Saturday, October 12, 2013
Great first
I conducted my first MIT student applicant interview of the year today.
It was a great start.
A nice, outspoken, self aware kid who has a lot of talent and is likable besides.
I was able to recommend him as a good admit all things being equal which, of course, they usually are not.
The odds are pretty stiff against kids and they know it.
But their interview is important and they know that too.
So I try to take it as seriously as I would want for myself.
Some kids make that easy. He was one of them.
I always learn something new and he was engaged in a gaming organization with a long reach into his community and in the world.
He is an "official". Someone who knows the rules, arbitrates disputes, and teaches where people are encountering one of the areas new to them.
The surprising thing is that it is computerized but mostly depends on the playing of "cards" which are physical like a 52 traditional card deck.
They have game rooms at the game stores where these people meet.
The fans of the game cut a wide swath through the social strata. A lot of military, as it turns out, because it is something that is available wherever they are stationed and a good social outlet in a place where there is little such opportunity.
There is a huge Navy/Marine base near here and they are the people he has worked with.
What a great opportunity for a smart kid.
