Thoughts on navy nuclear program
Some background here- early 20s m with 2 years of college in a poli sci program at a decent private school under my belt with a 3.8+ gpa. Dealing with an increasingly unreasonable and negative family situation at home and looking for ways out. Always wanted to serve in the military so I walked into a navy recruiter’s office (base locations interested me more than army, not much thinking beyond that) and took a PICAT where I scored top 5%. Navy nuclear program was instantly recommended to me and long story short I’m shipping off in January. Thinking I’ll do 6-8 years depending on whether I STAR reenlist, getting out, targeting HYPSM poli sci/econ double major to finish my degree in 4-6 semesters, then leveraging all this to go into energy/infra IB and then eventually infra PE (blackstone, stonepeak etc.) Always wanted to serve in the military and always wanted to work in finance, this lets me scratch the military itch now and have something with serious technical pedigree under my belt, then leverage that towards my ultimate goal which is infra PE. I won’t be able to serve in the military when I’m older and I wouldn’t be able to break into finance now without going into crazy debt to get myself an MFin or something similar at this point while still having to deal with the negative family situation. This feels like a clean path for me to start fresh and work from my strengths. Thoughts on all this from everyone and advice? All much appreciated.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, your plan to join the Navy nuclear program and leverage that experience for a future in finance, particularly in infrastructure PE, is both ambitious and well-structured. Here are some key insights and advice:
1. Navy Nuclear Program as a Launchpad
2. Military Service and Finance
3. Education and Transition Plan
4. Targeting Infrastructure PE
5. Additional Considerations
Final Thoughts
Your plan is well thought out and aligns with proven pathways discussed in WSO threads. The combination of military service, technical expertise, and a top-tier education will position you strongly for a career in infrastructure PE. Stay focused, leverage the resources available to you, and continue to refine your plan as you gain more clarity and experience.
Sources: Marine Officer/Aviator Ask Me Anything, Military veteran looking for an executive assistant position, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/school/timing-mba-with-military-service?customgpt=1, Join the Military, See the World! - Pivot into being a Leader and Perks of Serving YOUR Country!
What is the question you want answered? I respect the hell out of your decision. No way to know what the future holds 8 years from now for you, but thank you for your service and if you take the approach you’ve laid out you will go far.
I don’t know if joining the military is the best or most efficient way to break into high finance but good luck soldier
tbh with AI already here and only getting better, it'd be much better to stick with nuclear in the long term. the chances of many jobs in finance getting eliminated is pretty high lol.
Wow, something I feel qualified in answering. I was a nuclear officer in the Navy before I started my MBA (M7) and recruited for IB.
Will be happy to answer any other questions you might have.
Really appreciate this bro. Thoughts on the STA21 program? I’ve done some research on it and it seems like it may be a good idea.
For the love of god, do not let your enlisted recruiter swindle you into enlisting in the hopes of later commissioning through STA-21. It is one of the oldest "false hope" recruiting tricks in the book.
For starters, getting accepted to STA-21, even as a nuke, is incredibly hard. There is one application cycle every year and less than 5% of applicants are accepted. And on top of that, there are only ~20 partner schools that you are allowed to attend within the program. (See the list here: https://www.netc.navy.mil/Commands/Naval-Service-Training-Command/NROTC…). There are only a few conventionally prestigious schools on this list, and odds are, your current school already ranks higher than most on this list.
I highly recommend going in as an officer since you're already at a university with a good GPA. As an officer, you will do more meaningful work, get to lead sailors, and have a higher quality of life. The best and easiest way to become an officer is to commission directly through NUPOC/ROTC/USNA instead of enlisting and winning the STA-21 lottery. Just my two cents.
Congrats! Not much to offer other than my group head was a nuke and he’s a beast. Best of luck
Vet.
I’m going to be honest, there’s a ton of red flags in this post.
“Took a PICAT where I scored top 5%” Don’t let the recruiter oversell this. For someone with a 3.8 from a decent school, this should be expected. The PICAT/ASVAB is like a 9th grade SAT.
“Thinking I’ll do 6-8 years…targeting HYPSM…leveraging…infra” Slow down. You haven’t even gone to MEPS yet. You should be focused purely on doing the thing you signed up for. This is no small decision. It’s one thing to have good goals in mind (like planning on one enlistment and going to a top school). It’s another to chart a path that relies on several factors outside of your control. Veteran admissions is already competitive, especially at top schools. I know this because I attend one and it gets harder every year for vets, since our applications are evaluated against other vets. The same applies to finance/consulting. Who knows what it will be like in 6-8 years?
“…this lets me scratch the military itch now…My ultimate goal is infra PE” There is a major difference between what you think the military will be and what it actually is. 90% of the time, *especially* as a Nuke, and double if you’re on a sub, it will suck. This is anecdotal, but I don’t know a single nuke vet at my school who looks back at their experience positively. If what gets you through the day is “wow I might have a chance at HYPSM then lateral to PE” then you’re not going to make it.
Look, I’m all for joining the military. I get it. If I could do it all over again, I’d still join. We all join for different reasons. Some due to aimlessness, some for school, some for the hell of it. Seeing that you’re already at what I assume is a decent school with a high GPA, you should really think about whether this is right for you. Take HYPSM, PE, MF, whatever out of the equation. When you’re working swing shifts and haven’t heard a single peep from your spouse, friends, family, etc. in weeks, will you still look back at the moment you raised your right hand positively?
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