I want to enlist in the military

[BalFoMar]

First post by a long time fan of all you guys,I know this has been asked before but i want to enlist in the army but i have a online diploma threw excel high school and need 15 credits to enlist so can i get those credits threw cleps/dsst and tesc would love every bodies opinion on this please and thank you

[IrishJohn]

First post by a long time fan of all you guys,I know this has been asked before but i want to enlist in the army but i have a online diploma threw excel high school and need 15 credits to enlist so can i get those credits threw cleps/dsst and tesc would love every bodies opinion on this please and thank you

I'm not sure that I follow your post here. Are you saying that you have a high school diploma from an online school? What is "excel high school"? Are the 15 credits you say that you need college level? If so, I think you could take CLEP and DSST exams to do this. One thing to consider though is rank. If the military still does this like it used to when I was in, the higher degree you have the more rank you'll get upon completion of boot camp. If you can, why not postpone going in for about 6-12 months and complete either an AA/AS or a BA/BS through TESC? Most of the credits for either could be completed through CLEP, DSST, Straighterline, etc. Of course you'd have to pay the tuition on your own (about $3,000 total), but if you are able to get a private loan through the bank I believe that the military has programs to forgive college debt upon enlistment as well. Or you could pay the money out of pocket if you have it. That way if you'd like, you could use the GI Bill to fund a master's degree later on. Just something to think about.

UPDATE: I found this page with some information that might interest you. Check it out: http://mypracticetestprep.com/getcollege...tary-clep/

[Rav]

Take the GED to get a legitimate diploma, and then you'll be able to enlist with no trouble.

However, enlisting in the military means you'll start out at the very lowest level, and advancing can be difficult depending on your aptitude and work ethic. You can look into the ASVAB for information on placement within the military, but to be honest: if you get a bachelor's degree, you can enter OCS (Officer Candidate School) after boot camp, and start out earning more and with more prestige.

Of course, if you want to enlist with just a GED, then take practice ASVABs and make sure you do all your research. Recruiters have to meet their quotas, and they will tell you ANYTHING to get you in.

Forewarned is forearmed, so you'll want to learn everything you can about which branch is best to go into, and exactly how you'll be treated, and what you can
& can't do while enlisted, etc. In the words of the King: Wise men say only fools rush in.

[rvadog]

The advice to wait until you have an associates or BS/BA is poor advice. The military will pay for you to take as many Cleps as you want. The highest you can enter the military from basic training with no special skills is E-3 (as opposed to E-2). Putting off joining the military and paying for your own tests in order to go in one rank higher (for all of 6 months) is a bad investment.

[BalFoMar]

thank i just signed up for instantcert to help me study for these test.What should i do after i take the test?

[IrishJohn]

The advice to wait until you have an associates or BS/BA is poor advice. The military will pay for you to take as many Cleps as you want. The highest you can enter the military from basic training with no special skills is E-3 (as opposed to E-2). Putting off joining the military and paying for your own tests in order to go in one rank higher (for all of 6 months) is a bad investment.

It's only "bad advice" if it doesn't fit what OP is capable of doing with it. If he/she is unable to pay for completing a degree on their own right now than yes, it would be better to maybe knock out a few CLEPS and enlist without finishing a degree first. Depending upon which branch they want to go into they could get E2 or E3 right out of boot camp with enough credits. If they can manage to finish a degree though and if the branch they select has college debt payback programs like they used to the OP could get E4 after boot camp and have their bill paid for by Uncle Sam. Follow the link I gave and the links it has as well to learn more. One includes a post from here about someone who used CLEP credits without a degree to get higher rank upon enlistment. Yes, the OP could just enlist and have everything paid for afterwards but then would have to wait a year or so to reach E3 or E4 as well as OCS if that's their goal. If money is an issue then that's what I'd do myself but if the OP can do it I'd suggest finishing a degree first or at least a bunch of CLEPs for a higher rank. TA and the GI Bill I'd use for a masters, which would come in handy no matter what field and helps for advancement while in.

[IrishJohn]

thank i just signed up for instantcert to help me study for these test.What should i do after i take the test?

Follow the link I posted and talk to your recruiter. If you take enough CLEPs now regardless of whether you finish a degree or not first it will help. If you know what degree you eventually want, focus on taking CLEPs and DSSTs towards that. If not, than just knock out the gen ed subjects which are in most bachelors. There plenty of free resources you can find online to prepare for each one.

[IrishJohn]

Take the GED to get a legitimate diploma, and then enlist

If the OP went to an online school for their diploma it would depend upon whether it was accredited and recognized or not. I have no idea myself about this particular school so I'd suggest that they find out from their recruiter. If they need to do the GED because the school isn't acceptable well that might be a problem. I believe all the branches stopped giving waivers for GEDs so the OP would have to finish an AA/AS or BA/BS first before enlistment. However, I may be wrong or there be exceptions to that rule I don't know about so the OP would definitely need to ask their recruiter.

[defscarlett]

During my stint as a recruiter they would only accept GEDs if you had 15 college credit hours, of course this was for Army National Guard and a few years ago. If this is what the OP is referring to they will not only have to take CLEPS etc, butan actual course at a school this credit needs to be transcripted. I would suggest taking a 1 credit class at your local community college to save on money.

The advice to get a degree first isn't necessarily bad, just depends on why the OP is wanting to join as you can actually get up to an E4 upon enlistment for having a bachelors. Take a look at all your service options if you're looking to get the school benefits from the military all branches have the same federal benefits 4500 tuition assistance and GI bill but Army/Air National guard MAY have additional benefits because they are state funded. For instance Ohio offers $50,000 in student loan repayment and 100% tuition for a Bachelors at a state funded university.

If you have any questions please let me know.

[IrishJohn]

During my stint as a recruiter they would only accept GEDs if you had 15 college credit hours, of course this was for Army National Guard and a few years ago. If this is what the OP is referring to they will not only have to take CLEPS etc, butan actual course at a school this credit needs to be transcripted. I would suggest taking a 1 credit class at your local community college to save on money.

The advice to get a degree first isn't necessarily bad, just depends on why the OP is wanting to join as you can actually get up to an E4 upon enlistment for having a bachelors. Take a look at all your service options if you're looking to get the school benefits from the military all branches have the same federal benefits 4500 tuition assistance and GI bill but Army/Air National guard MAY have additional benefits because they are state funded. For instance Ohio offers $50,000 in student loan repayment and 100% tuition for a Bachelors at a state funded university.

If you have any questions please let me know.

Prefacing this that the OP needs to speak with his recruiter, how about this for an idea: if the OP isn't able to finish a degree at TESC or the other 2 of the Big 3 before enlisting for whatever reason, how about taking 45 credits worth through CLEP and DSST exams and one 3-credit regular class? These exams could be transferred to the community college to go on their transcript along with the regular class which he/she could then take to the recruiter afterwards. This would put them at 48 credits which would get them E3 after boot camp in the Army and they could then finish their full degree using TA or the GI Bill once they are on active duty.

15 CLEP/DSST exams = 45 credits @ cost of approximately $1,500 ($100 each which includes proctor fee). Study materials can be obtained online for free or cheaply by using IC ($20/month).

PLUS

1 class at Clovis Community College online = 3 credits @ cost of approximately $267 + fees (out-of-state tuition rates)

OR

1 class at KCTCS online = 3 credits @ cost of approximately $550

Add transcript fee of around $50 or so and voila! He/She can get 48 credits for the low price of approximately $2,000 and start his/her career as an E3.

Ideally, he/she can finish a bachelor's at TESC or one of the other Big 3 first, but this is a second option. Of course, if he/she cannot afford either of these enlisting ASAP and taking care of school later is something else they can do. Whatever is best for their particular circumstances.