Don’t worry over Question 13: If you have no experience writing memos, don’t worry too much. The reviewers aren’t all that concerned with issues of formatting. They are concerned with the following issues:

Sophistication: This applies not just to writing ability, but to your understanding of your topic. Such sophistication goes beyond knowing facts and figures (though that certainly doesn’t hurt) to understanding the political, social, and economic implications – especially with relation to current U.S. policy – of the issues you’re addressing.

Logical argumentation: Don’t make claims, especially potentially controversial ones, without backing them up. Make certain that your claims follow logically from your evidence.

Action: The Memorandum should advise the President to take action or make a decision of some sort. Memoranda that seek to educate the President about an issue are not helpful.

Appropriateness: Make sure that what you’re advising falls within the powers and under the purview of the President – don’t submit memoranda that really should be addressed to, say, the Secretary of Defense, or the Surgeon General.