[burgers]

Just a query, but are re-applicants' interviews harder than their first shot? Presumably the tutors expect more from you, now that you've completed the entire A level course?

[burgers]

bump

[Doskey]

Not much of a help but I had no interviews the first time I applied and none the time after that (after A-Levels). I think they might be a bit 'harder' though if you're planning on going to a Russell group uni.

[didgeridoo12uk]

yeah they will be harder and they're looking for an improvement partly because you've finished a'levels and partly because if you weren't good enough first time you need to have changed to stand a chance.

also they may well have access to your interview notes from your original interview. so if you claimed you were planning to do a billion extra modules in your free time, or go do some research in nepal, work in a hospital in somalia etc... you should probably have done it

[burgers]

(Original post by didgeridoo12uk)
yeah they will be harder and they're looking for an improvement partly because you've finished a'levels and partly because if you weren't good enough first time you need to have changed to stand a chance.

also they may well have access to your interview notes from your original interview. so if you claimed you were planning to do a billion extra modules in your free time, or go do some research in nepal, work in a hospital in somalia etc... you should probably have done it

But if you apply for a different college will they still know you applied before? I mean, going on the FAQ section of the website of Oxford, it states that they won't be biased against you in the interview if you were unsuccessful previously. If so, will they treat you like a first time applicant who happens to be on a gap year?

[didgeridoo12uk]

(Original post by burgers)
But if you apply for a different college will they still know you applied before? I mean, going on the FAQ section of the website of Oxford, it states that they won't be biased against you in the interview if you were unsuccessful previously. If so, will they treat you like a first time applicant who happens to be on a gap year?

when i applied to cambridge pretty sure there was a tickbox on the form for if you had ever applied to cambridge before. if that's not the case at oxford then they won't know.

[fluteflute]

They (in my experience) ask all of the candidates more or less the same questions, in order to most fairly compare candidates. They're not going to come up with something different for reapplicants.

[BJack]

(Original post by fluteflute)
They (in my experience) ask all of the candidates more or less the same questions, in order to most fairly compare candidates. They're not going to come up with something different for reapplicants.

Yes, this was my experience too. Perhaps you would be expected to get further through a progression of questions, or provide more sophisticated answers for artsy interviews, but otherwise the interview would probably not be different.

[burgers]

(Original post by fluteflute)
They (in my experience) ask all of the candidates more or less the same questions, in order to most fairly compare candidates. They're not going to come up with something different for reapplicants.

Would you mind telling me if you felt your second go was considerably better and if you left feeling confident? Do you think you changed massively over a year to hone your skill?

[fluteflute]

(Original post by burgers)
Would you mind telling me if you felt your second go was considerably better and if you left feeling confident? Do you think you changed massively over a year to hone your skill?

I didn't reapply. When I said "my experience" I just meant that the people being interviewed alongside me reported being given the same questions.

[Chief Wiggum]

In my (limited) experience, reapplicants got the same questions.

[BJack]

(Original post by burgers)
Would you mind telling me if you felt your second go was considerably better and if you left feeling confident? Do you think you changed massively over a year to hone your skill?

I know you addressed this question to fluteflute but I suppose I'm better qualified to answer it. My first-time interviews did not go well, probably due to nerves more than anything else. Second time round, I was a lot more relaxed -- not only because I'd already been through the process but because (judging by people I was at school with who'd gotten in) I knew if I showed my best at interview that I'd have a good chance of getting in.

So apart from being more confident, I didn't really change much over a year. I knew more but that was probably to be expected. And I didn't do anything to hone my interview skills -- I had one practice interview before going up each time but otherwise I just made sure I'd read the books I'd mentioned in my PS.

If you're asking this in reference to your deciding whether to reapply or not, I would say this: if you thought after your interviews (and before you found out the result of them!) that they went worse than they should have, and that you could have done much better in them, then it could well be worth reapplying to show the tutors how good you really are. If you felt you gave a fair showing of your talents the first time round, then it's probably not worth reapplying. Be honest with yourself; it's unlikely to be worth taking a year our so that you can make an application that you know is unlikely to be successful.

[burgers]

(Original post by BJack)
I know you addressed this question to fluteflute but I suppose I'm better qualified to answer it. My first-time interviews did not go well, probably due to nerves more than anything else. Second time round, I was a lot more relaxed -- not only because I'd already been through the process but because (judging by people I was at school with who'd gotten in) I knew if I showed my best at interview that I'd have a good chance of getting in.

So apart from being more confident, I didn't really change much over a year. I knew more but that was probably to be expected. And I didn't do anything to hone my interview skills -- I had one practice interview before going up each time but otherwise I just made sure I'd read the books I'd mentioned in my PS.

If you're asking this in reference to your deciding whether to reapply or not, I would say this: if you thought after your interviews (and before you found out the result of them!) that they went worse than they should have, and that you could have done much better in them, then it could well be worth reapplying to show the tutors how good you really are. If you felt you gave a fair showing of your talents the first time round, then it's probably not worth reapplying. Be honest with yourself; it's unlikely to be worth taking a year our so that you can make an application that you know is unlikely to be successful.

Thanks for your reply. Did you apply for an arts subject or science?

[BJack]

(Original post by burgers)
Thanks for your reply. Did you apply for an arts subject or science?

Science.