AROTC/AFROTC Interview tips?

They actually didn't mention to bring anything - but I know those are two things to bring.

... gonna have to work on the smiling part!
 
thompson,

I agree with others, the people interviewing you have other duties besides interviewing you, most likely classes to teach. They are going to block you for an hour.

The fact is if you are running out of time you have 1 of 2 choices according to your plans. Call and say it is because of the AROTC interview or don't eat lunch/ stop by the creamery and eat a power bar as you walk to the det.

The fact is this is not her 1st time at the Rodeo, she is probably going to ask if you are applying to the SAs or other ROTC branches. You need to be prepared for those type of questions, because those are common questions, unlike the ones that monster had listed. Be prepared to answer why you are only applying for AFROTC and AROTC, but not NROTC, especially if you want rated. The fact is AF has very few helos and Army has very few fixed. What is that appeals to you for both branches, but not Navy...I am guessing it is the water aspect.

Just relax. Take the day, walk the campus, meet cadets at both dets.
 
Last year my son's AFROTC and AFA interview combined lasted about an hour. His USMA interview may have ran 1-1/2 hrs.

If you have researched and thought about why you want to serve,have an idea of what you would like to do in the service and can verbally convey this and show confidence (not cockiness) you will do fine.

My son applied Army, AF and Coast Guard but not Navy. The water was ok but not 6 months of it at a time and he wanted no chance of ending up on a sub.
 
+1 to Packer.

I would add, listen to their questions. They mean a lot, and when it is time to ask questions, bring it back to theirs to squelch their fears.

Think before you speak. If in the interview after you answer the question feel you answered it not to the best ability, ask the question, rephrasing your answer in a positive way so they have clarity.

Talking about the fiscal cliff for the DoD or Benghazi is not going to give you points. Asking what they expect from you, illustrates you care about AFROTC success. Talking about how your job right now is to be the best trained AF/AROTC officer will matter, and how you are personally fixing any weakness is important.

The CoC's goal is to train future officers. Leaders listen.
 
Thompson said:
... well I specifically stated that (for the AF interview) that Monday would not be a suitable day, but if necessary late afternoon/evening will do; she told me she's very busy right now - so I guess Monday was the only day that worked for her. Plus I don't want to push it back any further and risking missing the 2nd board.

And also; that hour is to possibly stop by the AF det to see my point of contact real quick/admissions officer, frantically eat lunch ... and stop by the Creamery real quick ... (time permitting)

.... I just don't want to have to end up calling the Lt. Col. saying that I'll be running late because I was interviewing w/ Army ...

THank you soooo much for all your help everyone!!
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Thompson, in case you check in this weekend... think of her as doing you a favor by fitting you into her busy schedule... so you can be ready to go before the next board! Be appreciative and don't forget to thank her for her time. I know I didn't need to say any of this, but just in case.
 
Pima said:
thompson,
Be prepared to answer why you are only applying for AFROTC and AROTC, but not NROTC, especially if you want rated. The fact is AF has very few helos and Army has very few fixed. What is that appeals to you for both branches, but not Navy...I am guessing it is the water aspect.
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I'm not worried about rated; no interest in flying - just engineering :)

... yes part of it is the water. I get sea sick - real easy; and I'm not really crazy of being under way for 6 months at a time ...

@kinnem - have definitely thought about that! But thank you for bringing it up!

... when I go up to Penn State, should I go to the secretary and tell her about the appointment, or can I go directly to the LTC's office?

Thank you all so much!!

Excited for Monday :)
 
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Thompson said:
... when I go up to Penn State, should I go to the secretary and tell her about the appointment, or can I go directly to the LTC's office?

Excited for Monday :)
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The LTC generally has a secretary or administrative assistant whom you should notify about your appointment. If that person is away for lunch, find someone else who can check on the availability of the LTC (who could be on the phone or in a meeting). As big as that operation is there is sure to be someone who can announce you.

Again, good luck.
 
I agree there will be at least 4 or 5 people that work in the office, and large dets like PSU typically will have a lounge area for the cadets attached to the office, even those kids can announce you.
 
one of the questions i was asked was about diversity and situations where diversity was involved. be prepared.
 
I could see that because the USNA is really striving for more diversity, they even have a diversity program for admissions there. It is a hot button topic on the USNA forum here.
 
... also, those w/ past experiences - has any of the interviews specifically asked anything like "how are your grades (currently), how are your courses?"
 
Ah! It went really, really well - for the Army at least. Luckily for me, since I made the attempt to visit the Nittany Lion battalion over the summer, the LTC was gracious enough to tell me the questions that he would ask ... so I aced that one easily. He even told me that my interview went really well - and he would do all in his power to get my that scholarship ... he even reiterated how well I did in the interview in the email he sent me! Wonderful officer; very personable. He even let my dad stay throughout the interview.

AF ... Well I think I did well on this one too. I was able to answer all of the questions - surprisingly without any "stumpers", which was great. Was thrown a couple situational questions ... the only thing I overlooked - was not memorizing/becoming familiar with the Cadet Honor Code ... other than that I did good. Unfortunately the LtCol did not mention how well I did on my interview - I'm not sure if that means I crashed and burned, or she just doesn't reveal the outcome of the interview. However, she did say I have a good chance at the scholarship as well. LtCol did not permit my dad to stay during the interview due to privacy act.

Main difference I found between the Army and AF interviews was that for Army dealt mainly with the prospective cadet in general. The LTC did not really ask about my academics/extracurricular - except for the interview sheet that he had to fill out, or if it came up in my answer. AF, on the other hand was much interested in my academics/extracurriculars. She asked me a few questions about my grades - and we went over my resume - in depth.

So, I guess I could say that the AF was a bit more selective in their interview than Army - but that's not surprising when comparing standards between Army and AF.

Also would like to point out the LTC did not even want to see my resume/transcript, even when I offered ....

PLEASE NOTE: to prospective cadets reading this (who have not conducted their interview yet), please take this into account w/ a grain of salt -- this was one interview, I'm sure not all interviews will be like this.

Thank you again to all who have graciously helped me through this process, as I now dreadfully wait to hear from Cadet Command and Maxwell AFB ... Would particularly like to thank Pima for your knowledge! (I am sure I will have questions for you in the future)

And to all prospective cadets - if any of you have questions, don't hesitate to ask me. I've been through the process now, so I should be able to answer your questions.

Thank you all! Hope you have a safe and pleasant holiday!
Thompson
 
Sounds like your interviews went well.

Since this came up earlier - How long did the interviews last and did you make the second one in plenty of time?

Also, not to be pedantic, but I don't think "dreadfully" actually means "full of dread".
 
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Both lasted around 1.5 hours.

The Army interview itself ended in like 15 minutes. But, the "golden opportunity" was the part that took up the majority of the time. We started getting into "life" type topics.

AF lasted 1.5 - mainly from the interview itself. The golden opportunity lasted probably 10 minutes.

Thanks for bringing that up - it escaped my mind!
 
.... almost forgot to answer your question - I had ample time ... to much time. I had about an hour between the interviews
 
Glad to hear things went well at your interviews!

I interviewed for ARTOC back in October. I was surprised when doing research before the interview how strictly it followed the sheet.

More of it is set scores than what the LTC personally thinks. It was really cool to have the opportunity to speak to them about their careers and such.

Regardless how the scholarship goes, (fingers crossed), it was an awesome experience!
 
My interview was very low stress, even though I freaked out worrying for it before it happened. They will be trying to sell the school to you as much as you are trying to sell yourself to them. I had questions like what is the most strenuous activity i've ever done and how I manage a difficult schedule. Just be confident in yourself and you will do fine! It's not scary at all :)
 
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