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How to answer questions about myself in interview?

So I had my mock interview the other day and the teacher who did it gave me some really positive feedback. He said my subject knowledge was good and I articulated my ideas well, so hopefully I'm in with a chance. The problem is I really struggled with some of the questions about myself, like 'tell me about yourself' or 'what would you bring to your chosen college?'. I'm not really sure what I'm expected to say for these questions, do they want to know about me as a student (so like organisation, interest in the subject, etc) or do they want to know about outside of school hobbies and interests? The idea I have is that I could maybe talk about some of my extra-curricular stuff but try and link it back to why I'd be an ideal student for them, but I'm not really sure what exactly they're asking. I'm worried because it's the kind of question they're likely to start off with and if it throws me off, it could affect my performance in the rest of the interview as well. Does anyone have any advice on how to answer these types of questions?
Never heard of anyone being asked those kinda questions at an ACTUAL Oxford interview, so I wouldn't worry about it too much :nah:
Original post by theperksofbeingnerdy
So I had my mock interview the other day and the teacher who did it gave me some really positive feedback. He said my subject knowledge was good and I articulated my ideas well, so hopefully I'm in with a chance. The problem is I really struggled with some of the questions about myself, like 'tell me about yourself' or 'what would you bring to your chosen college?'. I'm not really sure what I'm expected to say for these questions, do they want to know about me as a student (so like organisation, interest in the subject, etc) or do they want to know about outside of school hobbies and interests? The idea I have is that I could maybe talk about some of my extra-curricular stuff but try and link it back to why I'd be an ideal student for them, but I'm not really sure what exactly they're asking. I'm worried because it's the kind of question they're likely to start off with and if it throws me off, it could affect my performance in the rest of the interview as well. Does anyone have any advice on how to answer these types of questions?


If I'm being honest these are unlikely to be asked.

You are more likely to be asked about your journey into Oxford, or what you have been doing lately. They are icebreakers.

That's all.

If they do come up. Make it short and sweet.

I'm "X";
I'm from "X";
I'm studying "X", "Y" and "Z" at A Level;
I'm enjoying "Z" the most.

You WILL NOT have to link your grade 6 flute playing to the fact that you will be an ideal student.

They could be genuinely interested in what you get upto outside of study. If so, great. If not, then that's not what you're being tested on.

This isn't a competency based interview! :biggrin: Chin up.
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astro67
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Original post by theperksofbeingnerdy
So I had my mock interview the other day and the teacher who did it gave me some really positive feedback. He said my subject knowledge was good and I articulated my ideas well, so hopefully I'm in with a chance. The problem is I really struggled with some of the questions about myself, like 'tell me about yourself' or 'what would you bring to your chosen college?'. I'm not really sure what I'm expected to say for these questions, do they want to know about me as a student (so like organisation, interest in the subject, etc) or do they want to know about outside of school hobbies and interests? The idea I have is that I could maybe talk about some of my extra-curricular stuff but try and link it back to why I'd be an ideal student for them, but I'm not really sure what exactly they're asking. I'm worried because it's the kind of question they're likely to start off with and if it throws me off, it could affect my performance in the rest of the interview as well. Does anyone have any advice on how to answer these types of questions?


It's not going to happen. You might be asked why you want to study your subject and possibly to give a particular aspect of it that interests you. But the only thing a College or anyone else at Oxford wants from you to 'bring' is the ability and motivation to be a successful student of your chosen subject. Questions like 'What would you bring to the College?' might have been asked thirty years ago but not any more, not for a long time.
Original post by theperksofbeingnerdy
So I had my mock interview the other day and the teacher who did it gave me some really positive feedback. He said my subject knowledge was good and I articulated my ideas well, so hopefully I'm in with a chance. The problem is I really struggled with some of the questions about myself, like 'tell me about yourself' or 'what would you bring to your chosen college?'. I'm not really sure what I'm expected to say for these questions, do they want to know about me as a student (so like organisation, interest in the subject, etc) or do they want to know about outside of school hobbies and interests? The idea I have is that I could maybe talk about some of my extra-curricular stuff but try and link it back to why I'd be an ideal student for them, but I'm not really sure what exactly they're asking. I'm worried because it's the kind of question they're likely to start off with and if it throws me off, it could affect my performance in the rest of the interview as well. Does anyone have any advice on how to answer these types of questions?

Same, I had a mock interview today and it was unpleasant bc I found out that I do have a shy self-conciousness when I'm trying to share something intimate and personal to a stranger.

If anything, embrace your inner weirdness by thinking positively e.g. having X doesn't mean a bad thing bc Y c:
These kinds of questions don't really determine whether you will get into oxford so you can feel free to be yourself! Ironically that is probably the best way to answer these questions, by being comfortable and just saying whatever comes to mind and whatever makes you tick.

Sometimes these questions are asked at the start of the interview to ease you into the whole process and make you comfortable. I wouldn't worry too much about them, it is the academic stuff and the intellectual rigour interviewers are looking out for. Hope this helps :smile:

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