rice interview...
I was reminded of the story of my Rice interview (ie., when I was applying to Rice many years ago) by a conversation I've had with a friend of mine about people's being role models for others.
I was doing ok at the interview until the following question (and thank god, interviews must not have counted for much or I apparently wouldn't have gotten in to Rice):
Interviewer: "Who would you most like to be, if you could be anyone you wanted?" I thought a bit and answered,
DLR: "I don't really want to be anyone else. I mean, it's not that I think I'm so wonderful, but I'm *me* and I don't really want to be anyone else."
Interviewer:"Well, but you have to pick someone for the purposes of this question."
(As I wanted to get into Rice since I'd turned down Harvard by now, I didn't comment on what I felt was the inadequacy of this answer...)
DLR (after more thought): "Well, if I have to pick someone, I guess I'd pick my grandfather."
Interviewer: "It can't be a family member."
DLR: "Why not?"
(don't you love it when people change the rules of the game without telling you?)
Interviewer: "It just can't."
(and what a great answer *that* is, right?)
Interviewer: "Pick someone else. A historical figure, for instance."
DLR (after yet more thought): "I can't think of anyone else. I admire certain aspects of many historical figures, but everyone has drawbacks as well as strengths, so there's not really anyone I'd want to give up myself to be."
---dead silence and interviewer writing notes, while I'm both being annoyed and wondering whether I've just screwed my admissions chance---
I was doing ok at the interview until the following question (and thank god, interviews must not have counted for much or I apparently wouldn't have gotten in to Rice):
Interviewer: "Who would you most like to be, if you could be anyone you wanted?" I thought a bit and answered,
DLR: "I don't really want to be anyone else. I mean, it's not that I think I'm so wonderful, but I'm *me* and I don't really want to be anyone else."
Interviewer:"Well, but you have to pick someone for the purposes of this question."
(As I wanted to get into Rice since I'd turned down Harvard by now, I didn't comment on what I felt was the inadequacy of this answer...)
DLR (after more thought): "Well, if I have to pick someone, I guess I'd pick my grandfather."
Interviewer: "It can't be a family member."
DLR: "Why not?"
(don't you love it when people change the rules of the game without telling you?)
Interviewer: "It just can't."
(and what a great answer *that* is, right?)
Interviewer: "Pick someone else. A historical figure, for instance."
DLR (after yet more thought): "I can't think of anyone else. I admire certain aspects of many historical figures, but everyone has drawbacks as well as strengths, so there's not really anyone I'd want to give up myself to be."
---dead silence and interviewer writing notes, while I'm both being annoyed and wondering whether I've just screwed my admissions chance---