Congressional Nomination Interviews in 2 weeks

Zokolov

5-Year Member
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Jan 19, 2011
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11
Hi!
I have interviews with the selection board for both Senators in 2 weeks. I have a couple of questions.

What should I expect?

How many candidates are selected to be interviewed?

How should I prepare for the interview?

What types of questions will they ask, and which types of questions will they ask more than others?
 
What state are you from?

No way to know how many candidates will be interviewed, some senators interview everyone that applies, others do a pre-screening.

Where a suit and tie and dress shoes, button your collar.

Questions: strengths, weaknesses, greatest accomplishment, why USMMA, why do you think you can succeed at a service academy, what did you do this summer (hint: talk about a job or community service, not your vacation to Florida). Favorite class and why.

Most senators outside of the big KP states (NY, NJ, CT, PN, VA) get less than 10 applicants. ie: they can nominate everyone if they want to. SO - as long as you don't screw up really bad you should be fine. For most applicants, the nomination is the easy part. Be very respectful and speak clearly. Don't make jokes and don't talk politics. Actually being accepted is much harder.

Did you also apply to your congressman for a nomination - you should if you didn't.
 
What state are you from?

No way to know how many candidates will be interviewed, some senators interview everyone that applies, others do a pre-screening.

Where a suit and tie and dress shoes, button your collar.

Questions: strengths, weaknesses, greatest accomplishment, why USMMA, why do you think you can succeed at a service academy, what did you do this summer (hint: talk about a job or community service, not your vacation to Florida). Favorite class and why.

Most senators outside of the big KP states (NY, NJ, CT, PN, VA) get less than 10 applicants. ie: they can nominate everyone if they want to. SO - as long as you don't screw up really bad you should be fine. For most applicants, the nomination is the easy part. Be very respectful and speak clearly. Don't make jokes and don't talk politics. Actually being accepted is much harder.

Did you also apply to your congressman for a nomination - you should if you didn't.

I'm from Augusta, Georgia. And yes, I did apply for a nomination from my congressional district, but I have not received any news about it yet.
 
good luck on the interview

:smile:
Hi!
I have interviews with the selection board for both Senators in 2 weeks. I have a couple of questions.

What should I expect?

How many candidates are selected to be interviewed? depends on the state/ the congressman or senator

How should I prepare for the interview? You need to look clean cut. have a good hair cut. wear a suit or nice pants and tie. tuck in your shirt. wear a belt. be prepared to look them in the eyes, shake their hands, and speak to them directly. be polite. be respectful. thank them for the interview.

What types of questions will they ask, and which types of questions will they ask more than others?
My DS didn't have an interview so I have to be honest and say I don't know. My recommendation is that; You need to think about WHY you want this opportunity. You need to let them know that this is YOUR decision and not your parents. You need to convey to them that you are a serious student and would appreciate this opportunity and promise to work your hardest at school if given this chance. Make sure you can "sell yourself" and tell them your strengths and what sets YOU aside from others. Be confident. Be polite. Best of luck to you.
 
Good luck to all going through their MOC interviews. Don't let the interviewers intimidate you.
 
My DS just finished his 3rd and final interview yesterday (1 Congressman and 2 Senators). 2 of the interviews were pretty normal.... Why the USMMA, what makes you different from the other applicants, tell me something unique about yourself that is not in the application, etc.... Yesterday, he was thrown for a loop:

1. What is "truth"?
2. If you were ordered by your superior officer to kill a prisoner to save the lives of your men, would you do it?

Call these the moral maturity questions.
 
My DS just finished his 3rd and final interview yesterday (1 Congressman and 2 Senators). 2 of the interviews were pretty normal.... Why the USMMA, what makes you different from the other applicants, tell me something unique about yourself that is not in the application, etc.... Yesterday, he was thrown for a loop:

1. What is "truth"?
2. If you were ordered by your superior officer to kill a prisoner to save the lives of your men, would you do it?

Call these the moral maturity questions.

Seriously? Those seem to me to be horrible questions for an interview for a nomination - the training you'd get AFTER you got to any of the Academies would help give you the correct answer or at least thought process to the answer. But as far as helping to determine who is worthy of an appointment they seem to me to be horrible questions. Sorry I know everyone has an opinion and all and that doesn't help the PC but really if I were interviewing for a nomination to the USMMA I'd have to ask the interviewer why he was even asking me question number 2....
 
I 100% agree with jasperdog. Those questions shouldn't be asked to an applicant. The interview is to determine what the candidate's background and character and not to determine if they can answer deep logical questions or make hard decisions such as the prisoner scenario. Most do not even think about killing people while applying the academies or applying for interviews. Another thing is that most services do not use lethal force often. If the candidate has a desire to be in the USA or USMC, then that question could apply to them. But with the nature of the sea services and USMMA, using lethal force is highly unlikely. Just curious, how were these questions answered?
 
I 100% agree with jasperdog. Those questions shouldn't be asked to an applicant. The interview is to determine what the candidate's background and character and not to determine if they can answer deep logical questions or make hard decisions such as the prisoner scenario. Most do not even think about killing people while applying the academies or applying for interviews. Another thing is that most services do not use lethal force often. If the candidate has a desire to be in the USA or USMC, then that question could apply to them. But with the nature of the sea services and USMMA, using lethal force is highly unlikely. Just curious, how were these questions answered?

It's not a legitimate question even if they are Army or Marine Corps bounds. Virtually none of them would have had a class or training in ethics yet, and especially not in military ethics. An old timer civilian such as I might be able to rattle of a "correct" answer with absolutely no trouble; but these kids who are eager to please wouldn't stand much chance, in my opinion. Of course they may not be looking for a "correct" answer but in the applicant's ability to think on their feet. But there are less objectionable questions that could be asked to achieve the same thing and determine that.
 
So, his responses were along the following lines:

Truth: Had conversation about factual vs ethical truth. Did not speak much about factual truth. He indicated ethical truth differs by culture and background. Examples he used: Can smoke pot legally in Colorado but not in Pennsylvania. Abortion may be legal but many folks believe it is murder. Different religions have truths that are totally contradictory one another.

POW: He said he would follow orders. No discussion about an illegal order.

They also asked him if he would order his men into combat where they would be killed. DS said yes but only if he was willing to lead them there first and it was required to accomplish the mission.

2 ex Army NCOs from what DS was able to gather.

I told him not to worry. He answered to the best of his ability and as my DS indicated, we definitely did not prep for that...
 
Actually I love question #1.... Crazy hard for most young people to answer, but I love that it gets them to truly think and react to something they could not have possibly prepped for.

(BTW - They young man's answer was exceptional for 17 year old... exceptional)


Question #2 is out of bounds... For the reasons others have already stated. But beyond that, I cannot for the life of me figure out what an "acceptable" answer could be for that venue. After several decades of conducting aw well as teaching interview skills (amongst other things), I cannot connect the dots with where they might be headed with that one. :confused:

(BTW - Best this gray-beard can come up with would a parry/riposte approach like... "That's a sobering question, and a situation I hope to never find myself. But I understand that in serving my country I may face such terrible decisions, and trust that King's Point will prepare me to be a leader that will not shrink from any situation; even that one" )
 
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Actually I love question #1.... Crazy hard for most young people to answer, but I love that it gets them to truly think and react to something they could not have possibly prepped for.

(BTW - They young man's answer was exceptional for 17 year old... exceptional)


Question #2 is out of bounds... For the reasons others have already stated. But beyond that, I cannot for the life of me figure out what an "acceptable" answer could be for that venue. After several decades of conducting aw well as teaching interview skills (amongst other things), I cannot connect the dots with where they might be headed with that one. :confused:

(BTW - Best this gray-beard can come up with would a parry/riposte approach like... "That's a sobering question, and a situation I hope to never find myself. But I understand that in serving my country I may face such terrible decisions, and trust that King's Point will prepare me to be a leader that will not shrink from any situation; even that one" )

Many of these questions, like job interview questions, are not intended to get a "right" answer, but are intended to find out how quickly one thinks on their feet. Some might stare like a deer in headlights, stutter before getting a cogent thought out, others may come up with a non answer/answer that avoids the question. I was once asked at a job interview, "between a fork, spoon and knife which do you like better and why?"...Bottom line, expect the unexpected!
 
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