Ok, so I know I probably won't even get an interview, but I'm just intruiged to know what happens over the interview day or two you're there: do people go out much, is there much on? Or do people just sit in their rooms revising for the interview? How many interviews might you get? Also... is there a sort of rivalry between applicants: theyre all applying for the same places, after all!
Thanks if you could help me
Two days?
Are you sure?
How long could these interviews possibly last?
Now I'm bricking it!
Yeeeeeeeah... They can't let you go until they know they've interviewed everyone enough to make a decision. So they can't just interview one of you at 9am and 10am, and then send you on your way before they've interviewed anyone else because they don't know yet how you square up. Generally you'll have e.g. your first interview on day 1 and your second on day 2
Most people will hang out in the JCR a fair bit, playing pool or whatever. The student helpers will arrange evening activities - pub quizzes, film nights etc. Some people will hibernate, but it won't do them much good.
I'm just intruiged to know what happens over the interview day or two you're there
Or three!
do people go out much, is there much on?
My experience is limited to one college, but Merton organized events for most evenings — going to G&D's, pub quiz, cinema trip.
Or do people just sit in their rooms revising for the interview?
Some people undoubtedly do. I didn't see a lot of the maths applicants, and only one or two I spoke to got in — this leads me to conclude that perhaps the more successful maths candidates were the unsociable ones hiding in their rooms. Most people, however, spent their time in the JCR playing cards and sharing nerves. Other than reading through your PS (and submitted work, if relevant), there's not a lot you can do just before the interviews to prepare: I don't think it was their being antisocial that led to their getting in. Plus, my heater was broken so it was too cold to stay in my room.
How many interviews might you get?
It varies from subject to subject but I think everybody gets at least two. Some subjects have interviews at second colleges also, so you might end up having three or maybe four interviews. If you get interviewed at a second college, this doesn't mean your first college doesn't want you but if you get called for a last-minute interview, you'd better make it good.
Also... is there a sort of rivalry between applicants: theyre all applying for the same places, after all!
I didn't notice any rivalry. My feelings coming back from the interviews were that I didn't mind if I didn't get in, because the people I'd met were all thoroughly lovely and I was happy for them to succeed.
Ok, so I know I probably won't even get an interview, but I'm just intruiged to know what happens over the interview day or two you're there: do people go out much, is there much on? Or do people just sit in their rooms revising for the interview? How many interviews might you get? Also... is there a sort of rivalry between applicants: theyre all applying for the same places, after all!
It probably varies a bit from college to college, and depends very much each year of applicants really. When I interviewed everyone was really friendly - current student and applicants - so people just tended to hang out in the JCR, wander around the city, and then in the evenings of my interviews we just hung out together the first night (although Oxford city centre has very little on offer for under-18s in the evenings, barring McDonalds and the like) and then went on an impromptu cinema trip the following evening.
Rivalry between applicants was extremely limited in my own experience. The Merton incident last year had such a big deal made out of it primarily because it was so out of the ordinary.
Some Economics and Management applicants posted a thing on the interview board saying the rest of the candidates could go home because the interviews were over.... but they weren't .
Personally, I think that kind of forethought should have got them in, no questions asked! But unfortunately, they were all turned down .
Who knows? My memories of Merton interviews were everyone sat in the JCR shooting daggers at all the applicants, though, so chances are, some other subject applicants ratted them out.
Some Economics and Management applicants posted a thing on the interview board saying the rest of the candidates could go home because the interviews were over.... but they weren't .
Personally, I think that kind of forethought should have got them in, no questions asked! But unfortunately, they were all turned down .
I didn't notice any rivalry. My feelings coming back from the interviews were that I didn't mind if I didn't get in, because the people I'd met were all thoroughly lovely and I was happy for them to succeed.
I would just like to note that you have NMH in your signature, therefore I like you a lot.
I was at Merton interviews last year at the same time as the E&Mists and COMPLETELY missed that happening! Never even heard about it until now! I'll have to ask somebody about it in the morning.
Anyway, interviews were fantastic! I was there from Wednesday night to Saturday morning - on Wednesday night we went to the cinema (and the undergraduate helpers, including our current esteemed JCR president, abandoned us and we had to find our way home) I can't remember what happened on the Thursday night, and on the Friday night we went to Le Grand Café, where they weren't IDing We all got on really well, and those of us who got in (which seems to be a lot of us) keep talking about what happened at interview! So yeah, it's an experience to be enjoyed, even if you don't get in!
The number of interviews you have varies from subject to subject - most people have at least 2, I had 3 (because my German one had to be at a different college) and one girl I knew had 5! But they're only half an hour each, so most of the time you'll spend just in the JCR relaxing with people, unless you're one of those who wants to go to your room and read frantically (though to be honest, I don't think those people get in )
The number of interviews you have varies from subject to subject - most people have at least 2, I had 3 (because my German one had to be at a different college) and one girl I knew had 5!
Medics have between 4 and 6 as interviews at two different colleges are compulsory for everyone. The second college is randomly assigned.
Originally Posted by LeChat
Also... is there a sort of rivalry between applicants: theyre all applying for the same places, after all!
You do hear of the occasional ultra-competitive people, and there was quite a funny incident for me whereby we were called to a room for a meeting but not tutor turned up. We just psyched eachother out for half an hour 'maybe i'm the tutor secretly assessing you...' (playful tone, but there was an underlying air of sizing eachother up). None of the guys in that room actually got in except me though .
Scientists have between 4 and 6 as interviews at two different colleges are compulsory for everyone. The second college is randomly assigned.
Uh no. Biologists, for instance, always have two. There's no more to be learned in two interviews than one, so there's one at each college, and then the department makes a decision.
Four to six would be very uncommon, actually
Erm... not necessarily. Quite a few still have just one. Four to six is very unusual.
I was under the impression all scientists had interviews at two colleges these days?
Originally Posted by Bekaboo
Uh no. Biologists, for instance, always have two. There's no more to be learned in two interviews than one, so there's one at each college, and then the department makes a decision.
Four to six would be very uncommon, actually
My bad - i assumed just one would be inadequate. Only definitely true of medicine then, i'll edit.
And two interviews is definitely more useful than one!
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What happens at interviews?
Re: What happens at interviews?
They can't let you go until they know they've interviewed everyone enough to make a decision. So they can't just interview one of you at 9am and 10am, and then send you on your way before they've interviewed anyone else because they don't know yet how you square up. Generally you'll have e.g. your first interview on day 1 and your second on day 2
.
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We all got on really well, and those of us who got in (which seems to be a lot of us) keep talking about what happened at interview! So yeah, it's an experience to be enjoyed, even if you don't get in!
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