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Some Advice for Terrified Oxford/Cambridge Applicants
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generalebriety
Look, a fair few of us now have picked up on several of your ill-worded sentences. Remember that, while your intentions are good, if you claim something to be true, no matter how insignificant you make it sound, if you make a claim, there will be people out there who will take your word for it, and there will be people out there who challenge it. If you don't mean what you're about to say and don't have evidence to back it up or good reason to believe it true, don't say it. This is the problem - you're hardly "treading on toes" or whatever you said before, your advice is well intentioned and seemingly well received, it's just that it's littered with minor errors, and people will believe you if you look like you know what you're on about.
Everything you say is picked up on. If you don't mean something, don't say it. The advice you claimed was what you really meant in a reply to Nina before was all actually very good, it's just that in your original post you padded it out with things that weren't true. Can you see why this annoys some of us?
Everything you say is picked up on. If you don't mean something, don't say it. The advice you claimed was what you really meant in a reply to Nina before was all actually very good, it's just that in your original post you padded it out with things that weren't true. Can you see why this annoys some of us?
I am sorry I was always a lazy proof reader. Is the original post alright now? Can u pm me if anything is wrong with it.
Sorry, what is the point of this thread?
dealbreaker
Sorry, what is the point of this thread?
:dito:
LoreleiLee
My interview feedback said I didn't have enough "intellectual flexibility" and that I basically shouldn't have been so definite on what I thought was the meaning of literature etc. I was like this cos my problem is I have zero confidence so I often say "I know I'm wrong but maybe it's...." so in my interview I tried to say "this means this" to be confident etc. Backfired majorly. But they did compliment my passion and interest in the subject.
As for the exam, don't assume you don't need to revise :| this really buggered me I have to say.
The mock interviews your teachers give will be TOO EASY.
dunno how useful this is but I wish someone had told me lol xxxx
(I was rejected for English at Clare College btw)
As for the exam, don't assume you don't need to revise :| this really buggered me I have to say.
The mock interviews your teachers give will be TOO EASY.
dunno how useful this is but I wish someone had told me lol xxxx
(I was rejected for English at Clare College btw)
I didn't really get feedback from Brasenose... other than the tutor telling me I'd been "open" when he phoned me to tell me I had the offer. I wish in a way they'd told me exactly what I'd done right, just so I'd know, and then I could post it on here too...
generalebriety
Look, a fair few of us now have picked up on several of your ill-worded sentences. Remember that, while your intentions are good, if you claim something to be true, no matter how insignificant you make it sound, if you make a claim, there will be people out there who will take your word for it, and there will be people out there who challenge it. If you don't mean what you're about to say and don't have evidence to back it up or good reason to believe it true, don't say it. This is the problem - you're hardly "treading on toes" or whatever you said before, your advice is well intentioned and seemingly well received, it's just that it's littered with minor errors, and people will believe you if you look like you know what you're on about.
Everything you say is picked up on. If you don't mean something, don't say it. The advice you claimed was what you really meant in a reply to Nina before was all actually very good, it's just that in your original post you padded it out with things that weren't true. Can you see why this annoys some of us?
Everything you say is picked up on. If you don't mean something, don't say it. The advice you claimed was what you really meant in a reply to Nina before was all actually very good, it's just that in your original post you padded it out with things that weren't true. Can you see why this annoys some of us?
Hear, hear. Harsh but true.
Whilst it is all very superficially nice giving false hope, it's not very moral nor helpful. By all means comfort people by saying that, in reality, the interviews aren't like the interviews seen on the Apprentice. They are meant to be fairly enjoyable, challenging, conversational and without hoops to jump through. They are, in most subjects, essentially just like tutorials (in history this is certainly the case). They aren't trying to "test" you on specifics. There's not necessarily any correct answers sometimes. Just be yourself, and that's literally all you can do.
As for the HAT and various other tests (discounting mathematics) you cannot revise for it. It merely tests your reasoning ability, not your subject matter. By all means try a test paper for familiarities sake. (Though I imagine that the STEP can be improved somewhat through trying examples).
As for the personal statement, you still need to give a sense of how you think, your character and why you like the course (et cetera). Whilst it's true that Oxbridge look less at personal statements (certainly true for Emmanuel College, Cambridge) because of the interview process, it's still rather good to get the best personal statement you can write. Laziness doesn't look too good on applications. You need to present yourself on all accounts.
In reality, there is little to worry about; but not because of the reasons outlined in this thread.
Sirocco11
I didn't get a feedback letter after I was rejected, do you have to request one ?
It wasn't technically a letter sent to me - my referee got it. I was a bit annoyed because it was dated before my personal offer letter was sent . . . But I don't think my teacher requested it. I got to an FE Sixth Form College and the tone of it was very much encouraging further applications, which might explain why the History tutor bothered to write it all in the first place.
I'd just like to add my little bit. While going into the interview positive is a good thing, that doesn't mean you also believe you have a chance.
I honestly thought there was no chance of me getting an offer - I was sursprised to get an interview, after convincing myself I wouldn't! So, I just went in there with a 'let's see what happens' attitude, honestly believeing I wouldn't even be considered for an offer - I thought they were just interviewing me because they felt they had to as a formality!
So, I didn't believe I had a chance, although when I went in, I remember feeling very calm, and I suppose that's because I was thinking, 'well, I have nothing to lose'.
As long as you just go in there and be yourself, you've done your best. When I came out i felt as if I had, and that even though I wouldn't get an offer, I couldn't do any more. Also, I felt as though I hadn't been asked many hard questions (apart from 'Explain the concept of irony (in French!)') and because everyone had always said that if you find it hard, it means they were testing you, so they think you're a good candidate, I thought there was zero chance of an offer!
So, you can imagine my shock when I got my offer - which resulted in nearly falling down the stairs - who decides to open their envelope at the top of the stairs
About revision, etc., I read a few books (applying for MML) but not that many. I think because I have such a passion for the subject and because I was calm, that came across and I just answered the questions as I would have done if I had been with my teachers.
Really my advice would be this:
*Go in there as if you have nothing to lose. The interview is not there to catch you out, or make you feel inferior. It is also there so that the University makes sure that it is right for you as well as you being right for it. If you are rejected, it could be because they feel you wouldn't fit in, so it is the best decision, and you will be more than happy at another university.
*Be as calm as possible. If you have the above attitude this should come naturally...i don't know! If you are calm, and not thinking about being stressed, you will be able to more logically process the questions in your head.
*Don't think of it as a test. It's more of a chat. If you are passionate and just naturally know enough about you subject, it could feel like that!
*I would say believe you can do it. But I didn't! Even now I think they might have given me someone elses offer, or just taken pity on me! But if you are sitting in the interview thinking 'I can answer these questions', not just panicking, your answers might be more logical and you might say things which, even if you're not sure about them, could be good answers. If you're panicking, and thinking you can't do any of it, you will be more afraid to try! Obviously I didn't believe in myself, but it all goes with the being calm bit
*Don't be too arrogant. I think a little modesty can go a long way. Obviously you need to show yourself off as best you can but being cocky won't get you anywhere. From my school, those with Oxbridge offers, are the more modest, *slightly* quieter ones, and those who were rejected, tended to be a lot more arrogant, especially two of them!
*Finally, don't let it be the be all and end all! If you are going in thinking, this is my only chance for success, you probably have the wrong attitude. Many Universitites will be good for you and Oxbridge may not, so don't get too hung up on the magical idea of Oxbridge!
As for Personal Statements, I would say there are possibly boxes to tick. I wrote mine the first time, just saying what I wanted to say and it was terrible! Then, with a little help from my amazing teacher, I produced a Personal Statement, I was proud to send off to the Universities. Just remember, this PS is goign to all 5, not just Oxbridge!! You have to tick certain boxes, but you can make it individual at the same time. That does have to be quite "full of yourself" because for some unis, it's their only way of learning about you. When I read mine back it still makes me laugh!! You need to convey a passion for your subject and keep on menitioning it! You have to be rithless, because some things just don't need to be in there, and other things are more important I was reluctant to let my sentence about winning a language prize go, and thought it was quite relevant, but it wasn't as relevant as other things! So just make sure you have lots of things which are relevant to your course and not 4000 charachters of 'I play tennis' 'I did Bronze D of E' and 'I like my subject, a bit'. And if you can listen to your techers. Most of them are very good and wil have helped hundreds of people with their PS. Although, many can have very different views, so whereas you could try and get as many to read it as possible, you should take their advice with a pinch of salt, and make sure you don't end up changing it 100 times!
I think that's everything I wanted to say! Obviously this not fantastic advice, it's just based on my experiences and is the advice I shall be giving to my sister! Feel free to criticise it and I will change it if necessary!!
Good luck to you all
Edit: My goodness, that was long! Sorry!
I honestly thought there was no chance of me getting an offer - I was sursprised to get an interview, after convincing myself I wouldn't! So, I just went in there with a 'let's see what happens' attitude, honestly believeing I wouldn't even be considered for an offer - I thought they were just interviewing me because they felt they had to as a formality!
So, I didn't believe I had a chance, although when I went in, I remember feeling very calm, and I suppose that's because I was thinking, 'well, I have nothing to lose'.
As long as you just go in there and be yourself, you've done your best. When I came out i felt as if I had, and that even though I wouldn't get an offer, I couldn't do any more. Also, I felt as though I hadn't been asked many hard questions (apart from 'Explain the concept of irony (in French!)') and because everyone had always said that if you find it hard, it means they were testing you, so they think you're a good candidate, I thought there was zero chance of an offer!
So, you can imagine my shock when I got my offer - which resulted in nearly falling down the stairs - who decides to open their envelope at the top of the stairs
About revision, etc., I read a few books (applying for MML) but not that many. I think because I have such a passion for the subject and because I was calm, that came across and I just answered the questions as I would have done if I had been with my teachers.
Really my advice would be this:
*Go in there as if you have nothing to lose. The interview is not there to catch you out, or make you feel inferior. It is also there so that the University makes sure that it is right for you as well as you being right for it. If you are rejected, it could be because they feel you wouldn't fit in, so it is the best decision, and you will be more than happy at another university.
*Be as calm as possible. If you have the above attitude this should come naturally...i don't know! If you are calm, and not thinking about being stressed, you will be able to more logically process the questions in your head.
*Don't think of it as a test. It's more of a chat. If you are passionate and just naturally know enough about you subject, it could feel like that!
*I would say believe you can do it. But I didn't! Even now I think they might have given me someone elses offer, or just taken pity on me! But if you are sitting in the interview thinking 'I can answer these questions', not just panicking, your answers might be more logical and you might say things which, even if you're not sure about them, could be good answers. If you're panicking, and thinking you can't do any of it, you will be more afraid to try! Obviously I didn't believe in myself, but it all goes with the being calm bit
*Don't be too arrogant. I think a little modesty can go a long way. Obviously you need to show yourself off as best you can but being cocky won't get you anywhere. From my school, those with Oxbridge offers, are the more modest, *slightly* quieter ones, and those who were rejected, tended to be a lot more arrogant, especially two of them!
*Finally, don't let it be the be all and end all! If you are going in thinking, this is my only chance for success, you probably have the wrong attitude. Many Universitites will be good for you and Oxbridge may not, so don't get too hung up on the magical idea of Oxbridge!
As for Personal Statements, I would say there are possibly boxes to tick. I wrote mine the first time, just saying what I wanted to say and it was terrible! Then, with a little help from my amazing teacher, I produced a Personal Statement, I was proud to send off to the Universities. Just remember, this PS is goign to all 5, not just Oxbridge!! You have to tick certain boxes, but you can make it individual at the same time. That does have to be quite "full of yourself" because for some unis, it's their only way of learning about you. When I read mine back it still makes me laugh!! You need to convey a passion for your subject and keep on menitioning it! You have to be rithless, because some things just don't need to be in there, and other things are more important I was reluctant to let my sentence about winning a language prize go, and thought it was quite relevant, but it wasn't as relevant as other things! So just make sure you have lots of things which are relevant to your course and not 4000 charachters of 'I play tennis' 'I did Bronze D of E' and 'I like my subject, a bit'. And if you can listen to your techers. Most of them are very good and wil have helped hundreds of people with their PS. Although, many can have very different views, so whereas you could try and get as many to read it as possible, you should take their advice with a pinch of salt, and make sure you don't end up changing it 100 times!
I think that's everything I wanted to say! Obviously this not fantastic advice, it's just based on my experiences and is the advice I shall be giving to my sister! Feel free to criticise it and I will change it if necessary!!
Good luck to you all
Edit: My goodness, that was long! Sorry!
curiouslyorange1989
Me: list of two possible benifits...
Professor X: Ok now give me another...
Me: erm.....(another slightly weaker reason)
Professor X: ok and another...
Me: list of two possible benifits...
Professor X: Ok now give me another...
Me: erm.....(another slightly weaker reason)
Professor X: ok and another...
That seems kind of similar to my source-based History interview; they asked for one example, then another, and so on. I think it's important to remember that that doesn't necessarily mean that you've given a wrong answer, they just like to see how far you can stretch your brain in considering something.
One piece of advice I heard at the open day is that a student in the interview is the least qualified to know how the interview is going. It'll be a new experience for you, probably different to other examples you've heard about on TSR etc, so try not to judge how its going- just stay focused on answering the questions. You might think you're doing awfully when in actual fact its going alright, and fall to pieces for no reason.
I think it all just comes down to being calm, honest and being able to think on your feet. All things I'm terrible at in the heat at the moment, so I'm screwed!
I think it all just comes down to being calm, honest and being able to think on your feet. All things I'm terrible at in the heat at the moment, so I'm screwed!
imomo16
I think it all just comes down to being calm, honest and being able to think on your feet. All things I'm terrible at in the heat at the moment, so I'm screwed!
Not sure if that's just self-deprecation, but if that's true then maybe studying at Oxbridge isn't for you in the first place. The most important part of the experience seems to be the tutorial/supervision system, where those skills will be required all the time. The interview period should be just as much about finding out if you think you'll thrive at Oxbridge as whether they want to teach you.
Mook
Not sure if that's just self-deprecation, but if that's true then maybe studying at Oxbridge isn't for you in the first place. The most important part of the experience seems to be the tutorial/supervision system, where those skills will be required all the time. The interview period should be just as much about finding out if you think you'll thrive at Oxbridge as whether they want to teach you.
Well it was a tad
I know what you're saying but honestly- scary interview with a lot at stake and a completely new situation is probably not going to be the same experience as a tutorial. I may be a little nervous at interview but I still think I could flourish at Oxford. *shrug*
We'll find out in December.
Donald Duck
You realize that I got an offer for the IB, involving just 38 points and a 7 in maths and physics (both HL) with getting A*AAAABBDD at IGCSE? And I go to a school with maximum classes of 16 people, and I'd say that a maximum of 2 people didn't make 5xC+. I admit, those Ds were for English lit and lang (I applied for engineering), and I'd only spoken english for 3 years when I took them, but still. I think you've got it all wrong tbh, and I actually have a conditional offer.
So... I was talking about no A*s, you're not a native English speaker and you got an A*, and you're using that as your evidence that I'm wrong?
generalebriety
So... I was talking about no A*s, you're not a native English speaker and you got an A*, and you're using that as your evidence that I'm wrong?
I got 2 Ds, your post implies that that means that I didn't get in, just like the fact that I only got 1 A*, while going to some fancy private school.
Donald Duck
I got 2 Ds, your post implies that that means that I didn't get in, just like the fact that I only got 1 A*, while going to some fancy private school.
to be fair matey you must be a statistical exception, ( i would assume, dont actually have the data) by gaining entrance with those GCSE, most advice these days states 4-5 A/A* are preferable...
(not dissing you! well done for gettin in an your obv the shizzle at wot you do etc, just obv gcses werent ur cup of tea
)curiouslyorange1989
to be fair matey you must be a statistical exception, ( i would assume, dont actually have the data) by gaining entrance with those GCSE, most advice these days states 4-5 A/A* are preferable...
(not dissing you! well done for gettin in an your obv the shizzle at wot you do etc, just obv gcses werent ur cup of tea)
(not dissing you! well done for gettin in an your obv the shizzle at wot you do etc, just obv gcses werent ur cup of tea
)Okay, that sounds better. Now just waiting for my results to come in
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