#oxbridge interview

Last week, the Director of Admissions at Cambridge is reported to have said that advice given by companies who help Oxbridge candidates with their entrance interviews is a waste of time and money.

Speaking at the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference in Stratford-upon-Avon, Dr Sam Lucy said they can spot people who are delivering rehearsed answers, and it never ever works.

As a company that does help people prepare for their Oxbridge interviews, we agree that rehearsed answers are a waste of time. We also agree that overthinking the process is unhelpful.

What is helpful is for candidates to feel comfortable having the kind of academic conversation that they may rarely have encountered at school.

As Dr Lucy implies, it’s not rocket science to work out what the interviewers are looking for. They want enthusiastic students with a natural aptitude for the kind of learning they would experience as an undergraduate, and the knowledge to back it up.

The trouble is that years of high pressure schooling can bury that natural aptitude. We have worked with hundreds of straight A* pupils who have sailed through school, and have seldom been pushed on a question to which they don’t know the answer.  

They’ve been trained to get top marks in exams. They are used to knowing the right answer. When they’re deliberately pulled out of their familiar intellectual territory, it feels very uncomfortable. If the first time this happens is at their interview, that discomfort can be enough to mess up their chance to win a place.

If these candidates have had a chance to get used this type of conversation, they begin to relish it. They might have been raised in a family where normal dinner table conversations are full of academic debate. Or they might have had an inspiring teacher who spent lessons exploring territory beyond the syllabus. Or they might have been to one of our interview preparation workshops. 

We’re not really coaching them for interview, we’re just getting them used to the kind of mental rough and tumble that’s normal at top universities, but less so at many schools. It just happens that feeling comfortable with this, sets them up well for a great interview performance.

Interview candidates for elite universities are often scared of difficult questions and unfamiliar topics. But when they understand what the interviewers are looking for, the prospect become less daunting. 

If you’ve applied to Oxbridge and made it to interview, it’s a given that you’re in the ball park when it comes to knowledge of your subject. What the interviewers really want to know is whether you have the kind of brain that likes to be stretched. 

Here’s why.

Due to the way teaching goes at Oxbridge, undergrads regularly find themselves way out of their depth. So, to make sure places are offered to the people best suited to cope in that kind of learning environment, interviewers will (gently) dangle you in at the deep end to see how you respond.

Once you understand that, and get a bit of practice playing around outside your academic comfort zone, the prospect of the difficult question quickly becomes something to relish rather than dread. 

All you need to do is recognise that the moment you don’t know the answer, is the moment you can show them what they’re looking for. To learn more about what Oxbridge interviewers are looking for, check this article and the workshops we’re running.

If you like the sound of what we’re talking about and would like some more hands-on interview practice to go into your Oxbridge interview with confidence, check out our workshops.

When practising for an academic interview, some candidates find themselves talking really fast. This can make them difficult to understand, and gives them little time to organise their thoughts.

One of my Oxbridge interview coaching clients recently admitted this long-standing habit is the result of classroom dynamics. When her teacher asks a question, she wants to put her point across, but doesn’t want to be the obnoxious swot who hogs the floor and won’t shut up. She talks quickly to get it over with.

The good news is that for those who love to chat about the finer points of particle physics, medieval history or the likely long term effects of Brexit, the academic interview is an opportunity to indulge yourself. Milk it. It’s your chance talk about what you love, where your enthusiasm will be appreciated. And you’ll help the interviewers see you’re the candidate they’re looking for.

 It’s perfectly possible to read about body language for interviews, and end up feeling like your arms are too long, and you have too many feet. Body language rules often leave us tied up in knots. One person’s relaxed posture, makes someone else look half cut. 

The best thing to do is be yourself. 

If you’re not sure what being yourself looks like at the moment, ask a friend (of the helpful and perceptive variety) to give you a mini mock interview (“tell me why you want to read this subject?”). Ask them to pay attention to what you’re doing with your body. 

Stay away from interpretations of what the angle between your feet says about your commitment to your subject (or similar claims). What you do want to pay attention to is how natural you feel, and how you might play around with your posture. For example, people often fiddle with their cuffs as they don’t know what to do with their hands. They might learn from some helpful feedback that having their hands clasped on their lap looks good for them.

Yes, there are a few general guidelines, like face the interviewer, and avoid crossing your arms. But the thing is, you’ll be most compelling and interesting to listen to when you’re not even thinking about where your arms are.

So keep it simple. The most important thing is, you be you. 

"Can a thermostat think?"

"How would you organise a successful revolution?"

"How can I poison someone without discovery?"

"Is Shakespeare a rebel?"

"Should there be laws on light bulbs?"

"Can statues move?"

Here's a review of a new book, by John Farndon, containing some excellent Oxbridge practise interview questions, and a great explanation of why they ask them.

We’re helping Oxbridge admissions candidates by sharing the experiences of successful applicants. 

Here’s what one Oxbridge graduate said was the best piece of advice she received.  

“My brother said that what they are looking for is for people who are both interested and interesting. That stuck in my head as something I later thought was very true.”

What does being interested mean?

It means demonstrating that you are keen to learn (in the widest sense of the word) about ideas, peoples, events, places. You are curious.

What does being interesting mean?

It’s a side effect of being interested, plus the ability to talk about what’s in your head and is relevant to the conversation at hand (or write about it in your personal statement).

What does that mean in practical terms?

Get curious, as follows….

·      Nothing is off limits in your intellectual wanderings (feel free to stray outside the traditional remit of your subject into an interesting radio programme/TED talk//newspaper article/random book that catches your eye)

·      Don’t assume you know the answer to the gaps in the story

For example, it might seem obvious to you as to why x, y, or z happened, but your obvious might not be the same as other people’s. Ask the question. It might go something like this…

Why… did they do that?/did they go there?/did they make that choice?/now?

What… was the point of that?/was the inspiration?/changed?/was important?

When… was the turning point?/did it first make sense?/stop making sense?

How… did they decide?/did they start?/could I find out more?

Who… were the key players?/was important at that time?

·      Leave your head with some empty air time (that is having nothing to do or think about or distract) and ponder what might be the answer to those questions, and how you might find out.

·      Talk things over in person with anyone who will listen, or - if you’re feeling bold - with the big names who are relevant. The internet makes this much easier than it used to be. The internet also makes it easier to find people who will be interested in the same things you are. Search social media for general interest groups, or for a discussion on a particular thing that’s attracted your attention this week. Someone, somewhere will be talking about it too. 

 Life is busy so we don’t always get the chance to do the things an interested person would do. Find time (even if it’s just five minutes). It will enrich your conversation at interview. More importantly, if you really are interested, it will be fun!

If the thought of talking about your interesting stuff out loud at interview feels tricky, then follow us (or search #Oxbridgeexperience on Tumblr) for interview tips and other good stuff to make the admissions process less daunting. Like and share to spread the love.