Congressional interview

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USNA! GET ME OF THE WL PRETTY PLS
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Hello!
I have my congressional interview coming up (12/14)

Background: applied to USNA last year and didn’t receive nom, now reapplying.

My MOC gave me an email regarding my interview, included was the list of those on my nomination panel and their background (all active/retired naval officers) as well as potential questions they will ask, so a bit different than last year.

What are some things that I should be prepared to answer and 100% know to do well on my interview? I heard from friends that the panel may ask a question that the candidate may have to step back and think.

Thank you!
 
Academyprep100 said:
Hello!
I have my congressional interview coming up (12/14)

Background: applied to USNA last year and didn’t receive nom, now reapplying.

My MOC gave me an email regarding my interview, included was the list of those on my nomination panel and their background (all active/retired naval officers) as well as potential questions they will ask, so a bit different than last year.

What are some things that I should be prepared to answer and 100% know to do well on my interview? I heard from friends that the panel may ask a question that the candidate may have to step back and think.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
Would also like to add:

As I prepped at a military school for a year to reapply to USNA, would it be in best interest to revolve my answers regarding my experiences within the past year at a military prep school, instead of highschool?
 
Academyprep100 said:
the panel may ask a question that the candidate may have to step back and think.
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I don't think anyone here can give you any more gouge that the MOC staff gave you. Of course, they might ask you something to see how you think on your feet, but I'm sure that anyone serving on a MOC panel isn't out to get you or throw you a curve. Bottom line, be yourself, be confident, listen to the question and answer the question they ask. Don't try to out think the panel or tell them what you think they want to hear.
 
I recommend focusing on both high school and your recent prep experiences too. Remind the committee that this is your 2nd try and what you have learned through this added year. I tell my students to be prepared to share details that are not noted on your résumé and your application: direct leadership experiences, projects you worked on with a team, etc. Best of luck!
 
Academician said:
I recommend focusing on both high school and your recent prep experiences too. Remind the committee that this is your 2nd try and what you have learned through this added year. I tell my students to be prepared to share details that are not noted on your résumé and your application: direct leadership experiences, projects you worked on with a team, etc. Best of luck!
Click to expand...
All good recommendations above - DD just completed her interviews 2 weeks ago. One of the questions was related to current events, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and another on the Israel-Hamas situation. So, maybe read up on current world and national events prior to the interview.
 
I just had mine, I hope they think it went just as well as I did.
I am also a reapplicant, my panel asked me a lot of questions related to why I want to leave my school and pursue a career at USNA. Be prepared to answer these types of questions. Hope that helps
 
Alchemist said:
All good recommendations above - DD just completed her interviews 2 weeks ago. One of the questions was related to current events, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and another on the Israel-Hamas situation. So, maybe read up on current world and national events prior to the interview.
Click to expand...
Thank you!
 
Academician said:
I recommend focusing on both high school and your recent prep experiences too. Remind the committee that this is your 2nd try and what you have learned through this added year. I tell my students to be prepared to share details that are not noted on your résumé and your application: direct leadership experiences, projects you worked on with a team, etc. Best of luck!
Click to expand...
Thank you for this
 
Academyprep100 said:
Hello!
I have my congressional interview coming up (12/14)

Background: applied to USNA last year and didn’t receive nom, now reapplying.

My MOC gave me an email regarding my interview, included was the list of those on my nomination panel and their background (all active/retired naval officers) as well as potential questions they will ask, so a bit different than last year.

What are some things that I should be prepared to answer and 100% know to do well on my interview? I heard from friends that the panel may ask a question that the candidate may have to step back and think.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
All interviews are different. I read on this forum to study current events, study your resume/essays, etc.
my interview was maybe 10 mins and all they told me how bad submarines were and that they only have the best food or else everyone would be depressed. (The service selection I am interested in is subs)

And I got the nom!
 
Academyprep100 said:
Hello!
I have my congressional interview coming up (12/14)

Background: applied to USNA last year and didn’t receive nom, now reapplying.

My MOC gave me an email regarding my interview, included was the list of those on my nomination panel and their background (all active/retired naval officers) as well as potential questions they will ask, so a bit different than last year.

What are some things that I should be prepared to answer and 100% know to do well on my interview? I heard from friends that the panel may ask a question that the candidate may have to step back and think.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
Just did mine a few hours ago. I had three interviews and they were all relatively structured around the same question format: what do you want to do in/after the military, what are your long-term goals, how do you plan to succeed in an academy, what is your leadership style, what are the traits of a bad leader, etc. There was no difficult question, in my opinion. However, there were some questions I actually had to deeply, but very briefly, consider: what are your thoughts on the Hamas-Israel conflict? What would the nation's reaction be if our country came under attack from a foreign country? How would our state respond (Wyoming)? How should our military respond? I heard from a fellow interviewee that he was actually asked to explain what a certain military quote meant to him, so you really can get ANY type of question. Just remember that the general advice you find online is simply that. General, not specific. You can't predict every question the board is going to ask you.
 
Ender's2ndInCommand said:
Just did mine a few hours ago. I had three interviews and they were all relatively structured around the same question format: what do you want to do in/after the military, what are your long-term goals, how do you plan to succeed in an academy, what is your leadership style, what are the traits of a bad leader, etc. There was no difficult question, in my opinion. However, there were some questions I actually had to deeply, but very briefly, consider: what are your thoughts on the Hamas-Israel conflict? What would the nation's reaction be if our country came under attack from a foreign country? How would our state respond (Wyoming)? How should our military respond? I heard from a fellow interviewee that he was actually asked to explain what a certain military quote meant to him, so you really can get ANY type of question. Just remember that the general advice you find online is simply that. General, not specific. You can't predict every question the board is going to ask you.
Click to expand...
Wow, those were tough questions! My DS practiced for some foreign policy questions, but he got very easy to answer questions.
 
Ender's2ndInCommand said:
Just did mine a few hours ago. I had three interviews and they were all relatively structured around the same question format: what do you want to do in/after the military, what are your long-term goals, how do you plan to succeed in an academy, what is your leadership style, what are the traits of a bad leader, etc. There was no difficult question, in my opinion. However, there were some questions I actually had to deeply, but very briefly, consider: what are your thoughts on the Hamas-Israel conflict? What would the nation's reaction be if our country came under attack from a foreign country? How would our state respond (Wyoming)? How should our military respond? I heard from a fellow interviewee that he was actually asked to explain what a certain military quote meant to him, so you really can get ANY type of question. Just remember that the general advice you find online is simply that. General, not specific. You can't predict every question the board is going to ask you.
Click to expand...
Yikes I’m not even sure most of us could answer those effectively Under pressure!
 
If they sent the bios, take time to read them and have a familiar idea where they have served. As DGUTS said above, have an idea what Navy communities you might be interested in. You never know if one of the panel members might ask you…”do you have any questions for us?” and you could smartly reply wi5 a question or two that may align to the communities you are interested in…”sir/ma’am…I saw you commanded an aviation squadron/ships/etc. and I was curious about your experience with xyz.” Instead of the deer in the headlights look and no questions.
 
usnabgo08 said:
If they sent the bios, take time to read them and have a familiar idea where they have served. As DGUTS said above, have an idea what Navy communities you might be interested in. You never know if one of the panel members might ask you…”do you have any questions for us?” and you could smartly reply wi5 a question or two that may align to the communities you are interested in…”sir/ma’am…I saw you commanded an aviation squadron/ships/etc. and I was curious about your experience with xyz.” Instead of the deer in the headlights look and no questions.
Click to expand...
Yesterday the Navy board for my Congressman interview left a binder with some pages about the academy and the biographies of the people on the interview board. This was really helpful as I noticed that almost everyone on the board was either a Navy Pilot or a Marine Pilot. I also noticed that two people worked with the Travis Manion Foundation. So when they asked me if I had any questions I asked about why they chose aviation and what their role in TMF is. That binder really helped me out!
 
Academyprep100 said:
Hello!
I have my congressional interview coming up (12/14)

Background: applied to USNA last year and didn’t receive nom, now reapplying.

My MOC gave me an email regarding my interview, included was the list of those on my nomination panel and their background (all active/retired naval officers) as well as potential questions they will ask, so a bit different than last year.

What are some things that I should be prepared to answer and 100% know to do well on my interview? I heard from friends that the panel may ask a question that the candidate may have to step back and think.

Thank you!
Click to expand...

There are a lot of things to say about how to have a successful interview. I'm sure you'll get some good advice. One thing that often overlooked is the power of being a likeable person. You might be thinking, "But I am a likeable person." I'm sure you are, but you have to demonstrate you're likeable in the first 5 seconds as you walk into the room. I'm not talking about the platitude of "making a good first impression." I'm talking about something subtle like; the very first time they see your face; you should be smiling and appear confident.

I have discovered the power of this through 35 years of being an airline pilot. (Now retired) When I walk down the jetway and make that final left turn to enter the aircraft, invariably, there is a flight attendant in the galley. We are going to be working together so, naturally, he/she is going to be interested in knowing who the captain is and what kind of person he is. No matter how I feel about coming to work that day, I make sure as I make that final left turn, I put a smile on my face and create the impression that I'm happy to come to work today. I cannot tell you what an impact that has on people. People like being around people who are happy and pleasant.

You want those interviewers to immediately think, "I like this candidate."
 
Think that's a pretty obvious and straightforward answer.

I'll make it easy ........ Zero tolerance. Should not happen. Immediately report it if any knowledge or exposure. Take offenders out and Immediately dismissed once proven. Done.
 
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