College Freshman wanting to do NCP

elisabethm · May 14, 2013

Hi Villanuevaaa! I'm a junior in my nursing program, and I just got accepted into the Navy NCP a few weeks ago. I have a 3.8 GPA, but I really have no idea what the cut-off for those of use who were selected was. Having a high GPA will make your application more competitive, but it isn't the only thing the board looks at. They also look at past experiences (for example, previous jobs or time volunteering in a hospital), how well you perform during your interviews, what your references say about you, etc. Also, the fact that you're still a freshman puts you at a huge advantage! You seem highly motivated, and if keep studying hard you should be able to bring your GPA up in the next year or so. In addition to nursing classes, it might be a good idea to take a few extra electives to boost your GPA. (Maybe a summer or interim course so that it doesn't interfere with your nursing studies. If your school has NROTC, it will likely have a military history class as well. A class like this would probably look good on the NCP application and could help your GPA.)

So, to summarize, don't lose hope! You still have plenty of time to bring up your GPA and make yourself the best candidate you can be. Also, making that initial contact with the recruiter can be a challenge for a lot of people. They're always very busy, and, frankly, with the economy the way it is, they don't have to hunt for applicants the way they used to. The recruiter will get back to you eventually. It just may take awhile. Another option is to contact other branches' recruiters while your waiting. Both the Army and the Air Force have good programs for new graduate nurses. I hope this info helps you! Feel free to ask me any questions. And don't get discouraged! By the time I was accepted, I had just about given up all hope on the NCP. Trust me, it is not as impossible as it seems! :)

Edit: Sorry about your father passing away. I cannot even imagine what that must have been like for you. It must have been incredibly difficult to deal with.

JJVV · May 14, 2013

Wow! Congrats on your selection elisabethm! That must be very exciting, I can only imagine haha.

Also, thank you for the insight and suggestions! I will definitely consider looking at all my options and opportunities that arise. I have a couple of questions for you...

1. How difficult was it for you to make initial contact with your recruiter?

2. When did you start applying for NCP, and how long did take you to finish your application?

3. How competitive is NCP, in your opinion

I would ask the local recruiter all the questions I have at this point, except the main problem is getting in contact with him. Two emails and no reply gets me really discouraged haha. I even called my local officer recruiter place and left my contact information for him to get back to me whenever he can. I'm just praying and hoping for the best. In the mean time, I've just been focusing hard in school and trying my best to get the best possible grades. I'm currently seeking leadership opportunities around campus and beyond campus to help with my resume in standing out! Thank you for the reply and for all the help, it was actually really quite motivating! I wish you the best in your Naval nursing career!

elisabethm · May 14, 2013

I initially got my recruiter's contact info from an acquaintance. (I was actually in Army ROTC during my sophomore year, and there was this random guy who had left the program and was applying to be a Navy officer. I ran into him one day, and he gave me my recruiter's info. It was really random. Lol.) But anyways, after I got my recruiter's contact info, I emailed him. It took probably a month for him to respond to that first email. (Also, I don't know where you live, but I'm in Colorado Springs. The Navy is not nearly as popular here as it is in some places. If you live in San Diego or somewhere with a big Navy presence, that recruiter is probably swamped with potential applicants and is super busy. It would probably take a lot longer for him to respond.) I had a meeting with him in March or April 2012, and he actually told me that it probably wouldn't be worthwhile for me to apply. Then over the summer (in early August), the same recruiter sent me an email saying the NCP had "opened back up" and that I should start working on my application. I started my application in late August / early September 2012. Applying was a long process. The paperwork took maybe a month. Then there's the MEPS physical, your interview, and whatever other random things come up. It was back and forth for months all the way up until the end of April this year, when I found out I had been accepted.

I do think the NCP is very competitive. When I was in ROTC, I had the highest GPA out of the nursing students in my program by a lot, but with the NCP everyone has a high GPA. My guess is that the minimum GPA is probably a 3.4 or 3.5. Even with my 3.8, getting accepted was hard. But, the good news is that the interview and your essay count for a lot. I would say that if you kick butt in your interview, write an awesome motivational statement, and have good references (get a personal reference from someone in the military if you can), that will help you out just as much as a strong GPA. I don't know how many applied or how many were accepted. In the NCP 2014 role call thread, somebody said that they only took 35 out of 300-400 applicants or something. My recruiter estimated there were closer to 1000 applicants, but he didn't know for sure either. I think they take about 70 for every graduating class. So just looking at the numbers, you can see that there are a lot of great applicants, and most of them won't get in. You should still apply though. You'll never know if you'll be one of the lucky ones unless you try. I really didn't think I would get it, but I ended up surprising myself. The application is long and difficult and stressful, but if you get in, it's all worth it.

Good luck with your application process! It sounds like you're getting a good start. Seeking leadership opportunities on campus is a great idea, and it will definitely make your application look more well-rounded. Just keep your chin up and keep fighting for it! It'll be a long process, but persistence will get you through.