What determines graduation date?

[Arbyz]

I LEAVE for boot camp on April 26th 2012 (this month) so i figure my "P days" won't at least start until the 27th. Once that week is done if things go according to schedule and i start to really do what needs to get done, what is a good projection for a graduation date?

[Nuke Guy]

There's honestly no good way to say for sure, as you may be a push division, might not start P-days until that Monday, or might not even get put into a division immediately. My best guess would be June 22 or 29, but it could be later, depending on if you get held back for anything. You will know your projected graduation day within a week of arriving at RTC, and it will be included in the form letter that you send home on P-2 or P-3 day. However, remember that nothing is for sure until you march through that garage door on graduation day.

[SWarford]

Chatting with my recruiter, he offered a basic formula that gives a decent guesstimate:

Take your shipping date to basic
Add on nine weeks (nine and a half sometimes).
Scale back to the nearest Friday.

As to how correct he is, I don't know, but he's somewhat in the position to know. There are, to my knowledge, several things that can set you back on your graduation date, such as medical issues. So remember, this is a guesstimate.

[prop827]

Its all a matter of how long until your division forms, if you are in a push or 900 division, what holidays effect your training (specifically, Christmas, doesn't apply here though obviously) and what is going on at RTC, P days can take longer when they're processing more recruits sometimes. Its all a guessing game. All that said, you will know your projected grad date within 72 hours of being at RTC, assuming you don't have an ASMO during training, pass your PFA, and don't have a medical hold or anything on arrival. If you graduate with the division you're placed in you'll know really soon, and so will everyone back home.