OCS Board Interview

You need to arrive to the place where you're going to get your interview in the morning and you get to meet the other OCS applicants. The staff should explain what is going to happen. So basically, the procedure is to knock the door firmly about three times, walk in with a good soldier-like posture, take a seat, do the interview, stand up, thank them then leave. I found that a lot of candidates including myself got nervous. I know from experience that there is nothing to worry about. From what I heard, the chances of failing is really, really slim. Many say that the board is just for formality. I think that they're just screening for people who have problems (speech impediment, eccentric behavior, etc) but that's just my opinion.

The board itself is going to be composed of three people. Two should be captains and the board president should be a major. I'm sure this can vary, but that's how it is for most people.

As I mentioned before, you need to knock firmly (but not bang) on the door about 3 times, wait for them to tell you to come in, and position yourself in front of the chair located in front of the board members. Be sure to stand up straight and look professional (no slouching). When you take a seat, you should just sit down without doing weird stuff like staring at the chair while you sit, etc. Just grab the chair behind you, position yourself and sit down. This should be how you normally sit down, but I guess some people don't sit down like this.

After you sit, you want to stand up straight and put your hands on your lap, hands face down. The reason for doing this is to prevent fidgeting, rocking back and forth and playing with your fingers. Do not show that you're nervous!

Be confident but don't be cocky. Apparently, in the military culture, "confident" has a different meaning. You need to be sure of your answer even if you have some doubt. So if you have a choice to respond "yes", "no", or "maybe", you shouldn't respond "maybe".

Do you know how to play piano? Between "yes" and "no" and considering that you took a piano course for a month when you were young, the answer would be "yes".

Remember to say "yes sir/ma'am" if it's a yes or no question. Do not call them by their rank since you're still a civilian. Avoid speaking of the Army as a means of transition to a profession you want. Be prepared to answer the question, "Why do you want to be an Army Officer." Emphasize on patriotism, duty and honor when you answer your questions.

Be sure you can answer all the sample questions that your recruiter has given you.
When you answer the questions, be sure that you answer it all professionally. You want to be honest, but you want to be "interview honest." Withhold anything negative about yourself but don't try to bluff. Be polite and respectful.

I had the pleasure of having nice board members, but I have heard that some tend to be a little more mean. Some say that they try to degrade you and belittle you to see how well you handle insults (or maybe they just don't like you?) or ask rhetorical questions. They might try to make you crack. Be sure to keep your cool and respectful despite anything they might say or do to you. Ultimately, it is their call on whether or not you get to join OCS.