25th percentile score should be seen as a “floor” and the 75th percentile score as a target. Remember, these are the percentiles for enrolled students, not admitted applicants. Yield will tend to be higher among students with relatively lower scores because they’re less likely to have better options, and lower among students with relatively higher scores because they’re more likely to have equal or better options. This means that the average score of admitted students is much higher than published percentile numbers would suggest. Typically, the lower 25th percentile is mostly comprised of recruited athletes and U.S. citizens traditionally referred to as “underrepresented minorities.” International students contribute to campus diversity, but they don’t contribute to diversity statistics collected by the U.S. government or used in rankings by influential publications like U.S. News & World Report. There is very little room for international students in the bottom 25% of the standardized test range.
I’m not going to say much more about this because colleges are re-instituting their testing requirements, but a big mistake I see students making is applying too early and not giving themselves time to improve their standardized test scores. And this doesn’t mean just EA/ED vs. RD. Even if the only reason for a gap year is to be able to get a higher score on the SAT/ACT, that may still confer an advantage. (The UCs, the only highly competitive universities that officially didn’t accept test scores taken after senior year, no longer use test scores at all.)

Mistake #3: Submitting low or no English proficiency scores

The liberal arts curricula at top universities in the U.S. place a large emphasis on small, seminar-style classes with frequent interaction among students and instructors, and engineering schools and CS programs focus heavily on group projects where effective communication is important. Proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening is thus critical.
Because of ChatGPT and other writing aids, admissions officers do not have many indicators left of whether your English is good enough to succeed at a top university in the United States. In order to dispel any doubt about academic preparedness, every student not from the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand should take an English proficiency test. Yes, even if your country is mostly English-speaking. Yes, even if you grew up with English as your first language. Yes, even if your medium of instruction is English. Yes, even if you’re in an IB, A-Level, or American curriculum. Yes, even if you have an 800 on the SAT RW and/or 36 on the SAT English and Writing. No exceptions.
For competitive undergraduate programs, scholarships, and financial aid, it does matter how well you do. Competitive applicants for T20s and aid-granting LACs will have TOEFL of 110+ (with no less than 26 in each section), IELTS of at least 8.0 in each section, or Duolingo English Test of at least 145 in each section. The Writing and Production sections tend to be the most challenging for international students. I recommend TOEFL for most applicants, with IELTS being a reasonable alternative if you’re applying to Commonwealth countries as well. I advise completing the DET only if the other options would be a huge financial burden.
I frequently encounter students with excellent real-world English conversational ability but low English proficiency scores. Most often, this is due to the test being taken as the student was improving their English and/or didn’t think to retake the test because they achieved the minimum for the schools they were applying to.
I’d be happy to learn about exceptions where students with lower scores got into T20s and full rides from LACs. However, I’ve seen applications where the only perceptible weakness was an IELTS Writing score of 6.5, 7.0, or even 7.5.
We’ll get to essays and the other written parts of the application, but the better they are, the bigger a red flag a low English proficiency score will be.

Mistake #4: Not conducting a pre-recorded interview to demonstrate English proficiency and social skills

An increasing number of colleges are accepting InitialView and other pre-recorded interviews. For those unfamiliar, these give students an opportunity to demonstrate their conversational, on-the-spot thinking, and social skills with a largely unscripted interview with a live person. (The general topics are pre-selected randomly, but the follow-up questions are chosen by the interviewer.) The InitialView service was conceived as a way to assure colleges that Chinese students actually spoke English amid concerns over rampant test-cheating and questionable admissions practices. However, this type of service has become useful colleges and a wide range of students both international and domestic, especially in the age of ChatGPT. (I have no affiliation with InitialView.)
These interviews serve a different function from alumni interviews: alumni interviews are not recorded, and the interviewer’s report may or may not include detailed information about the applicant’s demeanor and conversational skills. Recorded interviews are reviewed by the decision-makers, making them an increasingly important part of the admissions process. It’s the component of the application with the closest to a guarantee that “what you see is what you get.”
If you think you might struggle to do well with such a recorded interview, consider taking the time to work on language proficiency and/or social skills until you would. Getting in without one is certainly possible, but understand that without reliable evidence about your preparedness for a college environment, preparedness will always be a “question mark.”

Mistake #5: Trying to fit too much information into the extracurricular activity section

With a 150-character limit for activity descriptions on the Common App, applicants must strike a balance between information density and communication clarity. While most applications I reviewed did a good job at this, there were a few where I had to read descriptions several times to understand what the activity was. You want the reader to understand the first time they read it. It’s not so much about “scoring points” and amassing accomplishments as it is creating an impression about your passions and how you spent your time. There is an “Additional Information” section with plenty of space for details. The EC section is your first opportunity for AOs to get to know you, and it was disheartening to see students who thought they were highlighting their impressive accomplishments, when what they were mostly doing was tripping up and frustrating their application reader.
Keep abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms to those that are widely recognized among American admissions officers even if they are not familiar with your region. For example, “NASA” is fine, but don't use “ISRO” without writing the full name somewhere. There may be acronyms you’re so used to because of regional use or meaning within your niche, so it's helpful here to have an American-born adult review your application. There are a lot of subtleties. For example, it’s probably fine these days to abbreviate artificial intelligence as “AI,” but I don't recommend using “ML” for machine learning. You can use ampersands for “and,” “~” for “approximately," and “+” as shorthand for "over" (as in “10+ awards”), but try not to use too many symbols. Even if grammatically and logically correct, too much abbreviation can lead to confusion and frustration.

Mistake #6: Sloppiness and missing easily fixed mistakes

Admissions officers will tell you to proofread your application–and they mean it. You have months to complete your application, and if you are indeed a top competitive applicant, there is no excuse for anything but a perfectly polished application. Thanks to modern writing aids, essays tend to be much less typo and error-ridden than they used to be. But students often forget to carefully check their EC section. Here are some common yet easily avoidable mistakes:

Extra spaces at the end of the “Position/Leadership Description” and “Organization Name” fields (which show up before the commas).
Extra space between paragraphs. The Common App automatically adds space between paragraphs. Including an extra line between paragraphs results in sloppy formatting.
Improper capitalization (in some countries too much capitalization, in other countries missed capitalization). I won’t go through capitalization conventions, but the most common rule I’ve seen broken is that that the names of subjects (e.g. math, physics, computer science) are **not capitalized unless they include otherwise proper nouns/adjectives** (e.g. English, Greek, American history, Middle Eastern studies).
Improper use of currency symbols. In most English conventions, the currency symbol/abbreviation goes before the numerical figure ($500 not 500$). Also, adding “dollars” is redundant (as in “$500 dollars”), and not using a currency symbol is considered incorrect unless the application doesn’t support the symbol. Also, if you include figures in your local currency, also include roughly equivalent USD amounts. Even if they’ve been to India, for example, AOs don’t necessarily know what “1 lakh INR” means.
Inconsistent use of upper and lower-case K/k to indicate “thousand.” This can get confusing because the SI prefix for one thousand is “k” (as in “km” for kilometers), and lower-case “k” is commonly used in finance, commodities, and commerce. However, a capital “K” is more often used for long-distance runs (5K, 10K, etc.), social media metrics (“100K followers”), and advertisements (“win a $10K scholarship”). In my opinion, a capital K looks “cleaner” in the EC section, but consistency is also important.

Several of the students who signed up for application reviews had hired other professional counselors, and I was surprised that those counselors missed many of these types of mistakes. It was the kind of thing where even if the counselor wasn’t going line-by-line correcting everything, they could have pointed out very easy-to-fix errors in a 10 or 15-minute session.

Mistake #7: Over-reliance on ChatGPT

Thanks to tools like ChatGPT, Google Docs, Grammarly, and other writing aids, essay readability has increased significantly in recent years—particularly this year. This makes AOs’ jobs easier in that essays generally flow better and are more enjoyable to read, but it makes their job harder because it’s especially difficult for them to “weed out” applicants who clearly aren’t proficient in English at a level required to succeed in a top American university.
There is much to be said about how to use and not use ChatGPT in the application process, and what is ethically acceptable is being debated and evolving, but I want to focus on things that might reflect poorly on an applicant:

There has been quite a bit of analysis of words that are supposedly hallmarks of ChatGPT ("tapestry," "delve," "resonate," etc.). But most of these words are already common in application essays (which is why ChatGPT uses them in the first place), so it’s difficult to pin an essay on ChatGPT just for those words. A better telltale sign is inconsistency in apostrophes and quotation marks. Microsoft Word and Google Docs default to curly quotes (single and double), while ChatGPT defaults to straight ones. If you have a mix, that is a strong suggestion there was copying-and-pasting going on. When you edit directly in the Common App, it also defaults to straight quotes, so ChatGPT is not the only way that can happen, but in either case it’s sloppy. I know that when I see a mix of curly and straight quotes or apostrophes, I become skeptical that the student wrote the parts with the straight quotes.
Also be mindful of spelling. Even before ChatGPT, inconsistency in spelling conventions (e.g. American vs. British) suggested that a writing assistance tool was used uncritically at best, or the writing came from multiple sources at worst. If you are going to use ChatGPT to make suggestions, give it custom instructions to adhere to your conventions or American ones. You don’t need to write your application with American spelling and stylistic conventions (although you should consider it if you’re comfortable), but be consistent throughout the application. Using the same word with two different spellings (e.g. honor and honour) is a particularly serious red flag.
ChatGPT tends to give feedback on essays that includes a suggestion to reflect on what has been written and state why it demonstrates you would succeed in college. This often ends up stale, unconvincing, and unnecessary. Not everything needs to be stated explicitly if it can be conveyed through other means.

I have a lot more to say about ChatGPT and continue to explore ways to use it in the university research and application process, but these are the most significant things I saw reviewing applications this year.

Mistake #8: Not incorporating a cultural perspective into your essay

Admissions are not fair. The admissions process is not a merit system to decide which applicant is more “deserving” than another. “Fairness” is a concept that has not been used to craft admissions policies in over 100 years. There is a powerful liberal argument that an important role of colleges should be to help achieve more societal equality (especially when those colleges have a history of perpetuating inequality), but colleges have universally concluded that a “fair” admissions process is antithetical to that goal. It’s why the group that successfully sued Harvard and other universities to end race-based affirmative action called themselves “Students for Fair Admissions.” They thought their argument would appeal to people’s innate desire for competitive fairness. And it worked.
Colleges are businesses, not charities. The job of the admissions office is to satisfy a college’s enrollment goals, full stop. So, unless you’re from a specific demographic that’s being targeted, proving your academic and extracurricular worthiness is not enough.
So what are colleges looking for in international students? Essentially, ambassadors from their countries. The most selective universities and all liberal arts colleges that give aid take just a few students from each country. One common thread I saw in applications that were otherwise “perfect” was an essay that was excellent (both in content and style) by objective standards—but could have been written by an applicant from anywhere in the world. There was no real reason to choose this particular applicant as an ambassador from their country when there were so many equally talented applicants from other places.
Too often, there was “low-hanging fruit” available about which an applicant could discuss their perspective, but that they simply didn’t go for. This omission itself could be seen as a weakness in the application. For example, there was a Russian student living in a country that has fought a major war against Russia, but didn’t talk about that at all, nor the war in Ukraine. Another applicant, from Kazakhstan and interested in aerospace and rocketry, didn’t mention the monumental achievements in spaceflight that have been achieved from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Someone with an Asian ethnic background that is not well represented in US universities (and with which the United States has a complicated history) chose not to mention it at all. When these obvious topics are omitted from an application, it makes the applicant seem ignorant of history and geopolitics. An “ambassador” needs to be aware of both. (Students with experience in Model UN are particularly expected to have awareness of geopolitics and understand what it means to be an ambassador.)
Sometimes there were significant cultural and social service-related ECs that sounded both interesting and impressive, but simply didn’t get mentioned elsewhere in the application. This is not to say that your main essay needs to be about your extracurricular activities, but it is generally helpful to weave your major ones in somehow. If your chosen essay topics or the prompts make this impractical, make sure your recommenders elaborate on the significance and impact of the major ECs you have done.

Mistake #9: Too much “trauma dumping” and “tear-jerking”

Essays aren’t a creative writing contest, especially in the era of ChatGPT. Emotional resonance is important, but for international students it is not the most important thing. In fact, admissions officers increasingly need to divorce themselves from emotional attachment to applicants, as there is no way every compelling application will result in an acceptance. This can lead to too much emphasis on pathos backfiring. Familial circumstances, health issues, and other challenges that may make a domestic applicant appealing to a college tend to do the opposite for an international applicant. In almost all instances, international applicants are simply not used to fulfill this particular enrollment goal. Poverty, abuse, addiction, food and/or housing insecurity, and other circumstances that may help admissions officers make a case for domestic students are usually not helpful factors for international students—and may even harm your case.
If any of these circumstances is due directly to political persecution, you may get more sympathy. But if that’s the case, you need to demonstrate that you’re aware of your country’s politics and desire to be a voice for justice, rather than merely seeking relief from an oppressive situation. You need not just personal resilience, but a vision of a path forward for others in your place. Top colleges are looking for leaders, not refugees.

Mistake #10: Lacking recommenders who can credibly testify to your ability to succeed at a top college

As a former lawyer, I approach the admissions process like a trial (although not a fair one, as I discussed above). During a trial each side will present witnesses, some of whom will be more credible than others. There are three kinds of witnesses: Fact witnesses, character witnesses, and expert witnesses. There are different criteria for evidence from these three types of witnesses to be credible: * Fact witnesses must have personal knowledge of the facts. * Character witnesses must have familiarity with the litigant’s behavior patterns, community norms, and the litigant’s reputation in their community. * Expert witnesses must have proper training and experience in the particular field in which they are testifying. Each of your recommenders will act as all three types of witness to some degree, and all types of “testimony” are important. Most top applicants have ample “fact” and “character” witnesses. What is often lacking, particularly from students who don’t attend “feeder” schools, are those who attended or taught at a T20 or liberal arts college. These are individuals who will write the most credible and compelling letters of recommendation (LORs). Anyone can write “[student] would be an asset to any university and succeed wherever they go,” but those words ring hollow if the writer has never experienced or witnessed success at the kind of university you are applying to.
Not everyone knows such a person, but a few times I saw an applicant who had a teacher, mentor, or supervisor who had experience at a T20 but didn’t get an LOR from them.
For teachers and counselors, the most compelling letters will come from those who graduated from a top university or at least have taught many students who have attended top universities. There are “feeder” schools because colleges can rely on counselors and teachers to provide reliable “testimony” about which students are most likely to succeed. The recommender will be accountable because of their ongoing relationship with the admissions office. A counselor or teacher from a non-feeder school can write anything to puff up a student’s qualifications without consequence. This makes their testimony less compelling.
Students from non-feeder schools are thus generally at a disadvantage, but if they and their families understand this disadvantage, they can compensate for it. For example, if you or your child does not attend a school where faculty and staff have attended top universities, you should develop relationships with such people throughout high school or during a gap year.
Families often make the mistake of getting a letter of recommendation from a politician instead of someone who might be more persuasive to an admissions office. American admissions offices largely don’t care about what foreign politicians think, with the exception being the heads of state of our closest allies like the UK, Canada, and Australia. And in fact, having a recommendation from a prominent foreign politician may make it seem like another country’s government is pushing a student in order to advance a certain agenda. Whereas a student should be an ambassador of their country and its culture, they are not an ambassador for its government. (There will be exceptions for students whose national governments and royal families have an ongoing relationship with the university, but if you’re one of those people, you’ll know.)
Someone who attended a T20, even if they are a mid-level professional, would be a better pick as a recommender than a regional or even national-level politician. Admissions officers will tell you they’re not impressed by politicians, but they aren’t eager to come out and say that a recommender’s experience at a top university matters, because that would imply that many students are at a disadvantage.
So, if you’re an international student and you aren’t at the top of your class at a feeder school or you’re not a member of a royal family, the admissions process can be challenging. But it is possible to get into top schools, especially if you approach the admissions process strategically and avoid the mistakes I’ve listed.
I look forward to helping more of you this year!
I’ll try to answer general questions about these topics in this thread, as I continue to do with my popular post about F-1 visas.

There’s a therapy degree online for 145$ and I’d like to be an art therapist. Could I just get the certificate then apply to scholarships?

Got a 670 for reading. Any tips specifically with the last two? Is SEC just grammar?

Ever since I could remember I was always throwing things, didn’t matter what it was or who was in the way of it was light enough to throw, u best believe I was slinging that thing. So ever since I was little I was a qb in football, started in flag football in 2nd grade then played all the way up until sophomore year of highschool, I was living life to the fullest,I had good grades, friends, and tbh the will to leave my room, I had just gotten my first scholarship from the university of Upike a small D1 NAIA school. I had just gotten a new trainer, he had played d1 and could’ve went pro but chose different route so he was very pricey but also very good and I remember my mom struggling to pay for training sessions being over $100 each day, I’d even offered to start working to help pay for them but my mom said I’d just have to repay her when I got to the NFL which those are big dreams to begin with but still, I had my mind set to it and I would’ve done it ,but that all ended when the summer going into junior year when I would end up tearing and straining most of if not my entire lower lumbar muscles during a front squat WITH ONLY 145 pbs, I was devistated, we tried physical therapy for about a year off and on and I’m never going to play football again, I have 2 disc bulges cause from a extra vertebrae, and I can no longer sprint, jump, or rotate hips, luckily no surgery but it’s been around half a year since we came to this conclusion and everyday I’ve been getting worse mentally, since then I’ve went to bad habits to deal with everything, I’m just lost, everytime I hear certain songs, see friends, or even just watch football I have to leave the room because it just too much, I just like go numb, or zone out, my friends sort of compared it to the 1000 yd stare which I think is crazy but it makes me think why me, all my tm8s are going d1 and getting academic scholarships, while I’m just barely getting by, broken and clueless, I’ve tried finding new hobbies and tried my old hobbies but nothing feels the same, I LOVE cars but I can’t work on them consistently because of my back, I’ve tried at a shop and it was horrible, idk what to do, I feel like I owe my mom bc she spent countless sleepless nights and early morning and way too much money just for me to break down into a lifeless body.
Pls help a brotha out.

I can finally post here haha
Demographics
Gender: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Southeast Asian
Residence: Asia (currently at Canada)
Income Bracket: 300k USD yearly
Type of School: Private Boarding School
Hooks: Don't think I have any
Intended Major(s): Biology
Academics
GPA (UW/W): I went through 3 different high schools that did not use GPA so this is what I calculated
9th grade: 2.9
10th grade: 3.0 GPA (Almost failed math)
11th grade: 3.5 GPA or 87/100 average, took 3 APs
12th grade: 3.9 GPA or 89/100 average, took 1 AP
Rank (or percentile):
# of Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc.: 4
Senior Year Course Load:
AP Biology, AP Research (Withdrew early March due to health reasons), Chemistry 12, Anatomy and Physiology 12, Digital Art 11, English 12, Outdoor Leadership 12, Pre-calculus 12. Yoga 12
Standardized Testing
Test Optional (should have taken the SAT but I didn't)
AP: World History (5), Seminar (4), Physics 1 (3), Biology (taking it this year)
Other (ex. IELTS, TOEFL, etc.):
TOEFL 115 (29 R, 29 L, 30 S, 27 W)
TOEFL 109 (Expired but submitted for UW, took it 2 years ago to get into boarding school)
DET 145
Extracurriculars/Activities
List all extracurricular involvements, including leadership roles, time commitments, major achievements, etc.
#1 Rowing (11 and 12)
#2 Volunteered at a fair trade store last year for a couple of weeks
#3 3D Modelling in 10th grade and earned some money doing it
#4 Model UN Club member
#5 Boarding house duty assistant - Every month we do shifts to make sure that kids stay inside dorms and are studying
#6 Piano - Competed in 9th grade and won 6th place out of 40, stopped because I didn't like it
#7 Citizen Scientist - I collect samples from beaches throughout my city and try to find fish eggs to confirm whether or not those beaches are suitable habitats for forage fish species. I'm going to take a leadership role with it but this was after college applications.
#8 Boxing - for fun (12)
Awards/Honors
Finished second for Novice 8 and men's 8 in city championships this year
Letters of Recommendation
AP Physics teacher - I really liked his labs and he was pretty chill, also earned a pretty high grade so I asked (8/10)
Precalculus-11 teacher - He was genuinely funny and also flamed his kid at basketball, he knows I study pretty hard for his class (9/10)
Interviews
None
Essays
Talked about rowing and how it empowered me to improve the communities that had shaped and influenced me throughout my life, just like how rowing had kicked me into shape
Decisions
Acceptances:
Arizona State University (15k yearly scholarship) (EA)
Rutgers (EA) I love New Jersey
UBC Okanagan (RD)
Waitlists:
Waiting for UBC Vancouver to respond
Rejections:
UIUC (EA)
UT Austin (RD)
Ohio State (RD)
Texas A&M (RD)
UMich (RD)
UWash (RD)
North Carolina at Chapel Hill (RD)
Need some help deciding which one to attend

So far at least 32 different pamphlets have been found from before Smith's time that describe spiritual experiences very similar to the first vision. Much of the wording is incredibly similar, for example, “above the brightness of the sun”.
All the core doctrines of Mormonism, for example, three degrees of glory, two priesthoods, word of wisdom, Temple ceremony, etc, were lifted from outside sources. Smith was an aggregator, not an originator.
If God got so specific in so many "revelations", why didn't he have clear direction on who should succeed Smith? Isn't he supposed to be a God of order?
The transfiguration of Young, where he was speaking and appeared to emulate Smith, has been touted as the manifestation that he is the next prophet. The problem is this miracle was never reported or mentioned until 7 years after it supposedly happened.
Smith once said that if evolution is true then the Church is false.
The church is being dragged into a more honest and transparent position with its history because of the internet generation.
Spiritual witnesses are found in all religions. The church isn't the only place where you can feel the spirit.
We have been indoctrinated since birth. We have been taught to follow our leaders without question and without criticism. Our truth comes from only one source.
You believe something more if you hear it more. Repetition is huge in Mormonism.
You believe something more strongly if you get emotional. The church uses emotion as a tool to get its message across.
Heaven’s gate believers we're spiritually moved and edified. Was that the light if Christ? Now they're all dead.
In Ballard's talk, he says, where will you go if you leave the church? It's an abusive tactic using fear.
Feeling the spirit is conflated with feeling emotion. Nelson tells a story about almost dying on a fight with the engine exploding. But that story wasn't true, or it was hugely exaggerated. Why would members feel the spirit during that story if it isn't true?
Smith prophesied that the Kirtland safety society Bank would be the biggest bank in the country, it failed, and many lost their life savings.
Benson said, this so-called civil rights movement is part of a Communist revolution in America.
Modern Mormonism is trying to redefine faith: from faith in something we can't see, to faith in something despite what we CAN see.
Kimball introduced a ban on oral sex that got overturned within 9 months because of outcry from the members.
If the church is true, it should hold up to scrutiny and outside historical sources. Current leaders invoke the strongest of cautions to stay away from outside sources about the church. It doesn't hold up.
Some early missionaries in England, that were teaching people that the church was not practicing polygamy, were actively practicing polygamy. They lied for the Lord.
The church released a manifesto declaring that it was finished with polygamy...four times. Church leaders lied for the Lord.
Excommunications throughout Church history weren't about the facts, they were about which side you were on.
If any of the things on this list were about any other church, you would probably denounce it immediately.
Many top Mormon apologists eventually leave the church or have a very nuanced testimonies after their career.
Joseph F Smith admitted in the Smoot hearings that he has never received a revelation other than that the church is true.
Chiasmus has been used to show that Smith couldn't have written the BOM. But it's found everywhere, throughout the Bible and even in Dr Seuss.
In the Apocrypha, there is a story strikingly similar to Nephi slaying Laban. It's the story of Judith slaying Holofernes.
The church hasn’t been transparent since 1959 about how it uses tithing. They do not disclose how tithing money is used, even to those that pay it.
Ballard told the educators of the youth of the church that they should dissuade their students from googling their questions.
It is telling that the church requires so many apologists actively defending their truth claims. If the truth claims were true, they should be easy and simple to prove. Instead, the church employs an army of apologists to twist logic and gaslight members.
Mormon apologists are doing theology, not history or scholarship or science. They know that many people don't realize this, it's dishonest. For example, an apologist with an Egyptology degree defends the false translation of the Book of Abraham.
Nelson has told four faith promoting miracle stories from his life. The problem is that these stories are hugely embellished. In one, he's simply the victim of a random robbery in Mozambique, but he tells the story of a man there to assassinate him and kidnap his wife. In his story, the man puts a gun to his head and pulls the trigger, but the gun jams and he's miraculously saved. Didn’t happen.
If the leader of another religion fabricated four miracle stories to set themself apart as the chosen prophet of God, would you be suspicious?
Nelson claimed that the 2015 exclusion policy was a powerful revelation, even though insiders say it was a quick vote among the leaders of the church.
If somebody speaks for God on your behalf, in a sense that person becomes your god. They have complete influence over every aspect of your life.
Church disciplinary councils are a problem. They create a power imbalance and psychological dependencies. They ask explicit questions and create an environment of shame.
A religion must insert itself between a person and their god, otherwise there's no purpose for the religion.
As a punishment for sin, not being able to take the sacrament is all about public shaming.
The church focuses too much on worthiness, not worth.
Church culture comes from the top. It grows out of decisions and policies from leadership. They could create a healthier culture, but they don't or can’t.
Ideas like dictating gender roles in a family creates a cookie cutter membership, which doesn't work for all families. These families are pushed to the fringes. Ideas like the only true church create a superiority complex. Church culture causes harm to all but the most orthodox members.
Most other churches believe that you will be with your loved ones in heaven, the LDS church makes this dependent on the orthodoxy of you and your loved ones. All must be worthy to live together. It is fear-based, not love-based, and creates a family dynamic where you are policing each other.
Being a missionary (sales position) is not for all boys because of personality reasons or mental health reasons, etc. But they are forced to go, and when some ultimately fail, it is devastating to their future.
The judgmental part of church culture is a powerful means to control membership. It is a policing tool.
Primary is conditioning from birth. If you look closely at primary song lyrics, they are teaching obedience above all.
Callings being coerced is unmotivating. Why don't we choose? In reality, you CAN choose if you know the bishop well enough.
Church materials are marketing tools. It's all PR for a corporation. Everything is whitewashed.
If something can be factually or historically disproven and you still believe it, you are not being faithful, you are being deluded.
There are a lot of similarities between mega church behavior and LDS church behavior. However, the LDS Church is more discrete about extracting money from its congregation, and it's compulsory.
Mormonism teaches that God is the literal and physical father of Jesus. But Mary is a spirit child of God. Is this incest?
A great explanation for Smith's revelations is just a human being responding to pressures. Because he speaks for God, he can solve his problems by coming up with new doctrines and revelations, so he does.
In many general conferences, leaders have strongly said that people are not born homosexual.
The church behaves as a corporation when engaging in damage control. Its lawyers pay out settlements and try to conceal embarrassing incidents. But victims don't realize the power imbalance. They assume that they are on the same side as the church.
Rib is a mistranslation from the Adam and Eve story in the KJV. It should be "side". So why is rib in the temple and Smith's scriptures?
The endowment has changed recently with no more requirement to sacrifice life if necessary. And now women are more equal to men. If this is an everlasting ordinance, why does it keep changing from outside influences?
Joseph F Smith said that when the church can pay its bills without the need for tithing, they will reduce the financial burden on the members. Because of the massive wealth of the church today, they could cover all costs with a billion to spare annually.
"Make a bigger bulls eye". The church is forced to continually broaden and water down its truth claims. Smith would claim a very specific truth, but as time went on, these claims couldn't be true, so the church would broaden the definition. For example, Smith claimed Abraham physically wrote the papyrus scrolls, but now the modern church claims that Smith simply used the papyrus as a catalyst for ideas for the book of Abraham. Eventually the truth claims are broadened enough that they are indistinguishable from fraud, when viewed objectively.
This also happens when the truth claims become unpopular politically or socially. For example, blacks and the priesthood. Young taught the doctrine that blacks were cursed and would only get the priesthood in the millennium. This changed in the modern church.
Joseph Fielding Smith used a pen knife to cut out the pages of Smith's journal that contained a contradictory first vision story. He then hid the pages in the vault and denied they existed for many years.
The church massively overstates its membership around the world. For example, Mexico's census is quite accurate and shows 338,000 people self-Identify as LDS, but the church claims 1.5M. They need the illusion of growth to strengthen the faith. Compare to 7th Day Adventists who claim 778,000 and census says 791,000. Almost right on.
Only about 30% of members are active. So, 5 or 6 million of the 17 million. And activity is dropping, but the church continues to say it's growing.
As countries are developing, Mormonism grows, but when they reach development, Mormonism stops growing and starts to shrink. The more developed a country is, usually the fewer the Mormons. Look at Scandinavian countries, for example.
Because of the transparency of the Australian government, we know the church is on par and possibly slightly worse than the Catholic Church when it comes to number of abuse cases.
The church tried to settle with the boy scouts for abuse cases, but they added into the settlement, all young men abuse cases. This was rejected by the judge.
Abortions were common in Nauvoo (from 6 historical sources). John C Bennett performed them for many leaders of the church that didn't want children from polygamist relations.
D&C and BOM both declare that polygamy is to bring forth children. If Smith had no children from his polygamist wives, this was wrong according to his declared doctrine. He had no reason to have 40 wives without having children.
There is nothing in D&C that says only deacons can pass the sacrament. The practice started culturally to give boys something to do. It would be an easy change to allow girls to pass the sacrament, but the culture of the church is misogynistic.
When Oaks was president of BYU, he approved electroshock therapy as a treatment for homosexuality.
A nobody can get excommunicated on their doorstep. But when a prominent figure gets excommunicated, church PR usually gets involved and the message is managed carefully. The church is a corporation first.
Bishop roulette is a big factor in what happens to you if you are on the fringe or pushing boundaries. It's not consistent. For example, if you are a trans person, you could be lovingly accepted or not allowed the sacrament or even excommunicated.
Cult + Time = Religion
There were several books published before the BOM that have a very similar plot and language to the BOM. Smith had access to at least a few of them. For example, in View of the Hebrews, the Native Americans are actually Hebrews from a destroyed Jerusalem that separate into two factions, wild and civilized. There are many wars and eventually the wild people destroy the civilized. The book quotes a lot from Isaiah, and in one scene, there is even a prophet on a wall, being shot at with arrows, as he preaches wo unto the people.
Oaks has said in recent church history that it is wrong to criticize the leaders of the church even if your criticism is true. Eyring has said that it is a sin to even think of weakness in the leaders that you have sustained.
It is clear that Smith copied sections of the Bible into the BOM because there are errors in the text that are unique to the version of King James Bible that he owned.
There is no archeological evidence for the millions of Nephites and Laminates that supposedly lived. Even though we have ample evidence from much smaller groups that lived thousands of years earlier.
https://youtu.be/qcQthyiTA7c?si=RaUdEyva0mzqyooU
https://youtu.be/1Bu7yZsvh1Y?si=UKDXmMIOZAebVYMi
https://youtu.be/4ac_fLUHiBw?si=c6cCaCY3PW6DLd-7
Up until 2014, the church discouraged interracial marriage.
Depression rates are very high in Utah, and Utah has the most antidepressant use in the country. Utah also has the highest porn use.
Teen suicide is proportionally higher the denser the Mormon population. And it's increasing much faster than national averages.
The church handbook states that a bishop should be consulted about vasectomies and family planning.
"Traditionally faith is an instrument to bridge that gap between where science, history and logic end, and what you hope to be true. Mormonism redefines faith as embracing what you hope to be true in spite of science, fact, and history." Paul H Dunn
3 witnesses:

a. Martin Harris – said he conversed with Jesus in the form of a deer, joined 5 more religions after Mormonism (10 total), followed two other prophets that claimed to have plates, testified of other books of Scripture from these other religions.
b. David Whitmer – said seeing the angel was more spiritual, said that the voice of God told him to leave the Mormon Church, admitted that he saw the plates with “spiritual eyes”.
c. Oliver Cowdery - treasure hunter that specialized in the divining rod, Smith's cousin, co-founder of church and scribe for BOM, big conflict of interest.

All BOM witnesses except Cowdery joined Strang's church after Smith died. Strang was another supposed prophet that also found plates. Strang turned out to be a fraud.
Some witnesses said that they hefted the plates with a tablecloth covering them. They didn't physically see them. And the only person to actually sign the written testimony was Cowdery.
The temple ceremony is a copy of 1800s Masonic rituals. The church admits that it has nothing to do with Solomon’s ancient temple.
Repeat: If Adam and Eve were historical, why does everybody have a percentage of neanderthal genes? The Neanderthals died off 33k years before Adam and Eve.
The Strengthening the Church Members Committee is a committee whose mission is to find and expose intellectuals and members that are a bad influence on members of the church. Its existence was a tight secret for many years.
A black woman was sealed to Smith in the temple as his servant.
One definition of a cult is a high demand organization that won't let you leave with your dignity.
The golden plates were never used to translate the BOM, it was done entirely with a magic stone in a hat. So why all the effort of creating, writing on, transporting, preserving, and protecting the golden plates if they weren't needed?
The Nephites claimed to have used chariots throughout the BOM. There is no evidence of wheeled vehicle use in the ancient Americas. You would think that this technology would have caught on to other civilizations.
The world view at Smiths time was that a single Egyptian letter contained a paragraph of information. This is not true. Egyptian writing has pictures only to denote context of a word. Egyptian is phonetic, so it takes multiple characters for one word. When Nephi says they wrote in reformed Egyptian because Hebrew would have taken up too much space, this is strong evidence that Smith made it up.
The worldview at Smith's time was that the Bible was historical and chronological, but today we know that Genesis was written a thousand years after Abraham would have lived. The book of Abraham quotes extensively from Genesis. That's a problem.
A friend met with Ballard when he was having questions about the church. Ballard avoided the hard questions and said that he was an apostle, not a historian. He also said, “You’re very intelligent. That can be a liability in the church.”
Women were not allowed to pray in sacrament until 1978.
In the early Christian church, there was a female apostle name Junia (Romans 16:7).
Do you want to live in a world where no doctrine can be challenged, no teaching can be questioned, and no idea can be examined? That’s the world the leaders of the church are trying to hold on to.
https://youtu.be/kdyyjXcPCyY?si=EO09RB_roKlzVIvg
The church is estimated to be worth 260 billion dollars.
The church cares about its image over anything else.
The name Isabel in the BOM didn't exist until the late Middle Ages.
Bushman, who wrote Rough Stone Rolling, a leading faithful historian of the church, called the BOM pseudepigrapha, or writings falsely attributed to someone else (in other words, Bible fan fiction).
Most reliable data indicates that the membership of the church is in sharp decline. Estimated at -30% in the last ten years. The church obscures this fact by only reporting membership on record, which only goes up.
Pres John Taylor said that black people exist because the devil needed representation on earth.
According to a survey of 1,000 post Mormons, the top three reasons they left were:

a. Troubling history related to Joseph Smith
b. Book of Mormon doubts
c. Race issues in the church.

A friend has a sister-in-law that was told by her bishop to take out a loan to pay back missed tithing. She did.
2nd Councilor in YM presidency (Wilcox), problematic quotes:

a. If you leave this church, you lose everything.
b. Other churches are simply playing church.
c. Instead of asking why the blacks didn't get the priesthood till 1978, we should be asking why the whites didn't get it till 1829.

Smith was super racist: https://youtu.be/Yx7oAam287o?si=MKzTfZH5NYfNhSU1
Our brains prefer comfort over truth. Safety and assurance are very attractive.
In 2008, there were bishops in California who revoked members Temple recommend for not supporting prop 8.
Fielding Smith taught that if you don't make it to the celestial Kingdom, you will lose your gender, because you don't need to procreate.
The BOM assumes a civilization that has writing as its base means of communication and record keeping, this is completely anachronistic. The Mayans are the only American civilization to have writing, and it was ritualistic and symbolic. They didn't have an alphabet. In 600BC, the old world wasn't text based either.
The Fremont civilization was very small (tens of thousands), yet we find lots of evidence for their existence. The BOM people numbered in the millions, yet we find no evidence of them. There should be artifacts.
Smith said that Jesus had a light complexion and blue eyes. That is extremely unlikely for what historical Jesus would have looked like.
If the Nephite civilization existed, it would be comparable to Rome in size and technology and sophistication. Such a civilization would have left behind a large amount of artifacts. No evidence has been discovered that would point to such a civilization. It's impossible that a civilization of that size and sophistication would have vanished without a trace.
Smith's view of ancient people is a literary world, but 600BC would have been a completely oral world. There would have been no talk of books or records at that time.
The people of the BOM are philosophically and culturally modern Christians. They are connecting directly to God through written text and emphasis is on the individual. Actual old-world people at that time connected to the law and sacred ritual and emphasis was on polytheism and sacred places.
BOM people are suddenly monotheist, because that was Smith's worldview and his view of the ancient world. In reality, 600BC Israelites were polytheist.
There is no example from history where any civilization writes an objective history on metal plates. The very few metal plates found contain the most sacred of rituals. It would be like bathing in a baptismal font.
All other metal writing examples from history contain 1-6 words per square inch. By very generous calculations, the Golden Plates would have to have 170-200 words per square inch to fit the BOM text.
Tithing pays the salary of the members of the Strengthening Church Members Committee. This committee carries out surveillance on church members, through social media for example, and reports apostate behavior to member's leaders.
The only actual evidence we have for the BOM is, how does it make you feel?
It would have been very easy to get a charcoal rubbing from the Golden Plates. So why isn't there one?
If you're asking God if the BOM is true and you will only accept a positive answer, are you really asking? Or, if you accept any positive feeling or positive experience as your answer, then you will only get a positive answer.
The difference between a cult and a religion is that in a cult there is one leader that knows it's all made up, and in a religion that person is dead.
Walmart gives more money to humanitarian causes than the church.
The church hijacks spiritual experiences. You can feel edified, inspired, uplifted because of humanity, goodness, beauty, nature. The church will claim those experiences as proof that you are in the right place and the church is true.
The Mayan civilization existed before and after BOM people allegedly existed. Yet there is no mention of them in Mayan artifacts. Somehow a civilization the size of Rome didn't interact with the Mayan civilization that inhabited the same area?
Post Mormons report the same level and intensity of "the spirit" after leaving the church. Some say they feel it more and more intensely. What about the claim that they will have an absence of the Holy Ghost?
The prophecy that the very elect will leave the church in the last days is a powerful control tactic and landmine placed just outside the church.
The church will publicly say, "join us and we'll add to your truth", but if you leave, they will say, "you can't have a fulfilling and meaningful life outside the church". So, do those that don't join have a sad, meaningless life?
The church pities those that leave and shuns them. To leave a high demand religion is incredibly courageous. It's admirable to follow one's truth.
If Oliver Cowdry saw God and He told him that all other churches were an abomination, why would he leave Mormonism and join the Methodists?
Apologists will point to a wording analysis study that shows there are multiple authors of the BOM. This is actually a problem because you would expect a single author if it was all translated through Smith. Unless it was a tight translation, which it can’t be the case for many reasons, like the KJV Bible errors in the text, for example.
Imagine if the church were a secular organization, how would society react to the lack of women allowed in leadership.
The church's doctrine of family is painful because it's not “families ARE forever”, it's “families CAN BE forever”. And only if everyone gives their agency and loyalty to church leadership.
Why do so many people have uneasy, fearful feelings when they go through the temple for the first time. Shouldn't the Holy Ghost be testifying of its goodness?
Mormonism has a secret, highest level ritual called the second anointing. Those who receive it are guaranteed exaltation, no matter what sins they commit, other than murder. Imagine an organization whose entire leadership believes that they are above reproach and cannot sin.
The church likes to say that the Relief Society is one of the largest and oldest women’s organization in the world. But it’s a women’s organization that’s budget, curriculum, and leadership are controlled by men. Also, the Relief Society was disbanded for twenty-three years by Young.
In the early church, women gave priesthood blessings like healing, baby blessings and ordinances in the temple for men

This list is a culmination of 9 months of deconstruction. 9 difficult months.
What do you think? What did I miss? Thanks!

Prior Service heading to MEPS this week for a physical and initial job talk to reenlist. If anyone else has been in this position I would appreciate advice on what not to do (if there are any common mistakes to avoid). I do not plan on enlisting this first time. I just want to get medically cleared. My recruiter said I can put off enlisting until I finish my last two semesters of college (any thoughts?). Lastly, any big ongoing changes or new initiatives the army is undertaking that I should know about and consider before re-enlisting?
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does anyone know if they closed the future soldier preparatory education course for people who scored between 31-49. i’ve heard that they closed it but it still shows up on the goarmy website saying that people who score between those scores are eligible to take the course.
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Hi I'm Jonathan I'm 18 and I want to enlist. I can't wrap my head around choosing Infantry, Medic, or Cavalry Scout. But that's beside the point. I will be 19 on August 10th. I get my driver's license around the end of July (yeah I know I'm a little late on that). I finish college at the end of April. And I want to arrive to BCT ASAP after my birthday. When do you guys think is a good time for me to start contacting a recruiter? Also should I try and learn how to swim?
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Tapas: I don’t understand how someone “fails” this. I got a 81 and needing 100 to enlist. Is there any advice anyone can give me to get that score next month
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Hey question. My brother was at fort bragg and just got shipped overseas. He can't tells us where. He's a rigger. Just wonder if anyone knows where they're going?
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Is there a listen for new recruits with all the MOS’ with the required asvab score and minimum length of contracts to look through? Personally want MOS 15W since I have my 107 but in case for some reason I don’t qualify would want to research other MOS’ for a back up vs having to take time after I find out.
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Any advice for someone who doesn't necessarily want to stay in, but also doesn't know what to do on the outside world? You hear all these "oh I got out and got into contracting and now I make bank" stories, and I could pursue that but I don't know HOW true that stuff is, and it's also not really my interest so I'd just be doing it for the money.
I like the army, but this isn't what I pictured myself doing for a career.
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I know this topic has probably already been beaten to death but joining with adhd. I am getting conflicting information whether the time off medication is 24 months, 12 months, or i have even heard 3 months. I also saw on my medical history insomnia and anxiety which were both caused by medication i've taken in the past for ADHD.
anyone able to clear this up would be much appreciated.
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So I got an idea of what I wanna do my life and right now I wanna be a gunsmith and I just wanna talk to some 91f to see what your experience has been like in the service because I Wanna get to know the difference between 2111 (the marine corp equivalent)and 91f (sorry I don't know how else to word this)
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Can you get enlistment bonus if your reenlisting, the new 50k ones
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Hey Melendrez here! I need advice/ guidance on enlisting in the Army. I’m looking into joining the Army branch, I’ve started my packet for the Army, I need help with the things I need to take for Basic Training and MEPS. I have talked with a recruiter about this. I was wondering about your guys advice on this.
I appreciate it.
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Hi, I recently joined the army reserves and was told to that I have to be able to do 43 push-ups, 53 sit ups and a 15:30 2 mile to get to E2 before basic and was hoping to get advice on increasing my max hand release pushups in 2 minutes.
PS, I have about 1 1/2 months until I ship out.
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the army recruiter called me last night he recommended the national guard so i let them pay for my college graduate and then go in full time as an officer rank with higher pay is that a good idea?
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Hello everyone, I’m a 38 year old male currently awaiting approval of a moral conduct waiver for past law violations. This waiver seemingly has to go to the highest approval authority because I was originally charged with felonies in one of the cases. I ultimately pled guilty a lesser charge which is a misdemeanor. The waiver was initially sent February 9th and kicked back on March 11th because the waiver check list wasn’t included. (At least that’s what I was told) It was corrected and resubmitted the same day so today makes a week. Any insight on how much longer it could take to be approved or denied? I’m hoping because the felony was on charged and not convicted it will be approved. Any insight is greatly appreciated.
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I’ve been seeing conflicting answers around about being able to keep the running shoes I bring with me to BCT - can anyone confirm? Bought a nice pair of sneakers and would like to keep them if at all possible. TIA!
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Can anyone tell me if any of these disqualifies me by any means or that I should be concerned with. I have not talked to a recruiter yet but I want to enlist in the national guard. Any feedback/information is appreciated. I’m a 32 y/o female
Be warned this is a lot since I’ve been reading that no one is getting away with anything 🫡 I need adviceeee. Also, when talking to recruiters, do I tell them all of this or withhold shit because it’s going to come out eventually.
Injuries:
1.) Broke a piece of my pelvis off like 5th grade. Healed fine with no complications.
2.) Minor sprains, maybe a fractured my heel while I was a child in soccer.
3.) Recently have runners knee 2019-2024 (diagnosed twice) - will this be a concern.. no other issues with my knees.
4.) Broke my big toe in a car accident 2013. Fully healed, no therapy or anything.
5.)
Health:
1.) Kidney Stones 2013 or something around there.
2.) Was on medicine for depression, slight mood disorder (caused from my period), and anxiety due to a traumatizing relationship. Never went to therapy. But was prescribed medicine for 2-3 years I believe in 2014/2015. Have been off for many years now.
3.) Many years ago I passed out and hit my head and got a concussion. I don’t remember fainting but I woke up throwing up with a fever and head pain. Didn’t go to the hospital but went to the doctor and they ran EEG test which revealed nothing wrong.
4.) New* Ocular migraine with aura (you see psychedelic looking zig-zags in your vision following a massive migraine). Got a EEG, MRI, tested me for blood clots/aneurysms- everything came back fine. Only happened once.
5.) New floaters in the eyes. I also wear contacts.
6.) I have extremely dry skin. Not sure if it’s documented or not.
7.) I got mad crowns in my mouth also.
8.)
Law:
1.) This could be irrelevant bc it’s not medical but since they wanna dig all up in my life. I smacked someone in the head with a bottle of Vodka. (In my party girl era sadly.) 2014. They took me to court but it was dropped because I apologized and paid for the boys stitches in his face. 🫣
2.) I don’t have a record and never got arrested but I do have my fair share of encounters with the police in the past from time to time. (Party girl era was lit)
3.) Car tickets - tints, traffic violations, wreckless (that was dropped)
4.) A drunk driver totaled my car and I had to take a DUI test also but was not charged or anything because I was not intoxicated. Would that hinder me at all?
5.)
I’ve had a wild ride so far and I believe this might be everything… 90% sure 😅 Is having an extensive history like this going to hinder my chances?
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Any recruiters willing to speak in dm about reservist/ new york national guard contracts?
I have a few questions that I keep trying to post, but am unable to do so because of "community rules". All of which are getting directed to this list. Thanks!
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what do i have to make on the ASVAB to join the infantry, I've tried researching and looking it up but keep coming out with different answers
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Hello, I am a 17 years old male and a senior in high school. I have a 4-year AROTC scholarship for when I start college next year. I am 5'11 and in the last year have gotten really into weightlifting. I have put on a lot of muscle mass and gone from about 145-185 pounds. However, I am totally lean and am not overweight at all. I still run for 30 minutes every single day and am completely in shape. However, as I continue to get stronger in the gym I have been putting on more muscle mass and my weight on the scale has been increasing. I did great on the fitness test for the scholarship and am still capable of that. Yet, I see that the max weight for my age and height is 185 which is exactly what I am and I will certainly keep going up if I keep lifting and putting on muscle mass. Is it okay to go past this number if it's muscle mass and I am completely lean, fit and capable of all physical tasks that will be required of me?
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Hi Everyone! I (27m) am very new to posting on reddit, so my apologies for any formatting mistakes in this post. I sincerely appreciate any insights that I can receive from here. Thank you so much!
So… I am at a crossroads regarding the next decisions I have to make (or should make) in the next part of my life. I perceive all of which as a VERY GOOD thing, but I just seem to be having a hard time finding the information and/or outside perspectives that I’m looking for about the military (Army Reserves or NYNG. I have a list of general questions posted at the bottom, but here is a little about me:
I’m newly married, I co-own a small business, and I’m a shareholder of vested stock options in a legal cannabis company. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in a very specific sector of agriculture. The long story short of it is that I studied commercial agronomy, organic chemistry, and biological sciences for the legal cannabis industry. For the last 2-3 years I’ve worked in the legal cannabis industry full time. However, I recently transitioned into working part time in the legal cannabis industry where I continuing my scientific work as a laboratory technician and distiller (yes, just like making moonshine, but with cannabinoids in a lab). I also handle all of the maintenance tasks of the whole facility (greenhouse, offices, labs, etc.) I am extremely fortunate and grateful to come from a blue collar family and have some of those skills (basic stick and mig welding, electrical), while also having earned a white collar education in science. In order to expand my professional skills (and pursue a bit of personal satisfaction), I transitioned almost 6 months ago into working as an electrician’s apprentice. My father and uncle are both IBEW union electricians and I am very familiar with that world. If all goes well, I will become a NY licensed electrician by the time I’m approximately 33 years old. I’m currently in a non-union shop, but I passed the written test and interview for the IBEW. I am waiting to receive the phonemail (tentatively soon) about beginning my IBEW apprenticeship sometime this year.
As I continue to broaden my horizons in that way, I remembered that one of the things I’ve always had aspirations of doing was to join the military in some way or another. I’ve had periods of interest before, but never during times when I was in a place of physical ability or mental maturity to do so. It’s kind of one of those things that I can’t get out of my head, and I tend to be somebody who will have that nagging voice in my head about something I want (that is obtainable) until I find a way to make it happen for myself. Probably a habit formed from loosing weight, because when I was about 21 I found myself weighing in well over 300lbs and hating life. A friend was joining the marine corps and I decided that I was going to do the same to motivate myself to loose the weight. AND IT WORKED!!! So I went through the process of loosing over 100lbs in the course of 1-2 years in order to join. Along the way I had a health scare (thankfully it was nothing), but that pushed me down the path of science, specifically working with cannabis for public use, which brings us here now. I’m currently weighing in around 210-215, I have some loose skin on my stomach but for the most part I’m quite fit. My only real concerns for any physical fitness tests would be to get better at pull-ups/chin-ups and increasing my cardiovascular endurance to be able to shorten my running times. Otherwise, everything else I see regarding fitness tests just seem like a fairly standard circuit training or workout routine?
So all of which being said, my idea is to wait until I am in the union apprenticeship to begin the enlistment process for the army reserves or NYNG. Once in, I would be able to arrange to keep my IBEW apprenticeship spot, as well and continue my part time employment in the cannabis job. As far as I understand there are legal protections from employers discriminating against employees pursuing military service? My business responsibilities are all done from my computer and phone, so not worried about that too much. This way I could be in the union with a side job (as many early year apprentices do), but also be able to be in the military and utilize those benefits for my family’s future.
Here are my Questions. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
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Hey just passed my 5 board and I’m wondering if early promotion is still in effect?
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Recruiter is taking forever to get me a consult date. Says my name isn’t showing up at MEPS to schedule a consultation. It’s been about a month, can I switch recruiters?
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Anyone know what option 6 or option 25 is ? I had option 25 and the guidance counselor at MEPS said option 6 was better. So I accepted. Now my recruiter is stating I made a dumb choice. However neither explained what they meant.
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I am considering joining the military through the Officer Candidate School (OCS) route. I have spoken to a couple of recruiters who informed me that the GPA average for those who get selected for OCS is 3.4, and one even mentioned 3.6. However, I graduated with a 3.2 GPA in Business Management. The recruiters did not discourage me from pursuing the OCS route but suggested that going the enlisted route and becoming an E4 is an easier way. What do you guys think is my gpa to low?
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Hello y'all,
I am looking to join ROTC starting this summer at basic camp and then continue through my junior year.
My issue at the moment is my reasoning for joining is so that I can eventually be in some kind of position where I am fighting against human trafficking. Whether it be DOD, DHS, or through the military on a mission. That is what I want to do as my job is help stop human trafficking.
However, I figured going this route is check the boxes of what I want to do in life, shoot guns and see different states/countries. Being an officer I know I would see less of shooting guns, but would I still be seeing the world on deployments?
With that in mind, do you guys think ROTC is going to qualify me the best for this, or would going in enlisted be just the same? I know having a college degree is huge but I only have two more years and I could just get that paid for through the army as enlisted anyways.
Thank you guys and I will continue doing research but I would rather ask here and find out from 1st hand experience rather then have google tell me things that might not be true.
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Is it true that during holding when awaiting training in OSUT you don’t get paid BAH?
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Hey, so I’m going through the enlistment process and I go to meps on Friday and I do my picat verification on Thursday.
My only concern is that when my recruiter did a medical pull for my records nothing came up, but I know I’ve done an mri for scoliosis 6-7 years ago but it wasn’t severe enough for surgery or a brace. I also had a non-stimulant adhd prescription about a year and a half ago but again I wasn’t diagnosed with it.
My recruiter said if they don’t bring it up with specifics, don’t mention it. I just need advice if I should be worried if I don’t mention it, or if I should at least mention the non-stimulant medication.
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Will my elbow be a disqualification at MEPS?
So I broke my elbow when I was 9 years old skateboarding. It extends a little bit past straight and I’ve lost a very small amount of flexibility. I can still do that one excersise where you touch your thumbs to your shoulder it’s just my left elbow locks a little bit further than my right elbow. Would this be a concern to the examiners? So what I want to know is if I should even try to join the army with my elbow.
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Tried searching first but can't quite piece together an answer so I'm making a post. I want to go for a commission, but I have an EPTS discharge.
Background: Joined Army NG in 2012. Being young and impressionable, I let my recruiter convince me to lie about recent ADHD med usage so that I could get in faster. Shipped out to Ft. Jackson, realized I didn't do things the right way, spoke up at the first moment of truth, and was home a month later.
DD214 has a re-entry code of 3, separation code is JFW. NGB22, not sure what's needed from here? Will edit if someone can help me read this one.
ADHD waiver need aside, does my prior situation prevent me from rejoining as an officer?
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For an APO address, if there's an online shop that ships internationally, but when you choose United States it doesn't have the AE state code, can you still use NY as the state? I haven't had to do that in a looooong time, but I just wanted to check if that still works.
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How long are ASVAB scores good for? Veteran
I got out a decade ago from the reserves. If I want to reenlist for AD or go to another branch, will they use my old scoring or will I have to retest to requalify
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Can a female enlist if diagnosed with endometriosis but it can be controlled without treatment?
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35Ts How hard is getting promoted to SSG?
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I joined the Army back in August 2021 but got chaptered out for leg injuries. I came back in January 2024 and am currently at AIT. When I was filling out myPay with my SDS, I noticed that I was automatically promoted from PFC to SPC (which probably suggests that I was never removed from the system) and have been at that rank and pay grade for about a month but didn't realize it until I saw it on my paperwork.
I recently bought the rank pins for my OCPs and my AIT drill sergeants are tracking me. Would it be wrong of me to put the ranks on my uniform?
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I’m wondering if anyone has had any experience reclassing from a 15R to 15U. Just recently signed my contract as a 15R just because no 15U jobs were popping up and when they did they were gone fast and i’ve been waiting for 4 months now. I plan on reclassing once my contract is up because I really wanna be part of a crew, eventually be a crew chief and maybe give the 160th a shot. So if anyone has any info please let me know.
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I saw some kind of memo talking about IRR and retiree recall and it was dated march of this year, they referenced an executive order 13223 which from what I am able to find was that it’s a 2001 executive order and nothing else. I am prior enlisted and ETS’ed after first contract if that makes a difference. Is there some kind of recall and how do IRR recalls work?
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I'm getting an extra job as a driver on wildfires. I will need a defensive driver certificate or the equivalent. I did drivers training with one unit and did the typical Kuwait Driver License training.
Do units issue certificates for such training anymore? Does the Army or JKO have such online trainings anymore related to driving? I know the Accident Avoidance Course was all but discontinued. Thanks y'all.
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Prior enlisted to officer process questions.
Got out of the army as an E5 after 3yrs 6mos of service. Planning on going to college and have been thinking about possibly commissioning as an officer after that. got some questions.

With prior enlisted experience and a bachelors degree would I have to go to a board or anything like that to earn my commission? Or would I just be sent to OCS?
Would it be worth it to do ROTC or no? I’m not really sure what the point of doing this is if I’m able to just get a commission without it.
Are you able to commission with a school in route just like they do for enlisted contracts?
I’m guessing it’s a hard no but do you get to choose your duty station this time? I don’t want to go back to wainwright lol
Will I be able to commission with a service related disability? Will most likely be 30% for depression once my claim is processed, maybe more if they give me anything for my shoulder and hearing problems but I doubt it.
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Does having a tattoo in the mouth count as a disqualification?
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Is there any advantage to enlisting over college? I'm considering enlisting then trade school after 4 years (unless I stay) over college and rotc. I have pretty good grades as far as high school goes, but i don't think I'd like higher education. Is this a workable plan? or would i be throwing away my future?
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To join or not to join… army reserve nurse?
I apologize if this isn’t where I should post this, I am just desperate for honest feedback. I am a 25f with a masters in nursing, and have been a nurse for about two years. All of which has been in the ICU. Since I was a kid I have always had interest in the military, and if I didn’t play a sport in college I probably would’ve joined early. I am just worried now is too late. At this point I enjoy the career I have, but just feel like I want to do more which led me to maybe joining the reserves. I have been in contact with an army medical recruiter and while it all sounds great, I’m not sure if it is all that great. The navy seems out because they acknowledge you will never do anything really medical.. I am looking at trying to go into the 66S mos, which seems very possible when I pass the CCRN exam, but seems decently competitive. Med-surg nursing is just not for me(power to all of you and your 6+ patients ratios!!).
Anyways, here come all the questions… - The army med recruiter has mentioned the roughly 2 months of training with the DCC and BOLC training. What is the training like? Should I prioritize anything in the months leading up if I decide to join? -How long does it take to go through all of the paperwork/physical? What happens if I’m over the weight requirement or need a waiver for something else? -Is there anything I should be asking the medical recruiter for or about prior to signing on? -Can anyone expand on what life is like for an army reserve nurse? Do you do any real nursing? For the nurses, do you feel like your skills have improved or pushed you to be a better nurse? -Does anyone have any experience or explanation on the pay? Would I be an O-1 upon going through the training?
I know it’s not all about the money, but I don’t want to end up losing money with the weekends/the two weeks in the summer. Are the benefits all it’s cracked up to be? Is it rewarding? I am very aware everyone’s experience is different, and I appreciate all honest comments. Thank you in advance.
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Is it possible to join the army as an officer or at least be considered with a 3.0 GPA if I get really high ASVAB scores, GT higher than 110 and my resume is very competitive? My husband is already enlisted and before he left to basic I agree to try and join the army as an officer since I have a BS, my reciter is saying that it is easier to join as an E-4 and then apply for officer but it be honest I do not want the hassle and I’ve read in many places where some people say yes others say no, what are my chances at getting in? Should I just go ahead and try to raise my GPA?
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Hello,
I'm currently scheduled for MEPs and I'm interested in a few different MOS. I like things like working with computer, data analysis, and things of that nature. I've been eyeing 25B especially since it shows an enlistment bonus online. I'm also super interested in 35M or anything intel but specifically linguistic. 35W shows a really high enlistment bonus, but does anyone have any insight on how that works? I'm trying to avoid any really stupid questions when I'm contracting!
Also, I would love to have my first duty station be in Japan. Are either of those jobs needed there, or are there other ones I should be looking at for that? I'm also interested in Korea or Germany as well.
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I’m a B student freshman in high school and my plan is to hopefully get in to officer school, and my question being: are officer training schools (specifically Air Force) really hard to get in to?
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Need help contacting a recruiter (19M) I'm a duel citizen ( USA and Lithuania) and I've been trying to contact someone from the US army so I could talk about the possibility of enlisting. My family currently doesn't live in the USA. I wrote a letter, and was told a recruiter would contact me soon, but nothing came. I tried a few numbers but was told they are no longer in use. Anyone know where I could contact a recruiter without flying to the USA? I get I will have to fly out eventually but before then I would like to at least get some kind of writing so that I could get permission from the Lithuanian army to serve In a foreign military.
Any tips?
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Can I join the army even if I have ADHD? I take medication but I can function without it.
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Has anyone here gone into the Army with an illegal substance overdose on their record? My recruiter said it is not a disqualifier, but the more I see about the topic, the less I think that I can make it into the Army
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I've been thinking about joining the army for about two years now and have finally decided to get things going. I graduate this year and was having trouble deciding between being enlisted or being an officer. I'm still young and have so many years ahead to learn and get to the position of officer. I wonder what some of my experienced vets think would be the smarter option to go with. Thank you to anyone who responds!!!!
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After a year of medical clearance and waivers. Finally able to swear in and shipping out top of May! Was set on 12D; but chose 15Q due to high wash out. At 36; what will my options be post contract of 60 months?
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NEED opinions
This is my first time on reddit so bear with me . the mods thingy won’t let me post this on the normal thread even though I’ve already sworn in but whatever i guess 🤷‍♂️ I’m a high school junior, joined the national guard 4 months ago with my best friend, we’re still in school. Before I joined I had signed up for a class trip to Italy and Greece. My recruiter and everyone I’ve talked to so far has told me to go on the trip and do basic training after senior year (except my friend, who’s doing it this summer) I can either do the trip this summer and miss out on basic training with my best friend. Or try to get my money back from the probably once in a lifetime trip and go to basic with him. I need opinions as I’m not sure what to do.
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I’m 5’9 250lbs Anyway I can get in without having to lose weight before hand. I used to lift and run for football but after I graduated I struggle to find the motivation like I did getting yelled at in football. I'm 25 and just find working 9-5s boring and want a change of pace.
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I plan on doing active duty army and signed my contract. I ship in July. I currently work for a fairly large healthcare company.
I'm thinking about using USERRA so that they keep my job for five years. I am assuming I would have to work for them until my ship date. I would ideally like to take a trip before basic.
Any opinions on this? Is USERRA worth me staying with my employer until the start of basic?
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I'm 17 and will soon graduate high school. My friend has been persuading me recently to enlist in the Army with him. He's discussing all the benefits we could receive after the 3 months of basic training. The problem is I don't know for sure if these benefits could and will happen, that's the only reason I feel like joining anyway. My friend says we can get our college tuitions fully paid, housing, jobs, etc. Him and I were thinking of just going to basic training to turn our lives around, would you have to do AIT because I also have plans of going to college. How does that work? Is all of this true? Can someone please list all of the benefits?
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I'm currently 17 and don't have a clear plan for my future but l've considered the army a lot. I've only talked to my sister's bf so far(who I think only went to navy boot camp for 8 weeks before breaking his shoulder) but he recommended 11B. I'm a woman so I know I’ll have to work harder than the men around me if I want to meet the standard which is why I'm worried a job as intense as 11B might not work. I would prefer to be doing physical work otherwise I'm not sure l'd feel fulfilled, and I believe my body is capable but from what ive heard it takes a lot of mental strength to keep up, and I'm worried I'm lacking in that area. I've tried looking into it, but as someone with zero experience its really confusing so l wanted to know what you guys would recommend. Or maybe 11B isnt as hard as I think it is, and I should just stick with that? My sister's bf also mentioned going as an officer, which l've thought about but I'm not sure what that's like either and I personally dont know anyone I can ask.
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I enlisted! 11X Airborne. What’re the chances I get 11B? How’s Moore & Bragg?
Moores where I’m going for basic. Bragg/Liberty is where I’m going for my first station.
This has been a journey and I’m so excited to ship off on the first of April. I swore in on Tuesday.
Since I’m banned from militaryfaq 🤪💀
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Prior Service heading to MEPS this week for a physical and initial job talk to reenlist. If anyone else has been in this position I would appreciate advice on what not to do (if there are any common mistakes to avoid). I do not plan on enlisting this first time. I just want to get medically cleared. My recruiter said I can put off enlisting until I finish my last two semesters of college (any thoughts?). Lastly, any big ongoing changes or new initiatives the army is undertaking that I should know about and consider before re-enlisting?
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does anyone know if they closed the future soldier preparatory education course for people who scored between 31-49. i’ve heard that they closed it but it still shows up on the goarmy website saying that people who score between those scores are eligible to take the course.
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Hi I'm Jonathan I'm 18 and I want to enlist. I can't wrap my head around choosing Infantry, Medic, or Cavalry Scout. But that's beside the point. I will be 19 on August 10th. I get my driver's license around the end of July (yeah I know I'm a little late on that). I finish college at the end of April. And I want to arrive to BCT ASAP after my birthday. When do you guys think is a good time for me to start contacting a recruiter? Also should I try and learn how to swim?
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Tapas: I don’t understand how someone “fails” this. I got a 81 and needing 100 to enlist. Is there any advice anyone can give me to get that score next month
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Hey question. My brother was at fort bragg and just got shipped overseas. He can't tells us where. He's a rigger. Just wonder if anyone knows where they're going?
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Is there a listen for new recruits with all the MOS’ with the required asvab score and minimum length of contracts to look through? Personally want MOS 15W since I have my 107 but in case for some reason I don’t qualify would want to research other MOS’ for a back up vs having to take time after I find out.
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Any advice for someone who doesn't necessarily want to stay in, but also doesn't know what to do on the outside world? You hear all these "oh I got out and got into contracting and now I make bank" stories, and I could pursue that but I don't know HOW true that stuff is, and it's also not really my interest so I'd just be doing it for the money.
I like the army, but this isn't what I pictured myself doing for a career.
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I know this topic has probably already been beaten to death but joining with adhd. I am getting conflicting information whether the time off medication is 24 months, 12 months, or i have even heard 3 months. I also saw on my medical history insomnia and anxiety which were both caused by medication i've taken in the past for ADHD.
anyone able to clear this up would be much appreciated.
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So I got an idea of what I wanna do my life and right now I wanna be a gunsmith and I just wanna talk to some 91f to see what your experience has been like in the service because I Wanna get to know the difference between 2111 (the marine corp equivalent)and 91f (sorry I don't know how else to word this)
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Can you get enlistment bonus if your reenlisting, the new 50k ones
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Hey Melendrez here! I need advice/ guidance on enlisting in the Army. I’m looking into joining the Army branch, I’ve started my packet for the Army, I need help with the things I need to take for Basic Training and MEPS. I have talked with a recruiter about this. I was wondering about your guys advice on this.
I appreciate it.
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Hi, I recently joined the army reserves and was told to that I have to be able to do 43 push-ups, 53 sit ups and a 15:30 2 mile to get to E2 before basic and was hoping to get advice on increasing my max hand release pushups in 2 minutes.
PS, I have about 1 1/2 months until I ship out.
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the army recruiter called me last night he recommended the national guard so i let them pay for my college graduate and then go in full time as an officer rank with higher pay is that a good idea?
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Hello everyone, I’m a 38 year old male currently awaiting approval of a moral conduct waiver for past law violations. This waiver seemingly has to go to the highest approval authority because I was originally charged with felonies in one of the cases. I ultimately pled guilty a lesser charge which is a misdemeanor. The waiver was initially sent February 9th and kicked back on March 11th because the waiver check list wasn’t included. (At least that’s what I was told) It was corrected and resubmitted the same day so today makes a week. Any insight on how much longer it could take to be approved or denied? I’m hoping because the felony was on charged and not convicted it will be approved. Any insight is greatly appreciated.
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I’ve been seeing conflicting answers around about being able to keep the running shoes I bring with me to BCT - can anyone confirm? Bought a nice pair of sneakers and would like to keep them if at all possible. TIA!
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Can anyone tell me if any of these disqualifies me by any means or that I should be concerned with. I have not talked to a recruiter yet but I want to enlist in the national guard. Any feedback/information is appreciated. I’m a 32 y/o female
Be warned this is a lot since I’ve been reading that no one is getting away with anything 🫡 I need adviceeee. Also, when talking to recruiters, do I tell them all of this or withhold shit because it’s going to come out eventually.
Injuries:
1.) Broke a piece of my pelvis off like 5th grade. Healed fine with no complications.
2.) Minor sprains, maybe a fractured my heel while I was a child in soccer.
3.) Recently have runners knee 2019-2024 (diagnosed twice) - will this be a concern.. no other issues with my knees.
4.) Broke my big toe in a car accident 2013. Fully healed, no therapy or anything.
5.)
Health:
1.) Kidney Stones 2013 or something around there.
2.) Was on medicine for depression, slight mood disorder (caused from my period), and anxiety due to a traumatizing relationship. Never went to therapy. But was prescribed medicine for 2-3 years I believe in 2014/2015. Have been off for many years now.
3.) Many years ago I passed out and hit my head and got a concussion. I don’t remember fainting but I woke up throwing up with a fever and head pain. Didn’t go to the hospital but went to the doctor and they ran EEG test which revealed nothing wrong.
4.) New* Ocular migraine with aura (you see psychedelic looking zig-zags in your vision following a massive migraine). Got a EEG, MRI, tested me for blood clots/aneurysms- everything came back fine. Only happened once.
5.) New floaters in the eyes. I also wear contacts.
6.) I have extremely dry skin. Not sure if it’s documented or not.
7.) I got mad crowns in my mouth also.
8.)
Law:
1.) This could be irrelevant bc it’s not medical but since they wanna dig all up in my life. I smacked someone in the head with a bottle of Vodka. (In my party girl era sadly.) 2014. They took me to court but it was dropped because I apologized and paid for the boys stitches in his face. 🫣
2.) I don’t have a record and never got arrested but I do have my fair share of encounters with the police in the past from time to time. (Party girl era was lit)
3.) Car tickets - tints, traffic violations, wreckless (that was dropped)
4.) A drunk driver totaled my car and I had to take a DUI test also but was not charged or anything because I was not intoxicated. Would that hinder me at all?
5.)
I’ve had a wild ride so far and I believe this might be everything… 90% sure 😅 Is having an extensive history like this going to hinder my chances?
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Any recruiters willing to speak in dm about reservist/ new york national guard contracts?
I have a few questions that I keep trying to post, but am unable to do so because of "community rules". All of which are getting directed to this list. Thanks!
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what do i have to make on the ASVAB to join the infantry, I've tried researching and looking it up but keep coming out with different answers
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Hello, I am a 17 years old male and a senior in high school. I have a 4-year AROTC scholarship for when I start college next year. I am 5'11 and in the last year have gotten really into weightlifting. I have put on a lot of muscle mass and gone from about 145-185 pounds. However, I am totally lean and am not overweight at all. I still run for 30 minutes every single day and am completely in shape. However, as I continue to get stronger in the gym I have been putting on more muscle mass and my weight on the scale has been increasing. I did great on the fitness test for the scholarship and am still capable of that. Yet, I see that the max weight for my age and height is 185 which is exactly what I am and I will certainly keep going up if I keep lifting and putting on muscle mass. Is it okay to go past this number if it's muscle mass and I am completely lean, fit and capable of all physical tasks that will be required of me?
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Hi Everyone! I (27m) am very new to posting on reddit, so my apologies for any formatting mistakes in this post. I sincerely appreciate any insights that I can receive from here. Thank you so much!
So… I am at a crossroads regarding the next decisions I have to make (or should make) in the next part of my life. I perceive all of which as a VERY GOOD thing, but I just seem to be having a hard time finding the information and/or outside perspectives that I’m looking for about the military (Army Reserves or NYNG. I have a list of general questions posted at the bottom, but here is a little about me:
I’m newly married, I co-own a small business, and I’m a shareholder of vested stock options in a legal cannabis company. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in a very specific sector of agriculture. The long story short of it is that I studied commercial agronomy, organic chemistry, and biological sciences for the legal cannabis industry. For the last 2-3 years I’ve worked in the legal cannabis industry full time. However, I recently transitioned into working part time in the legal cannabis industry where I continuing my scientific work as a laboratory technician and distiller (yes, just like making moonshine, but with cannabinoids in a lab). I also handle all of the maintenance tasks of the whole facility (greenhouse, offices, labs, etc.) I am extremely fortunate and grateful to come from a blue collar family and have some of those skills (basic stick and mig welding, electrical), while also having earned a white collar education in science. In order to expand my professional skills (and pursue a bit of personal satisfaction), I transitioned almost 6 months ago into working as an electrician’s apprentice. My father and uncle are both IBEW union electricians and I am very familiar with that world. If all goes well, I will become a NY licensed electrician by the time I’m approximately 33 years old. I’m currently in a non-union shop, but I passed the written test and interview for the IBEW. I am waiting to receive the phonemail (tentatively soon) about beginning my IBEW apprenticeship sometime this year.
As I continue to broaden my horizons in that way, I remembered that one of the things I’ve always had aspirations of doing was to join the military in some way or another. I’ve had periods of interest before, but never during times when I was in a place of physical ability or mental maturity to do so. It’s kind of one of those things that I can’t get out of my head, and I tend to be somebody who will have that nagging voice in my head about something I want (that is obtainable) until I find a way to make it happen for myself. Probably a habit formed from loosing weight, because when I was about 21 I found myself weighing in well over 300lbs and hating life. A friend was joining the marine corps and I decided that I was going to do the same to motivate myself to loose the weight. AND IT WORKED!!! So I went through the process of loosing over 100lbs in the course of 1-2 years in order to join. Along the way I had a health scare (thankfully it was nothing), but that pushed me down the path of science, specifically working with cannabis for public use, which brings us here now. I’m currently weighing in around 210-215, I have some loose skin on my stomach but for the most part I’m quite fit. My only real concerns for any physical fitness tests would be to get better at pull-ups/chin-ups and increasing my cardiovascular endurance to be able to shorten my running times. Otherwise, everything else I see regarding fitness tests just seem like a fairly standard circuit training or workout routine?
So all of which being said, my idea is to wait until I am in the union apprenticeship to begin the enlistment process for the army reserves or NYNG. Once in, I would be able to arrange to keep my IBEW apprenticeship spot, as well and continue my part time employment in the cannabis job. As far as I understand there are legal protections from employers discriminating against employees pursuing military service? My business responsibilities are all done from my computer and phone, so not worried about that too much. This way I could be in the union with a side job (as many early year apprentices do), but also be able to be in the military and utilize those benefits for my family’s future.
Here are my Questions. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
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Hey just passed my 5 board and I’m wondering if early promotion is still in effect?
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Recruiter is taking forever to get me a consult date. Says my name isn’t showing up at MEPS to schedule a consultation. It’s been about a month, can I switch recruiters?
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Anyone know what option 6 or option 25 is ? I had option 25 and the guidance counselor at MEPS said option 6 was better. So I accepted. Now my recruiter is stating I made a dumb choice. However neither explained what they meant.
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I am considering joining the military through the Officer Candidate School (OCS) route. I have spoken to a couple of recruiters who informed me that the GPA average for those who get selected for OCS is 3.4, and one even mentioned 3.6. However, I graduated with a 3.2 GPA in Business Management. The recruiters did not discourage me from pursuing the OCS route but suggested that going the enlisted route and becoming an E4 is an easier way. What do you guys think is my gpa to low?
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Hello y'all,
I am looking to join ROTC starting this summer at basic camp and then continue through my junior year.
My issue at the moment is my reasoning for joining is so that I can eventually be in some kind of position where I am fighting against human trafficking. Whether it be DOD, DHS, or through the military on a mission. That is what I want to do as my job is help stop human trafficking.
However, I figured going this route is check the boxes of what I want to do in life, shoot guns and see different states/countries. Being an officer I know I would see less of shooting guns, but would I still be seeing the world on deployments?
With that in mind, do you guys think ROTC is going to qualify me the best for this, or would going in enlisted be just the same? I know having a college degree is huge but I only have two more years and I could just get that paid for through the army as enlisted anyways.
Thank you guys and I will continue doing research but I would rather ask here and find out from 1st hand experience rather then have google tell me things that might not be true.
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Is it true that during holding when awaiting training in OSUT you don’t get paid BAH?
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Hey, so I’m going through the enlistment process and I go to meps on Friday and I do my picat verification on Thursday.
My only concern is that when my recruiter did a medical pull for my records nothing came up, but I know I’ve done an mri for scoliosis 6-7 years ago but it wasn’t severe enough for surgery or a brace. I also had a non-stimulant adhd prescription about a year and a half ago but again I wasn’t diagnosed with it.
My recruiter said if they don’t bring it up with specifics, don’t mention it. I just need advice if I should be worried if I don’t mention it, or if I should at least mention the non-stimulant medication.
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Will my elbow be a disqualification at MEPS?
So I broke my elbow when I was 9 years old skateboarding. It extends a little bit past straight and I’ve lost a very small amount of flexibility. I can still do that one excersise where you touch your thumbs to your shoulder it’s just my left elbow locks a little bit further than my right elbow. Would this be a concern to the examiners? So what I want to know is if I should even try to join the army with my elbow.
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Tried searching first but can't quite piece together an answer so I'm making a post. I want to go for a commission, but I have an EPTS discharge.
Background: Joined Army NG in 2012. Being young and impressionable, I let my recruiter convince me to lie about recent ADHD med usage so that I could get in faster. Shipped out to Ft. Jackson, realized I didn't do things the right way, spoke up at the first moment of truth, and was home a month later.
DD214 has a re-entry code of 3, separation code is JFW. NGB22, not sure what's needed from here? Will edit if someone can help me read this one.
ADHD waiver need aside, does my prior situation prevent me from rejoining as an officer?
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For an APO address, if there's an online shop that ships internationally, but when you choose United States it doesn't have the AE state code, can you still use NY as the state? I haven't had to do that in a looooong time, but I just wanted to check if that still works.
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How long are ASVAB scores good for? Veteran
I got out a decade ago from the reserves. If I want to reenlist for AD or go to another branch, will they use my old scoring or will I have to retest to requalify
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Can a female enlist if diagnosed with endometriosis but it can be controlled without treatment?
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35Ts How hard is getting promoted to SSG?
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I joined the Army back in August 2021 but got chaptered out for leg injuries. I came back in January 2024 and am currently at AIT. When I was filling out myPay with my SDS, I noticed that I was automatically promoted from PFC to SPC (which probably suggests that I was never removed from the system) and have been at that rank and pay grade for about a month but didn't realize it until I saw it on my paperwork.
I recently bought the rank pins for my OCPs and my AIT drill sergeants are tracking me. Would it be wrong of me to put the ranks on my uniform?
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I’m wondering if anyone has had any experience reclassing from a 15R to 15U. Just recently signed my contract as a 15R just because no 15U jobs were popping up and when they did they were gone fast and i’ve been waiting for 4 months now. I plan on reclassing once my contract is up because I really wanna be part of a crew, eventually be a crew chief and maybe give the 160th a shot. So if anyone has any info please let me know.
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I saw some kind of memo talking about IRR and retiree recall and it was dated march of this year, they referenced an executive order 13223 which from what I am able to find was that it’s a 2001 executive order and nothing else. I am prior enlisted and ETS’ed after first contract if that makes a difference. Is there some kind of recall and how do IRR recalls work?
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I'm getting an extra job as a driver on wildfires. I will need a defensive driver certificate or the equivalent. I did drivers training with one unit and did the typical Kuwait Driver License training.
Do units issue certificates for such training anymore? Does the Army or JKO have such online trainings anymore related to driving? I know the Accident Avoidance Course was all but discontinued. Thanks y'all.
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Prior enlisted to officer process questions.
Got out of the army as an E5 after 3yrs 6mos of service. Planning on going to college and have been thinking about possibly commissioning as an officer after that. got some questions.

With prior enlisted experience and a bachelors degree would I have to go to a board or anything like that to earn my commission? Or would I just be sent to OCS?
Would it be worth it to do ROTC or no? I’m not really sure what the point of doing this is if I’m able to just get a commission without it.
Are you able to commission with a school in route just like they do for enlisted contracts?
I’m guessing it’s a hard no but do you get to choose your duty station this time? I don’t want to go back to wainwright lol
Will I be able to commission with a service related disability? Will most likely be 30% for depression once my claim is processed, maybe more if they give me anything for my shoulder and hearing problems but I doubt it.
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Does having a tattoo in the mouth count as a disqualification?
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Is there any advantage to enlisting over college? I'm considering enlisting then trade school after 4 years (unless I stay) over college and rotc. I have pretty good grades as far as high school goes, but i don't think I'd like higher education. Is this a workable plan? or would i be throwing away my future?
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To join or not to join… army reserve nurse?
I apologize if this isn’t where I should post this, I am just desperate for honest feedback. I am a 25f with a masters in nursing, and have been a nurse for about two years. All of which has been in the ICU. Since I was a kid I have always had interest in the military, and if I didn’t play a sport in college I probably would’ve joined early. I am just worried now is too late. At this point I enjoy the career I have, but just feel like I want to do more which led me to maybe joining the reserves. I have been in contact with an army medical recruiter and while it all sounds great, I’m not sure if it is all that great. The navy seems out because they acknowledge you will never do anything really medical.. I am looking at trying to go into the 66S mos, which seems very possible when I pass the CCRN exam, but seems decently competitive. Med-surg nursing is just not for me(power to all of you and your 6+ patients ratios!!).
Anyways, here come all the questions… - The army med recruiter has mentioned the roughly 2 months of training with the DCC and BOLC training. What is the training like? Should I prioritize anything in the months leading up if I decide to join? -How long does it take to go through all of the paperwork/physical? What happens if I’m over the weight requirement or need a waiver for something else? -Is there anything I should be asking the medical recruiter for or about prior to signing on? -Can anyone expand on what life is like for an army reserve nurse? Do you do any real nursing? For the nurses, do you feel like your skills have improved or pushed you to be a better nurse? -Does anyone have any experience or explanation on the pay? Would I be an O-1 upon going through the training?
I know it’s not all about the money, but I don’t want to end up losing money with the weekends/the two weeks in the summer. Are the benefits all it’s cracked up to be? Is it rewarding? I am very aware everyone’s experience is different, and I appreciate all honest comments. Thank you in advance.
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Is it possible to join the army as an officer or at least be considered with a 3.0 GPA if I get really high ASVAB scores, GT higher than 110 and my resume is very competitive? My husband is already enlisted and before he left to basic I agree to try and join the army as an officer since I have a BS, my reciter is saying that it is easier to join as an E-4 and then apply for officer but it be honest I do not want the hassle and I’ve read in many places where some people say yes others say no, what are my chances at getting in? Should I just go ahead and try to raise my GPA?
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Hello,
I'm currently scheduled for MEPs and I'm interested in a few different MOS. I like things like working with computer, data analysis, and things of that nature. I've been eyeing 25B especially since it shows an enlistment bonus online. I'm also super interested in 35M or anything intel but specifically linguistic. 35W shows a really high enlistment bonus, but does anyone have any insight on how that works? I'm trying to avoid any really stupid questions when I'm contracting!
Also, I would love to have my first duty station be in Japan. Are either of those jobs needed there, or are there other ones I should be looking at for that? I'm also interested in Korea or Germany as well.
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I’m a B student freshman in high school and my plan is to hopefully get in to officer school, and my question being: are officer training schools (specifically Air Force) really hard to get in to?
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Need help contacting a recruiter (19M) I'm a duel citizen ( USA and Lithuania) and I've been trying to contact someone from the US army so I could talk about the possibility of enlisting. My family currently doesn't live in the USA. I wrote a letter, and was told a recruiter would contact me soon, but nothing came. I tried a few numbers but was told they are no longer in use. Anyone know where I could contact a recruiter without flying to the USA? I get I will have to fly out eventually but before then I would like to at least get some kind of writing so that I could get permission from the Lithuanian army to serve In a foreign military.
Any tips?
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Can I join the army even if I have ADHD? I take medication but I can function without it.
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Has anyone here gone into the Army with an illegal substance overdose on their record? My recruiter said it is not a disqualifier, but the more I see about the topic, the less I think that I can make it into the Army
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I've been thinking about joining the army for about two years now and have finally decided to get things going. I graduate this year and was having trouble deciding between being enlisted or being an officer. I'm still young and have so many years ahead to learn and get to the position of officer. I wonder what some of my experienced vets think would be the smarter option to go with. Thank you to anyone who responds!!!!
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After a year of medical clearance and waivers. Finally able to swear in and shipping out top of May! Was set on 12D; but chose 15Q due to high wash out. At 36; what will my options be post contract of 60 months?
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NEED opinions
This is my first time on reddit so bear with me . the mods thingy won’t let me post this on the normal thread even though I’ve already sworn in but whatever i guess 🤷‍♂️ I’m a high school junior, joined the national guard 4 months ago with my best friend, we’re still in school. Before I joined I had signed up for a class trip to Italy and Greece. My recruiter and everyone I’ve talked to so far has told me to go on the trip and do basic training after senior year (except my friend, who’s doing it this summer) I can either do the trip this summer and miss out on basic training with my best friend. Or try to get my money back from the probably once in a lifetime trip and go to basic with him. I need opinions as I’m not sure what to do.
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I’m 5’9 250lbs Anyway I can get in without having to lose weight before hand. I used to lift and run for football but after I graduated I struggle to find the motivation like I did getting yelled at in football. I'm 25 and just find working 9-5s boring and want a change of pace.
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I plan on doing active duty army and signed my contract. I ship in July. I currently work for a fairly large healthcare company.
I'm thinking about using USERRA so that they keep my job for five years. I am assuming I would have to work for them until my ship date. I would ideally like to take a trip before basic.
Any opinions on this? Is USERRA worth me staying with my employer until the start of basic?
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I'm 17 and will soon graduate high school. My friend has been persuading me recently to enlist in the Army with him. He's discussing all the benefits we could receive after the 3 months of basic training. The problem is I don't know for sure if these benefits could and will happen, that's the only reason I feel like joining anyway. My friend says we can get our college tuitions fully paid, housing, jobs, etc. Him and I were thinking of just going to basic training to turn our lives around, would you have to do AIT because I also have plans of going to college. How does that work? Is all of this true? Can someone please list all of the benefits?
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I'm currently 17 and don't have a clear plan for my future but l've considered the army a lot. I've only talked to my sister's bf so far(who I think only went to navy boot camp for 8 weeks before breaking his shoulder) but he recommended 11B. I'm a woman so I know I’ll have to work harder than the men around me if I want to meet the standard which is why I'm worried a job as intense as 11B might not work. I would prefer to be doing physical work otherwise I'm not sure l'd feel fulfilled, and I believe my body is capable but from what ive heard it takes a lot of mental strength to keep up, and I'm worried I'm lacking in that area. I've tried looking into it, but as someone with zero experience its really confusing so l wanted to know what you guys would recommend. Or maybe 11B isnt as hard as I think it is, and I should just stick with that? My sister's bf also mentioned going as an officer, which l've thought about but I'm not sure what that's like either and I personally dont know anyone I can ask.
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I enlisted! 11X Airborne. What’re the chances I get 11B? How’s Moore & Bragg?
Moores where I’m going for basic. Bragg/Liberty is where I’m going for my first station.
This has been a journey and I’m so excited to ship off on the first of April. I swore in on Tuesday.
Since I’m banned from militaryfaq 🤪💀
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Ok everyone, I’ve been preparing for the April LSAT since January. Mainly core curriculum with the Trainer and all the PS Bibles. Admittedly, I’ve only taken two practice tests, the diagnostic and one this week. I truly felt like I’ve come a long way in my understanding, confidence, and skills. I even did much better on Logic Games this time than the diagnostic. However, this week’s test was not even in the realm of how much better I’d hoped my score would be. Even though I read through more LR and RC, my number answered correctly went down. 🤦🏻‍♂️
Should I focus more on practice tests than the core books with my time left to study? I’m defintely losing motivation to study core every day. Plus my time is limited to commit to either core or practice each day, as I have responsibilites to my two kids, wife, and part time work. (Should’ve gone to law school out of college I guess 🤣)
Should I mainly focus on bringing my LG scores up to the others?
What’s the most efficient way to get my score up a few more points by April? I started at 145, scored 148 this week, and would love to get to at least 152-155 by April. Then potentially even higher in June.
Background info:
-I’ve already scored high enough on my practice tests to get accepted into my Law School of choice, but barely, and still need to bring my score up for scholarships.
-I need to start Law School fall of 2024, and already checked with them about the August LSAT, they cannot accept it for 2024. But will accept April and June.
-LG was my worst area by a long shot. I’ve gone from having no clue what Logic Games were and only guessing on my diagnostic, to now I understand and I’m completing two games per test and missing about 1-2 questions each.

Hey guys! I'm applying to a few colleges this year, mostly in the ME as I don't have much info about colleges in the US giving full rides: Georgetown - Qatar, Carnegie Mellon Qatar, Northwestern Qatar, NYU Abu Dhabi
My first choice would be Georgetown and as the decisions are about to be released, I'm getting increasingly worried and stressed.
What do you guys think are my chances? Here are my stats:
Country: International applicant from Pakistan Intended Major: Political Science, IR SAT/ACT: Test optional Duolingo: 145/160 Grades: Secondary School Certificate (SSC) – National Examinations: 1081/1100 (98.27%) Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) – National Examination: 969/1100 (88.09%) School rank/profile: Ranked 1st in school and college at SSC and HSSC levels. ECs: Elected President of the Student Council at college as head of all prefects and class discipline incharges. I've been the highest scoring student of my college and have received appreciation from many teachers and our vice-principal and principal Turkish & Azerbaijani: Intermediate Level Proficiency (Can easily converse with natives on day-to-day topics, excellent command on listening and writing) + I was awarded a Certificate for completing the Turkish Language course by the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad. Italian: Basic Level Proficiency (currently learning the language and have grasp and understanding of grammar and sentence composition along with a vocabulary of more than 2500 words) Hindi: Native (Speaking/Listening only) Punjabi: Native (Speaking/Listening only), Writing (Persian script only) Visited (by prior applications) the Parliament (and was awarded with shields and souvenirs by the National Assembly Speaker & Chairman of the Senate), the Supreme Court, the Foreign Ministry, the National Archives, the President House, the National Council of Arts (taking part in numerous events), and the PM Office. I've met ambassadors of Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, China, Morocco & the Foreign Secretary. As a hobby and due to my profound interest, I gathered a collection of Autographed Photos of State officials like the President, PM, NA Speaker, Senate Chairman, Ambassadors, etc. by writing to them by mail. Completed many e-courses (verifiable certificates available) by the UN:CC Climate Change to further develop and enhance my understanding of the issue of Climate Change and the environmental risks to our planet. I attended a workshop by the WWF- Pakistan highlighting the endangering risks to snow leopards in Pakistan's north and the WWF's plan in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment & Climate Change to protect them. Honors/Awards: Was awarded a fully funded scholarship by my college from 10th to 12th grade. · Awarded fully funded scholarships by CUST and COMSATS university.