I'm sitting in the waiting room of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. I have anticipated this for years - my audition to get into this prestigious acting school. The sad part is that all this waiting and hoping is coming down to a 20-minute audition/ interview with one man judging me. And, of course, since I'm ill at ease and my last name begins with "R," I'm the last to audition. It's absolutely terrifying.Finally he calls my name. Half of me is extremely excited and the other half wants to turn around and cry, but I know I have to do it, so I go in.I do my two contrasting monologues and then sit down for the interview. He asks me all kinds of questions: what kinds of books I read, what are my strong points and weaknesses and then, why acting? In these interviews, if you want to go to the school badly enough, you'll tell them anything: your weight, your most embarrassing moment, even the stupid name your parents call you. So, I tell this man my silly story of why I want to act.Then he asks me one more question, "Anything you want to ask me?"I think for a minute, then reply, "Critique me, tell me what you think my strong points and weaknesses are."After he gives me the run down of constructive criticisms, I probably look like I am about to cry. Then he says, "Will you do it for me again? Now that you know what to improve? I want to see if you can take direction. Move around the chair, get loud and take it over the top."This request from the man who I was so scared of a half-hour ago was godsent. I have a second chance to prove myself. It's amazing! I do what he told me to, without hesitation. Afterwards, he nods his head and says, "That's what I wanted to see."After that, I thank him, shake his hand and leave. I feel really good about myself. He didn't give me any sign that I would get in, or anything like that, but I know I have done the absolute best I could and if they don't think that was good enough for their school, then fine. But I know I couldn't have done better myself. fl