Asking questions to MOC committee
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MombaBomba
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Definitely have a question or 2. My son was asked if he had a question for the panel during his MOC interviews. You are always better off preparing.
navymomwannabe
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+1 MombaBomba
I would add that you should think of open ended questions. Something that can't be answered with one word.
Good luck!
I would add that you should think of open ended questions. Something that can't be answered with one word.
Good luck!
This. Even more specifically, for any type of interview you should consider having questions that require insight/nuance beyond what you can find out on your own via research. For example...
Are there a lot of women at the Academy? = fair/poor
Is it harder for women at the Academy? = fair
I believe the Academy traditionally has about 20% women, what would say is the largest challenge they face beyond that of any other cadet? = good
Hope this helps!
usna1985
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I would be careful about asking the MOC committee questions about the SA itself. Being on an MOC nom committee does not mean you know anything about the SA for which you're interviewing.
Some folks have ties to a service or a SA but not necessarily the one for which they're interviewing and some may have no military ties at all. For example, years ago my parents served on our MOC's West Point nom committee (there were separate interview teams for each SA) when neither had any ties to WP or the Army (though they had ties to the military). Even if they are a grad, they may not stay up to date on all things connected with the SA as, unlike BGOs/ALOs, etc., there is no expectation that they are experts on the SAs for which they are interviewing.
Thus, you don't want to put the interviewers on the hot seat by asking them a questin to which they don't know the answer -- and many not have any way of knowing. Instead, I would stick to questions about the nom process for that MOC. For example:
"Approximately when can I expect to be notified?"
"How many vacancies at [this SA] does [the MOC's name] have this year?
"Do you know how many of [the MOC's] nominees to this SA last year ultimately received appointments?"
"Does [this MOC] give principal nominations or use a competitive slate?"
"If I earn any additional honors/awards between now and when notifications are made, am I permitted to submit them?"
"If you're able to say, how many applications did [this MOC] receive for [this SA] this year?
Questions about the SA itself should be directed to your BGO/ALO, etc.
Some folks have ties to a service or a SA but not necessarily the one for which they're interviewing and some may have no military ties at all. For example, years ago my parents served on our MOC's West Point nom committee (there were separate interview teams for each SA) when neither had any ties to WP or the Army (though they had ties to the military). Even if they are a grad, they may not stay up to date on all things connected with the SA as, unlike BGOs/ALOs, etc., there is no expectation that they are experts on the SAs for which they are interviewing.
Thus, you don't want to put the interviewers on the hot seat by asking them a questin to which they don't know the answer -- and many not have any way of knowing. Instead, I would stick to questions about the nom process for that MOC. For example:
"Approximately when can I expect to be notified?"
"How many vacancies at [this SA] does [the MOC's name] have this year?
"Do you know how many of [the MOC's] nominees to this SA last year ultimately received appointments?"
"Does [this MOC] give principal nominations or use a competitive slate?"
"If I earn any additional honors/awards between now and when notifications are made, am I permitted to submit them?"
"If you're able to say, how many applications did [this MOC] receive for [this SA] this year?
Questions about the SA itself should be directed to your BGO/ALO, etc.
MombaBomba
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This is the time to ask a question about military service since you will be spending 5 years in the military after the service academy. My son had questions regarding military life and experiences if he was given the opportunity. These were things he had thought about but wasn't able to discover during his research. The point of the questions was to provide insight.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Great clarification, USNA. I stand corrected with my example. 
That being said, I believe it's still a good idea to ask meaningful questions that show the candidate has put some thought/research into the topic; as opposed to asking the "basic" questions anyone could find on their own. That's pretty standard advice for any interview situation and reflects well upon the individual. Maybe just tailor the questions to topics the MOC panel is likely to have insight on.
Disclaimer to the OP: Just someone who's taught interview skills at various in the past; not a BGO like USNA. So if you aren't sure... listen to him.
That being said, I believe it's still a good idea to ask meaningful questions that show the candidate has put some thought/research into the topic; as opposed to asking the "basic" questions anyone could find on their own. That's pretty standard advice for any interview situation and reflects well upon the individual. Maybe just tailor the questions to topics the MOC panel is likely to have insight on.
Disclaimer to the OP: Just someone who's taught interview skills at various in the past; not a BGO like USNA. So if you aren't sure... listen to him.
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navymomwannabe
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