Setting my apart and Essay

dlee96

5-Year Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2012
Messages
260
Can anyone share this year's essay prompts? And on a somewhat related note, how would I tell the MOC's interview board that I should be chosen to represent his/her state rather than another candidate? I don't what to come off as a braggart or cocky.:confused:
 
First, A little searching will find those essay prompts on this forum or use google for that matter. I just finished them, but I cannot remember their exact wording. Second, I would think one's academic and leadership qualities speak for themselves during an interview. Learning great interview skills will also be beneficial. Good luck. By the way, are you a senior or junior?
 
junior, but I don't think the MOC's interview board would find me very attractive if I give a generic answer, but thanks for the reply, time to look those up
 
Since you are now only a junior, you still have a lot of time to improve your resume.

To set yourself apart from other applicants with similar grades/scores, when you are working on your nomination applications, make sure you sell yourself. Don't merely write that you were a captain of a varsity sports team or the president of a club, make sure you detail how you contributed to the team/club (i.e. lead warm-ups for 70+ football players). It will go a long way in conveying yourself to the staffer/interview panel.

Definitely practice your interview skills. The interview panelists will be looking at your confidence, motivation, etc. and they are looking for you to convey yourself well and not get flustered. Search this forum for tips on the interview process, there are many good posts which list questions that you are most likely to be asked. Here is a good thread regarding interviews: http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/showthread.php?t=1700
 
Don't think of it as "why am I better than him/her," or "why am I more qualified to be an officer." Because you aren't qualified to be an officer. That is why you go to West Point. To learn how. Tell them why YOU want to go, how much it means to YOU and how badly YOU want it. Don't even worry about the competition, just worry about yourself. The reason they do interviews is so they can see how motivated you are. They want to make sure that the person behind the piece of paper actually wants this. They will choose a lesser qualified yet highly motivated candidate over a more qualified candidate who has little to no motivation to be an officer, assuming they can meet the standards of course.
 
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