Wednesday, June 29, 2016

NUPOC Program Summary

Should I Join the NUPOC Program / Is NUPOC a ‘Good Deal’? 

The NUPOC Program can seem like a daunting proposition.  Just for starters:
-Driving a Multi-Billion Dollar Submarine/Surface ship around the world
-Directing the operation of nuclear power plants
-Being put in charge of enlisted sailors
-Potentially leaving friends and loved ones for extended periods
-Signing a 5-year commitment

In recognition of that, it is both wise and understandable that you want to obtain as much information as possible before making a decision.  The most immediate question for someone interested in the NUPOC Program is likely something to the effect of “Should I do this?”, “How will NUPOC help me?”, “What’s the catch?”, “Is NUPOC really as good of a deal as they made it seem at the career fair?”, etc.  This post will take a stab at addressing these questions and direct you to other resources where you can do more digging on your own.  We also run free no-obligation trips on a monthly basis (typically to San Diego, though not always) to get applicants more acquainted with the jobs they might eventually have.  

Many of you may be attracted to the program based on deep and genuine feelings of patriotism and a desire to serve your country.  This is laudable and I hope that it is true (as it was for me, though I entered the Nuclear Navy via the Naval Academy rather than NUPOC), but I will explain the benefits independently of this or other personal motivations.  Most NUPOC applicants go on to become Submarine Officers (there are 70+ Submarines, so more Officers) so I will be using this path as the baseline for the following summary, but most of this is translatable to the other positions.  For more information on how other positions differ from Submarines, there are separate posts which compare and contrast each -- use the links on the menu bar above.

To start, here’s a quick summary of why NUPOC is a compelling program to exceptional and highly motivated college students and graduates: 
-          Tremendous Leadership Experience & Responsibility – FAST
-          Unparalleled Benefits Package
-          Get paid (quite well) for up to 30 months while completing degree
-          Excellent Pay with guaranteed raises at 2-years and 4-years
-          Presents you with Several Distinct and Excellent Options at 5-year point 
o   Sign a contract to stay in - return to a Ship/Submarine as a Department Head
o   Stay for Shore Duty but do not sign a contract.  Transition after shore duty
o   Transition Immediately to Civilian Employment
§  Government-Funded MBA/JD/MEM and other GradEd opportunities
§  Top Secret Clearance – Very marketable to public sector and government/defense contractors
§  Leverage leadership and technical experience – excellent private sector prospects 

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Let’s break each of these down into a bit more detail. 

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Leadership Experience / Responsibility. 

A Virginia Class Submarine costs a bit over $2.7 Billion (Fiscal Year 2017 Estimate).  It is commanded by the Commanding Officer (CO) who is assisted by the Executive Officer (XO). Below them are three Nuclear-Trained Department Heads (Navigator (NAV), Weapons Officer (WEPS), and Engineer (ENG)) and a group of roughly 10 Junior Officers (JOs).  When you show up to the boat on the first day there will only be five people who are in higher positions than you!  Having said that, all of the more experienced JOs will be significantly more knowledgeable than you and will help you to get your feet under you and ‘learn the ropes’ so to speak.  You will spend the first several months qualifying to operate the reactor as the Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW) and will spend the balance of your first ~year on the boat qualifying to drive the Submarine (first on the surface, then submerged) and learning about all the various weapons and communications systems.  Somewhere between your 12-15 month point, you will probably be awarded your Gold Dolphins which mean you’re fully “Qualified”. 

To summarize, within just a few months of showing up to the Submarine you will be in charge of nuclear reactor plant operations at sea.  Within about a year you will be the Officer of the Deck driving a 2+ Billion Dollar submarine and directing all associated evolutions.  Additionally, almost immediately upon showing up to your submarine you will be put in charge of a “Division” of either Electricians, Mechanics, Electronics Technicians (think Reactor Control / Reactor Safety systems), or Engineering Laboratory Technicians (Dual Mechanic/Chemists) who you will be responsible for with the help of a Chief Petty Officer (an experienced and accomplished enlisted sailor).

These responsibilities are the baseline and based on your performance you are likely to have more added.  In my case, I was the Maintenance Availability Coordinator for a ~6 month shipyard period where my Submarine was undergoing major repairs, was the Quality Assurance Officer (QAO – the guy responsible for ensuring that maintenance to critical systems is completed and retested properly before going back to sea), and was responsible for coordinating the Ship’s entry to and exit from Drydock.  These are just a few examples, and each officer’s experiences will vary, but if you want responsibilities there are many to be had. 


Unparalleled Benefits Package:   (Note that these are military-wide and not NUPOC-specific)

This one is pretty easy to talk about.  You have free medical/dental coverage and either free or nearly free healthcare for dependents.  In addition to the normal 401k option offered by most companies, you can also retire with a set benefit pension 20 years after starting active service (NUPOC time in school counts towards this, so if you join as a Sophomore you could have 3  of the 20 years to retirement already completed before you even show up to Nuclear Power School!).  You get subsidized life insurance (SGLI).  You will be a veteran, which brings with it many significant benefits in terms of hiring practices, school admissions, etc.  You will earn GI Bill benefits along with the Yellow Ribbon Program which means that you can go and pursue almost any graduate opportunity you’re interested in later at no cost.  If you stay in long enough, you could alternatively choose to give your GI Bill benefits to a (future) child and avoid paying out of pocket for their education down the road.  You can get a reduced interest mortgage with no down payment and no mortgage insurance (I’m literally doing this right now – closing on a house in about a month) via the Dept. of Veterans Affairs.  I’m sure I’m missing some things, but this should give you an idea. 
    
One less positive note --- there will not be 401k matching contributions in the Navy until January of 2018, though I think this downside is easily outweighed by the other points I noted.      


Get Paid (Quite Well) for up to 30 Months While Completing Degree:
         
If anyone else provides compensation anywhere close to this program for students in college they’ve been very secretive about it…

Once accepted to the NUPOC program you become “Active Duty” but your only real responsibility is to finish school and get good grades (along with staying in shape and not doing illicit drugs).  The Navy is basically paying you up front because they want to make the program compelling to top-tier talent coming out of college.  You’re getting paid to be smart.  I’ll summarize what you can expect to receive:

[NOTE: All pay $$ values below and elsewhere in this blog are as of initial writing in ~2016; they adjust up with inflation so feel free to check current values.  Directionally the story is the same, though]

-          You’ll get paid as an “E-6”.  That is to say the 6th level of the Enlisted pay scale
-          Your pay in NUPOC has 3 main components:   (see links below and at right)
o   Base Pay (Taxable) - $2,435.84/month  (link)
o   BAS (Untaxed) - $367.92/month (same link as Base Pay above)
o   BAH (Untaxed Housing Allowance) - Varies by location.  Ranges from about $1000-4000/month with most areas in the $1250-1750 range. (link; select year and whether you have dependents then find your city)
-          For Submarine / Surface / Naval Reactors Engineer Accessions there is a one-time $15,000 bonus when you get accepted
-          If you refer a friend or classmate to the program after you are accepted you have the opportunity to get promoted (for pay purposes) to E-7 which works out to an additional $400-450/month depending on your location.

I encourage you to do the math for your area, but assuming a relatively low housing allowance (ie. Low cost of living location), this would work out to about $4,000/month for up to 30 months along with a $15,000 bonus and an opportunity to get a raise while still in school.  For high cost of living areas (San Francisco Bay area, NYC, etc) the monthly pay is ~$7,000/month.  And this time counts towards retirement and is earning you GI Bill and other Veterans benefits.

If you want to work or do internships with other organizations while in NUPOC that is entirely fine and actually encouraged if it is Engineering/Technical in nature, just so long as doing so is not a detriment to your studies. 

** Side Note / Quick Plug **
Albert Einstein said that “Compound Interest is the most powerful and least understood force in the universe”.  I believe him to be correct in this.  If you make the long-run average market return of ~9% per year, you will double your money every 8 years.  For perspective, if you save $20,000 at age 20 and invest it at the market return you will have ~$1.28 Million when you’re 68 if you don’t ever save another dime.  If you continue saving, obviously that rises dramatically.  Be smart and wealth can be a choice.

(Disclaimer: There are no guarantees of what future market returns might be, and I'm not telling you that you're going to get rich because of this program -- this is a sidebar public service announcement from me personally to everyone reading this that you should start investing early because the benefits are much greater for saving now vs. starting 15-20 years down the line. I've simplified purposely here to make a point.  Even at a lower return, say 7%, that initial investment would be over half a million at age 68.  That same initial investment at age 40 would only be ~$80k.   Do yourself a favor and go do some independent research.)


Excellent Pay with Guaranteed Promotions at 2 years and 4 years after Commissioning:
         
Once you graduate and complete OCS (ODS for Instructors and Naval Reactors Engineers) you will be commissioned as an Ensign or O-1 paygrade.  You will initially be living in Charleston, SC for Nuclear Power School (NRE's are the exception here - they go to Washington, DC and get a larger housing allowance as a result).  Based on this location you will initially be getting paid a respectable (though short of amazing) ~$60,000/year (a couple thousand more for Submarine Officers who start getting Submarine Pay at Power School -- $230/month or just shy of $3k/year).  Of that only about $36-38,000 is taxable and you won’t be paying anything for medical/dental so this is probably the civilian equivalent of ~$70-75,000 starting pay to go to school.  (As always I encourage you to check with the resources linked here and at the right; also note that all of the calculations below ignore the fact that a hefty chunk of the pay you'll be receiving is tax exempt and that there is no deduction for medical/dental -- each will be the equivalent of a substantially higher civilian salary in terms of "take-home" pay).

Things start to look much sweeter shortly thereafter.  You will automatically promote (assuming you don’t get a DUI or some other very major offense) to Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG, O-2 paygrade) at the 2-year point and Lieutenant (LT, O-3 paygrade) at the 4-year point.  Each of these promotions individually adds a little over $11,000 annually to your base pay, along with $150-300/month to your housing allowance depending on your location at that time.  You will also likely be receiving Sea Pay and Sub Pay (look at the bottom of the Pay Scale linked at the right), which is not huge but moves the needle by a few thousand/year. 

All told as a LTJG (2-4 years post-commission) you’ll be receiving about $72-75,000/year if we stick with Charleston BAH (to be conservative; you will be in a different location, and if it is Hawaii, San Diego, DC etc the BAH will be drastically higher).  As a LT (4-5 years) you’ll be receiving about $86-89,000/year (again sticking with Charleston for conservatism).

At your 5 year point – aka the end of your commitment, you can either choose to sign a contract (which starts a $35,000/year bonus on top of other pay each year until it expires), or to stay in for shore duty (which gives you a reduced bonus of $12,500/year until you either leave the Navy or sign a contract), or obviously you could choose to get out altogether. 

Moral of the story: From your 5-year point on you will be making somewhere between $100,000 - $125,000/year if you are in a low cost of living area (which, sadly for me, Memphis, TN definitely is).  If you are in a high cost of living area this can be as much as $35,000/year higher, though you would presumably spend a fair chunk of that on the expensive housing.  There’s also another pay bump at the 6-year point of nearly $500/month for 'time in service', and there is an increase in your housing allowance if you have dependents which I’m ignoring for all of these numbers.  Should you choose to stay in the Navy this continues to rise as your "time in service" increases and you are promoted to Lt. Commander, Commander, Captain, and finally (if you're an all-star!) Admiral.  

These are all rough “back-of-the-envelope” calculations, but each is based on the source documents listed in the links on this web page and backed up by my personal experience and that of many peers who I used to verify this for accuracy.

NUPOC Presents you with Several Distinct and Excellent Options at 5-year point:

In my mind, the most compelling thing about the NUPOC program is the fact that it opens a lot of doors for you. 

Fast-Forward 5 years from your commissioning.  You’ve just completed an ~ 3-year tour on a Submarine (or alternative path for other designators).  You’re being very well compensated and trying to decide what to do next --- a crossroads.  So what are your options? 

Basically, there are 3, and they’re all pretty awesome.  

1.  You can choose to stay in and sign a contract.  Start getting that $35,000 annual bonus on top of your other pay and enjoy a couple of years of shore duty before you go back to a submarine / ship.  You'll be getting paid somewhere between $125,000 - $160,000 depending on where you're stationed.  (They pay you well because work on a submarine / ship is hard and they want excellent officers to stay in and lead the next generation – you’ll appreciate the break!)  This path obviously also will continue to progress you towards a pension at your 20-year point from the day you were accepted by the Admiral into NUPOC, and opens the door to passing your GI Bill benefits on to a child thus avoiding that expense in the future.  It's hard to overstate how good this could set you up ---- but let's just lay it out: assuming you enter directly out of college this means you'll be making well into 6-figures starting at around age 27 until you're 42, at which point you have the option to retire with a full pension and benefits for life as well as free college for one of your children.  Additionally, predicated on you demonstrating competence in your job, you could be the commanding officer of a Submarine as early as ~12 years after this point.  (A reminder: the retirement pension starts at the date of your interview with the Admiral +20 years, so you could receive it as early as age 39 if you maximize your time in NUPOC; I just used the numbers above as a reference example)

2.  You can choose to stay in for shore duty and not sign a contract.  This will give you the smaller bonus ($12,500/year) but also keeps your options open between signing a contract later to stay in or else transitioning out of the Navy. In the meantime, you get paid very well for two years especially in comparison to your hours worked in most shore duty assignments.  If you decide to transition after shore duty, the discussion below for (3) applies.

3.  You can choose to transition out of the Navy immediately after the end of your commitment.  There are really a couple of subordinate choices for this one:

a.       You can use your education benefits to go on to obtain an MBA / JD / MEM / some other Masters Degree or work towards a Ph.D.  I am currently completing a Masters in Finance at Georgetown and intend to go the top-5 MBA route after completing shore duty for what that’s worth as a reference (my wife is a lawyer at a large firm in Pittsburgh, PA which has exactly 0 submarines nearby so signing a contract is not in the cards for me).  Then obviously you would be seeking employment after this additional schooling.  One additional note on the GI Bill + Yellow Ribbon Program: In addition to most schools (including Ivies and other top schools) being entirely covered, there is also a housing allowance and books allowance you will receive to mitigate the opportunity cost of lost income. 


b.      You can transition immediately to civilian employment.  There are many resources available to support you should you choose to go this route, including a variety of Junior Military Officer head-hunters, Junior Officer/Nuclear Officer-specific Career Fairs attended by the top industrial/tech/health/consulting/finance firms in the country, and a strong appetite in Corporate America for technically competent young people with leadership experience.  Some Nuclear Officers go the Civilian Nuclear Energy route via Utilities, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or other organizations (which is a very good and viable option -- see the NukeWorker.com forum link (here and to the right), but most do not.

64 comments:

  1. This is a really awesome blog, with a lot of good, detailed information that I wish was around when I signed up for the NUPOC program.

    As a suggestion, I would add information about the Surface path, or alternatively, find someone who could write a blog as good as this one about it, as it is quite a different experience.

    When I signed up for the program, I didn't know much about the SWO path, and found myself taken aback by how the career progression is different form the Sub community.

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  2. Unknown,

    Glad you find this helpful and worthwhile. Take a look at the discussion of SUBs vs SWO and if you think there is more data to be included or topics to address let me know via the comments portal at the bottom of the page and I'll look into modifying.

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  3. You have talked about the upsides...can you add more details about the downsides? Who does or does not make a good candidate (aside from grades)

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    1. With respect to downsides, I'll point you to one of the FAQs, reposted here for your convenience:

      17. What are the downsides of NUPOC?

      Answer: It depends on the position that you are seeking, but I'll give my general take with respect to submarines (my path in the program) --- again with the caveat that this is one man's opinion and intended only as food for thought. I'm not going to discuss the many positives here because there's quite a bit of discussion of them elsewhere on the site. I do think they strongly outway any downsides, but this discussion may be valuable for you.

      (a) (After graduation) The job is genuinely hard. Not every single day is filled with mind-wracking challenges, but you will frequently be exposed to new environments, given significant responsibility over people, programs, and systems, and there can be periods of long hours and a lot of stress. This is especially true while you are qualifying (learning how to do your job when you show up on the submarine), preparing for major inspections or operational examinations, or leading dynamic missions overseas. I don't really consider the difficulty to be a downside (few things of value are easy, in my experience), but it depends on your perspective.

      (b) (If you select Submarines / Surface) Sometimes you will be gone for training or missions. This is a minority of the time you are attached to the submarine (for me it was ~35% in total) or surface ship, but it's not insignificant. In most cases, you still have contact via email to friends and loved ones, but if you are on a critical mission overseas where transmitting messages could give away your location, this could be curtailed for a period as well. I didn't mind this aspect much, and I actually found being at sea to be comfortable and relaxing after I settled into my routine after a couple of days, but this is clearly a difference.

      (c) "Duty". Unlike an office job, not every single person goes home at the end of the day. The enlisted crew (you won't be in this group) is split up into duty sections which rotate and one "section" of sailors remain onboard throughout the night. At least one and sometimes two officers will stay to be in charge of the Sub/ship and these sailors should something go wrong. In this role, you are responsible for the submarine and are the Commanding Officer's direct representative.

      You are not "working" the whole time. You're basically there to be the go-to leader if a major event happens. You also tour the submarine before bed to ensure that nothing is out of the ordinary. Otherwise, you can read, sleep, study, play video games, watch TV, etc -- but you're doing it on the submarine that night.

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      It's hard to describe what a "good candidate" is succinctly, but obviously academic ability is part of it. Otherwise I'd say someone who is eager to push themselves and be challenged, someone who doesn't want a purely desk job, someone who enjoys leading and being a part of dynamic teams, and someone who is not afraid of minor failures. I think you'll have a sense of whether or not it appeals to you if you attend an orientation trip and get to see it in person and talk to people in the job now.

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  4. I'm currently a Sophomore in college interested in applying to the NUPOC program. I have extensively researched it and feel I am qualified (1550 SAT Scores, current 3.9 GPA, math major).

    Where do I begin? Should I contact my officer recruiter right now? Where do I apply, and how do I schedule an "orientation trip" you talked about in San Diego?

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm currently a Sophomore in college interested in applying to the NUPOC program. I have extensively researched it and feel I am qualified (1550 SAT Scores, current 3.9 GPA, math major).

    Where do I begin? Should I contact my officer recruiter right now? Where do I apply, and how do I schedule an "orientation trip" you talked about in San Diego?

    Thank you.

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    Replies
    1. The earliest you could join is January of 2018, but you can and should start the application process before then so that you can complete the orientation trip, medical screening, and security screening. Shoot me an email via the portal at the bottom with your school, GPA, test scores, and major, and I'll forward it to my former colleagues who can put you in touch with your Officer Recruiter. Alternatively, you could try to find the right Recruiter via the "find my Officer Recruiter" link on the right side of this page.

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  6. I'm a Freshman starting my first year in a Mechanical Engineering Major with a minor in nuclear. I had an associates degree transferred in from the Community College I finished while I was in high school.

    I'm interested in NUPOC, and I guess what I want to know is: what I can do start increasing my chances now should I decide to commit to it later.

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    Replies
    1. Maximize your GPA and take real coursework (ie. a 4.0 consisting of raquetball, Exploring East African Pottery, and underwater basket weaving will not do you any good). If you haven't, make sure you knock out Calc 1/2 and Physics 1/2 and have As or Bs (preferably A's).

      It's a good idea to figure out who your recruiter is/will be and express interest so that if there's something unique to your situation that you should start working on now he/she can let you know and work with you on it.

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  7. I'm a Freshman in college majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in nuclear. I transferred in a general associate's degree that I finished while in high school.

    When can I start, and how should I prepare for the program?

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    1. The earliest you can actually join the program is 30 months prior to graduation, but you can start reaching out to your local Officer Recruiter prior to that point. In terms of preparing for the program, I'd recommend reviewing the FAQ page on here and making sure you take Calc 1/2 and Physics 1/2 asap and maximize your GPA.

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    2. Thank you so much for the fast reply and the informative blog. I'm already in Calc 2, so that's a good start.

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  8. I have a few questions about the NUPOC Program and the Navy in general. Thought I'd ask a vet before I asked a recruiter so I wasn't rose tinted. Thank you for doing this blog.

    1) How are officers assigned to posts? I know the military will post you to wherever they need assistance, but how much of a choice does the officer have? What is the process for deciding if you'll go for submarines vs aircraft carrier? How will you be assigned to a system on the ship?

    2) How much of this program is Nuclear focused? I was under the impression that the constant reference to nuclear was just a classification of the ship that you will be working on, and that you'll may work on different systems on the ship, but still be trained on the fundamentals of nuclear technology.

    3) How much of the time for the tour is spend on sea and how long is each deployment regularly for? I know this may be different for subs and carriers and may vary from time to time, but I'd like a rough estimate.

    4) How much of a culture clash it is? I am run-of-the-mill engineer on the nerdy side with no prior experience or family members in the military.

    5) What is the training regiment like? I am aware that it is substantial academically and physically, but some first hand accounts would be appreciated.

    6) What is the trip to San Diego like? I hear that it is free, does that mean airfare and housing are covered?

    7) What are the post-career options you've heard of people getting outside of the Navy? Are most people leaving and joining Navy or Shipping related industries or are most defense and other industries open? I am aware you will receive a Top-Secret security clearance.

    8) Are there other, similar programs you have heard of in the Navy or other armed forces?

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    1. Scott,

      For the record, 8 is more than a few --- but I'll give this a few minutes!

      1. You'll work with your recruiter to determine what your options are (among Sub/SWO/Instructor positions/NRE) based on your qualifications and what positions have availability remaining for your fiscal year (based on when you would commission as an officer). From there, you would choose what you want to interview for. Under no circumstances would you be pigeonholed into a position you didn't want --- if what you want isn't available then you can just not go to the final interviews.

      Once you're commissioned, you will work with detailers to select your ship / submarine. They try to match everyone up with their first choice type of unit (location, class of ship, etc), and when that is possible they can almost always get everyone one of their top several choices. You can get more information looking at the Pers-42 and Pers-41 links on the right (they link to the detailers for submarine officers and surface warfare officers respectively). With respect to systems, you'll get assigned based on what's needed upon your arrival, but everyone must become intimately familiar with all the systems on board and you will get exposed to them both through training/qualifications and as you take on new roles and responsibilities.

      2. There is a very clear and important nuclear focus and all officers will be in charge of plant operations everything else that entails during their time on board, but the reactor doesn't do any good without the mechanical/steam systems, proper chemistry control, electrical distribution, etc. I think it would be most accurate to frame it as a broad based engineering platform with a nuclear focus.

      3. Depends on the type of ship / submarine, but fast-attack subs tend to have the highest ratio of time spent out at sea (well, the crew anyways; SSBN / SSGN boats are out more, but with the dual crew structure, the actual time each sailor/officer spends at see is 1/2 of the total for the submarine). I was on a fast attack, and spent just shy of 35% of my time attached to the submarine away from our homeport. Breaking this down a bit further, we spend 6 months in a shipyard maintenance period, so it was really about a 40% operational tempo if you omit that period. Its also worth noting that I'm counting all the time I was not in port in CT --- so some of that 35-40% is attributable to stops in Florida, the Bahamas, Spain, France, Bahrain, Dubai, and Diego Garcia (6-7 weeks altogether).

      4. Nerdy is pretty normal on submarines. We (well me, anyways) make a conscious effort to try to avoid people who are so nerdy and eccentric that we wouldn't want to spend time working with them (as I suspect any organization would), but you won't be the first submariner who enjoys video games and mathematics. Nuke enlisted personnel tend to be the smartest in the fleet as well, which coupled with the small crew size on a submarine leads to a somewhat less hierarchical structure than what you might find elsewhere in the military.

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    2. 5. My personal take: Power School wasn't too bad. I did well and spent a lot of time enjoying Charleston, SC (GREAT city btw). It feels a bit like grad school and a private high school had a baby. There are bells and you wear uniforms, but the material comes hard and fast and the expectations are high. Prototype I enjoyed much less. I was also in Saratoga Springs, NY in the winter, which probably didn't help. Anyways, I was ready to get to the boat after that, but a lot of my friends liked it more than Power School so your mileage may vary. I was mostly frustrated with the mandatory hours and couldn't understand why you couldn't leave early if your work was done and you were ahead of the expected timeline/schedule. Qualifications on the boat can be tough from a time management perspective, but everyone wants you to succeed so as long as you put forward a good faith effort you'll be fine. Once you get qualified on the boat its basically smooth sailing and just finding the areas where you want to maximize your focus on the boat (and hopefully earning the CO's trust and getting more responsibilities that way as well).

      6. The San Diego trip is just meant to give you a glimpse of the program in person and see/talk to people who are currently doing one of the jobs that you'd be considering. There's no obligation and both airfare and hotels are covered. If you're seriously considering the program it's silly not to take advantage of the trip to get a fuller picture (it's also required before interviewing!).

      7. There are A LOT of options once you get out (if you decide that's the right move for you) -- particularly if you distinguish yourself and do a good job while you're in. A fair number of people go to the civilian nuclear power / defense industry / public sector route, but the vast majority do not. It might be worth googling the NUPOCC career conference to see a few of the employers that actively seek out Navy Nukes (there are also a number of headhunters that look specifically at our subset of officers). I'm getting out now and was deciding between (a) Law School (b) Business School and (c) working immediately. I am sort of splitting the difference and will either be working at Bridgewater (hedge fund), McKinsey (management consultancy), or a startup in Pittsburgh. I'm accepted to Harvard Business School for the class starting next August, so I will likely head to Boston next summer, but will evaluate where I am with work in the Spring.

      8. The Navy Civil Engineering Corps offers a similar program in that it pays you while you are in college and is engineering focused. I think it's less compelling overall, but depending on where your interests lie it may be a good fit. There are also some interesting programs for doctors/nurses/pharmacists etc, but that's likely not relevant to you and I'm not 100% familiar with their programs anyways.

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  9. Hey, I kind of have a question about the officer pay. Once you get commissioned, I understand you get paid as an O1, but do you get paid as an O1 with 2 and a half years of service already (since you technically served for your last two and a half years of college for retirement purposes), or do you start as an O1 with less than 2 years?

    Thanks!

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    1. Your time in NUPOC does count as time in service for purposes of pay and retirement. Your pay will not be calculated based on the day of your acceptance at the NUPOC final interview in DC.

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    2. Can you elaborate? So after OCS, you would be paid as an O1 with less than 2 years like any other newly commissioned officer? You say your time in NUPOC does count as time in service for purposes of pay, so I am slightly confused.

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    3. It depends on when you join NUPOC. Once the combined time in the Navy (NUPOC and/or as a commissioned Officer after OCS/ODS) exceeds 2 years, your pay will reflect that. The Same would at each increment above 2 years. For example, if you're only in NUPOC for 6 months before commissioning, then you won't get paid at the >2yrs service level until after 18 additional months.

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    4. *was supposed to say "the same would apply"

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  10. Wow, this is a looks like a comprehensive resource for NUPOC information. Thanks so much for assembling it. Time for me to settle in and drink up everything I can.

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  11. I just received approval on a 4 year NROTC scholarship and have been accepted in an Aerospace Engineering program (minor Nuclear). I am positive that I want to be a Nuclear Power Surface, or Nuclear Power School Instructor. Would I be able to apply for and transition to NUPOC if accepted? If so, how would this situation impact my G.I. Bill eligibility and time in service?

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    1. You can't take money from NUPOC and ROTC, so a switch is unlikely to work. There may be extenuating circumstances I'm unaware of, but it's not a good plan.

      Now, for deciding between the two...

      NUPOC is almost certainly a better deal in terms of dollars and cents --- especially if you consider the shorter time to get GI Bill and other benefits from time in service. Having said that, NUPOC is not a guarantee. You could pass on a scholarship now and in 2 years not be accepted into NUPOC and then your back looking at other Officer Programs without the free college. A bird in the hand, as they say...

      Best of luck with your decision. Rest easy - it's a good problem to have.

      Delete
    2. For NROTC, best bit of advice would be to talk to your Nuclear/Submarine Advisor (every unit has one). During my time at the NROTC Unit, everyone who had a technical degree with good grades was screened for Nuclear programs, even if they wanted to do other jobs (like be a pilot). As long as you can maintain a good GPA you should be fine going the Nuke SWO route.

      As for instructor, remember NROTC is in the business of putting officers into the fleet, not staff jobs like Instructor. If you are fine going Nuke SWO and enjoying not paying for college, I would stick with NROTC.

      Another note, let's say 1-2 years for now you drop NROTC and decide to go NUPOC, it might hinder your chances of selection. Between NROTC and NUPOC you were given a chance to commission and by turning down NROTC it might be viewed negatively. Additionally, you might have to repay the scholarship money you incurred.

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  12. Hello Officer Linville,

    Thank you so much for this resource, it's a real gem in that I was frantically searching Google for more information on the program. I am currently a Biological Science major at UC Davis and I haven't taken any engineering courses as of this moment. Would you recommend me to take some engineering courses (Thermodynamics, etc)? Or would it be enough to learn online the engineering stuff I have not learn?

    I am very interested in this program and quite shocked to only have heard of its existence now.

    Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Glad to here it's been useful to you.

      If I were you I'd probably try to take at least some engineering while in college! But so long as you meet the basic requirements and are allowed to submit an you don't need to.

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  13. Hello Brian,

    I just got done with my first year of school at Clemson for Chemical Engineering and I am very interested in the Nuclear Reactors engineer section of NUPOC, but I am a little confused as to when I should apply. Also, any tips for when you first speak to an officer recruiter?

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  14. Hi Officer Linville,

    I'm a first generation college student and currently a rising senior at Duke university studying mechanical engineering and aerospace. My GPA is 3.0 and SAT is 1500. I know that my GPA isn't quite at a competitive level compared to most applicants. They're mainly due to a couple Cs from my freshman and sophomore year. I have shown a positive trend my Junior year, but will the program also take into account the difficulty of various schools and programs throughout the country? Is it even worth applying with my academic track record so far? America has done a lot of good for my family and I can this programs seems like a great opportunity to utilize engineering skills and to pay back my debts to this wonderful country through service.

    Thanks for making this blog!

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  15. I was a NUPOC in the early 80's. Got interviewed by Admiral Rickover. He retired one year later. That interview is something I will never forget.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hello Officer Linville,

    I'm a college graduate with a B.S. in Journalism. I did take basic math courses and advanced math/ science courses back in high school. Not sure if high school courses would still be considered when applying.

    Realized I wanted to do something bigger. So I've been taking math courses at a local community college for a turn in my direction. Do you think I would be a viable candidate? Thank you very much! An interesting fact I recently found out is that my grandfather used to work nuclear operations back in Korea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are cases where someone with a limited technical background has been interviewed for NUPOC, but its highly unlikely if you have no real technical coursework since high school. Having said that, you could attempt to submit a "pre-screen" to the NUPOC program team via an officer recruiter. This basically will tell you whether it's worth the effort to complete an application.

      There are a lot of other officer positions within the Navy (and military more broadly) that would be 100 percent open to a journalism major.

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  17. Hello Officer Linville,

    Currently, I am a freshmen attending North Carolina State University and major in Professional Golf Management.

    I was hoping to double major(or at least minor) in Nuclear Engineering, but due to my course load, I am not taking many technical courses. However, by the end of the semester, I will have fulfilled the minimum requirements. I received credit for differential calculus and for a half-year in physics(due to high school advanced placement courses). I also have completed my integral calculus course, and am currently ending the term with hopes of finishing strong with the second portion of my physics course.

    When I apply as a sophomore, is it preferred if I change my major, or will I have higher chances to be interviewed for NUPOC if I apply if I double major in both golf management and nuclear engineering?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Applying as *only* a golf management major would put you at a very clear disadvantage, though it would not be totally disqualifying if you have your required classes. I would highly recommend getting Nuclear Engineering added either as your major or as an additional major with golf management before applying.

      Having golf management in addition to nuclear engineering would not disadvantage you at all and might actually be slightly helpful insofar as reviewers might find it interesting to discuss during Interviews.

      Good luck!

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    2. To clarify, the above comment applies not just to nuclear engineering but to all engineering disciplines (or chem/phys/math, etc). I just specified based on your question

      Delete
    3. Thank you so much for the information!

      Delete
  18. First off, I want to say I appreactiate all of the information you have posted about the program! Second just to get some feedback and thoughts from you, I'm 22 and planning to go to college, originally I was going to enlist (made a 93) and be a nuke but I discovered this program. I'd preferably like to start college at my local community college for my first year just to help save money, that said would it hurt my chances of being accepted if I were to do this? Second with me being 26 when I graduate would that also be looked down upon? Would I just be better off to enlist and possibly get accepted for STA-21 and then become an officer? My goal either way would be to eventually become an officer but which path would you say is the best route for me to take?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 1. Community college a good option for NUPOC.
      -- Yes, this path can make sense, but be aware that you will not be able to apply with just community college transcripts. You will need to spend at least a year at a fully accredited 4-year university.

      2. Age?
      -- This will not be an issue. There is a max age at graduation (27, with some waivers above that as I recall) but it sounds like you will be below this.

      3. Enlist as an alternative.
      -- Bad idea if your goal is to become an officer. That path exists but it's much harder to achieve than coming in as an officer in the first place.

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  19. Officer,
    This is a great resource and thank you for writing it. Though i do have another question.

    I’m very interested in commissioning into the navy through NUPOC but i might not be able to pay to completion my tuition. I’m not sure if you’ve mentioned this already in a sub page but, is there scholarships and such available through the NUPOC program to help you pay for college?

    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes and no. Technically there are no "scholarships" that you receive in conjunction with NUPOC, but you do receive a regular paycheck from the Navy beginning upon acceptance into the program (at the final interviews in Washington, DC). Any other scholarships you have earned elsewhere could remain in place as well. You can use this $$ you receive via pay to pay for tuition, pay down debts, or for other expenses as you see fit.

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  20. Wow, I am amazed at your dedication to this blog. I'm a prior STS3/SS considering going back to the sub force through NUPOC. One of my concerns that I can't find any info on is what happens to officers that fail out of power school? There's plenty of blogs that cover how difficult it is, but none that explain what happens to the drop-outs. I really wouldn't want to go surface fleet, so all this power school talk is making me very wary of doing this.

    Also, many people claim you're going to be putting in anywhere from 2-40 extra study hours during power

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry for the delay -- just got back from traveling outside the country and off the grid.

      1. Check your age against the age requirements for unrestricted line positions. I believe the oldest you can be is 29 at commissioning (can be waived up to 31), but would need to check on that to be sure.

      2. Re: failing out, I'd say a couple things. Firstly, very few people actually fail out. It's not zero, but it's well under 10% and if you get accepted and you put in effort while you're there you will be fine. They like to say that NNPP pipeline is intended to function as a pump and not a filter (e.g. do a damned good job filtering who comes in, then work with who you have to ensure they're successful and avoid attrition if its possible). If you do fail out the most likely outcome is a shift to a conventional (non-nuclear) officer role via lateral transfer or else a discharge from the navy (with a potential recoupment of the bonus). Technically it may be possible for them to redirect someone to an enlisted role if they fail out but I've never heard of this happening and I think it would only be plausible at all (if even allowed) if there was malicious behavior (seeking failure vs. Trying but not succeeding)

      The extra study hours vary from person to person. I was a non-engineering undergraduate major and was able to get by with ~5-10 extra hours most weeks, but others put in much longer. Even if you do need a higher number of hours it's still not that bad I don't think.

      Hope this helps and good luck.

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  21. Hello Officer Linville,

    If one of the positions that I was currently looking into in the program is unaviable( Reactors Engineering), do you advice waiting until next january to apply when all the positions are open again?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd ask your recruiter how likely it is that it will open up. He may not know but the NUPOC team at NRC will -- ask him to ask his "NTO". If you are only interested in that role, then obviously wait. If you're also interested in other roles, it's a judgment call based on how appealing the others are and how likely it is that NRE opens up in January.

      Good luck!

      Delete
  22. Hello Officer Linville

    I am currently a freshman and looking to go into nuclear engineering for my major but my GPA is not very competitive. I have already completed calc 1/2 and phys 1 and I am taking phys 2 next semester.I was wondering if it possible to apply for the NUPOC program more than once as I work on making my GPA better. Also when selecting people does the in-major GPA get factored in or is it just cumulative GPA?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Technically yes, but my recommendation is to get your GPA up asap. If you're a freshman, you probably only have one semester of completed grades. Do well this semester and next fall, and you should be back on track -- and you can't apply until after you have 3rd semester grades anyways (interview date can be max 30 months prior to graduation).

      But again, short answer is yes you can apply more than once if you're not given the opportunity to interview due to academic profile. If you interview and are turned down, then you are done unless the admiral specifically invites you to return (rare but it happens for something like 3-5 percent of applicants)

      Delete
  23. Just curious, assuming one was accepted into the program, completed training, and then finished their 5 years as a surface warfare officer or submarine officer could you then transfer to become an NRE or not

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think technically the answer is yes, but practically it's not something that happens except in extraordinary circumstances. Don't make any decisions with that as your plan.

      Intriguing name. Giving you benefit of the doubt, but recommend toning it down before the interview! Funny, though.

      Delete
  24. Hello and thank you for the amazing source of info. I am currently a junior in high school and am looking into this program. However, I am a bit confused on the exact degrees that one receives upon completion of the program. From what I've read elsewhere it sounds like it doesn't offer a degree on its own, rather you have to go to college to get the degree first and have the program pay for it when you get in. My ultimate goal would be to transfer from this program having completed a nuclear engineering degree into NASA. Would I have to go to college for the degree first?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your understanding is basically right. You would apply to and go to college as normal, but then can apply for the program starting December of your Sophomore year (assuming 4 year program with may graduation - max is 30 months). It's not a scholarship per se since none of the money goes to the school directly. You are officially employed by the NUPOC program / Navy, but your only obligation is to complete your studies. Once you graduate you would go on to serve as an officer in whichever role you interviewed for.

      Let me know if you have additional questions.

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    2. In your opinion, how much value is there gained in going through all that trouble to get the degree compared to just going straight into the program. Would I be accepted at a non government position with just a NUPOC certificate if it came to that for example?

      Delete
    3. You can't do NUPOC without the degree. You could choose to enlist in the Navy right out of high school and if your ASVAB scores qualify you could choose to join the nuclear program that way, but you lose out on a variety of advantages. Obviously you don't get a degree (though you can use benefits while in the Navy or through the VA once out to do that). Also, your level of responsibility is lower for longer, you have less leadership opportunities, and you have lower pay. For you I'd look at it as a series of questions. (a) are you interested in the military, (b) do you want to get a degree and become an officer or enter directly from HS as an enlisted sailor (or soldier/airman if you chose another branch), (c) for either answer on 'b' do you want to do the Nuclear program, and (d) if you want to be an officer and a nuke then do you want to go to the Naval Academy, a ROTC program, or do the NUPOC program.

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    4. So if I do go for the degree then it would be better to do NUPOC after college because I accumulate the 30 months of service. Or I can just do NUPOC out of HS and use the benefits to get a degree later if I choose. I guess it comes down to whether or not the completion of NUPOC alone is enough to be a reactor designer.

      Delete
    5. You would apply while in college. You can apply as early as 30 months out from graduation (so likely start application fall of sophomore year and go to interview December or January of sophomore year.

      To be on the reactor design side, the Naval reactors position would be most relevant -- though you'd have significant education on the topic for any of the roles.

      Delete
    6. Would I be able to apply while I’m taking physics 2? I took AP physics 1&2 in high school. Didn’t pass the exam though

      Delete
    7. You can start your application to be ready for interview, but they'll want to see your grade before actually sending you to DC. Same goes for calculus 1/2. I wouldn't mention the AP exams unless you used the test for physics 1 to validate the class -- no point in mentioning the test for Physics 2 since you're taking a course.

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  25. I didn’t pass both AP exams. I’m taking physics 1 this fall and physics 2 in the spring. So I can get started on the application while taking physics 2? Like in January or so?

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    Replies
    1. Yeah that's right. The app usually takes a few months (longest wait is usually medical clearance) so it's probably worth reaching out to start in Feb or March. You'll probably get your spring transcripts in late May or June so the first interview you could realistically go to is June or July (depending on June date). Make sure you do well in thos physics classes.

      Delete
  26. Hey i was wondering where the BAH pay is based off of? I currently go to school in a low cost residence area buty home address is in a higher cost of residence. The difference in pay in area for BAH is double. Should I sleak to a recruiter in my home address instead of one near my school? Thank you

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I would confirm with a recruiter in this case. It is normally the BAH for the school you are attending but there may be some caveats or exceptions to that.

      Delete
  27. Hey i was wondering where the BAH pay is based off of? I currently go to school in a low cost residence area buty home address is in a higher cost of residence. The difference in pay in area for BAH is double. Should I sleak to a recruiter in my home address instead of one near my school? Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hi. I am a Chemistry Major - 3.4 GPA - Junior in Fall 2021. To apply for this program I only need to have completed Calc 1 and Calc 2 along with Phys 1 and Phys 2? Are there any courses I am missing and do you recommend me to apply while I am finishing the required courses? Thank You!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No just those 4 as requirements. They will also look closely at your grades in other technical courses.

      You won't be able to interview until you complete those required classes, but you could submit your application and start the process beforehand and then submit your grades once the semester in which you take those classes complete.

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  29. For NRE, how is a normal day? I read they commit to staying 4 years in DC, so do they get some type of extra housing help/funds to move to DC, and do they go on subs for months? Or just stay in DC in a lab or something?

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    Replies
    1. NRE is much more akin to a civilian job day-to-day. There is another page here that discusses it in more detail so I'd reference that, but you will work at the Naval Reactors headquarters at the Navy Yard in Washington DC. There is some work travel and you may visit a submarine or carrier periodically but you would never be deploying or going to sea for an extended period.

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