There is a certain magic to “selections” here at QUEST. As many of you know, selections encompasses the recruiting process that all prospective QUESTees go through before admittance. Most students in the program (and a lot outside of the program) can tell you exactly what the process consists of: an applicant submits an application, gets selected for interview, goes to the panel interview, and finally participates in the activity. However, I’ve found that few know all that goes into this process’ execution.

A lot of credit goes to Melanie Ashton and the Quality Guild- they handle most of the selections process. They write the application, manage the application readers, and coordinate the alumni/students who help during panel interviews. As much as you see their emails in your inbox and running around organizing activities, they actually put in much more work behind the scenes than you would think. Our administration is essential in all aspects of selections, but the part we in QUEST tend to love the most is the interview activity.

The behavioral part of the interview is a student-designed, student-prepared, and student-run activity. It is run by QUESTRecruiting (which includes Varisha, Josh, Jessica, Allison, Grace and myself [and Shirley]), and in fact QUESTRecruiting  runs all outreach to prospective students (including but not limited to information sessions, going into class-rooms, emails, Maryland Day, and the Engineering Picnic).Interviews are where we are most visible to the QUEST community.

The behavioral activity is evaluated by two metrics: level of difficulty and level of teamwork. Traditionally, the activity consisted of two groups of applicants designing something – a bridge, a ball launcher, a car – and then testing that something – driving a car over it, hitting a target, or crashing the cars (respectively). We believe engaging applicants in design projects is very representative of QUEST’s curriculum, mission, and purpose. It requires the applicants to show us how they work within a team, give us a little insight into their innovative spirit, and lets us see the applicant’s eye for quality.

As you might guess, QUESTRecruiting practices what QUEST preaches: rapid innovation. Last year, we introduced a new aspect to the activity, dubbed the “Hunger Games”. Instead of simply giving teams the same supplies, we made them select supplies from a shared pool of resources. This year, we also made the teams give a 30-second pitch about their design.

If you are in cohorts 21 or 22, and you are interested in joining QUESTRecruiting, keep your ears pealed: Applications for new board members open up sometime in the fall.

Before classes end, I want to thank Varisha, Josh, and Jessica for being the best QUESTRecruiting board members I could ever ask for. Varisha, our fearless leader, really set the tone all throughout my time on the board. Her spirit and crying shoulder (as I used frequently) will be missed. Jessica, the new recruit, really stepped up in our time of need. Although she was only with us for one semester, I feel like she has been with us the whole time. I don’t think that much more needs (or even should be) written about my bromance with Josh Kohn, but in short, I’m losing half of my brain with him leaving.

To really pay homage to QUESTRecruiting, I’d like to leave you with what a meeting with QUESTRecruiting is like:

Danny: I was thinking about the activity, and I have an idea. Why don’t we make them build cars?

Josh: That could be cool.

Jessica: My little brother has some kinex, we could have them build it from that.

Allison: Yea! How would they compete?

Danny: We could have them race I guess.

Josh: We could use cardboard as a ramp and then see how far they roll.

*silence*

Varisha: I want to crash the cars.

Grace: Yea let’s crash the cars.

Danny: Alright… *looks at Josh*

Josh: *facepalm*

Danny: I guess we are going to crash the cars.

Sidenote:

There is currently an initiative to develop a web application to ease the QUEST application process. [If you would like to be a part of this effort, please contact me at dannyjlaurence@hotmail.com. (We need everything from alpha testers to developers)