Loyola student recounts experience as a contestant on 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'

While most Loyola students crammed for midterms last November 11, Megan Toth flew to the upper West Side of New York City, spent the night at the notoriously ritzy Lucerne Hotel, had her hair and makeup professionally done and was written a check as compensation for her "troubles."

No, this was not an awesome Project Mexico Auction prize you somehow missed bidding on. This sophomore psychology major was a contestant on the game show, "Who Wants to Be a Millionare," hosted by Meredith Vieira.

How much did she win, and how can you be her friend? As for her winnings, Megan's lips are contractually sealed not to reveal until the episode airs on April 20, but she is quick to assure that "[She] definitely won something. You'll have to watch."

What began as an impulse led to her competing on one of the most recognizable television shows of the past decade. Megan and her mother, residents of Long Island and longtime fans of the quiz show, had already decided to participate as members of the studio audience for that episode. On a whim, Megan submitted an audition video using her Mac webcam. That Friday, ABC sent her an email containing a timed quiz using questions she would encounter on the show.

Over time, the application was pushed to the back of her mind until she received a phone call in class. "I tried to silence it, but it just kept vibrating. Then I noticed it was a 212 number from New York. At that point I thought I should take it and asked to be excused."

Luckily for Toth, an understanding professor let her take the call. Representatives of the show informed her that she had passed the screening process and would compete on her birthday.

She told very few people outside her family in the month leading up to the big day as she quietly prepared for the show.

"I bought the book, Don't Know Much About Anything, and studied that. It has all sorts of facts on different subjects. It was hard because I still had all of my schoolwork to do. I had to study way harder for it than most tests, and it was almost time for finals."

Upon arriving in studio she learned many points of the show that even regular viewers might be unaware of. She was shocked to see just how small the studio audience actually was: "On television, they make it look a lot bigger by panning the camera around."

She met other contestants, who ranged in age from college students to senior citizens, as they taped three or four episodes at a time.

As she waited her turn to take the hot seat, a producer calmed her. "The producers were all really cool and young, in their 20s," Toth recalled. She got to know the producers much better than the show's host, Meredith Vieira. Megan did not get to really meet the journalist and former View co-host outside of the actual taping of her episode.

"Getting into the chair was definitely the scariest part. I'm a huge klutz, and it's this awkward bar-stool type of seat that's really easy to fall out of. They even give everyone a practice take to try sitting down in it before you actually go on."

As for Megan's "lifeline," the expert that she was allowed to call and consult for one question of her choosing was Terry Moran, co-anchor of ABC's Nightline.

Reflecting on the experience, Megan believes that being a college student gave her the advantage of still having many of the facts fresh in her mind from having learned them in school. However, she believes that the ideal age for a contestant "might be 30 or 40 years old. They're young enough to be able to remember what you learned in school but old enough to have some life experience."

"It was just so surreal being there and knowing you were on the show. When you sign the check they give you and know you're done, it's such a relief." Toth's close friends quickly dubbed her as "Meg-dog Millionaire."

So just how big was that check? Megan still swears to silence. Tune in to ABC on April 20 to find out with the rest of us.