Just make sure that when you go into the interview you have a sense of humility. Nothings annoys people more than someone who thinks they are the greatest thing to walk the earth. That being said, make sure you give your panel the things about you that you think make you stand out, i.e. any hobbies or interesting facts, something to get them to remember you by.
Also keep your mind open to all possibilities. I started my panels dead set on Air Force, and it took on hour long interview to make me change to Navy. And don't be worried if one goes bad, you have two more to nail. You only need one nom and you're in.
They should already have your "resume" and already know just about everything about you; i.e. GPA, ACT/SAT scores, class standing, activities, etc ...
The most important thing, in my opinion, is to come across as a mature, articulate, and likable individual. I would not be spring-loaded to regurgitate accomplishments that they already know about, unless specifically asked.
I would be more prepared to answer questions like:
Whatever gave you the idea to attend a service academy in the first place?
What interests you about being a military officer?
Why did you chose the Naval Academy and not any of the
other academies? (My sons were asked this at one interview. This is a potentially dangerous question because you do NOT want to disparage any of the other academies.)
What attributes do you think a good military officer has? Do you think you have those attributes?
Does it concern you that you are entering the military at a time when our nation is at war?
Is there anything about attending a service academy that gives you any concern?
Do you know anybody who attended a service academy? Did you ever talk to them about it? Do you think you know what to expect when you get there?
Is there some area in which you think you need to improve? (Everybody
hates these type of questions. But, you have to be prepared for them.)
Also - be aware of the following interviewing technique - the "pregnant pause." It makes the interviewer very uncomfortable. It generally occurs after you've just completed an answer and are awaiting the next question. But the next question does not quickly come. It makes you feel like you need to elaborate on your
previous answer. Don't do it! Just smile, look comfortable and confident, and wait for their
next question.
Another technique that often throws an interviewee for a loop is when you finish answering a question, they say, "Tell us a little more about that." This is usually done when they think you have just given them a pre-prepared or "canned" answer to a question. They want to see you shoot from the hip so they
force you to elaborate. There is a strong urge to say, "But that
was my answer!"
