• The Interview Event
     
     Official USAD information:
    At a scheduled time during the competition, each student reports to a designated interview room. Each student will be interviewed by a panel of two or three judges. 

    The length of the interview may vary according to the competition format, but interviews will generally last from four to seven minutes.

    Questions and conversation with the contestant will generally be limited to the following topics: high school studies and activities, career and college plans, preparation and experiences in the Academic Decathon, travel, role models, and influential persons.
     
    Students are asked to complete a résumé indicating their school and community activities. This form can then be used by the judges to formulate positive, appropriate, and insightful questions.

    Advice from the Coach:
    Although you are likely to be nervous for your first interview, most students find this an enjoyable experience.  The judges are not there to find your weaknesses, they are there to give you an opportunity to present the best possible version of yourself. To present your best self, though, you have to be prepared and you have to practice.  Judges must evaluate you on everything from your appearance and your body language to the clarity and volume of your voice and the content of your responses to their questions.  It is as if you are applying for a job or admission to a university - and it is great practice for both of those experiences.
     
    Regarding the resume: You are not judged on the length or "quality" of your resume. On the other hand, you want to represent yourself in as positive a light as possible. Judges won't be able to find out about your wonderful qualities and experiences if they are not on your resume so this is not the time to be modest. But just as important - be truthful!  Finally, if for any reason you would not be comfortable answer probing questions about something, don't put it on your resume! 
     
    Unlike a normal resume, your competition resume will not have personal contact information, the names of references, or even the name of your school! Anything that links you directly to a particular team or school might prejudice the judges one way or the other and should be left out.

    Resume Template   The template is very simple; if you do not have any entries for a particular category, you can remove it.
    Sample interview questions (emphasis on sample). Actual questions might be quite different - so you have to be ready to be spontaneous.