That's an interesting view of it, Todd. Personally, when I look at the award, I've focused more on this passage:
Quote:
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The students who earn FIRST Dean’s List Award status as either a Nominee, Finalist or Winner, will not only be great examples of student leaders who have led their teams and communities to increased awareness for FIRST and its mission all the while achieving personal technical expertise and accomplishment, but it is the intention of FIRST that they will continue on, post-award, as great leaders of FIRST ever growing student alumni and as advocates of FIRST.
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This seems to indicate to me that they're looking for well-balanced students who excel at everything, and some sort of indication that they will continue to give back to FIRST long after they've graduated.
Towards that end, when I write nominations (like the ones for my team's finalists for the past two years), I treat the 7 criteria like boxes that need to be checked off in each nomination. Once I know what I'll say that goes against each of those criteria, I then try to weave that into a coherent story that sums up everything there is to know about the student. Unfortunately, this means a lot gets left out (stupid character limit!), but if done right it can help show a pattern of behavior for a student that allows you to easily project their future involvement with the program. In the end, the goal is to write an essay that makes you say "wow" when you read it!
It's no joke when I tell you that the two Dean's List nominations I've wrote each took 4+ months of effort, feedback from dozens of individuals, and probably a hundred drafts each before I was happy enough to submit them. These are our best and brightest, and they deserve a great effort from us to help them get an award they truly deserve.
As for the interview... I think it's less about quantity than it is quality. The judges don't need to know every last thing you've done for the team and for FIRST - that's in the essay. They do, however, need to get to know
you. What makes you special? What's unique about you? What can you do to leave the judges with a lasting impression after you leave the interview room? Your goal shouldn't be to regurgitate the essay in the interview - it should be to inspire the judges to want to go back and read the essay again because they "just know" you're something special.