The effects of a master's degree

[andrewsartin]

First post! I'm a prior IT2, finished my BA in Communiation last May and now I'm pusuing an MA in Communication. I have the ARCO books and I'll seriously prepare once I have an accurate idea of when I'll be done, which could be when my GI Bill runs out in January. My questions are:
1. What is really required for a direct commission to Reserve PAO? The offical website's info was pitiful, but I'll try calling. If it's the same as regular reserve, I'll understand, covered that with an officer recruiter.
2. I get the gist of all steps involved in active duty PAO (and I've talked to an actual officer recruiter face to face), but how much graduate school can help me stand out, as in do I need to have the MA finished?
3. If I do finish the MA or I can use the classes I've taken to show a different GPA, how does that GPA affect my competitiveness? Graduate school is obviously harder. Undergrad GPA was 3.115.

Thanks in advance,
Andrew

 

[Flying Low]

PAO is hard to get into. There are not alot of them and people with experience (i.e JO's, PH's, etc) stand a better chance. Now all those rates have been merged into MC. I know Photo Officers are only LDO's. Now that I think about it, every PAO I have ever known was designated something else first. My last command we had a pilot who became NPQ while in the RAG. It took her over a year to redesg into PAO and it was not easy. You should not only talk to a reserve recruiter but to some PAO's. I really don't know how much grades or education level will come into play here.