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Interviewer Feedback- How useful?

Finally, in regard to the "how can they compare?" business:
They do it on a far larger scale than just amongst language students. The college has a certain quota of places to fill, and if there are a particularly large number of good applicants in a year lots of subjects will want to take more than normal: they'll have to decide between subjects which to let in. Frankly, I don't think it's particularly different to compare the responses of two students to a poem in two languages than it is to compare the responses of two students to two different novels, to two different philosophical theories, to two different periods in history, etc etc. These decisions aren't easy, and are far from being perfectly objective, but that's as good as you can get really without losing the whole point of interviewing in the first place.

Reply 21

ukstudent2011

My school got interview feedback from St. John's today. I'm not sure whether to be irritated or slightly comforted. Apparently there were three equally able students, according to their ranking system, that they could only offer one place to. They ended up choosing the applicant by alphabetical order. That seems slightly ridiculous to me; I'd have preferred to at least be put in a hat.

I got an offer from Girton which I'm very pleased about and suspect I'll enjoy more than I would have St. John's, however this has reopened the whole what-if interview flashback sequences. My St. John's interview went disastrously bad, partly because I hadn't had any interview experience at all and was extremely nervous, so I know I could have done a lot better. In a way it is frustrating to know how close I was, but I think it is more comforting to know that I was good enough and on most other days I would have got the offer.

Reply 22

coldfish

12

Furthermore, five students getting rejected does not constitute a trend large enough to draw conclusions from. This is only one or two more rejections more than you would expect from a group of that size. The college was encouraging applications for German, French and Spanish, and not just German. Perhaps the French and Spanish applicants were better than the German applicants?

It is entirely possible that the fellow from the other college would be bias against you all on the grounds that if he let you all in he (as well as all other admissions tutors for German) would be under pressure from the faculty to take fewer himself for his own college. These pressures are pretty much universal in the admissions procedure, though, and one has hopes that they don't affect decisions.

To second an above poster: the comments of the student gave you legitimate reason to be concerned, and should not have been said. It's possibly true, possibly nonsense, or possibly a case of bad communication amplifying something which was never intended. In any case, a rumour passed on by a student does not constitute legitimate basis for complaint. After all, you found nothing in the process yourself which backed it up: why would 50 minutes have been spent on an interview the result of which had already been decided? It seems more plausible that the fellow concerned was unsure of his decision and so commendably continued with the interview in order to be more sure.

Finally: Bad luck, and well done on not being nearly so whiny as many others in your situation would be. I understand completely why the comments that student mad would make you suspicious.

Reply 23

coldfish

12

LJoll

My school got interview feedback from St. John's today. I'm not sure whether to be irritated or slightly comforted. Apparently there were three equally able students, according to their ranking system, that they could only offer one place to. They ended up choosing the applicant by alphabetical order. That seems slightly ridiculous to me; I'd have preferred to at least be put in a hat.

Yeuch. The hat thing only /feels/ fairer, but wouldn't really have been any different. Still, you've got to praise their honesty in admitting this to the applicants who lost out. Bad luck! :frown:

Reply 24

ukstudent2011

coldfish

Yeuch. The hat thing only /feels/ fairer, but wouldn't really have been any different. Still, you've got to praise their honesty in admitting this to the applicants who lost out. Bad luck! :frown:

Yeah, I know. For some reason I can't help feeling it would have been me that got drawn if they only left it to chance. If they only gave a little room for fate to work its magic. I'm not really bothered though, I still got into Cambridge.

Reply 25

UPsilamba

12

Can I ask a question? I assume from this thread, that if we want feedback we have to specially request it? Do they not send it automatically?

Reply 26

epitome

11

Many of the colleges will send feedback (normally to your school) automatically. If you wait until, say, mid-February (if you can/are willing) and *then* contact them about it, if they've not already sent stuff, that's normally a good way of doing it. :smile:

Reply 27

ukstudent2011

UPsilamba

Can I ask a question? I assume from this thread, that if we want feedback we have to specially request it? Do they not send it automatically?

I'm not sure if the school requested feedback on by behalf, but I certainly didn't.

Reply 28

Knoby

OP

How long does it take for them to send out the interviewer feedback?? Do they send in a bunch to everyone in your school that applied to the same college or do they send it out once you requested it?? I requested it personally (NOT via school), and they promised to send it to me (it was last week when I requested), but I still haven't received it. My referee knows that he'll be receiving it and promised to inform me once he gets it.. but still, no news.. Am i suppose to email them again??

Reply 29

epitome

11

You only asked a week ago. Wait another fortnight before following it up.

Reply 30

Knoby

OP

It has been more than 2 weeks since they promised to send me my interviewer feedback. Even my UCAS Track has been updated. Is it proper to follow up now? email them to ask if they've sent it out?

Reply 31

Bumblebee3

8

Knoby

It has been more than 2 weeks since they promised to send me my interviewer feedback. Even my UCAS Track has been updated. Is it proper to follow up now? email them to ask if they've sent it out?

I don't see why you shouldn't send a friendly email to the admissions tutor at this point - they may still be quite busy so don't expect an immediate response. :smile:

Reply 32

jonnythemoose

15

Can I request to not have feedback? :s-smilie:

I don't like the idea of my school being given a list of my weak points, as silly as that sounds,...particularly after diamondgeezer's experience with his feedback letter (ironically for the same course that I applied for...)

Interviewer Feedback- How useful?

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