DrStudentDentist

I started reading The Great Gatsby yesterday. It’s a colorful, funny, and insightful book. I never got around to it in high school and it’s been wanting my attention for some time now. For anyone who hasn’t read it or want a great book to talk about during the interview, why not go with a classic like this one? If you have read it before, then you already know what it’s about. Just brush up on it and you’re set when interviewers ask questions like “What was the last book you read?”

When I applied in 2006, I was asked that very question during my Columbia interview. I didn’t have an answer. What went through my head was a series of thoughts along this line,

Maybe my organic chemistry text because I’m taking that course. Or maybe genetics, or … or heck, cell biology? Come on, that reads just like Russian literature. You know Crime and Punishment? Crime being I’m a pre-dent. Punishment being I’m a pre-dent.

Of course, what came out of my mouth was a stammering, “Well, I read Atlas Shrugged a while ago.” A classic, must-read on many a person’s favorite books’ list. This was a winner answer, right? Sure is. No doubt about that but it had been 4 years since I actually read it and since I didn’t think too highly of it as a work of fiction, I wasn’t very enthusiastic about my response.

I was again asked this question in 2007 during my Nova interview. Except this time, a year had gone by and I graduated college and spent my summer pursuing such things as biking, yoga, an intro piano course, ceramics, and of course, reading. I read a few Paolo Coehlo books: The Alchemist, Veronica Decides to Die and another classic, Watership Down. When the question of what my last book read was, I happily chirped, “I read The Alchemist by Paolo Coehlo over the summer and it really resonated with me. I liked the message it had.” or something to that effect. Although during the nervousness of the interview I could barely remember anything. Still, I was able to remember that because I really did like it. It was an honest, real-me answer. It’s not as flashy as Atlas Shrugged but in a half an hour interview, they just want to get a picture of you as a well rounded person. It’s not like if you read a bigger, wordier book, they’d give you a scholarship for being an awesome book reader. I’m sure the key is that you read “books” and understand it’s difference from a “textbook”.

Bottomline: Have a book ready to talk about. It doesn’t matter if you liked it or not. A serious, well thought out critique of the book whether positive or negative will be just as respected. If you don’t have the time, there’s always Sparknotes but be warned, it’s not as fun as actually reading the book.

P.S. For those who have read The Great Gatsby. Chapter 4, Mr. Wolfshiem, Gatsby’s “gonnegtion”, has cufflinks made out of human molars. Is that not the pinnacle of pimp?