The Student Room Group

Article: Oxford interviews: how to make sure you're ready

We asked TSR members who've previously gained places at Oxford what is was like for them. Read more http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=9625-Oxford-interviews-make-sure-you-are-ready
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 1
Having finished Oxford, I can give one piece of advice: if you really are a top-level student and for some reason don't get in - don't worry, it's not that much more amazing than the alternatives.
Reply 2
Original post by Popel
Having finished Oxford, I can give one piece of advice: if you really are a top-level student and for some reason don't get in - don't worry, it's not that much more amazing than the alternatives.


wow okay that actually interested me alot that i did more research on it. but could u explain that in terms of future opportunities, education, facilities, experience?
thanx
confuesed as student
Is there anyone here who got into Oxford who had personally thought their interview had gone badly? I haven't had mine yet, but I'm prone to beating myself up over my own attention to detail.
Original post by Nuclear Ghost
Is there anyone here who got into Oxford who had personally thought their interview had gone badly? I haven't had mine yet, but I'm prone to beating myself up over my own attention to detail.


My last interview went quite badly, or so I thought. I thought I'd completely blown my chances coz the interviewers started laughing after I said something a bit silly in the interview :colondollar:
Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd
My last interview went quite badly, or so I thought. I thought I'd completely blown my chances coz the interviewers started laughing after I said something a bit silly in the interview :colondollar:

:eek:Wow. That's mean.
Original post by Nuclear Ghost
:eek:Wow. That's mean.


It was quite funny, to be fair to them :tongue:
Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd
It was quite funny, to be fair to them :tongue:

Well, think about how the candidate would feel!
Original post by Nuclear Ghost
Well, think about how the candidate would feel!


True. I did feel pretty silly after that. In retrospect though, that was probably my second-best interview (I had 3 interviews in total), even though I rated it pretty badly at the time :yep:
Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd
True. I did feel pretty silly after that. In retrospect though, that was probably my second-best interview (I had 3 interviews in total), even though I rated it pretty badly at the time :yep:

At least you did well.
Reply 10
Original post by vaaish
wow okay that actually interested me alot that i did more research on it. but could u explain that in terms of future opportunities, education, facilities, experience?
thanx
confuesed as student


Hey, there is an advantage going there, but what I think popel means is that there is an advantage, but the advantage is not such a massive gap as you would think. Most top 20 UK universities would be nearly as good, or as good as Oxbridge, some even better (I know of people who have turned down Oxbridge offers in favour of other unis, such as Imperial (and possibly Warwick, can't remember though)).
The advantages lie in the Oxbridge name. UGs get more attention from potential employers (whom often host dinners/events to attract students) and the name also attracts the top researchers etc.
Other universities may have better facilities - Loughborough would probably have better sporting facilities for example, and most of the work done there is theoretical rather than experimental, so labs may be better at other universities (although Oxbridge libraries would be outstanding).
Student experience would probably be different at Oxbridge - primarily work hard play hard, and less of a clubbing lifestyle (more bars, though clubs are still about and popular), don't know too much on this front though.

I'm applying for Maths (and looked into Physics) so this may be a bit science biased, and most of this is second hand knowledge - my sister graduated from Cambridge last year (English Lit), but we talk a lot so I think I understand a lot about Oxbridge. This is mostly based of what she told me about oxbridge and her advice to me on applying there.

Sorry for rantyness :wink:
Original post by Popel
Having finished Oxford, I can give one piece of advice: if you really are a top-level student and for some reason don't get in - don't worry, it's not that much more amazing than the alternatives.


I strongly disagree, actually. For me, it was. Some people really thrive at Oxbridge; some people prefer other unis. My brother applied to Oxford and was rejected; he was really down about it, but the (excellent) university he ended up going to was a very good match for him. I can see from everything I've heard about where he went that I wouldn't have liked it there half as much as I loved Oxford, though.

Before I got in, my chemistry teacher told me I probably wouldn't get in, and that was okay (I was applying for chem). I was confused about whether she thought I'd be better off at another university, but once I had my offer we talked it through - she was now very excited for me - and off I went to Oxford. I have thought many times about how much different my life would have been at that other, excellent, university, and I'm just so unbelievably glad I picked Oxford. So, each to their own.
Original post by shooks
We asked TSR members who've previously gained places at Oxford what is was like for them. Read more http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=9625-Oxford-interviews-make-sure-you-are-ready


This was really helpful, thank you!

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