Well the PS is pretty important because it will be a deciding factor in whether or not they interview, and will also be a starting point for your interview (the texts you mention etc). And I'd say GCSEs aren't that important- a few people in this years cycle got interviews without 7 A*s... far from it, from what I remember
That is certainly true, yet I don't think a bad PS could be a reason for not getting an offer; If someone's interview is brilliant, I don't think Oxbridge would refuse to offer a place on the basis that their PS is weak(er). However, if someone's PS is brilliant yet they interview atrociously, I don't think the PS alone would still manage to get them an offer.
Sorry, I was just giving an example of how colleges do take gcses into account; they are not completely redundant, as some suggest. Of course I am not suggesting that it i impossible to get an offer or interview without seven A*s! In any case, this was solely the admissions tutor at Pembroke, Cambridge- I'm sure other coleges have different outlooks .
what does everybody like reading? Favourite writers and works? let's get some literary discussion going
At the moment I'm into the Romantics.
But, just an aside question, how much do people know? I just keep doubting my intelligence - analsying/comparing, sometimes I think I'm not good enough. Aahh.
But, just an aside question, how much do people know? I just keep doubting my intelligence - analsying/comparing, sometimes I think I'm not good enough. Aahh.
Any poets in particular? I went to a very interesting talk on John Keats by Andrew Motion the other day. Shelley and Clare are brilliant too. And for those applying to Cambridge (and indeed those who aren't) the part of Wordsworth's "The Prelude" set in Cambridge is very evocative.
I think what you have to remember is that "knowledge" and "Intelligence" do not equate. I'd say a certain amount of knowledge is key, but Oxbridge is looking more for natural intelligence and flair, as opposed to someone who has learnt millions of books and read tens of classics without having an opinion about them.
About not being good enough at prac. crit. and analysis, if you are not good enough then you...aren't good enough (sorry if it sounds crude). But I'm sure you are good; we all doubt our ability Try picking two random poems out of an anthology and try to compare them in terms of themes and language; you will start to become more perceptive and pick up more ideas about what to look out for as you do it more. None of us are perfect at it yet, or we wouldn't need to go to university.
I'll be applying to St. John's, Cambridge Meeting with their Director of Studies for English really convinced me that Cambridge is the place for me!
I'm not very good at practical criticism (my biggest problem is that I'm unfamiliar with literary terms in English), but I'm practicing almost daily and think/hope I've considerately improved over the past few weeks.
I'm currently trying to decide which works I will mention in my Personal Statement - does anyone agree that naming your favourite novels feels like choosing a favourite child??
I thought I'd stick my nose in here.
I went through the process once already, not particularly successfully (I cried in my interview because of a spider and ended up 'drowning' in the Pool) but there is a possibilty that I'll be reapplying. If anyone has any Qs about interviews etc, I'll happily answer them if I can - I originally applied to Cambridge.
If I reapply, it'll be to Cambridge again, and I have no idea which college.
I thought I'd stick my nose in here.
I went through the process once already, not particularly successfully (I cried in my interview because of a spider and ended up 'drowning' in the Pool) but there is a possibilty that I'll be reapplying. If anyone has any Qs about interviews etc, I'll happily answer them if I can - I originally applied to Cambridge.
If I reapply, it'll be to Cambridge again, and I have no idea which college.
Which college did you apply to last year? And what happened with that spider? If there would be a spider during my interview I'd be lost.
I actually have a few questions, but perhaps it would be best to PM you?
haha ploopy asked this a few days ago - if you look back through our thread you'll find my reply
I see! If you're not sure about somewhere you really shouldn't feel forced to go. Plenty of universities offer English ^^ You sound as though you're better off going for the internship thing though =)
Which college did you apply to last year? And what happened with that spider? If there would be a spider during my interview I'd be lost.
I actually have a few questions, but perhaps it would be best to PM you?
I'm fine doing it here, or PM is fine!
Well, I'm hugely scared of spiders, a MONSTER specimen crawled out from the wall and was coming closer and closer to my foot, I happened to be discussing a poem about a spider web at that moment, the interviewer (DoS of theology and religious studies) points out this spider which by now is right near my foot in a "oh haha, look, a spider!" way, I had a bit of a breakdown and was all like "ahhhh can you please get rid of it!!!" and some tears were shed, the guy got up and killed it, then proceeded to have a little conversation with the other interviewer (DoS for English) who had said "You didn't have to kill it! What about it's soul?"
I went to pieces after that and didn't do as well as I think I could have done
I applied to Magdalene last year
I'm fine doing it here, or PM is fine!
Well, I'm hugely scared of spiders, a MONSTER specimen crawled out from the wall and was coming closer and closer to my foot, I happened to be discussing a poem about a spider web at that moment, the interviewer (DoS of theology and religious studies) points out this spider which by now is right near my foot in a "oh haha, look, a spider!" way, I had a bit of a breakdown and was all like "ahhhh can you please get rid of it!!!" and some tears were shed, the guy got up and killed it, then proceeded to have a little conversation with the other interviewer (DoS for English) who had said "You didn't have to kill it! What about it's soul?"
I went to pieces after that and didn't do as well as I think I could have done
I applied to Magdalene last year
I would probably react in the exact same way - I'm very scared of spiders, and having one near you when you're under that much stress already...
But you really should reapply! Of course you couldn't be as good as you would have been without that monster! And you were still pooled - must mean you're good!
I've never visited Magdalene, unfortunately (I've only been to Cambridge once).
My question about the interview was: how 'intimidating' is it? Do they ask you questions you can hardly answer, or is it all more like a conversation? I'm not asking for specific questions of course, I'm just really curious about how it 'feels'
I would probably react in the exact same way - I'm very scared of spiders, and having one near you when you're under that much stress already...
But you really should reapply! Of course you couldn't be as good as you would have been without that monster! And you were still pooled - must mean you're good!
I've never visited Magdalene, unfortunately (I've only been to Cambridge once).
My question about the interview was: how 'intimidating' is it? Do they ask you questions you can hardly answer, or is it all more like a conversation? I'm not asking for specific questions of course, I'm just really curious about how it 'feels'
Well I think it differs from person to person. I was the last person to be interviewed on my day, and waiting in the JCR and seeing people come back in various states did nothing for my nerves (one girl came back nearly crying!) I stayed overnight because Magdalene had a test early in the morning, and it made me feel more at ease having people to talk to, I suppose - we ate dinner together the night before and breakfast and lunch on the day
As for the interviews themselves - I felt really nervous and jittery before I went in - the building where they were held had very cold corridors that I was sitting in beforehand and I was shaking half from nerves and half from the cold!
My first interview was actually quite nice - it didn't feel like a grilling at all, more like a chat about what I liked (and didn't like!) My interviewer for that one was someone whose book we'd used in year 12, and my English teacher called her 'the God of Chaucer' - I was slightly intimidated at first knowing that I was being interviewed by someone who was a specialist in something I'd put down as an interest, but the interview was essentially a nice one-to-one chat about literature, and I left it feeling reasonably happy. I think that one was the 'general' interview, as she asked questions on a few areas of my personal statement, and the questions were not so specific - I was asked about my favourite poet, the worst book I've read, what makes a good poem - etc.
The second interview was more difficult, and I felt it was more intimidating than the first, simply because of the fact that there were two people interviewing me! However, it was in a really lovely, cosy room, with a fire and walls lined with books, and nice comfy armchairs! Although it was more of a grilling than the first, they seemed to do their best to make it feel relaxed. We knew exactly what was coming, which was a discussion of the test we'd sat in the morning and then discussion of the essays we'd sent in. It was during the discussion of the test that the spider incident happened! They asked some quite challenging questions, and it reminded me a little of our school literary society in the way that they challenged what I'd written and what I thought about the texts that my essays related to. Although they did challenge my views, it wasn't in a dismissive or patronising way - it felt a lot like a discussion with a teacher or friend with whom there was slight disagreement - for example, one of my essays was about The Fall of Man in Milton's 'Paradise Lost' - and as such they asked me questions about who I thought was to blame for the Fall - and challenged them with their own opinions. I actually found it really interesting to be discussing it with people who are so knowledgeable and knew what they were talking about - although this was where I felt I didn't express myself very well because of the post-spiderness
Our test included a bit of prac. crit. - we were given the last page of an unspecified novel and asked to write about how effective we thought it was as an ending, and given a poem with words blanked out and asked to fill in the gaps and explain our choice of vocabulary. There was a short section in which we had to define some literary terms, but I don't think anyone was able to define all of them! We were also given another poem and asked to comment on it (this ended up forming the bulk of the 'discussion of the test at interview)
I hope this is helpful to you - although what I've described is probably quite specific to the college I applied to, friends have said that their experiences of the interviews were quite similar, and from our school there were only a couple of horror stories, and they were from people who applied for maths or other similarly vile subjects
Any poets in particular? I went to a very interesting talk on John Keats by Andrew Motion the other day. Shelley and Clare are brilliant too. And for those applying to Cambridge (and indeed those who aren't) the part of Wordsworth's "The Prelude" set in Cambridge is very evocative.
I was at that talk! Really enjoyed it, although it could have been longer. Nice to see that another teenager was there, as when I arrived it felt like everyone in the audience was over 60...
I don't actually belong in this thread, but seeing as Sadie's offering help I thought I might as well offer help or advice, if anyone wants it. I applied for English at University College, Oxford, got interviewed there and then at St Catherine's College the next day, and ended up with an offer from the latter. I'm going on holiday today, but I'll be back on Friday, so if anyone wants to pm me or leave questions here, I'll respond when I get back.
Thanks a lot Sadie! I'm glad to hear it's going to be like that. There's no possible way I won't be nervous (if I get an interview), but knowing what's about to come certainly helps.
I'm a bit disappointed to hear that there are so many written tests; I'm not very good at timed work, probably because English isn't my first language. I really think I can express myself better during an interview - but as you said, it all depends on the college I guess
Thank you for offering help to you too Bysshe - I might PM you next weekend. In Belgium not one university interviews people; if you want to go to a certain university, you're free to do so. No application process, you just enroll. That's why interviews and tests etc. are so frightening to me!
Thanks a lot Sadie! I'm glad to hear it's going to be like that. There's no possible way I won't be nervous (if I get an interview), but knowing what's about to come certainly helps. I'm a bit disappointed to hear that there are so many written tests; I'm not very good at timed work, probably because English isn't my first language. I really think I can express myself better during an interview - but as you said, it all depends on the college I guess
If you believe that timed essays aren't exactly your forte, are you quite sure you want to be doing a course which is almost entirely assessed through a series of three-hour exams?
If you believe that timed essays aren't exactly your forte, are you quite sure you want to be doing a course which is almost entirely assessed through a series of three-hour exams?
Yes, very sure I am actually quite good at practical criticism in Dutch - but like I said, English isn't my first language which does make me a bit insecure when I would be competing with native students who are more practised than I am. I'm currently studying and practising a lot to become better at it (the Director of Studies recommended a few books - and I really think I've improved considerably over the past few weeks). It's something I'm currently insecure about, but I'm sure that if I get in and have studied for two years it won't be a problem at all.
University course discussion for English.
Useful Resources:
Re: Oxbridge English Applicants 2010
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