Last Thursday, we had a Prospective Student Day at my university. I really enjoyed this event, seeing the excitement from the young people who attended, encountering many of my colleagues, and relishing good food. There was always a very positive atmosphere. On top of that, what I enjoyed the most were the conversations with prospective students. My most memorable moment from the event was when a candidate arrived with her mom.

The girl was interested in joining our B.A. program. She and her mom sat in front of me at our information center. At the beginning of our conversation, the girl asked about our program and its requirements. However, less than a minute afterward, her mom interrupted and said, “You know, she met the requirements for another program but failed the interview.”

I nodded without verbally replying so the girl could keep talking. Yet, her mother could not let go of the issue and kept interfering by talking about the experience of failure. “They don’t know what they missed,” “She is such a good student,” “I realize that they can only accept a few candidates but still…” and on and on. After a few minutes, the girl said, “Mom, stop it, I’m over it, I don’t care anymore, I want to think of........

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