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Girl humiliated at Cambridge interview!

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"People approached me, telling me that they had read my story (one guy even asked for a date) and a few tutors wanted to shake my hand for standing up for myself against Cambridge."

Replace 'Cambridge' with 'the school bully', 'my abusive boyfriend', or 'Voldemort'.

Reply 61

GuitarMilesy

I've seen this reaction in quite a few people who were rejected.

The problem seems to be that getting rejected from Oxbridge is some people's first proper experience of 'failure' and I think they have trouble coming to terms with this.

It's just a part of growing up - everyone needs to learn to be turned away without being reduced to a gibbering wreck!

Reply 62

Zoedotdot

thisisyesterday

Then it has to be questioned why there are not more applicants from state schools? Perhaps because they get treated in the same way as the lady in the article? You're telling me that looking down on somebody because of where they come from isn't snobbery? And isn't naturally going to make her feel inferior, and therefore probably put her at a disadvantage in her interview?

I come from a fairly rough area and went to a comprehensive, and then only time that this makes any difference at Cambridge is if you let yourself feel inferior. If you make a big deal out of it then of course you're going to be hyper-sensitive to any comment anyone makes about your background.

And what they do at interviews isn't designed to make you feel inferior, it's just to challenge your way of thinking. They're not exactly going to sit and sing your praises are they? Honestly, I don't know what people expect...

Reply 63

Gee, Blossom

bobx2001

I am another girl to add to this list of those humiliated at a cambridge interview. I got to trinity and they asked me if I spit or swallow, then the interview said i had to give head better than his wife for an offer..

ah the joys of living in the great court :biggrin:

Love it.
I have to say that I found far more self-righteous ********* at other universities than at Oxbridge.
And I'm from an awful industrial town in the Midlands. I don't go whining about it.

Reply 64

MC REN

thisisyesterday

Okay so let's say this example is a bad one. Are people really denying that ox-bridge admissions aren't riddled with snobbery and elitism, generally speaking?

Academic elitism, yes.

Reply 65

sasha11

Advanced Subsidiary

I hate Camebridge and Oxford. Even if I get distinctions I still wouldn't apply to these uni's. They are soooo rude!!!! and the students are rude too.

Are you basing this on actual experience you've had or just another who believes the daily mail?

There will always be a few people who conduct interviews in an unprofessional manner, wherever they work. It's not something unique to Oxbridge interviewers.

In the end, if you come from a less priveleged background than those from independent schools etc, you are in the majority.

It only becomes an issue if you let yourself feel inferior because of it - and in that case, you probably aren't cut out for Oxbridge, and probably won't get very far in general.

Reply 66

FadedJade

thisisyesterday

I read in the Independent recently, that actually, people from private schools apply with lower grades than people from state schools, yet are more likely to get in on the basis of these grades. I don't have time to find the exact stat now, but I'll look it up at some point if required. Granted, the new proposals to look into social background will make a difference, but I think it is more of a token gesture as opposed to a sweeping reform. I didn't say that the elitism applied in all cases, I do believe that there are a number of 'token' entries which allow them to argue against the accusations.

Please do. Not that I trust any of the statistics I read in the newspapers but it will be interesting to see. So the people from poor backgrounds are simply taken in as a 'token'?? You think that the intelligence of these people is irrelevant? Quite frankly, that is simply insulting.

Reply 67

nemnem

Well it doesn't sound like a particularly pleasant experience and I wouldn't really like to be 'humiliated' but surely it's possible that the tutor was just in a bad mood. I mean interviewing can't really always be much fun can it.
The woman in the article sounds sour. She got a first class honours from Warwick! She should be happy!

Reply 68

Craghyrax

Most people are humiliated in their interviews. The supervision I just had was also humiliating. That's just part and parcel of being challenged individually by academics who know more than you.

Joanna May

Everyone knows that to get into Cambridge, you need to be predicted AAA.

Everyone is wrong. I was predicted AAC.

Reply 69

hobnob

thisisyesterday

Then it has to be questioned why there are not more applicants from state schools? Perhaps because they get treated in the same way as the lady in the article?

Or perhaps it's because students at independent schools, despite only making up 7% of all students taking A-levels, actually account for over 40% of the students who get results which are good enough for them to meet the application requirements?

You're telling me that looking down on somebody because of where they come from isn't snobbery? And isn't naturally going to make her feel inferior, and therefore probably put her at a disadvantage in her interview?

Hang on, what actual evidence does she give for that, though? That her interviewer pronounced the word Essex "with a note of apparent disgust in his voice"?

Reply 70

CatexW

http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/index.php?pageid=176&conid=62

Shame :frown:

No picture.

Reply 71

Nyet

Craghyrax

Most people are humiliated in their interviews. The supervision I just had was also humiliating. That's just part and parcel of being challenged individually by academics who know more than you.

Everyone is wrong. I was predicted AAC.

Yeah but you do SPS, don't you?

Reply 72

blissy

I was taught by her interviewer. Yes, he was a little intimidating but you just had to know your stuff and hold your own.

Reply 73

harr

thisisyesterday

I read in the Independent recently, that actually, people from private schools apply with lower grades than people from state schools, yet are more likely to get in on the basis of these grades.

I'd be interested to see the statistics, but it sounds as if they aren't detailed enough. The average out of people applying doesn't actually matter that much because a noticeable proportion of the candidates will be completely unrealistic.

I can't think of any particular figure that could provide strong evidence for or against the hypothesis that there is a bias (unless there's a stat of the sort you mentioned with a huge difference between the state and private groups), but the easy to record thing that comes closest might be the average grades of people who actually get given an offer.

What you really want (if we make the huge assumption that grades are a good judge of ability to succeed once you get in) is the grades of the borderline candidates, but the Colleges aren't going to tell you if someone is borderline or not.

Discussing stats counts as work when you're doing a Maths degree, right?

Reply 74

Craghyrax

Nyet

Yeah but you do SPS, don't you?

I fail to see your point.

Tread carefully.

Reply 75

The West Wing

Nyet

Yeah but you do SPS, don't you?

Excuse me?

Reply 76

Nyet

Craghyrax

I fail to see your point.

Tread carefully.

Judging from your second sentence, I think you see my point very clearly.

What was the name of that French literary theorist who essayed on the power of the unsaid?

Reply 77

MC REN

Nyet

Judging from your second sentence, I think you see my point very clearly.

What was the name of that French literary theorist who essayed on the power of the unsaid?