Applying for a congressional nomination interview.

Cadet35

Cadet35

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I sent in my forms the other day and I was just curious to as if the office will notify me when they receive them or if I should reach out to ensure they got them? I know this may be district specific but I just thought maybe someone would have experience here. My plan is to wait a couple of days and then reach out.
 
USUALLY they acknowledge receipt of them. Ours was email.

One thing you can do going forward, if you are mailing important papers (think I Day items for example), is to send with a ‘signature required’. That way you receive notification of someone signing their receipt of them. FYI!

Make sure you follow up if you don’t hear back, allowing enough time to resend if necessary before the deadline.
 
If your congressional office is nearby, walk it in. You get to meet the staffers that way.
 
Cadet35 said:
I sent in my forms the other day and I was just curious to as if the office will notify me when they receive them or if I should reach out to ensure they got them? I know this may be district specific but I just thought maybe someone would have experience here. My plan is to wait a couple of days and then reach out.
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How were they submitted? If you snail-mailed it to their DC office it will take a minimum of 2 weeks before it actually gets to their office due to off-site screening of incoming mail. If you sent it to their district office and they're not in a larger federal building it will take the standard amount of time for mail to arrive. I would suggest calling and asking, but know with snail mail to federal offices it can take some additional time to reach them due to security protocols. They won't be bothered by you calling to check on the status of your application, but I would strongly caution against the above advice of walking it in unannounced if that isn't one of the options for submitting your application. Part of this process is your demonstrating you can meet a deadline and follow instructions correctly.
 
I disagree. All three of my kids who applied walked their applications in. All were different Representatives and staffers due to retirement and redistricting. Each time, the SA rep in the office complemented them on their initiative and even went through the packets while they waited to make sure they were complete. Not sure if it helped, but all three received nominations.
 
kpmom2013 said:
I disagree. All three of my kids who applied walked their applications in. All were different Representatives and staffers due to retirement and redistricting. Each time, the SA rep in the office complemented them on their initiative and even went through the packets while they waited to make sure they were complete. Not sure if it helped, but all three received nominations.
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If that's one of the options for submitting it then it is absolutely the strongest route to take, but if it's not and other ways are clearly spelled out as the acceptable routes then it is a gamble if not cleared with the staff prior to showing up. The applicant risks demonstrating they can't follow basic instructions correctly, they risk the staffer not being there or being tied up with other matters or having other conflicting meetings at the same time. They risk their first impression when a simple phone call or scheduling the stop by would eliminate that whole risk.
 
I would agree with MOC5th that it is prudent to call ahead and confirm that the staffer/SA coordinator will be present when you come in and that it is okay to do so.

If it is a large and busy district (or a senate office) it may be better to send it, but in my observation after having two children receive nominations, the local MOC's are usually very receptive and accommodating to a candidate paying them a visit.
 
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It's a way to connect a face to a name. That is always a plus if you are making a good impression. Plus there is peace of mind knowing it has been received. DS is walking his in this afternoon!

My personal opinion is that they cannot state on their official instructions to 'hand-deliver'. That would be too difficult for many people. But the vibe we have gotten going through this (now 3) times, is that they welcome the opportunity to meet and connect, if ever so briefly. NOT the MOC, but the staffer in charge.

Part of this momma would actually prefer it to be mailed, so there is signed receipt!
 
Our DS has done follow up emails. We are rural and Senate offices are 3 hours one way. His nom packets are complete and when he sent his updated ACT (improved again) scores yesterday he asked if they would please confirm that his application package is complete. They all replied promptly and in a friendly tone that his were indeed complete. They also advised that if selected for an interview he would be notified by email. Then he got an additional email from one Senator's office advising of interview dates, and if there were anticipated conflicts to let them know asap. Let's just say those 2 days in November are completely wide open and will stay that way!! He has had very good luck with email. Not all nom sites listed phone numbers so he chose to communicate with the listed staff member. While at Boys Nation the Legion scheduled appointments with the staff and Senators so he was able to meet them and their DC staff. He has met his congressional member at Academy day and when at Boys Nation he asked Legion to schedule meeting with her office as well so he made a connection with her staff there. He said he was the only boy at Nation (to his knowledge) who had requested congressional meeting. Legion was awesome at scheduling and shuffling for him to get it done.
 
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Each MOC runs their own process, so the first thing to do is read/follow all of the directions for their CURRENT year's process when submitting your information. (What may have been true last year or 5 yrs ago may no longer be current.) There are no 'bonus points' given for driving across your state to hand deliver your application. What may be perceived by someone from a different MOC as a benefit/advantage, may not apply to yours. Even when hand delivery is an option, you will likely be giving your application to an administrative person and shouldn't expect them to provide you a reading on how they think your application compares to others. Many MOC run an interview process to determine who to select and until they do, no one will know your 'chances' for getting a NOM.
 
I was just at the South NJ Service Academy Info day hosted by the NJ senators staffers. I hand-delivered my completed package to Sen. Menendez's staffer.
 
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