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Oxford interviews help!!!!

Am I at an immediate disadvantage if one of the books I put into my personal statement, its author is a research fellow at Oxford?!? And also how likely are they to move across different colleges to interview applicants if they're not at the college I actually applied to?!? Asking because I found out after UCAS submission and am freaking out lmaooo.
Original post by frwfood
Am I at an immediate disadvantage if one of the books I put into my personal statement, its author is a research fellow at Oxford?!? And also how likely are they to move across different colleges to interview applicants if they're not at the college I actually applied to?!? Asking because I found out after UCAS submission and am freaking out lmaooo.


The interviewers might be more familiar with the book in question and may ask you more deep questions on it. If you know the book well and have read it thoroughly, it shouldn't worry you too much.

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Original post by wolfmoon88
The interviewers might be more familiar with the book in question and may ask you more deep questions on it. If you know the book well and have read it thoroughly, it shouldn't worry you too much.

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What are the actual likelihood of the author interviewing me seeing as they're not even at the college I applied to? I don't want to put all my focus on one book in preparation for the interview that's all (even if I have read all of it)
Original post by frwfood
What are the actual likelihood of the author interviewing me seeing as they're not even at the college I applied to? I don't want to put all my focus on one book in preparation for the interview that's all (even if I will read all of it)


The likelihood is not out of the realm of possibility but quite improbable. However, if your interviewer is a colleague of the author in question, they'll probably be familiar with his/her work.

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Original post by frwfood
What are the actual likelihood of the author interviewing me seeing as they're not even at the college I applied to?


You may well be interviewed at two colleges and it is feasible that neither of them will be the one you applied to.
No reason to think you would be at a disadvantage. If you think about it, if you get an offer you will probably be having to read and discuss material written by your tutors all the time.
My sister was in the same situation - and she was interviewed by the author of the book! They had an interesting discussion about the book but also talked mostly about other things.
If they do interview you, it will actually enable you to have a more in depth discussion with the author - so just in case, prepare a couple of questions to ask the author about their book, like something that you don't quite understand or are curious about.

However, if they aren't even at the college you applied to, it's highly unlikely that they will be the one to interview you, at most the interviewer will know the author by name.
Don't get too hung up about it, as if all you focus on is that one book, you'll be doing yourself more harm than good.
Relax, be yourself, and it shouldn't cause you any disadvantage - if anything, it should work in your favour!
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Original post by meeravirdee
My sister was in the same situation - and she was interviewed by the author of the book! They had an interesting discussion about the book but also talked mostly about other things.
If they do interview you, it will actually enable you to have a more in depth discussion with the author - so just in case, prepare a couple of questions to ask the author about their book, like something that you don't quite understand or are curious about.

However, if they aren't even at the college you applied to, it's highly unlikely that they will be the one to interview you, at most the interviewer will know the author by name.
Don't get too hung up about it, as if all you focus on is that one book, you'll be doing yourself more harm than good.
Relax, be yourself, and it shouldn't cause you any disadvantage - if anything, it should work in your favour!


Can I ask if your sister got an offer in the end?
(edited 6 years ago)
Yeah, she did, but she decided to go to UCL instead
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Original post by Good bloke
You may well be interviewed at two colleges and it is feasible that neither of them will be the one you applied to.


And am I correct to assume that would be a random distribution of candidates if the college was oversubscribed for the course in the first place? I.e they won't put me at a specific college purposefully?
Of course you won't be at disadvantage. However if you've only read it because you think it will give you a better chance of an offer (or to allow you to do better at interview), it could very easily backfire if you don't completely understand it. Just make sure you can talk about it quite deeply.
Original post by frwfood
And am I correct to assume that would be a random distribution of candidates if the college was oversubscribed for the course in the first place? I.e they won't put me at a specific college purposefully?


I would guess so, but you cannot stop an admissions staffer having a bit of
fun, can you?
Reply 12
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Original post by RedGiant
Of course you won't be at disadvantage. However if you've only read it because you think it will give you a better chance of an offer (or to allow you to do better at interview), it could very easily backfire if you don't completely understand it. Just make sure you can talk about it quite deeply.

If I thought it would increase my chances of an offer I would not be on TSR right now lol!!
Think it through (like you will need to at interview!) Oxford is keen to demonstrate that its selection procedures are fair - and the interview process is part of this. All your interviewers will know more about the subject than you do, regardless of whether they have written the book or not. If one candidate is questioned in greater depth or more severely than another, simply because they happen to have been matched up with the author of a particular book, how would that be fair?

As I have posted elsewhere, my daughter was questioned about a concept that features in a textbook edited by a couple of Oxford academics. Her responses to those questions were mostly factually wrong, and the interviewers (who did not include the authors) gently pointed that out to her. She was still offered a place.

Interview questions are not meant as a test of how much technical information you have memorised, or of whether one candidate has done the "correct" supercurricular reading. Instead, they are intended to help you to demonstrate the quality of your thinking. Is your thinking logical? Creative? Flexible? They want people who are "teachable", not people who know everything and can "pass". So if, in the course of the interview, it becomes evident that you have completely misunderstood a concept or a piece of reading, they want to hear you say, "Oh. Perhaps I have completely misunderstood that concept then. So that might explain why I didn't quite get/I thought ... [insert intelligent question here]...?"
(edited 6 years ago)
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If you are reallocated to the college the author is at or get a second interview there, you may be interviewed by them but a totally different college is not going to ask the author to come over and interview you just because you mentioned their book. With most books in your Personal Statement, useful things to think about are: what did you like about the author's approach? were there any questions you felt were left unanswered? how did it compare with other books on the topic that you have read? which themes/issues/problems interested you most? You won't necessarily get asked those questions particularly but they will get you thinking about the books analytically. It can also be useful to think about how to summarise the author's argument in a few sentences because that is sometimes used as a warm-up question (again, sometimes, not guaranteed).
Original post by frwfood
Am I at an immediate disadvantage if one of the books I put into my personal statement, its author is a research fellow at Oxford?!? And also how likely are they to move across different colleges to interview applicants if they're not at the college I actually applied to?!? Asking because I found out after UCAS submission and am freaking out lmaooo.


No, I basically did that in mine. It is very likely that you will be interviewed by other colleges (this is standard practice) but I can't imagine they'll get that research fellow to interview you just because you mentioned him if that's what you're worried about, I don't think they will care that much!
Original post by Plagioclase
No, I basically did that in mine. It is very likely that you will be interviewed by other colleges (this is standard practice) but I can't imagine they'll get that research fellow to interview you just because you mentioned him if that's what you're worried about, I don't think they will care that much!


Actually, a key part of the interview planning process involves scanning every PS to see whose work is referenced. Interviewers are then allocated to ensure candidates fully appreciate the value of their work. In order to facilitate this, there is a system of underground passageways linking the colleges which at peak interview times are busy with those dons most frequently cited (the heat caused by the friction of their rapid transit is sufficient to heat the halls of Turl Street and students enjoy a special rebate on their battels as a result). Richard Dawkins, on the other hand, employs seven body doubles in order to cover all the Biological Science interviews.
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Original post by OxFossil
Actually, a key part of the interview planning process involves scanning every PS to see whose work is referenced. Interviewers are then allocated to ensure candidates fully appreciate the value of their work. In order to facilitate this, there is a system of underground passageways linking the colleges which at peak interview times are busy with those dons most frequently cited (the heat caused by the friction of their rapid transit is sufficient to heat the halls of Turl Street and students enjoy a special rebate on their battels as a result). Richard Dawkins, on the other hand, employs seven body doubles in order to cover all the Biological Science interviews.


Given the Bodleian underground passages, you might actually be able to catch out the odd unwary tourist with this one.... It could add a whole other dimension to the rather depressing RadCam/Bodleian link area.
Original post by OxFossil
Richard Dawkins, on the other hand, employs seven body doubles in order to cover all the Biological Science interviews.


That explains why he looked so angry when I saw him cycling around in late November a couple of years ago...
Yes that’s correct. If they give you an offer but the college u go for is oversubscribed they’ll give you another college with a space . Sorry for the late reply btw

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