How can I determine if I am competitive enough for Green to Gold ADO or OCS?

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 10:21:43 -0400

Hello all,

I am a SGT currently in the process of applying for Green to Gold ADO for my MBA. I have an associate in arts degree with a 3.44 and working towards my bachelor’s degree in business administration with a 3.556 GPA. I am also working on 4 Undergraduate Certificates to beef up my resume: Accounting Foundations, Management, Advanced Management, and Leadership/Ethics. I have a 117 GT score and my ACFT score is my only real downfall which is currently a 480 but I will be retaking it soon. I have been in almost 7 years and held numerous leadership positions from squad leader, Platoon Sergeant, and I currently serve as my company’s Operations Sergeant. I will be getting an LOR from my current company commander, previous company commander, BC which is an SF LTC, an SF MAJ, and a CW2. Am I competitive enough for Green to Gold or should I look at doing OCS instead?

Thank you!

Response by CSM William Everroad made Aug 28 at 2023 1:42 PM

CSM William Everroad — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 13:42:22 -0400

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member Have you already gotten the letter of acceptance from the PMS? What school are you looking at?

Green to Gold is the better option to let you focus on your studies (and keep your base pay). You could finish an online MBA after OCS (still a selection process), but you would have arguably a better training environment on the path to a commission with the price tag of you footing the bill for the graduate degree.
It really depends on what you want to get out of the deal. Either way, I would recommend you submit. You lose nothing if you don't get it and OCS application is always a path.

As for your competitiveness, it varies by cohort and who the board members are for each one. But I guarantee they are utilizing the Scholar, Athlete, Leader, (SAL) concept to identify top candidates:

They will be combing through your transcripts to evaluate academic rigor relative to the classes you have taken versus the grades you received. A 3.44 means little to Army officers when the degree was Art History and you had 20 electives in basket weaving and failed PoliSci twice. (not disparaging your Art degree)
They will look at your 1059s for PME. Were you Honor Graduate or "exceeds course standards"? Did you do more than just BLC and DLC I and II?
They will hammer you on ACFT. Reach for 540. Not that you won't get the scholarship with 480-500, but the test is easy to train for and they all know it.
Are you joining anything in the community? Volunteering, intramural, team anything? It's an often overlooked part, but some board members take note.
History of leadership positions: evaluated is key here. You mention that you were a squad leader and platoon sergeant, but do you have that on an evaluation? Is your Commander going to be able to sell your performance in their LOR? If I was one of the SELs on the board and saw that in your written statement, I would immediately go and look for that. It is one to say you did it as an E5 and a whole other to say you did it at the level that a standard E6/E7 would. But "you" can't make that assertion as an E5, one of your LORs would have to.