Promise to a brother versus a rare opportunity
- Topic
- Personal qualities
- Kind
- Practical scenario
Prompt
Three weeks ago, you promised your 20-year-old brother, Jordan, that you would help him move into his first apartment this Saturday. He has rented a truck for $45 an hour, and the only other friend who offered to help has just cancelled. On Thursday, your research supervisor calls. A graduate student has fallen ill, and your supervisor wants you to present your project at a regional conference on Saturday in the student's place. She tells you that the professor who runs the summer program you hope to join will be in the audience. The conference is a four-hour drive away. What would you do?
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How to approach this question
What this question tests
- Professionalism and integrity
- Self-reflection and growth
- Critical thinking
How to approach it
This MMI station tests how you weigh a promise to family against a career opportunity, and whether you think about the person on the other end of a broken commitment. Name what's at stake on each side, including your brother's move, the truck he's already paying for and his trust in you, against your supervisor's request and a chance to impress a professor. Ask aloud what alternatives exist, such as another student presenting, finding other helpers or paid movers, or helping Jordan on Friday or Sunday. Make a clear decision and explain how you'd tell the person you're letting down. If the station reveals a pattern in your past behavior, take it seriously and think about what it says about you, rather than treating this weekend in isolation.
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