Active Duty PAO Selectee Here to Help

[vee]

Just got selected by the 27 October 2021 Board to attend OCS under the Active duty PAO designation 1650.
Here to answer any questions about package compositions and challenges I faced. This was my second time applying for the program.

 

[vee]

My Package Stats:
I am an Active Duty E5
Former Journalist with over 7 years of experience
OAR 39, Waiver was approved since minimum score is 40
Bachelors in Journalism 3.7 GPA
Masters in Strategic Communication 3.75 GPA
Solid appraisals, recommendation letters, and community involvement
Demonstrated body of public affairs work both as a civilian and service member
etc.
Here to answer any questions you might have to the best of my ability.

 

[taranteeno]

Congrats! I'm 8 year active duty E6 applying for Intel. I got a 47 on my OAR although the minimum is 50 but they accept waivers if you score at least 45. I have 4 appraisals from Intel O-5s and 2x LORs from O-6 and 3x from O-5 ( all Intel). Do you think I should retake the OAR to try and get above a 50? Or do you think a waivered 47 would suffice??

 

[vee]

Congrats! I'm 8 year active duty E6 applying for Intel. I got a 47 on my OAR although the minimum is 50 but they accept waivers if you score at least 45. I have 4 appraisals from Intel O-5s and 2x LORs from O-6 and 3x from O-5 ( all Intel). Do you think I should retake the OAR to try and get above a 50? Or do you think a waivered 47 would suffice??

IF YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR SCORE THROUGH A RETAKE, PLEASE DO IT. ALL YOU ARE TRYING TO DO IS BE AS COMPETITIVE AS POSSIBLE.
One thing I can tell you is that OAR is not a true test of knowledge and experience. In fact, in my OAR waiver memo to the Board, I explicitly stated that. However, I believe that this only applies if you really have PROVEN DEMOSTRATED experience in the designator you are applying for. DON’T BARK WITHOUT BITTING. I'm not sure if you are an IS1 or work in any intel rating. In my case, I had a lot published work and education with excellent GPAs to show off. That trumped my OAR which I was only short by a point. If I had not attained the OAR retest limit of 3, I would have continued to retake to better my score. I took my OAR test about five years ago when I first joined the Navy and I never took it seriously then. So I kept retaking without really studying very hard. At the time, you only needed a 35 to apply for PAO. So on my third and last try, I scored a 39. However, in 2018, the PAO community up the minimum OAR to 40. I say all these to show you how competitive OCS is. If you can better your score by retaking the OAR, I will suggest you do that. But the waiver shouldn’t discourage you from submitting your package now if you have one ready. If you are not selected, you will be noticed. Improve your package and resubmit again, that's if you want. You seem to have appraisals and LORs from senior officers which is good. All my appraisals and LORs were from O-5 and O-6 as well. Good Luck!

 

[Short]

So pro-dev....spell check misses words that are in all caps. You will work in a world of words and be judged in part by how effectively you use them, whether in print or in email.

 

[taranteeno]

IF YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR SCORE THROUGH A RETAKE, PLEASE DO IT. ALL YOU ARE TRYING TO DO IS BE AS COMPETITIVE AS POSSIBLE.
One thing I can tell you is that OAR is not a true test of knowledge and experience. In fact, in my OAR waiver memo to the Board, I explicitly stated that. However, I believe that this only applies if you really have PROVEN DEMOSTRATED experience in the designator you are applying for. DON’T BARK WITHOUT BITTING. I'm not sure if you are an IS1 or work in any intel rating. In my case, I had a lot published work and education with excellent GPAs to show off. That trumped my OAR which I was only short by a point. If I had not attained the OAR retest limit of 3, I would have continued to retake to better my score. I took my OAR test about five years ago when I first joined the Navy and I never took it seriously then. So I kept retaking without really studying very hard. At the time, you only needed a 35 to apply for PAO. So on my third and last try, I scored a 39. However, in 2018, the PAO community up the minimum OAR to 40. I say all these to show you how competitive OCS is. If you can better your score by retaking the OAR, I will suggest you do that. But the waiver shouldn’t discourage you from submitting your package now if you have one ready. If you are not selected, you will be noticed. Improve your package and resubmit again, that's if you want. You seem to have appraisals and LORs from senior officers which is good. All my appraisals and LORs were from O-5 and O-6 as well. Good Luck!

Thank you for the help! I scheduled another OAR for January to give myself some real time to study. I appreciate the help, seriously. Godspeed

 

[exNavyOffRec]

IF YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR SCORE THROUGH A RETAKE, PLEASE DO IT. ALL YOU ARE TRYING TO DO IS BE AS COMPETITIVE AS POSSIBLE.
One thing I can tell you is that OAR is not a true test of knowledge and experience. In fact, in my OAR waiver memo to the Board, I explicitly stated that. However, I believe that this only applies if you really have PROVEN DEMOSTRATED experience in the designator you are applying for. DON’T BARK WITHOUT BITTING. I'm not sure if you are an IS1 or work in any intel rating. In my case, I had a lot published work and education with excellent GPAs to show off. That trumped my OAR which I was only short by a point. If I had not attained the OAR retest limit of 3, I would have continued to retake to better my score. I took my OAR test about five years ago when I first joined the Navy and I never took it seriously then. So I kept retaking without really studying very hard. At the time, you only needed a 35 to apply for PAO. So on my third and last try, I scored a 39. However, in 2018, the PAO community up the minimum OAR to 40. I say all these to show you how competitive OCS is. If you can better your score by retaking the OAR, I will suggest you do that. But the waiver shouldn’t discourage you from submitting your package now if you have one ready. If you are not selected, you will be noticed. Improve your package and resubmit again, that's if you want. You seem to have appraisals and LORs from senior officers which is good. All my appraisals and LORs were from O-5 and O-6 as well. Good Luck!

OAR is a check in the box, they used it as a way to limit applications as in the past they did not do OAR waivers, now OAR waivers above 35 are almost always approved.

PAO is also a very unique designator and what they look for as a PAO is not what they look for when it comes to aviation/SWO/IWC, they also rarely take anyone that is not a prior or current MC. What you described in your bio is what for years were were told they looked for.

 

[MM1DeCh]

My Package Stats:
I am an Active Duty E5
Former Journalist with over 7 years of experience
OAR 39, Waiver was approved since minimum score is 40
Bachelors in Journalism 3.7 GPA
Masters in Strategic Communication 3.75 GPA
Solid appraisals, recommendation letters, and community involvement
Demonstrated body of public affairs work both as a civilian and service member
etc.
Here to answer any questions you might have to the best of my ability.

I am looking into going for PAO. How did your portfolio look? I have a couple of flyers as well as some research papers from college and articles I wrote in college. Also scored a 39.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I am looking into going for PAO. How did your portfolio look? I have a couple of flyers as well as some research papers from college and articles I wrote in college. Also scored a 39.

If you aren't an MC odds are slim for PAO, they look at what material you have published, not saying you don't have published materials and if you do that will give you a better shot.

 

[Goat_class125]

I’m curious
What do you know now, that you didn’t know the first time you applied?