Have you ever wanted to be on “Survivor” or “Fear Factor?” Me neither. Those shows take to much out of you.

But as a sophisticated 21st century college student I still wanted a brush with fame and fortune. And that is just what I, along with many people from the Chicago area, strove for when we auditioned at this weekend’s open casting call for “Meet My Folks” — that or a chance to meet attractive women.

“We take pride in putting on the best people,” said Zach Johnson, one of the casting directors. “If you go on our show, you’re going to meet the hottest girls in America.”

The hit NBC reality dating show, which averages 15 million viewers per week, auditioned people in the NBC studios near the Magnificent Mile. The cast members of the first two seasons were from Los Angeles, but for this third season, the cast has come from across the country, including Texas, Florida and New York.

“We really needed people to have strong opinions, be feisty, have energy, and a lot to say,” said Austin James, the casting producer. “They can’t just be nice. They have to have stories and their own angles.”

Contestants were given a 12-page application to fill out. I breezed through the first several questions: no crime, no restraining order, no STDs. The application contained more detailed questions as well, asking for a contestant’s last five significant others’ names and phone numbers and the biggest lie he or she ever told.

I didn’t fudge the facts too much. I said that I told a girl I had gonorrhea to get out of a date. This never happened, but hey, we all want to live on the edge sometimes.

Then, the questions started getting personal. Since I didn’t want to drag my friends and family through this, I left a lot blank. I wasn’t about to reveal my biggest sexual fantasy or the woman I’ve wronged the most.

Contestants were interviewed individually by James or one of the two casting directors, Matt Vener and Johnson. My interview went pretty smoothly; James said I did well. He enjoyed a story I told about the neurotic nature of Jewish mothers, and he said that I’d be good for an upcoming all-Jewish episode.

The staff seemed to really like college students. They even asked The Daily’s photographer and her roommate to audition, but they weren’t interested.

“College students are really good cast members,” said Johnson. “They are smart, know what’s going on and have confidence.”

Overall, the three executives seemed pleased with the Chicago tryouts.

“We saw a lot of good people,” Vener said. “Being from the Midwest, they have a totally different attitude.”

Candidates who made good first impressions will be called back for another interview. They then undergo a screening process and must be approved by NBC.

Once a candidate is selected, he or she is flown out to Los Angeles and put in a house for about four days while the episode is taped.

“They have an amazing time on the show,” said James. “We really do have a lot of success stories in terms of hooking people up. It’s a great opportunity to involve parents and kids to pick a date for their son or daughter, which is an opportunity they won’t have often in their life.”

I’m not waiting on the edge of my seat to find out if I made it, but the money prize would be nice. Maybe Hollywood will finally notice me. Maybe not.