When political science junior Stephen Privat got a text from “Jeopardy!” asking if he would be available for a phone call the following day, he thought it was a scam. But the next day, he took the call with the show’s producers, who confirmed he was in the final running to be a contestant on his lifelong favorite game show.
“I wasn’t sure if it was real or not. Like, why would you just send a text?” he laughed. “I had already kind of forgotten that I had even applied for the show, so it was all super sudden.”
Privat was one of 36 college students from across the country competing in the “Jeopardy! National College Championship,” which premiered Tuesday on ABC.
On Feb. 8, Privat won his section in the quarter-final round of “Jeopardy! National College Championships.” His victory advances him to the semi-final.
Privat said since the announcement, he’s been flooded with calls from friends and media hoping to hear if he won the $250,000 cash prize.
The actual application and audition process for “Jeopardy!” is surprisingly simple. It requires a 15-minute test comprising 50 questions. If you do well enough, you are invited back for two rounds of auditions, including a mock game.
The most tedious part of the entire audition process, Privat recalls, was the break between taking the first quiz and finally being on the show. He took the first at-home test in September 2020, and waited about 7 months before coming to the competition as one of the only Louisiana natives.
“At that point, I had even forgotten that I auditioned; I was more worried about school and classes.”
In the months leading up to the competition, Privat prepared for the show by binging past seasons, each time using a pen as a makeshift buzzer to practice speedy responses. He took history and geography quizzes, and even recalled some of his classes at LSU being helpful in remembering information.
“I was in a class about Alfred Hitchcock, and you never know, there could have been a movie category that had a question about that,” Privat said.
Privat believed Greek Mythology to be the category he would be most successful in if he had freedom of choice, crediting his knowledge to “Percy Jackson” books in his youth.
Rehearsing, Privat said, was a dramatic shift from clicking his pen while watching episodes on the couch. Not only did he have a bonafide buzzer, but was surrounded by sound effects and studio lights as he grew comfortable with the environment.
He expressed overall satisfaction with his experience on the game show, especially in terms of feeling prepared to be on stage. His favorite takeaway was the friendships he formed with other contestants from across the country.
“Everyone there was really cool. It was a great experience to meet them all,” Privat said. “We have a group chat together. I hope we stay in touch.”
Privat said the “Jeopardy!” application process was much less daunting than others would think, and that he would be happy to see more LSU students try to get on the show.
“It’s far less complicated than people think,” Privat said.
In the quarter-final round he went up against Ella Feiner, a Princeton University senior and Jasmine Manansala, a Rice University junior. After a tough game, Privat won his round with $14,3000.
Privat said he is relieved that he can now discuss the game with friends and family, after having to keep details confidential for three months since filming in November.
“I’m bad at keeping secrets so it’s good to now be able to openly talk about it,” Privat said.
Privat admits that he had forgotten how close the scores were until re-watching the show last night with friends. Re-watching the show also reminded him of a few tough questions.
“The two questions that stood out to me were the daily doubles back to back that I got both wrong. I lost a lot of money. So at that point I was pretty nervous,” he said.
Despite a few stumpers, there were a few questions that he was particularly happy with. His favorite question was a Shakespeare one that he didn’t initially buzz fast enough for. This worked out in his favor though, after Princeton’s Feiner gave a wrong answer.
“I’m glad she buzzed her answer first,” Privat said. “I was actually going to say Julius Caesar, but because she got it wrong I was able to go with my backup answer that ended up being right.”
Watch Stephen Privat perform in the semi-final round of “Jeopardy! National College Championships” which will air Thursday, Feb. 17 on ABC.
