Nominations?

jct95

5-Year Member
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Nov 24, 2012
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172
If you don't mind me asking, I'm have my congressional nomination meeting coming up on December 8th...I've read almost as much as I possibly could, I understand this is a rather tough question but what should I expect?

And more importantly, do the people who take part in the interview itself - do they take into consideration personal struggles? And no, I'm not talking about a kid not getting a car for his 17th B-Day - for example, Divorce, cancer, abuse etc, etc, etc. thanks.
 
Check out recent Wienerdog thread on NJ-02. Lots of great responses. Just what you're looking for...
 
Personal struggles

The interviews were not too threatening. They were conversational with just a few challenging questions but in general the candidates didn't feel like they were trying to be tripped up. Of course it can vary. One friend did talk about growing up without a father (he was wearing his father's tie) and I think it worked in his favor. His interviewers were quite complementary. But you do take a risk, so trust your instincts when you are in the moment. One Senate interviewer said the candidate got choked up when recalling an emotional event. In this particular case, it did not work out well for the candidate. The panel felt awkward.

In general, if it's part of your story and an important part of understanding your motivation, then bring it up if it seems to fit into one of the questions. Just be careful not to come across as making excuses for yourself.

On the flip side, I have also heard stories of candidates being peppered with rapid fire questions including what's the square root of x, who's the secretary of state, draw a map of Africa. Those interviews are clearly designed to see how you handle yourself. As long as you keep your cool and be honest if you don't know something, you'll be fine.

I'm no expert, just a parent watching and learning as I go. Best of luck. Let us know how it goes.
 
The interviews were not too threatening. They were conversational with just a few challenging questions but in general the candidates didn't feel like they were trying to be tripped up. Of course it can vary. One friend did talk about growing up without a father (he was wearing his father's tie) and I think it worked in his favor. His interviewers were quite complementary. But you do take a risk, so trust your instincts when you are in the moment. One Senate interviewer said the candidate got choked up when recalling an emotional event. In this particular case, it did not work out well for the candidate. The panel felt awkward.

In general, if it's part of your story and an important part of understanding your motivation, then bring it up if it seems to fit into one of the questions. Just be careful not to come across as making excuses for yourself.

On the flip side, I have also heard stories of candidates being peppered with rapid fire questions including what's the square root of x, who's the secretary of state, draw a map of Africa. Those interviews are clearly designed to see how you handle yourself. As long as you keep your cool and be honest if you don't know something, you'll be fine.

I'm no expert, just a parent watching and learning as I go. Best of luck. Let us know how it goes.

Could you give me examples of some of the questions they asked you?
 
I'm going for my no inaction meeting today.

If you guys don't mind me asking, how quickly do they let you know if you got the nomination? Do they let you know during thr interview?
 
Good luck today

No they don't tell you right away. They have to see everyone and then make recommendations. It takes several weeks and the MOC has the last word. Do not ask the interview committee questions like how long does it take or when will I hear.

Be prepared to speak about your motivation, career path, extra curriculars. DS got asked about the honor code.
 
No they don't tell you right away. They have to see everyone and then make recommendations. It takes several weeks and the MOC has the last word. Do not ask the interview committee questions like how long does it take or when will I hear.

Be prepared to speak about your motivation, career path, extra curriculars. DS got asked about the honor code.

Did he apply for a congressional/senatorial/presidential nom? And if so how competitive was it? And what types of questions was he asked?

.
 
If you don't mind me asking, I'm have my congressional nomination meeting coming up on December 8th...I've read almost as much as I possibly could, I understand this is a rather tough question but what should I expect?

And more importantly, do the people who take part in the interview itself - do they take into consideration personal struggles? And no, I'm not talking about a kid not getting a car for his 17th B-Day - for example, Divorce, cancer, abuse etc, etc, etc. thanks.
We were at a December 8th congressional interview as well. I watched a lot of kids enter and leave the interview rooms. Some came out looking fine and others were visibly shaken. Some kids said they were asked random questions and others said they were dragged over coals. I don't understand what was going on with the interviewers. Really enjoyed meeting the candidates and their parents. What a neat bunch of people. What did things look like from your perspective?
 
We were at a December 8th congressional interview as well. I watched a lot of kids enter and leave the interview rooms. Some came out looking fine and others were visibly shaken. Some kids said they were asked random questions and others said they were dragged over coals. I don't understand what was going on with the interviewers. Really enjoyed meeting the candidates and their parents. What a neat bunch of people. What did things look like from your perspective?

It went really well.
 
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