I am very interested in joining the coast guard, and im entering my senior year of high school. Im having trouble deciding if i should go to college first and take some classes in the rating I would like to be or go to boot camp straight out of high school? Another question I have is if you have training for a rating you want to be do you get into the A school for that rating faster? 

no you don't get into an A school faster for having training in the rating.

Keep in mind that the vast majority of CG recruits go to basic training and then out to the fleet totally undecided about what rating (job) they want to do for their career. Once they get to their first unit, they have the opportunity to sample all the ratings in action on a day-to-day basis, and then make an educated decision on their future. It is not uncommon to change your mind several times before making the final decision. That is one of the things that makes the CG unique. Other Military branches require you to choose your job when you enlist, and if you end up not liking it, you're stuck with it.

Upstate...that is a very tough question and a dilemma only you really can answer...we can give our thoughts and advice, for you to chew on, but only you can choose.

In my opinion it really depends on the kid and what that kid is looking to get out of college...most, not all, but most, and I am not saying you by any means because I do not even know you, but most end up spending their first year of college partying and pretty much wasting that first year (if not all 4 years) drinking and doing who knows what else.

It takes a very mature kid not to do so because the temptations and availability and frequency of the parties coupled with their newfound freedom is too much to bear for some and all they end up doing is partying. If they do manage to turn in enough assignments or do just well enough on exams to pass and/or graduate, their GPA will be so very low and not impressive in the job market or OCS (officer candidate school) if trying for that.

Some kids need a few extra years of maturity in order to resist those temptations and really focus on school and studies, to which I feel the military is the absolute prefect answer for them right out of high school. I tried, actually still am trying, with all my might to get my eldest son to join the military for just that reason...he grew up a lot in my fire academy training (very proud of him) but a few more years would do him unbelievable wonders. With his high school performance there was no way I was dropping a dime for college, I would not have gotten anything on that investment...but in a couple more years it could be completely different story and I may throw a few dimes his way.

For some kids they have everything together and college right out of high school is a no brainier for them, they are mature enough to handle it and to very well…my youngest son for example. I am getting ready to drop a lot of dimes for him to attend UT for a double E degree (electrical engineering)…thought I was going to get a doctor until the wonderful new health care plan was forced upon us, he bailed out of that plan even though I told him it would never pass the people don’t want it…he knew better then I.. He has everything planned out and is taking care of all the paperwork and stuff…however I feel he is making a mistake not taking advantage of applying to any one of the great military academies and getting his education through them then serving his country to retirement then entering the civilian world with that under his belt with zero school loans to pay back. What a golden opportunity that is.

Joining the military right out of high school will do several things for you. You will have a steady income with great benefits to include free dental and medical, 3 meals a day, a place to sleep with a warm roof over your head, an extended second family all in a career field that will teach you a trade and work skills that will be beneficial to you the rest of your life, it will also give you invaluable life experiences to include travel that you might otherwise not ever get to do and the best bonus of them all is a free college education plus living expenses during college after 4 short years, that you can then truly utilize to your fullest potential because you will be mature enough to understand its importance.

My random thoughts for you to ponder on…you asked I shared.

Captkyguy... +1million! Perfect answer.

I enjoy eating regular food daily, top ramen and $1 pizzas was all I ate when I went to college. Of course living in a house 1 block from the university was a lot of fun.

every now and then I luck out

Idk about your situation to much, but I can speak from my own expirience. What CaptK said is very true about maturity and it takes alot. Every kid says nope it wont happen to me and I can handle it but when you have 6 friends all saying your lame for wanting to stay in tonight to do homework and how many memories youll miss out on so on and so fourth, your studies are likely to go onto the back burner, and the partying takes place.

In my case, I worked since I was 16, bought a car to impress my fiance when I was 18, and was pretty much forced into working full time, so I took a 2 year private school education, but have slowly completed it as I could only take a few classes at a time while going to work 40+ hours a week selling cars. So college was difficult for me and also was on the back burner. In that respect I am treating the coast guard as an awakening to my dreams and aspirations to become a pilot so I have alot of things I need to focus on to get there. Partying and all that definately is not the right route if you plan on making anything of yourself as if you tarnish your backround, it may make it impossible to even be admitted into the coast guard.

On the bright side going into the coast guard now, what better than to have all medical and dental benefits, plus your job makes you focus on building your skillsm, staying in shape, and maturing all while being able to explore. I just remodeled a kitchen for a gentleman who is 26 years old in the coast guard has his house paid off(mind you this is a 5 bedroom 3 car garage home, sell for over $300,000 around here) and he went in when he was 18. Thats quite the feat IMO. All in all, I wish you the best and I hope I was able to shed some light on the colege life perspective.

Hey man,
I am also a Senior in High School and am hoping to enlist right out of graduation...Its going to take a number of years for me to become a pilot because i am not going to college until my three years are up with duty. So if being an officer is what you are looking for, going to college first will get you to become an officer wayy faster but it just matters how you feel you can last in college... I know i dont have the grades and determination for college right now which is why i want to go straight into an adventurous job in the Coast guard

Excellent career choice dthomas...I commend you!

Enjoy the journey!

Here's my take and this is what I've been going by. Keep in mind, I'm not a Coastie, I'm a Coast Guard candidate. I'll know for sure if I leave for Cape May on the 13th of this month. So the following is what I've gathered or come to discover through my own research.

When I talked to my recruiter about the cons/pros of college before or DURING the Coast Guard he told me that I was much more likely to be accepted to OCS if I were to put some years in enlisted. Often times employers look to fill their voids from within, right? The Coast Guard is no different. If there are 100 openings (just a wild guess) for OCS and 95 out of 200 applicants who apply are Coast Guard enlisted personnel who meet the criteria for OCS - all 95 of them are going to get selected before a SINGLE applicant who is non-coast guard will get selected. Therefore, if you are entertaining the idea of attending college before trying to join the Coast Guard you also have to entertain the idea that your competition has a huge advantage over you. In the two years my recruiter has worked his post he has received and put in a total of 60 Officer packets (basically an application for OCS) by civilians who had graduated with a degree. He said out of those 60 only two or three have been selected for OCS, and of those few they were for Reservist Officer positions.

To meet requirements for OCS you have to be an E5, something like 30 college credits (if I remember correctly) and have been in for four years. Of course, regarding college credits - it's much better to have a full degree as fellow Coasties who will be applying for OCS will more than likely have a degree by the time they apply. Thus, much more competitive than the applicant with a scant 30 credits.

Also keep in mind that if you put in a packet for OCS having been enlisted for the past 5 years you will have recommendation letters from the supervisors/bosses you've had over the years a.k.a. OFFICERS. These endorsements for you are from people who have been to OCS and know what it takes. Whereas as a civilian you get recommendation letters from your employers or from your college instructors if you haven't already been employed... You can see why it's so much harder for a civilian to go the officer route straight from college than it is for the enlisted personnel.

There's other aspects to it but I hope this helps you make an informed decision.

These endorsements for you are from people who have been to OCS and know what it takes.

Not quite. The majority of Officers graduate from the CG Academy.

all 95 of them are going to get selected before a SINGLE applicant who is non-coast guard will get selected.

Not necessarily. The OCS boards look for very specific traits in Officer candidates. I know an exemplary Coastie, with a wall of awards who was passed over for OCS.

Thank you for setting that stuff straight Gears! I was led to be super paranoid!! haha. So has he made it to OCS yet?? Or is he still enlisted?

He's still enlisted. I'm not sure what his plans are at the moment, he transferred.

Ahh, well good luck to him.

In any case, I'm still a firm believer that if one plans on a career in the Coast Guard, it's better to start early (before college) rather than later if you're in the position to do so!

I graduated college in May 2009 and put in a reservation for january. Ive always thought about going into the Coast Guard since I was very little but it wasnt until I graduated college and was thrown into a terrible economy that I decided to give it more serious thought. Didnt take long to decide haha.

So here I am, 23 and enlisting; as well as applying for OCS. Cant wait to see what the future has in store for me!

Posted By CaptNick on 09 Sep 2010 04:06 PM
So here I am, 23 and enlisting; as well as applying for OCS. Cant wait to see what the future has in store for me!

Great things...for sure!