I entered the world of reality television in quite the bizarre way. I was walking around campus one afternoon with my friend, dressed in what can only be described as the geekiest outfit currently in existence: a white dress shirt tucked into khaki pants, black dress shoes, and of course a couple of pens in my shirt pocket. In other words, I looked like one of those kids who intentionally dressed up for class in hopes of impressing my professors.

However, this same ridiculous outfit caused me to be approached by some casting agents who just so happened to be around campus. They were looking to put up some fliers at the engineering school for the next season of “Beauty and the Geek” and I was happy to point it out to them. Then, of course, it finally hit me that these people could be interested in me just as much as anyone else.

So what’s my point here? I’m certainly not intending on tooting my own horn for the next several paragraphs. The thing to remember is that oftentimes the best opportunities in life happen out of pure luck, and you have to be bold enough to leap forward. I knew that auditioning for this show would likely lead to enough embarrassment to haunt me the rest of my life, but I still went ahead and gave it a whirl. I told them I was interested and we set up a private audition.

Now most people are not going to be so lucky as to have a casting agent randomly approach them, so here’s a few tips should you want to apply for a show on your own. First of all, look up the exact place and time of the audition-being late, if you have an appointment, shows the casting agents you really don’t care. Think of the first audition as a job interview, except that the goal is to be as energetic and off-the-wall rather than professional. Reality shows (or any TV, for that matter) aren’t looking for someone to get in front of a camera and speak in monotone. They want someone who will bounce around, crack jokes, or even cause drama.

During the interview, remember that these people are going to be seeing thousands of other applicants. You absolutely have to find a way to stand out from the crowd. So sing a song, wear multi-colored socks, tell a bizarre story about the time you belched in front of Brad Pitt. Do something to highlight a bizarre personality quirk. Personally, I brought some poems to read and an old anime costume; it seemed to do the trick.

Getting on TV is actually a much more difficult process than one would think. As awesome as it is to think that you can show up in an audition and the next day expect to be filming in a mansion or on a desert island, it doesn’t happen like that. Expect mounds of paperwork, background checks, family history, and anything else to make the producers feel secure about you. If they feel like there hasn’t been enough of your personality shown in audition then they may even ask you to make a video. Don’t worry about high production values-just make it like it’s a second interview where you can act crazy in the comfort of your own home.

Being involved with reality TV is a really exciting experience, and while it may be rather silly at times, it will give you some great memories for the rest of your life. So the number one piece of advice I can give to anyone interested in applying is to just enjoy the whole process. If the producers see you’re unhappy with waiting in line or dealing with a lot of paperwork, then they’re not going to want to work with you on set. Even if you want to be a so-called “reality TV villain,” you can still be nice to production while you say how you’re going to stab all of the other contestants in the back on your way to victory. It’s your game-play it however you want.

In my next writing I’ll talk a little bit more about what to expect if you make it on TV, as well as a few notes about keeping yourself protected from the editors.

On another note, it is sad to report that none of my strategies will work for anyone hoping to get on “Beauty and the Geek.” The show was canceled after last season, which depresses me considering there are still so many people who could learn from the experience.

Matt Carter is a senior creative writing, asian studies, and journalism triple major. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].