I guarantee many of you jumped right to this page. If you're an Air Contract, I still suggest reading this, as apparently 1 out of 5 air contracts gets dropped at flight school and redesignated!
If you want to skip my overview on MOS selection, you can just read about it in this 174 page MOS handbook:
(I actually you do read it...)
Here's some news you may not want to hear. If you want to get the MOS you want, the best advice I have for you is to KEEP AN OPEN MIND. That's right, if you're not okay with at least 10 of the MOSs, you may be in for a rude surprise.
However, I do have some advice for getting the MOS you want, after I explain how MOS selection works. At TBS, you will be assigned a class ranking, from #1 to whatever the last number is. This includes air and law contracts, However, during selection, those contracts are left out. From the remaining people, the company will be split into three tiers, 1, 2, and 3. You'll write out your little wish list, and the first thing that happens is disqualifications (DQs). This includes security clearances (guilty as charged), hearing (guilty as charged), height, and eye dominance. Be aware, that for combat arms, there are MOS specific qualifications. You must pass this test before going to your MOS school or leaving TBS. I'll try to find the qualifications, but they can be found in the fitness center. Combat arms include Infantry, Ground Intel, Artillery, and Combat Engineering.
After you make your wish list, you'll have MOS rehearsals, where you line up in rank order, and then proceed into a room, in front of the staff, where you go down your wish list and they place you if there's an open spot. If there's not, you proceed down your list. Throughout TBS, there are three wish lists, and the first two go similarly. These are extremely misleading, as they only go based off your rank and availability. You're also split up into three tiers, and each tier has a certain number of slots. So people at the top of each tier luck out more than people towards the bottom. I got my first choice during the first rehearsal, and my 16th choice during the second, and I didn't care each time. I know getting my first choice at the rehearsal didn't mean anything, same with getting my 16th choice the second time. I was okay with my 16th choice anyway.
For the third round, the staff places everyone in their slots according to their tiers, but then there is a mass shuffle around. They will knock someone from their first choice to make sure someone doesn't get their sixteenth, even if one was ranked higher within a tier.
But the most important part of this, is that it is up to the SPCs. Being an SPC is competitive, and these men and women are entrusted with selecting Lts suited for their MOS. If you are first in the company, but your SPC does not think you would be a good fit for your first choice, you're not getting it. This is why I told you it's important to get to know your SPC, to let them know on a personal level what kind of person you are, and what your aspirations as a Marine Corps Officer are.
Do not try to "game" the system, meaning if you are at the bottom of the second tier, don't purposely fail things to be placed in the top of the third tier. You never know who else is doing this, and it's just not right to not do as best as you can. For the first rehearsal, I was in the top of the third tier. I started doing better, and I moved to the bottom of the second. I was happy with all MOS, and I didn't want to purposely fail anything. I really tried hard and improved a lot of my grades. The third exam I got a 96 I think, and this exam we had in the field I got the highest grade in my platoon (until a guy in ROM beat me, still bitter hahaha). But then I failed both land navigations and I guess I didn't do so hot in leadership, because I moved back down to the top of the third tier. If I had purposely tried to do poorly on those exams, I would have moved to the bottom of the third tier. But I was right at the top, and got my first choice,
Other people will try to game the system by placing their first choice first, then litter their next choices with competitive MOS all the way down to tenth place, and then place all their other choices. Surprise, you might actually get one of those MOS that you didn't want.
Some of the more competitive MOS are:
Intel. ALL OF THEM.
Low altitude air defense
CommStrat
AAV
These MOS have a small amount of slots (maybe three per company) and people rank them high
Some of the more easier MOS to get:
Infantry
Logistics
Ground Supply
Communications
These MOS have a high amount of slots.
Some average MOS to get (average as in probability, not quality)
Artillery
Combat Engineer
MP
Aviation Supply
This is not a perfect list, this is just based on people I talk to and available slots. I'll try to get more details on slots per company.
Other notes:
If you are a reservist, this is a little different. Some MOS are not available, others are greatly needed.
MP is being phased out
Tanks is gone
Ground Intel-you go to Infantry Officer Course first
All MOS are open to all genders, but ladies-they don't go easy on you
If you are born in another country, even if adopted, it's a slim chance you'll get intel. The way it was explained (I had my billet during final MOS selection and was in charge of the final roster on the student side-not the selection, just collecting it lol), if you are born in another country or have a lot of foreign contacts, you will not necessary not pass your security clearance, just the time it would take to get it done would take much longer. Do not let this deter you from asking for it, just keep a more open mind than others
In fact, no one should get their hopes up for intel. It's really hard to get.
If you want to go infantry, see the next page, Getting Infantry