Chandler,
I agree with RedeyeAV8r and am also a Marine pilot currently still on active duty, hopefully only for another 14 months. I only have time to browse this site and reply because I'm paying my penance as a joint staff officer at a COCOM, not actually doing legitimate work! I too was commissioned thru the PLC program with an aviation contract. PLC is a long standing program which produces a majority of Marine officers, ROTC and service academy's follow. PLC is for college freshmen thru juniors with one summer remaining before graduation. If you are a senior right now then you would graduate, go to OCS, get commissioned, then go to TBS. The earlier you get involved in PLC the better your chances are to get a pilot contract as all services speculate on how many pilots they will need X amount of years out and enroll guys sooner than later. It's the only commissioning program that will give you in writing a seat in flight school prior to signing the dotted line. However, as others here have said, being a military pilot is to be an officer first. As a jet pilot I am currently doing a 3 year joint staff job not flying. Furthermore, to be a Marine pilot means you'll be a Marine officer first, this is good and bad. Good because being a Marine officer is something only a handful get to do, I know it sounds corny but true. Bad because there are always crappy jobs to be filled all over the place and the Marine Corps views you as an officer first then a pilot, so you are not safe from those jobs and duties. Bottom line is that if you are considering the Marine Corps you need to do it because you want to be a Marine Pilot, not just a pilot to get hours for the airlines. You don't have to make a career out of it but just be prepared.

Personally I can't imagine paying the huge amount of money to get the ratings and time as a civilian, working for the commuters, to one day get to the majors. I doubt if you could ever recover your money spent plus lost potential income over the years flying bug smashers and commuters.

Chicks do dig Marine fighter pilots! The exception being your own wife after 5 or so years of dealing with your deployments and bar act.