Expert: Matt - 6/15/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi my name is Nick. I've been wanting to join the Marines for a long while and have some questions that my last recruiter couldn't answer straightly.  I turned 17 in February of this year, and I just finished my fourth semester of college. I have plenty of credit hours (39) and have a scholarship to a four year college. I was wondering if there would be any problem with me not having my high school diploma?
Granted, there is a way for me to get it. It will just cost me about $500, and that's a cost that I would like to slide past.  Another thing, since I received the scholarship that I did I decided that I should use it and get through more of college.  At the point when the scholarship depletes i will be in my last year.  An obvious decision would be to try and get into OCS, correct? When trying to become an officer how much, if any, of a difference does it make in regards to the degree that I will have?
My current major is Music, and I'd like to do a ground job like infantry when I join.

Thanks for the help in advance,
Thanks for serving our country,


Nick

ANSWER: Hi Nick

This is an interesting position. I can best help you if you can clarify a few things for me. First of all, when you say that you dont have your HS Diploma, do you mean that you just dont have the piece of paper or do you mean that you actually did not finish HS and graduate? If thats the case, then how are you enrolled in college?
As far as your major in college, it honestly has no bearing on your MOS (Military Occupational Specialty). This is because as an officer you dont even find out your MOS until after OCS and TBS. Id reccommend you check out www.marineofficer.com for some good info on the entire process. Get back to me with your answer to the above question and Id be happy to help in any way I can.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the response.
I didn't 'actually' finish high school as I started going to community colleges after my freshman year in HS. However, there is a law in Maine and a few other states that allows people who have finished their first year in college to graduate legally with a high school diploma. There is a specific school called NARHS that does not require you to be in district and I could thereby send them my finished year plus of college transcripts and legally graduate from HS in the state of Maine.
A lot of community colleges allow for an early entry program and do not require a HS diploma, rather you just have to take their placement tests.

From what you said I understand that you do not have find out your MOS until after, does this mean that you do not have any choice in job either?

Thanks again,

Nick

Answer
Yes, that is correct, you do not find out your job until the end of TBS. You fill out a preference card early on at TBS with your choices listed in order, and then depending on your grades and the needs of the Marine Corps, you are assigned an MOS. They generally try to give you your top choice, but it doesnt always work that way.
About the CC law in Maine, I never knew that - thats really interesting. I think you should get that degree, but thats just my opinion.