Interview Discussion Thread (Remember: no leaking questions!)

I didn't put my achieved grades on the SAQ because, being a Polish student, I didn't sit the same tests as you did (GCSE, etc.). Instead, I was requested to submit a list of my final grades from previous years (a "high school transcript") that all non-UK EU applicants are required to send in.

So, let me ask you one question: is the distinction you are making specifically one between predicted final exam results and actual final exam results rather than predicted final exam results and the grades that I - being a non-UK applicant - received at the end of last academic year?

I am asking because something I do find paradoxical is that my grades from the previous years were awarded by exactly the same teachers who made decisions on our predicted grades! Both of those were, of course, a matter of the teachers' subjective decision. For those reasons I cannot imagine how a university could possibly favour one over the other.

Additionally, the predicted grades are a more recent record of my abilities, so, in one sense, they might be regarded as more representative of my present achievements. And it they are looking for a more general picture, they might actually look at any differences between my past academic record and predicted exam results as a way of measuring progress or lack thereof, which I think is also important!



Sorry - cultural difference. On a Polish general student forum most people would probably need a word of explanation

Yeah, well, Polish folks are more passionate and less polite than the British.
This is a piece of advice one of my lecturers gave me for the interview: "The British will smile and try to make you feel comfy, coz that's how they are - too polite to tell you that you are talking rubbish. So be careful..."

you do the math.

(Also maths (sorry ))

To top everything off, I met a whole group of really nice people at Wolfson who came for the law interviews - and they all have either first degrees or masters. So essentially, I am really, really scared.

Just came back from my trip to London and Cambridge. I'm an international applicant who chose to fly over for the interview - and it was quite the experience. Wolfson's an awesome, awesome place and I got to live in College. Very nice people there, very cosmopolitan, very cosy - Nothing about it I don't love.

Hey Adam
I am also a Wolfson applicant (economics). Any good advice? Is there a common room where we can go to? I will stay there for a whole day before my interview and I think I will be too nervous to be all on my own
Who was your college interviewer?

Haha, just be calm and collected. There's a reading room behind the Porter's Lodge where they'll sit you with the other interview candidates.

Mine was Dr. Hrebeniak. Very nice guy.

Hmm I think I might have him too... he was the one who signed my letter...
Did you walk from the station or did you take a cab? I will arrive around 11pm - is it too far to walk?

Official date is January 5. Some colleges might send them a bit later, but usually you should know by January 7 or something (given that you are from the UK).

Do you know if they send this reply only through the post or if there is an e-mail response sent out at the same time too? I live outside the UK so I'm guessing it'd take much longer for me if it's just sent out by post!

I didn't put my achieved grades on the SAQ because, being a Polish student, I didn't sit the same tests as you did (GCSE, etc.). Instead, I was requested to submit a list of my final grades from previous years (a "high school transcript") that all non-UK EU applicants are required to send in.

Via post. You can email your admission's office after Jan 5 and ask whether your application has been successful or not, though. Plus, if UCAS hurries up, you might see it on UCAS track. I'm not from the Uk either and it's a bit annoying as the letter will probably reach me 1-2 days later :/


Did you put them on UCAS, though? I already graduated so the high school transcript I sent was my graduation diploma, but I also had to fill out the UCAS section. I did that because the grades I got in school were given by teachers, whereas the grades of my final exams were given by the boards.

Does anyone know when the earliest we could possibly find out, rejected or accepted, about how we've done?

This wait is torture!

Cam sends out decision letters on Jan 5

is that the actual date we get the decisions or is it when they send the letters so we'll get them on the 6th?