Honors Program Interviews

We want your Honors Program interview experience to be a positive one. The information below describes the notification process, provides interview scheduling instructions and guidance pertaining to required pre-interview submissions (i.e., a writing sample and updated resume). It also identifies hiring offices with restricted interview dates and answers other important questions. 

All Honors Program interviews will be conducted virtually. When scheduling a virtual interview, you must expressly agree not to record, maintain, use, share, or distribute any part of the interview, including materials provided to you during the course of the interview.  

Notice of Selection | Invitation to Interview

We anticipate that the Department will start issuing Honors Program interview invitations on or about October 7, 2026. The primary HP invitation window is October 7 - 23, 2026; however, invitations may be issued outside this window.

• Email Notice & Online Status Update: Candidates invited to interview will receive an email notification for each hiring office that selected them. Notices may not be simultaneous. 
  • To identify the selecting hiring office(s), log into CORA using the email address and password you used when applying. Your current status will display for all offices to which you applied. We recommend you check your status online frequently. Check your spam folder if your online status shows an interview invitation but you did not receive an email. 
  • Candidates must accept or decline each interview on CORA. Failure to respond within 7 calendar days will be deemed a declination. 

Pre-Interview Submissions and Response Deadlines 

Most components require interview candidates to submit writing samples and other information within five days of notification of an interview so they can review that information prior to the scheduled interview. Click here for pre-interview submission guidance. Do not submit a writing sample or other materials unless you are selected for an interview and the interviewing component requests it.

Scheduling Your Interviews 

 Complete an Interview Scheduling Form and email it to DOJHonorsProgram@usdoj.gov as soon as possible but not later than three (3) days after receiving the first interview selection notice. Follow the instructions on the form carefully. 

• Submit only one scheduling form.
• Before identifying your preferred dates, review the list of hiring offices with restricted availability listed below.
• Use the subject line: Last Name, First Name – Interview Scheduling Form when emailing your form. 
• If you need to make changes to your form, contact Liliana Daniel for assistance. 
• Do not contact the Department to confirm receipt of your Interview Scheduling Form. We track interview scheduling and will follow up directly if we cannot account for a candidate.   

Disclosing Conflict Dates: The Department will consider, but cannot guarantee, your preferred interview dates and times listed on your Interview Scheduling Form due to variables affecting hiring office availability. It is critical that you list all dates when you are unavailable for interviews on your Interview Scheduling Form. The Department will not schedule you for any listed dates or, if we inadvertently do so, will make appropriate corrections. Some hiring offices have limited interview availability dates that we must accommodate. If you have personal concerns that may impact on your availability, please list them on your Interview Scheduling Form to alert the schedulers. Please be patient during the scheduling process: it is complex and can take some time to complete.

Hiring Offices with Restricted Availability: The hiring offices listed below have interview date restrictions that you must consider when listing your preferred interview dates on your Interview Scheduling Form. If the availability dates present an absolute conflict, contact Deana Willis before submitting your Interview Scheduling Form.

Getting Your Interview Schedule: Your OARM scheduler will email your interview schedule to you (and copy each hiring office that selected you) as soon as your interview(s) are scheduled. Messages may come from individual schedulers' DOJ email accounts and will list each interviewing component and the date/time of that interview, as well as your OARM scheduler's name and contact information. All interview times are listed in Eastern time unless otherwise specified.  If you reside in a different time zone, please adjust your interview start time, as appropriate.

• We return your interview schedule to the email address from which you submitted your scheduling form.
• Please do not contact OARM to ask whether we received your Interview Scheduling Form. We will ensure we do not overlook anyone who accepts an interview. 
• All candidates should receive their interview schedule by October 23, 2026. If you did not, email a second copy of your Interview Scheduling Form and a brief message advising that you are still awaiting scheduling by email message to DOJHonorsProgram@usdoj.gov with the subject line:  Your Last Name, Your First Name – Interview Scheduling Follow-Up for immediate assistance.
  • If you do not receive assistance within a business day, contact the Office of Adjudication, Recruitment, and Management (OARM) immediately at AskOARM@usdoj.gov.   
• Individual hiring offices will contact their candidates separately to provide supplemental information (e.g., interview links, technical guidance, etc.) not later than 48 hours prior to the scheduled start time. If you do not receive this information, contact the interviewing component/hiring office directly. Some components may require you to download an app or schedule a communications check in advance. Please check for component-specific instructions at Component Contacts, Pre-Interview Submissions, and Interview Locations.

Rescheduling Interviews: If your interview is disrupted by technical problems, reach out to the interviewing component/hiring office contact identified in its supplemental information or, if none, via this component contact link to see whether the problem can be timely resolved so that the interview may continue. If the problem persists, the Department will work with you to reschedule.  

Reasonable Accommodations: If you require a reasonable accommodation for your interview, please send an e-mail message to Deana Willis listing your needs as soon as possible in advance of your interview so that appropriate arrangements can be made.  

The Interview Period: Interviews will be conducted during regular business hours between October 26, 2026, and November 13, 2026, excluding weekends and federal holidays. Most interviews last one hour in duration although there are exceptions. We include at least a 30-minute break between consecutive interviews. Candidates with multiple interviews (including interviews with more than one branch or section within the same component) may have consecutive interviews (with a 30-minute break in-between) or may be scheduled to interview on different dates. 

Hiring Office Contact Information  

Click here for hiring office contact information. If the component/hiring office is not listed, email AskOARM@usdoj.gov. Due to the number of interviews and each component's independent control over internal interviewer assignments, OARM is unable to provide the names of specific interviewers. We recommend that you note the interviewers' names during your interview.   

Tips for Virtual Interviews: There is a great deal of information available about how to best present yourself in the virtual environment. We offer a few suggestions for your consideration:

• If possible, avoid using a hand-held device when participating in your interview. The virtual platforms work best with a laptop or personal computer.
• It is permissible to blur your background.
• Dress as you would for an in-person interview.
• Be mindful of the background.
• Consider the camera angle and lighting.
• Mitigate external noise factors as best you can.