Hello everyone,

I found your website via a google search for information I can't seem to find, or rather I find a lot of conflicting information) so I thought I'd sign up and see if anyone here can help me out.

It's recently been suggested to me that I might be a good candidate for the CIA, which got me into researching the Agency and its hiring policy. 

Here's the deal. I'm a college graduate with a BA in Political Science. Good school, decent grades. No prior military service. 

I had one scrape with the law in college over marijuana, the charge was reduced to disorderly conduct. My lawyer told me to just pay the fine since going to court we would win on improper search/seizure but it would take a year and I would probably have to drop out of college with the amount of time it would take. So I paid the fine and had the record expunged a year later. 

So earlier this year I attempted to enlist in the USMC for an MOS that required a clearance. They ran a DD-369 and other   NICS fingerprint check on me (I have a copy of the 369) which found nothing in my background other than a red light violation. I was sent to MEPS for the ASVAB and scored a 92. But was medically disqualified during the physical.   

I also later found out my recruiter was lying through his teeth about the USMC's drug policy. He told me it was "If you don't do it anymore and won't be doing it in the Corps we don't care" which is... well pretty darn far from the truth. 

So here's my questions: 1) On forms for the CIA would I be required to list the scrape with the law even though it's expunged and I was never fingerprinted? 

2) I like many was not a perfect person when I was younger [and stupid]. I did some drugs. It was mostly pot, tried coke and LSD. That's all in the past and have been clean 5 years now.

Obviously no one here is going to be able to answer with 100% certainty how things would go in a hiring process, but I was hoping people could give me a general idea of if I'm totally screwed. 

I don't want to waste my time or the Agency's. 

Thanks guys!

Bill_Brown wrote on Aug 19^th, 2012 at 11:51pm:



WRONG!   The CIA recruiters kept encouraging me to apply and re-apply, even after I had apparently already been permanently disqualified, and I had discussed that situation with them.  The Agency recruiters even initiated the contact with me on one occasion.