Advice for the service academy nomination interviews
West Point Admissions Interview Questions – Rating Criteria
Candidates are rated on a scale of 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (disagree strongly).
Candidates will be evaluated throughout the interview in the following areas:
- Full and intended to engage/inform the interviewer? Or, brief and hoping to get through the interview?
- Good handshake/greeting? Did the interviewer get the sense that the candidate wanted to be there and to impress?
West Point interview questions will center on the following areas:
The path to an Army officer’s commission through West Point is challenging. A cadet has to complete a rigorous undergraduate program while they are learning the distinctly military elements of their chosen career. Success takes drive and motivation. Candidates for West Point need to understand why they are making the commitment to serve their country. These questions attempt to get at how much legwork the applicant did ahead of time to learn about West Point and the Army and what life would be like as an officer in the United States Army.
Typical Question: Why do you want to be an Army officer?
Sample above average answer: I believe that American values and our way of life are worth fighting for. One of the finest ways one can demonstrate this commitment is by becoming an officer in the United States Army. This commitment is not something to be taken lightly and I needed to explore what the duties and responsibilities of both a cadet and a lieutenant were. I had a plan.
I visited the Somerset Army National Guard unit near my home in New Jersey. There, I was introduced to a group of officers, non-commissioned officers, and ROTC cadets. I learned from my visit that officers lead by example and need to take care of their soldiers. Non-commissioned officers are the “backbone” of the Army and it is important that new lieutenants learn from their sergeants.
Once I become a lieutenant, I hope to deploy overseas. An important aspect is to understand the local culture in the execution of my duties as an officer. I hope that my intended major of international relations helps me gain a deeper understanding of the people I will be interacting with overseas.
Overall, through my experience in visiting a National Guard unit and talking to current Army officers, I understand what it takes to be an Army officer and I am prepared for this challenge.
Learn How To Prepare For Interviews
Army officers are going to be put in situations where there will be adversity and challenges. Officers must have “grit” and resilience to overcome challenges and come out stronger on the other side. America’s soldiers count on their officers to be able to lead them through challenges.
The idea of “grit” was developed by Angela Duckworth and outlined in her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (year). She collected data on over 11,000 cadets at West Point to determine cadets’ “grit” scale and whether this predicted success at West Point. She found that the higher the grit, the more likely the cadet would graduate. This question gets at this idea of grit.
Typical Question: Can you give me an example of when you had too much to do and were under pressure? How did you react? How did you resolve the conflicts in your schedule? How did you establish priorities for your efforts?
Sample above average answer: Yes, I can. I really got in over my head spring of my junior year. I was taking mostly IB classes, playing soccer, and working two evenings a week. My grades began to suffer and I was not sleeping enough. I felt out of control. So, I stepped back and asked myself what was important to me. The answer was my family and school since they would determine my future. So, I gave up soccer and talked to my boss about working only on Saturdays. Then I cut out wasted time watching TV and closed down my Facebook account to make the most of the time I scheduled to study. It was a great experience. It helped me figure out what is really important to me, gave me some tools to use when I need to re-orient my priorities, and gave me some good study habits for when I go away to college.
Example Congressional Nomination Interview Questions
There will be a basic question set asked by the panel no matter what the civilian/military composition. These include questions such as:
These are standard questions and are like the ones that will be asked by the Field Force, Blue and Gold officer or ALOs. You can see more examples here
However, we must also anticipate congressional nomination interview questions which will be asked by the civilians on these panels. These tend to have a current event or national security flavor to them. You may also want to take in account your Congressional District (liberal or conservative) to anticipate these questions.
Some typical questions you may be asked civilian members of the panel include:
FAQ
How do I prepare for a West Point interview?
How long is the West Point interview?
What questions are asked at a service academy interview?
