University of Oxford 2021 Applicants Official thread! (Part 2)
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Original post by Debs25
Congratulations! My daughter has heard from New today and also has an interview for PML. Good luck.
Thrilled to hear this fantastic news!
Original post by NetNeutrality
just got rejected for physics was kinda expecting it but still hurts 🙂
Oh no... I am really gutted about this.
Original post by EmeraldIsla
Bollo*! I’m sorry. But you know you’ll be fine and you can take all your shiny sauce to another very lucky institution. At least you are relieved of the anxiety of waiting. You might feel flat for a few days but you’ll soon find enthusiasm for somewhere new. Onward
I will be nicking that "you can take all your shiny sauce to another very lucky institution" for another occasion.
Original post by EmeraldIsla
Also always remember that Einstein studied at a Polytechnic.
Would you like my job on this thread? Just asking for a friend, lol
PRSOM!! Thank you. I have to say that your son's chapter in Demystifying Oxford has been a real help!
Your encouragement and advice to all these young students is heartwarming.(This is for Oxford Mum!! Forgot to quote you!🤣)
Your encouragement and advice to all these young students is heartwarming.(This is for Oxford Mum!! Forgot to quote you!🤣)
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by So sad
Got an interview from Exeter maths!
Bet you're not sad right now
Original post by Oxford Mum
Would you like my job on this thread? Just asking for a friend, lol
Hi OM! I recently PMed you, but not sure if it went through
I've just been given my exact timings for my interviews, suddenly hit me that this is actually real! Good luck to everyone who has interviews coming up
Hi guys! Kind of an early an but does oxford send acceptance and rejection letter through email? Would it be the same day as the track update on UCAS presumably on 12th of Jan?
Original post by Oxford Mum
Oh no... I am really gutted about this.
thank you, I've loved seeing your posts here and reading Oxford demystified but I guess my journey ends here. wishing everyone who got an interview the best of luck!
For everyone with interviews
Pink Woshette is waving her magic wand
Swish, Swish Swishety Swish.
She is praying for all those who have interviews, and those who are still waiting for interviews
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/02...g?v=1599514224
The last time she did this, Dobbo got an interview invite about 10 minutes later, so here's hoping, for you all
Many of you will have got interview invites by now and I have had many comments so far. They are along the lines of
OMG I'm not good enough
OMG my bedroom's a tip and they'll see it
OMG what will they think of my clothes/piercings/hairstyle etc etc
OMG what if I fail at the last hurdle
OMG these tutors are going to think I'm stupid
OMG I will make a fool of myself
OMG this means so much to me, I don't know what I'll do if I don't get in
OMG I didn't go to a top public school and they are better prepared
OMG I'm really not the Oxford type and they will see through me
OMG what will my parents/Aunty Jean/next door's budgie think of me if I don't get in
STOP IT WITH THE OMGs! It isn't helping you! First, "chillax"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU
How can you prepare? Well, they are going to ask you questions you won't know the answers to, so you can't really. If you want some sample questions, click on the link below
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/sho....php?t=6100480
Go to the subject you are interviewing for, click on the link and go down to where I have posted the sample interview questions. There should be more than enough to keep you going before the interviews. Also look at my chapter 3 "making your application" and that contains some handy hints about interviews.
Print out your personal statement and go over it before the interview. Make sure you remember exactly what is in it. Opinions are divided as to whether or not they will ask you a question about it, but better to be safe than sorry.
Make sure you have some comfortable clothes to wear. If you feel better in a suit, then fine. It depends on the individual.
What I really like is that Oxford tutors are NOT superficial. They do not care if you are not a supermodel. They do not care what race, religion you are etc. All they care about is your brain and what is in it. All our brains look identical, so you start with an identical chance of getting in.
Make sure your technology works. Do a dry run with friends/family. Make sure you are somewhere quiet without distractions.
Your mindset can make a massive difference in whether you get a place or not, so let's start being positive. All the OMG statements up there are negative, and I want to get you in a positive state of mind.
First, even getting as far as an interview is a kind of celebration. By giving you an invite, they are saying that you are good enough for their course. The rest is up to you. Now you all have a 1 in 3 chance of getting that coveted place at Oxford. Every week, people play the lottery for much worse odds than that, and yet they still hope!
You are the chosen ones. Why have they chosen you? Because you show promise. Because, they find you interesting. Because, in the words of the L'Oreal advert "you're worth it". They have a lot of experience choosing worthy candidates, so please don't doubt yourself at this point.
They are not scary people. They are not there to catch you out. They are wanting to give you a chance to go to one of the greatest unis in the world. They will be looking forward to meeting you as much as you are looking forward (or dreading) meeting them. They are used to people being nervous around them. Even if they challenge you, don't forget they are nice people (and interviewees often agree that they were nice)
Just think of it as having a conversation with a couple of adults about something you love to talk about. I bet that if you try to talk about your specialist subject at school with your mates, they think you are slightly obsessed. I know that A's school peers just wanted to talk about football at the time. Really you feel like a square peg in a round hole! Well now, finally you get to speak to someone who actually understands you and can join in the conversation at an even higher level. These people want you to take your knowledge to new heights at Oxford, with their encouragement. Take the helping hand they are wanting to give you, and don't be scared. Don't forget these same, self assured people will once have been spotty 17 year olds who knew a lot for their age, but not enough to be a professor. That takes time, but like them, you can get there. You have to be the type who wants to find out more, constantly.
Don't let the "grandeur" of the situation take over you, or you may panic and switch off. Whatever you do, don't do that, because once you lose your thread, that's not good. You need to concentrate and be mentally "present" at all times
There are tried and tested techniques, that you should know about. All the successful chapter writers from Oxford Demystified use them. The tutors are also looking for exactly the same behaviour.
All agree that mindset and knowing how to go about interviews is vital. It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o0r9unT4L4
My favourite quote comes from my son, A. He says "Someone has to get in, and it might as well be me". A lot of people have found great comfort in this simple saying
Very few people who get into Oxford and Cambridge are geniuses. In fact, I have only known one. So don't go into the interview thinking that you are going to dazzle them with your amazing knowledge. It may be like my younger son, who said his medical interview at Oriel was..
"the hardest b****y interview in the whole of Oxford". He said the ice breaker question was OK but then he "proceeded to make a fool of myself".
Let's look at the iconic Miss Varz. She had been at LMH all year. As a foundation year candidate, she had been taken on with Bs at A level, but she had been prepared for the interviews all year. Here she is talking about her interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLvt3UMn2r0
"It was horrible, I was crying". She was told after the interview that she had done really well, but didn't think so at the time!!
The tutors are having to choose between some excellent candidates. It can't by definition, be a walk in the park. Plus they are actually testing how you think and more specifically how you think about new concepts you have never met during your school work. They also want to look at teachable people, who respect them and "want to learn".
They may give you an extract or two to study. Print it out and look carefully at interesting points and think about how you could interpret the text. and any evidence to back up your views. It's really important to concentrate at this point. If you see a point and you have two opposing views about it, even better. Oxford is looking for someone who can not just read, but read between the lines.
The interview will take the form of a tutorial so this is what your Oxford life will be like. The tutors will ask you to discuss a point, then they will keep drawing you out, so you start thinking for yourself. You need to constantly question everything. It's all about critical thinking.
Don't try to be someone you are not. They wanted to interview you, not some fancy version of you, which would come across as fake anyway.
There will be a minority of you who will be a bit arrogant. You may think the interviews are easy, or boring. These are the types who don't get in.
On the other hand, you may surprise yourself and get in despite what you would consider to be a "handicap" of a failing school or a lack of a trust fund. All you need is natural intelligence and keenness and you may have this already. Take the story of the tortoise and the hare:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUngzUtFr7Q
You may be overawed by the interviewers. You may be scared of offending them, or think it's impolite to argue with such eminent people. Yet the opposite is true. What they don't want is someone who just sits there like a lemon, especially in a law interview. A law student friend of mine said the law interview was more about logic than anything. You don't need to have read great tomes of law theory, you need to use your common sense and give reasons behind what you say. It doesn't matter if you disagree with them, as long as you can make a decent point. If you can give examples, (especially from the given text) and evidence, then that's great. It should be challenging but interesting.
Another thing you should not do is jump straight in with an answer. They do not expect to answer you straight away. My son used to look at a certain point in the room whilst he was thinking. At the interview it was a map of Germany on the wall behind the interviewer. Listen carefully to the question. If you don't know a word and want it explaining, then be like my son and ask. If you start answering a question but you've made a mistake and have recognised it, ask the tutors if you can start again. They will actually be pleased, because you have recognised where you have gone wrong: you are intellectually self aware.
It is important to let the tutors know what you are thinking, as this is what may get you your place. Someone asked me to explain this.
Have you ever seen those posh clocks and watches, where you can see the insides of the clock? You can see all the cogs whirring round. Well Oxford wants to see your cogs whirring round too. You may get arrested if you start talking to yourself in the street, but in an Oxford interview it's a positive asset!! Think in stages. Say a statement, then try and take it further. The tutors will encourage you in this. now and then they may lead you in a certain direction. They may give you little hints and clues about the direction you need to go in. Take that hint from them and develop your thoughts along these lines. It will make the convo a lot more interesting, for you and them.
Often you will give wrong answers. One Univ candidate was asked about a puzzle. Later when she got back home, she looked up the answer and she had got it completely wrong. Bang goes my place she thought, but... not so!! Not only that but she came top in her preliminary year. They just liked the way she thought. Tutors are really academically open minded, and you might inadvertently say something even they hadn't anticipated.
All I have left to say is just go and do your best. That's all we can ask of you and I am proud of each and every one of you.
Good luck from OM and Woshette xx
@RooWennink
@Gucclank
@ltxleo188
@lxf03
@byronic2907
@Bazinger
@Ryuvision
@a_kg
@ziqzaczuck
@cflau_
@venom19
@lilyeaton1
@Pang13
@XSH
@casabonita
@IJAmadeus
@Debs25
@hmussa1
@s_arah
@So sad
@turna127
@lauraeleanor.x
@soggyomelette
Pink Woshette is waving her magic wand
Swish, Swish Swishety Swish.
She is praying for all those who have interviews, and those who are still waiting for interviews
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/02...g?v=1599514224
The last time she did this, Dobbo got an interview invite about 10 minutes later, so here's hoping, for you all
Many of you will have got interview invites by now and I have had many comments so far. They are along the lines of
OMG I'm not good enough
OMG my bedroom's a tip and they'll see it
OMG what will they think of my clothes/piercings/hairstyle etc etc
OMG what if I fail at the last hurdle
OMG these tutors are going to think I'm stupid
OMG I will make a fool of myself
OMG this means so much to me, I don't know what I'll do if I don't get in
OMG I didn't go to a top public school and they are better prepared
OMG I'm really not the Oxford type and they will see through me
OMG what will my parents/Aunty Jean/next door's budgie think of me if I don't get in
STOP IT WITH THE OMGs! It isn't helping you! First, "chillax"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU
How can you prepare? Well, they are going to ask you questions you won't know the answers to, so you can't really. If you want some sample questions, click on the link below
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/sho....php?t=6100480
Go to the subject you are interviewing for, click on the link and go down to where I have posted the sample interview questions. There should be more than enough to keep you going before the interviews. Also look at my chapter 3 "making your application" and that contains some handy hints about interviews.
Print out your personal statement and go over it before the interview. Make sure you remember exactly what is in it. Opinions are divided as to whether or not they will ask you a question about it, but better to be safe than sorry.
Make sure you have some comfortable clothes to wear. If you feel better in a suit, then fine. It depends on the individual.
What I really like is that Oxford tutors are NOT superficial. They do not care if you are not a supermodel. They do not care what race, religion you are etc. All they care about is your brain and what is in it. All our brains look identical, so you start with an identical chance of getting in.
Make sure your technology works. Do a dry run with friends/family. Make sure you are somewhere quiet without distractions.
Your mindset can make a massive difference in whether you get a place or not, so let's start being positive. All the OMG statements up there are negative, and I want to get you in a positive state of mind.
First, even getting as far as an interview is a kind of celebration. By giving you an invite, they are saying that you are good enough for their course. The rest is up to you. Now you all have a 1 in 3 chance of getting that coveted place at Oxford. Every week, people play the lottery for much worse odds than that, and yet they still hope!
You are the chosen ones. Why have they chosen you? Because you show promise. Because, they find you interesting. Because, in the words of the L'Oreal advert "you're worth it". They have a lot of experience choosing worthy candidates, so please don't doubt yourself at this point.
They are not scary people. They are not there to catch you out. They are wanting to give you a chance to go to one of the greatest unis in the world. They will be looking forward to meeting you as much as you are looking forward (or dreading) meeting them. They are used to people being nervous around them. Even if they challenge you, don't forget they are nice people (and interviewees often agree that they were nice)
Just think of it as having a conversation with a couple of adults about something you love to talk about. I bet that if you try to talk about your specialist subject at school with your mates, they think you are slightly obsessed. I know that A's school peers just wanted to talk about football at the time. Really you feel like a square peg in a round hole! Well now, finally you get to speak to someone who actually understands you and can join in the conversation at an even higher level. These people want you to take your knowledge to new heights at Oxford, with their encouragement. Take the helping hand they are wanting to give you, and don't be scared. Don't forget these same, self assured people will once have been spotty 17 year olds who knew a lot for their age, but not enough to be a professor. That takes time, but like them, you can get there. You have to be the type who wants to find out more, constantly.
Don't let the "grandeur" of the situation take over you, or you may panic and switch off. Whatever you do, don't do that, because once you lose your thread, that's not good. You need to concentrate and be mentally "present" at all times
There are tried and tested techniques, that you should know about. All the successful chapter writers from Oxford Demystified use them. The tutors are also looking for exactly the same behaviour.
All agree that mindset and knowing how to go about interviews is vital. It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o0r9unT4L4
My favourite quote comes from my son, A. He says "Someone has to get in, and it might as well be me". A lot of people have found great comfort in this simple saying
Very few people who get into Oxford and Cambridge are geniuses. In fact, I have only known one. So don't go into the interview thinking that you are going to dazzle them with your amazing knowledge. It may be like my younger son, who said his medical interview at Oriel was..
"the hardest b****y interview in the whole of Oxford". He said the ice breaker question was OK but then he "proceeded to make a fool of myself".
Let's look at the iconic Miss Varz. She had been at LMH all year. As a foundation year candidate, she had been taken on with Bs at A level, but she had been prepared for the interviews all year. Here she is talking about her interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLvt3UMn2r0
"It was horrible, I was crying". She was told after the interview that she had done really well, but didn't think so at the time!!
The tutors are having to choose between some excellent candidates. It can't by definition, be a walk in the park. Plus they are actually testing how you think and more specifically how you think about new concepts you have never met during your school work. They also want to look at teachable people, who respect them and "want to learn".
They may give you an extract or two to study. Print it out and look carefully at interesting points and think about how you could interpret the text. and any evidence to back up your views. It's really important to concentrate at this point. If you see a point and you have two opposing views about it, even better. Oxford is looking for someone who can not just read, but read between the lines.
The interview will take the form of a tutorial so this is what your Oxford life will be like. The tutors will ask you to discuss a point, then they will keep drawing you out, so you start thinking for yourself. You need to constantly question everything. It's all about critical thinking.
Don't try to be someone you are not. They wanted to interview you, not some fancy version of you, which would come across as fake anyway.
There will be a minority of you who will be a bit arrogant. You may think the interviews are easy, or boring. These are the types who don't get in.
On the other hand, you may surprise yourself and get in despite what you would consider to be a "handicap" of a failing school or a lack of a trust fund. All you need is natural intelligence and keenness and you may have this already. Take the story of the tortoise and the hare:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUngzUtFr7Q
You may be overawed by the interviewers. You may be scared of offending them, or think it's impolite to argue with such eminent people. Yet the opposite is true. What they don't want is someone who just sits there like a lemon, especially in a law interview. A law student friend of mine said the law interview was more about logic than anything. You don't need to have read great tomes of law theory, you need to use your common sense and give reasons behind what you say. It doesn't matter if you disagree with them, as long as you can make a decent point. If you can give examples, (especially from the given text) and evidence, then that's great. It should be challenging but interesting.
Another thing you should not do is jump straight in with an answer. They do not expect to answer you straight away. My son used to look at a certain point in the room whilst he was thinking. At the interview it was a map of Germany on the wall behind the interviewer. Listen carefully to the question. If you don't know a word and want it explaining, then be like my son and ask. If you start answering a question but you've made a mistake and have recognised it, ask the tutors if you can start again. They will actually be pleased, because you have recognised where you have gone wrong: you are intellectually self aware.
It is important to let the tutors know what you are thinking, as this is what may get you your place. Someone asked me to explain this.
Have you ever seen those posh clocks and watches, where you can see the insides of the clock? You can see all the cogs whirring round. Well Oxford wants to see your cogs whirring round too. You may get arrested if you start talking to yourself in the street, but in an Oxford interview it's a positive asset!! Think in stages. Say a statement, then try and take it further. The tutors will encourage you in this. now and then they may lead you in a certain direction. They may give you little hints and clues about the direction you need to go in. Take that hint from them and develop your thoughts along these lines. It will make the convo a lot more interesting, for you and them.
Often you will give wrong answers. One Univ candidate was asked about a puzzle. Later when she got back home, she looked up the answer and she had got it completely wrong. Bang goes my place she thought, but... not so!! Not only that but she came top in her preliminary year. They just liked the way she thought. Tutors are really academically open minded, and you might inadvertently say something even they hadn't anticipated.
All I have left to say is just go and do your best. That's all we can ask of you and I am proud of each and every one of you.
Good luck from OM and Woshette xx
@RooWennink
@Gucclank
@ltxleo188
@lxf03
@byronic2907
@Bazinger
@Ryuvision
@a_kg
@ziqzaczuck
@cflau_
@venom19
@lilyeaton1
@Pang13
@XSH
@casabonita
@IJAmadeus
@Debs25
@hmussa1
@s_arah
@So sad
@turna127
@lauraeleanor.x
@soggyomelette
Original post by Oxford Mum
For everyone with interviews
Pink Woshette is waving her magic wand
Swish, Swish Swishety Swish.
She is praying for all those who have interviews, and those who are still waiting for interviews
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/02...g?v=1599514224
The last time she did this, Dobbo got an interview invite about 10 minutes later, so here's hoping, for you all
Many of you will have got interview invites by now and I have had many comments so far. They are along the lines of
OMG I'm not good enough
OMG my bedroom's a tip and they'll see it
OMG what will they think of my clothes/piercings/hairstyle etc etc
OMG what if I fail at the last hurdle
OMG these tutors are going to think I'm stupid
OMG I will make a fool of myself
OMG this means so much to me, I don't know what I'll do if I don't get in
OMG I didn't go to a top public school and they are better prepared
OMG I'm really not the Oxford type and they will see through me
OMG what will my parents/Aunty Jean/next door's budgie think of me if I don't get in
STOP IT WITH THE OMGs! It isn't helping you! First, "chillax"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU
How can you prepare? Well, they are going to ask you questions you won't know the answers to, so you can't really. If you want some sample questions, click on the link below
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/sho....php?t=6100480
Go to the subject you are interviewing for, click on the link and go down to where I have posted the sample interview questions. There should be more than enough to keep you going before the interviews. Also look at my chapter 3 "making your application" and that contains some handy hints about interviews.
Print out your personal statement and go over it before the interview. Make sure you remember exactly what is in it. Opinions are divided as to whether or not they will ask you a question about it, but better to be safe than sorry.
Make sure you have some comfortable clothes to wear. If you feel better in a suit, then fine. It depends on the individual.
What I really like is that Oxford tutors are NOT superficial. They do not care if you are not a supermodel. They do not care what race, religion you are etc. All they care about is your brain and what is in it. All our brains look identical, so you start with an identical chance of getting in.
Make sure your technology works. Do a dry run with friends/family. Make sure you are somewhere quiet without distractions.
Your mindset can make a massive difference in whether you get a place or not, so let's start being positive. All the OMG statements up there are negative, and I want to get you in a positive state of mind.
First, even getting as far as an interview is a kind of celebration. By giving you an invite, they are saying that you are good enough for their course. The rest is up to you. Now you all have a 1 in 3 chance of getting that coveted place at Oxford. Every week, people play the lottery for much worse odds than that, and yet they still hope!
You are the chosen ones. Why have they chosen you? Because you show promise. Because, they find you interesting. Because, in the words of the L'Oreal advert "you're worth it". They have a lot of experience choosing worthy candidates, so please don't doubt yourself at this point.
They are not scary people. They are not there to catch you out. They are wanting to give you a chance to go to one of the greatest unis in the world. They will be looking forward to meeting you as much as you are looking forward (or dreading) meeting them. They are used to people being nervous around them. Even if they challenge you, don't forget they are nice people (and interviewees often agree that they were nice)
Just think of it as having a conversation with a couple of adults about something you love to talk about. I bet that if you try to talk about your specialist subject at school with your mates, they think you are slightly obsessed. I know that A's school peers just wanted to talk about football at the time. Really you feel like a square peg in a round hole! Well now, finally you get to speak to someone who actually understands you and can join in the conversation at an even higher level. These people want you to take your knowledge to new heights at Oxford, with their encouragement. Take the helping hand they are wanting to give you, and don't be scared. Don't forget these same, self assured people will once have been spotty 17 year olds who knew a lot for their age, but not enough to be a professor. That takes time, but like them, you can get there. You have to be the type who wants to find out more, constantly.
Don't let the "grandeur" of the situation take over you, or you may panic and switch off. Whatever you do, don't do that, because once you lose your thread, that's not good. You need to concentrate and be mentally "present" at all times
There are tried and tested techniques, that you should know about. All the successful chapter writers from Oxford Demystified use them. The tutors are also looking for exactly the same behaviour.
All agree that mindset and knowing how to go about interviews is vital. It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o0r9unT4L4
My favourite quote comes from my son, A. He says "Someone has to get in, and it might as well be me". A lot of people have found great comfort in this simple saying
Very few people who get into Oxford and Cambridge are geniuses. In fact, I have only known one. So don't go into the interview thinking that you are going to dazzle them with your amazing knowledge. It may be like my younger son, who said his medical interview at Oriel was..
"the hardest b****y interview in the whole of Oxford". He said the ice breaker question was OK but then he "proceeded to make a fool of myself".
Let's look at the iconic Miss Varz. She had been at LMH all year. As a foundation year candidate, she had been taken on with Bs at A level, but she had been prepared for the interviews all year. Here she is talking about her interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLvt3UMn2r0
"It was horrible, I was crying". She was told after the interview that she had done really well, but didn't think so at the time!!
The tutors are having to choose between some excellent candidates. It can't by definition, be a walk in the park. Plus they are actually testing how you think and more specifically how you think about new concepts you have never met during your school work. They also want to look at teachable people, who respect them and "want to learn".
They may give you an extract or two to study. Print it out and look carefully at interesting points and think about how you could interpret the text. and any evidence to back up your views. It's really important to concentrate at this point. If you see a point and you have two opposing views about it, even better. Oxford is looking for someone who can not just read, but read between the lines.
The interview will take the form of a tutorial so this is what your Oxford life will be like. The tutors will ask you to discuss a point, then they will keep drawing you out, so you start thinking for yourself. You need to constantly question everything. It's all about critical thinking.
Don't try to be someone you are not. They wanted to interview you, not some fancy version of you, which would come across as fake anyway.
There will be a minority of you who will be a bit arrogant. You may think the interviews are easy, or boring. These are the types who don't get in.
On the other hand, you may surprise yourself and get in despite what you would consider to be a "handicap" of a failing school or a lack of a trust fund. All you need is natural intelligence and keenness and you may have this already. Take the story of the tortoise and the hare:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUngzUtFr7Q
You may be overawed by the interviewers. You may be scared of offending them, or think it's impolite to argue with such eminent people. Yet the opposite is true. What they don't want is someone who just sits there like a lemon, especially in a law interview. A law student friend of mine said the law interview was more about logic than anything. You don't need to have read great tomes of law theory, you need to use your common sense and give reasons behind what you say. It doesn't matter if you disagree with them, as long as you can make a decent point. If you can give examples, (especially from the given text) and evidence, then that's great. It should be challenging but interesting.
Another thing you should not do is jump straight in with an answer. They do not expect to answer you straight away. My son used to look at a certain point in the room whilst he was thinking. At the interview it was a map of Germany on the wall behind the interviewer. Listen carefully to the question. If you don't know a word and want it explaining, then be like my son and ask. If you start answering a question but you've made a mistake and have recognised it, ask the tutors if you can start again. They will actually be pleased, because you have recognised where you have gone wrong: you are intellectually self aware.
It is important to let the tutors know what you are thinking, as this is what may get you your place. Someone asked me to explain this.
Have you ever seen those posh clocks and watches, where you can see the insides of the clock? You can see all the cogs whirring round. Well Oxford wants to see your cogs whirring round too. You may get arrested if you start talking to yourself in the street, but in an Oxford interview it's a positive asset!! Think in stages. Say a statement, then try and take it further. The tutors will encourage you in this. now and then they may lead you in a certain direction. They may give you little hints and clues about the direction you need to go in. Take that hint from them and develop your thoughts along these lines. It will make the convo a lot more interesting, for you and them.
Often you will give wrong answers. One Univ candidate was asked about a puzzle. Later when she got back home, she looked up the answer and she had got it completely wrong. Bang goes my place she thought, but... not so!! Not only that but she came top in her preliminary year. They just liked the way she thought. Tutors are really academically open minded, and you might inadvertently say something even they hadn't anticipated.
All I have left to say is just go and do your best. That's all we can ask of you and I am proud of each and every one of you.
Good luck from OM and Woshette xx
@RooWennink
@Gucclank
@ltxleo188
@lxf03
@byronic2907
@Bazinger
@Ryuvision
@a_kg
@ziqzaczuck
@cflau_
@venom19
@lilyeaton1
@Pang13
@XSH
@casabonita
@IJAmadeus
@Debs25
@hmussa1
@s_arah
@So sad
@turna127
@lauraeleanor.x
@soggyomelette
Pink Woshette is waving her magic wand
Swish, Swish Swishety Swish.
She is praying for all those who have interviews, and those who are still waiting for interviews
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/02...g?v=1599514224
The last time she did this, Dobbo got an interview invite about 10 minutes later, so here's hoping, for you all
Many of you will have got interview invites by now and I have had many comments so far. They are along the lines of
OMG I'm not good enough
OMG my bedroom's a tip and they'll see it
OMG what will they think of my clothes/piercings/hairstyle etc etc
OMG what if I fail at the last hurdle
OMG these tutors are going to think I'm stupid
OMG I will make a fool of myself
OMG this means so much to me, I don't know what I'll do if I don't get in
OMG I didn't go to a top public school and they are better prepared
OMG I'm really not the Oxford type and they will see through me
OMG what will my parents/Aunty Jean/next door's budgie think of me if I don't get in
STOP IT WITH THE OMGs! It isn't helping you! First, "chillax"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU
How can you prepare? Well, they are going to ask you questions you won't know the answers to, so you can't really. If you want some sample questions, click on the link below
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/sho....php?t=6100480
Go to the subject you are interviewing for, click on the link and go down to where I have posted the sample interview questions. There should be more than enough to keep you going before the interviews. Also look at my chapter 3 "making your application" and that contains some handy hints about interviews.
Print out your personal statement and go over it before the interview. Make sure you remember exactly what is in it. Opinions are divided as to whether or not they will ask you a question about it, but better to be safe than sorry.
Make sure you have some comfortable clothes to wear. If you feel better in a suit, then fine. It depends on the individual.
What I really like is that Oxford tutors are NOT superficial. They do not care if you are not a supermodel. They do not care what race, religion you are etc. All they care about is your brain and what is in it. All our brains look identical, so you start with an identical chance of getting in.
Make sure your technology works. Do a dry run with friends/family. Make sure you are somewhere quiet without distractions.
Your mindset can make a massive difference in whether you get a place or not, so let's start being positive. All the OMG statements up there are negative, and I want to get you in a positive state of mind.
First, even getting as far as an interview is a kind of celebration. By giving you an invite, they are saying that you are good enough for their course. The rest is up to you. Now you all have a 1 in 3 chance of getting that coveted place at Oxford. Every week, people play the lottery for much worse odds than that, and yet they still hope!
You are the chosen ones. Why have they chosen you? Because you show promise. Because, they find you interesting. Because, in the words of the L'Oreal advert "you're worth it". They have a lot of experience choosing worthy candidates, so please don't doubt yourself at this point.
They are not scary people. They are not there to catch you out. They are wanting to give you a chance to go to one of the greatest unis in the world. They will be looking forward to meeting you as much as you are looking forward (or dreading) meeting them. They are used to people being nervous around them. Even if they challenge you, don't forget they are nice people (and interviewees often agree that they were nice)
Just think of it as having a conversation with a couple of adults about something you love to talk about. I bet that if you try to talk about your specialist subject at school with your mates, they think you are slightly obsessed. I know that A's school peers just wanted to talk about football at the time. Really you feel like a square peg in a round hole! Well now, finally you get to speak to someone who actually understands you and can join in the conversation at an even higher level. These people want you to take your knowledge to new heights at Oxford, with their encouragement. Take the helping hand they are wanting to give you, and don't be scared. Don't forget these same, self assured people will once have been spotty 17 year olds who knew a lot for their age, but not enough to be a professor. That takes time, but like them, you can get there. You have to be the type who wants to find out more, constantly.
Don't let the "grandeur" of the situation take over you, or you may panic and switch off. Whatever you do, don't do that, because once you lose your thread, that's not good. You need to concentrate and be mentally "present" at all times
There are tried and tested techniques, that you should know about. All the successful chapter writers from Oxford Demystified use them. The tutors are also looking for exactly the same behaviour.
All agree that mindset and knowing how to go about interviews is vital. It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o0r9unT4L4
My favourite quote comes from my son, A. He says "Someone has to get in, and it might as well be me". A lot of people have found great comfort in this simple saying
Very few people who get into Oxford and Cambridge are geniuses. In fact, I have only known one. So don't go into the interview thinking that you are going to dazzle them with your amazing knowledge. It may be like my younger son, who said his medical interview at Oriel was..
"the hardest b****y interview in the whole of Oxford". He said the ice breaker question was OK but then he "proceeded to make a fool of myself".
Let's look at the iconic Miss Varz. She had been at LMH all year. As a foundation year candidate, she had been taken on with Bs at A level, but she had been prepared for the interviews all year. Here she is talking about her interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLvt3UMn2r0
"It was horrible, I was crying". She was told after the interview that she had done really well, but didn't think so at the time!!
The tutors are having to choose between some excellent candidates. It can't by definition, be a walk in the park. Plus they are actually testing how you think and more specifically how you think about new concepts you have never met during your school work. They also want to look at teachable people, who respect them and "want to learn".
They may give you an extract or two to study. Print it out and look carefully at interesting points and think about how you could interpret the text. and any evidence to back up your views. It's really important to concentrate at this point. If you see a point and you have two opposing views about it, even better. Oxford is looking for someone who can not just read, but read between the lines.
The interview will take the form of a tutorial so this is what your Oxford life will be like. The tutors will ask you to discuss a point, then they will keep drawing you out, so you start thinking for yourself. You need to constantly question everything. It's all about critical thinking.
Don't try to be someone you are not. They wanted to interview you, not some fancy version of you, which would come across as fake anyway.
There will be a minority of you who will be a bit arrogant. You may think the interviews are easy, or boring. These are the types who don't get in.
On the other hand, you may surprise yourself and get in despite what you would consider to be a "handicap" of a failing school or a lack of a trust fund. All you need is natural intelligence and keenness and you may have this already. Take the story of the tortoise and the hare:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUngzUtFr7Q
You may be overawed by the interviewers. You may be scared of offending them, or think it's impolite to argue with such eminent people. Yet the opposite is true. What they don't want is someone who just sits there like a lemon, especially in a law interview. A law student friend of mine said the law interview was more about logic than anything. You don't need to have read great tomes of law theory, you need to use your common sense and give reasons behind what you say. It doesn't matter if you disagree with them, as long as you can make a decent point. If you can give examples, (especially from the given text) and evidence, then that's great. It should be challenging but interesting.
Another thing you should not do is jump straight in with an answer. They do not expect to answer you straight away. My son used to look at a certain point in the room whilst he was thinking. At the interview it was a map of Germany on the wall behind the interviewer. Listen carefully to the question. If you don't know a word and want it explaining, then be like my son and ask. If you start answering a question but you've made a mistake and have recognised it, ask the tutors if you can start again. They will actually be pleased, because you have recognised where you have gone wrong: you are intellectually self aware.
It is important to let the tutors know what you are thinking, as this is what may get you your place. Someone asked me to explain this.
Have you ever seen those posh clocks and watches, where you can see the insides of the clock? You can see all the cogs whirring round. Well Oxford wants to see your cogs whirring round too. You may get arrested if you start talking to yourself in the street, but in an Oxford interview it's a positive asset!! Think in stages. Say a statement, then try and take it further. The tutors will encourage you in this. now and then they may lead you in a certain direction. They may give you little hints and clues about the direction you need to go in. Take that hint from them and develop your thoughts along these lines. It will make the convo a lot more interesting, for you and them.
Often you will give wrong answers. One Univ candidate was asked about a puzzle. Later when she got back home, she looked up the answer and she had got it completely wrong. Bang goes my place she thought, but... not so!! Not only that but she came top in her preliminary year. They just liked the way she thought. Tutors are really academically open minded, and you might inadvertently say something even they hadn't anticipated.
All I have left to say is just go and do your best. That's all we can ask of you and I am proud of each and every one of you.
Good luck from OM and Woshette xx
@RooWennink
@Gucclank
@ltxleo188
@lxf03
@byronic2907
@Bazinger
@Ryuvision
@a_kg
@ziqzaczuck
@cflau_
@venom19
@lilyeaton1
@Pang13
@XSH
@casabonita
@IJAmadeus
@Debs25
@hmussa1
@s_arah
@So sad
@turna127
@lauraeleanor.x
@soggyomelette
thank you so much Oxford Mum!!! I've only ever really lurked on tsr before last week but I've found everything you've said so reassuring!!
Original post by elizacecylia
This is a bit of a random question but I'm hoping that anyone on here could help me. My school is really *****y lol and they are making me sit a test between my two interviews (I have one on Tuesday and Wednesday), the test would end just 40 min before my second interview and I feel as if my concentration will be gone after it seeing how the test itself is 2 hours. I am trying to convince them to give me an extension on the test because the interview is very important to me, however I honestly feel like they don't really care. Their argument is that I have enough time to prepare for both the test and interview, which I think is very unrealistic because my first interview is on tuesday already. Also not sitting the test isn't an option because they will then put in a 1 (the lowest) as a mark which counts towards my average, which I will need to get into Oxford if I am offered a place. I know it might be a bit of a weird question to ask on here seeing how its about my school rather than Oxford, but I am really stressed about this and just hope anyone here could give some advice <3
You could always email your college and explain the situation saying you have a test that almost overlaps and ask if they could reschedule your interview to another slot. . It may or may not be possible, but if you don’t ask you won’t know. Often college administrators can be amenable if necessary.
Original post by Oxford Mum
For everyone with interviews
Pink Woshette is waving her magic wand
Swish, Swish Swishety Swish.
She is praying for all those who have interviews, and those who are still waiting for interviews
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/02...g?v=1599514224
The last time she did this, Dobbo got an interview invite about 10 minutes later, so here's hoping, for you all
Many of you will have got interview invites by now and I have had many comments so far. They are along the lines of
OMG I'm not good enough
OMG my bedroom's a tip and they'll see it
OMG what will they think of my clothes/piercings/hairstyle etc etc
OMG what if I fail at the last hurdle
OMG these tutors are going to think I'm stupid
OMG I will make a fool of myself
OMG this means so much to me, I don't know what I'll do if I don't get in
OMG I didn't go to a top public school and they are better prepared
OMG I'm really not the Oxford type and they will see through me
OMG what will my parents/Aunty Jean/next door's budgie think of me if I don't get in
STOP IT WITH THE OMGs! It isn't helping you! First, "chillax"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU
How can you prepare? Well, they are going to ask you questions you won't know the answers to, so you can't really. If you want some sample questions, click on the link below
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/sho....php?t=6100480
Go to the subject you are interviewing for, click on the link and go down to where I have posted the sample interview questions. There should be more than enough to keep you going before the interviews. Also look at my chapter 3 "making your application" and that contains some handy hints about interviews.
Print out your personal statement and go over it before the interview. Make sure you remember exactly what is in it. Opinions are divided as to whether or not they will ask you a question about it, but better to be safe than sorry.
Make sure you have some comfortable clothes to wear. If you feel better in a suit, then fine. It depends on the individual.
What I really like is that Oxford tutors are NOT superficial. They do not care if you are not a supermodel. They do not care what race, religion you are etc. All they care about is your brain and what is in it. All our brains look identical, so you start with an identical chance of getting in.
Make sure your technology works. Do a dry run with friends/family. Make sure you are somewhere quiet without distractions.
Your mindset can make a massive difference in whether you get a place or not, so let's start being positive. All the OMG statements up there are negative, and I want to get you in a positive state of mind.
First, even getting as far as an interview is a kind of celebration. By giving you an invite, they are saying that you are good enough for their course. The rest is up to you. Now you all have a 1 in 3 chance of getting that coveted place at Oxford. Every week, people play the lottery for much worse odds than that, and yet they still hope!
You are the chosen ones. Why have they chosen you? Because you show promise. Because, they find you interesting. Because, in the words of the L'Oreal advert "you're worth it". They have a lot of experience choosing worthy candidates, so please don't doubt yourself at this point.
They are not scary people. They are not there to catch you out. They are wanting to give you a chance to go to one of the greatest unis in the world. They will be looking forward to meeting you as much as you are looking forward (or dreading) meeting them. They are used to people being nervous around them. Even if they challenge you, don't forget they are nice people (and interviewees often agree that they were nice)
Just think of it as having a conversation with a couple of adults about something you love to talk about. I bet that if you try to talk about your specialist subject at school with your mates, they think you are slightly obsessed. I know that A's school peers just wanted to talk about football at the time. Really you feel like a square peg in a round hole! Well now, finally you get to speak to someone who actually understands you and can join in the conversation at an even higher level. These people want you to take your knowledge to new heights at Oxford, with their encouragement. Take the helping hand they are wanting to give you, and don't be scared. Don't forget these same, self assured people will once have been spotty 17 year olds who knew a lot for their age, but not enough to be a professor. That takes time, but like them, you can get there. You have to be the type who wants to find out more, constantly.
Don't let the "grandeur" of the situation take over you, or you may panic and switch off. Whatever you do, don't do that, because once you lose your thread, that's not good. You need to concentrate and be mentally "present" at all times
There are tried and tested techniques, that you should know about. All the successful chapter writers from Oxford Demystified use them. The tutors are also looking for exactly the same behaviour.
All agree that mindset and knowing how to go about interviews is vital. It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o0r9unT4L4
My favourite quote comes from my son, A. He says "Someone has to get in, and it might as well be me". A lot of people have found great comfort in this simple saying
Very few people who get into Oxford and Cambridge are geniuses. In fact, I have only known one. So don't go into the interview thinking that you are going to dazzle them with your amazing knowledge. It may be like my younger son, who said his medical interview at Oriel was..
"the hardest b****y interview in the whole of Oxford". He said the ice breaker question was OK but then he "proceeded to make a fool of myself".
Let's look at the iconic Miss Varz. She had been at LMH all year. As a foundation year candidate, she had been taken on with Bs at A level, but she had been prepared for the interviews all year. Here she is talking about her interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLvt3UMn2r0
"It was horrible, I was crying". She was told after the interview that she had done really well, but didn't think so at the time!!
The tutors are having to choose between some excellent candidates. It can't by definition, be a walk in the park. Plus they are actually testing how you think and more specifically how you think about new concepts you have never met during your school work. They also want to look at teachable people, who respect them and "want to learn".
They may give you an extract or two to study. Print it out and look carefully at interesting points and think about how you could interpret the text. and any evidence to back up your views. It's really important to concentrate at this point. If you see a point and you have two opposing views about it, even better. Oxford is looking for someone who can not just read, but read between the lines.
The interview will take the form of a tutorial so this is what your Oxford life will be like. The tutors will ask you to discuss a point, then they will keep drawing you out, so you start thinking for yourself. You need to constantly question everything. It's all about critical thinking.
Don't try to be someone you are not. They wanted to interview you, not some fancy version of you, which would come across as fake anyway.
There will be a minority of you who will be a bit arrogant. You may think the interviews are easy, or boring. These are the types who don't get in.
On the other hand, you may surprise yourself and get in despite what you would consider to be a "handicap" of a failing school or a lack of a trust fund. All you need is natural intelligence and keenness and you may have this already. Take the story of the tortoise and the hare:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUngzUtFr7Q
You may be overawed by the interviewers. You may be scared of offending them, or think it's impolite to argue with such eminent people. Yet the opposite is true. What they don't want is someone who just sits there like a lemon, especially in a law interview. A law student friend of mine said the law interview was more about logic than anything. You don't need to have read great tomes of law theory, you need to use your common sense and give reasons behind what you say. It doesn't matter if you disagree with them, as long as you can make a decent point. If you can give examples, (especially from the given text) and evidence, then that's great. It should be challenging but interesting.
Another thing you should not do is jump straight in with an answer. They do not expect to answer you straight away. My son used to look at a certain point in the room whilst he was thinking. At the interview it was a map of Germany on the wall behind the interviewer. Listen carefully to the question. If you don't know a word and want it explaining, then be like my son and ask. If you start answering a question but you've made a mistake and have recognised it, ask the tutors if you can start again. They will actually be pleased, because you have recognised where you have gone wrong: you are intellectually self aware.
It is important to let the tutors know what you are thinking, as this is what may get you your place. Someone asked me to explain this.
Have you ever seen those posh clocks and watches, where you can see the insides of the clock? You can see all the cogs whirring round. Well Oxford wants to see your cogs whirring round too. You may get arrested if you start talking to yourself in the street, but in an Oxford interview it's a positive asset!! Think in stages. Say a statement, then try and take it further. The tutors will encourage you in this. now and then they may lead you in a certain direction. They may give you little hints and clues about the direction you need to go in. Take that hint from them and develop your thoughts along these lines. It will make the convo a lot more interesting, for you and them.
Often you will give wrong answers. One Univ candidate was asked about a puzzle. Later when she got back home, she looked up the answer and she had got it completely wrong. Bang goes my place she thought, but... not so!! Not only that but she came top in her preliminary year. They just liked the way she thought. Tutors are really academically open minded, and you might inadvertently say something even they hadn't anticipated.
All I have left to say is just go and do your best. That's all we can ask of you and I am proud of each and every one of you.
Good luck from OM and Woshette xx
@RooWennink
@Gucclank
@ltxleo188
@lxf03
@byronic2907
@Bazinger
@Ryuvision
@a_kg
@ziqzaczuck
@cflau_
@venom19
@lilyeaton1
@Pang13
@XSH
@casabonita
@IJAmadeus
@Debs25
@hmussa1
@s_arah
@So sad
@turna127
@lauraeleanor.x
@soggyomelette
Pink Woshette is waving her magic wand
Swish, Swish Swishety Swish.
She is praying for all those who have interviews, and those who are still waiting for interviews
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/02...g?v=1599514224
The last time she did this, Dobbo got an interview invite about 10 minutes later, so here's hoping, for you all
Many of you will have got interview invites by now and I have had many comments so far. They are along the lines of
OMG I'm not good enough
OMG my bedroom's a tip and they'll see it
OMG what will they think of my clothes/piercings/hairstyle etc etc
OMG what if I fail at the last hurdle
OMG these tutors are going to think I'm stupid
OMG I will make a fool of myself
OMG this means so much to me, I don't know what I'll do if I don't get in
OMG I didn't go to a top public school and they are better prepared
OMG I'm really not the Oxford type and they will see through me
OMG what will my parents/Aunty Jean/next door's budgie think of me if I don't get in
STOP IT WITH THE OMGs! It isn't helping you! First, "chillax"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU
How can you prepare? Well, they are going to ask you questions you won't know the answers to, so you can't really. If you want some sample questions, click on the link below
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/sho....php?t=6100480
Go to the subject you are interviewing for, click on the link and go down to where I have posted the sample interview questions. There should be more than enough to keep you going before the interviews. Also look at my chapter 3 "making your application" and that contains some handy hints about interviews.
Print out your personal statement and go over it before the interview. Make sure you remember exactly what is in it. Opinions are divided as to whether or not they will ask you a question about it, but better to be safe than sorry.
Make sure you have some comfortable clothes to wear. If you feel better in a suit, then fine. It depends on the individual.
What I really like is that Oxford tutors are NOT superficial. They do not care if you are not a supermodel. They do not care what race, religion you are etc. All they care about is your brain and what is in it. All our brains look identical, so you start with an identical chance of getting in.
Make sure your technology works. Do a dry run with friends/family. Make sure you are somewhere quiet without distractions.
Your mindset can make a massive difference in whether you get a place or not, so let's start being positive. All the OMG statements up there are negative, and I want to get you in a positive state of mind.
First, even getting as far as an interview is a kind of celebration. By giving you an invite, they are saying that you are good enough for their course. The rest is up to you. Now you all have a 1 in 3 chance of getting that coveted place at Oxford. Every week, people play the lottery for much worse odds than that, and yet they still hope!
You are the chosen ones. Why have they chosen you? Because you show promise. Because, they find you interesting. Because, in the words of the L'Oreal advert "you're worth it". They have a lot of experience choosing worthy candidates, so please don't doubt yourself at this point.
They are not scary people. They are not there to catch you out. They are wanting to give you a chance to go to one of the greatest unis in the world. They will be looking forward to meeting you as much as you are looking forward (or dreading) meeting them. They are used to people being nervous around them. Even if they challenge you, don't forget they are nice people (and interviewees often agree that they were nice)
Just think of it as having a conversation with a couple of adults about something you love to talk about. I bet that if you try to talk about your specialist subject at school with your mates, they think you are slightly obsessed. I know that A's school peers just wanted to talk about football at the time. Really you feel like a square peg in a round hole! Well now, finally you get to speak to someone who actually understands you and can join in the conversation at an even higher level. These people want you to take your knowledge to new heights at Oxford, with their encouragement. Take the helping hand they are wanting to give you, and don't be scared. Don't forget these same, self assured people will once have been spotty 17 year olds who knew a lot for their age, but not enough to be a professor. That takes time, but like them, you can get there. You have to be the type who wants to find out more, constantly.
Don't let the "grandeur" of the situation take over you, or you may panic and switch off. Whatever you do, don't do that, because once you lose your thread, that's not good. You need to concentrate and be mentally "present" at all times
There are tried and tested techniques, that you should know about. All the successful chapter writers from Oxford Demystified use them. The tutors are also looking for exactly the same behaviour.
All agree that mindset and knowing how to go about interviews is vital. It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o0r9unT4L4
My favourite quote comes from my son, A. He says "Someone has to get in, and it might as well be me". A lot of people have found great comfort in this simple saying
Very few people who get into Oxford and Cambridge are geniuses. In fact, I have only known one. So don't go into the interview thinking that you are going to dazzle them with your amazing knowledge. It may be like my younger son, who said his medical interview at Oriel was..
"the hardest b****y interview in the whole of Oxford". He said the ice breaker question was OK but then he "proceeded to make a fool of myself".
Let's look at the iconic Miss Varz. She had been at LMH all year. As a foundation year candidate, she had been taken on with Bs at A level, but she had been prepared for the interviews all year. Here she is talking about her interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLvt3UMn2r0
"It was horrible, I was crying". She was told after the interview that she had done really well, but didn't think so at the time!!
The tutors are having to choose between some excellent candidates. It can't by definition, be a walk in the park. Plus they are actually testing how you think and more specifically how you think about new concepts you have never met during your school work. They also want to look at teachable people, who respect them and "want to learn".
They may give you an extract or two to study. Print it out and look carefully at interesting points and think about how you could interpret the text. and any evidence to back up your views. It's really important to concentrate at this point. If you see a point and you have two opposing views about it, even better. Oxford is looking for someone who can not just read, but read between the lines.
The interview will take the form of a tutorial so this is what your Oxford life will be like. The tutors will ask you to discuss a point, then they will keep drawing you out, so you start thinking for yourself. You need to constantly question everything. It's all about critical thinking.
Don't try to be someone you are not. They wanted to interview you, not some fancy version of you, which would come across as fake anyway.
There will be a minority of you who will be a bit arrogant. You may think the interviews are easy, or boring. These are the types who don't get in.
On the other hand, you may surprise yourself and get in despite what you would consider to be a "handicap" of a failing school or a lack of a trust fund. All you need is natural intelligence and keenness and you may have this already. Take the story of the tortoise and the hare:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUngzUtFr7Q
You may be overawed by the interviewers. You may be scared of offending them, or think it's impolite to argue with such eminent people. Yet the opposite is true. What they don't want is someone who just sits there like a lemon, especially in a law interview. A law student friend of mine said the law interview was more about logic than anything. You don't need to have read great tomes of law theory, you need to use your common sense and give reasons behind what you say. It doesn't matter if you disagree with them, as long as you can make a decent point. If you can give examples, (especially from the given text) and evidence, then that's great. It should be challenging but interesting.
Another thing you should not do is jump straight in with an answer. They do not expect to answer you straight away. My son used to look at a certain point in the room whilst he was thinking. At the interview it was a map of Germany on the wall behind the interviewer. Listen carefully to the question. If you don't know a word and want it explaining, then be like my son and ask. If you start answering a question but you've made a mistake and have recognised it, ask the tutors if you can start again. They will actually be pleased, because you have recognised where you have gone wrong: you are intellectually self aware.
It is important to let the tutors know what you are thinking, as this is what may get you your place. Someone asked me to explain this.
Have you ever seen those posh clocks and watches, where you can see the insides of the clock? You can see all the cogs whirring round. Well Oxford wants to see your cogs whirring round too. You may get arrested if you start talking to yourself in the street, but in an Oxford interview it's a positive asset!! Think in stages. Say a statement, then try and take it further. The tutors will encourage you in this. now and then they may lead you in a certain direction. They may give you little hints and clues about the direction you need to go in. Take that hint from them and develop your thoughts along these lines. It will make the convo a lot more interesting, for you and them.
Often you will give wrong answers. One Univ candidate was asked about a puzzle. Later when she got back home, she looked up the answer and she had got it completely wrong. Bang goes my place she thought, but... not so!! Not only that but she came top in her preliminary year. They just liked the way she thought. Tutors are really academically open minded, and you might inadvertently say something even they hadn't anticipated.
All I have left to say is just go and do your best. That's all we can ask of you and I am proud of each and every one of you.
Good luck from OM and Woshette xx
@RooWennink
@Gucclank
@ltxleo188
@lxf03
@byronic2907
@Bazinger
@Ryuvision
@a_kg
@ziqzaczuck
@cflau_
@venom19
@lilyeaton1
@Pang13
@XSH
@casabonita
@IJAmadeus
@Debs25
@hmussa1
@s_arah
@So sad
@turna127
@lauraeleanor.x
@soggyomelette
thanks OM! this is quite reassuring. i am still a little terrified and im sure i will be closer to the time, but i am also feeling a little excited for the interview
Original post by Oxford Mum
For everyone with interviews
Pink Woshette is waving her magic wand
Swish, Swish Swishety Swish.
She is praying for all those who have interviews, and those who are still waiting for interviews
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/02...g?v=1599514224
The last time she did this, Dobbo got an interview invite about 10 minutes later, so here's hoping, for you all
Many of you will have got interview invites by now and I have had many comments so far. They are along the lines of
OMG I'm not good enough
OMG my bedroom's a tip and they'll see it
OMG what will they think of my clothes/piercings/hairstyle etc etc
OMG what if I fail at the last hurdle
OMG these tutors are going to think I'm stupid
OMG I will make a fool of myself
OMG this means so much to me, I don't know what I'll do if I don't get in
OMG I didn't go to a top public school and they are better prepared
OMG I'm really not the Oxford type and they will see through me
OMG what will my parents/Aunty Jean/next door's budgie think of me if I don't get in
STOP IT WITH THE OMGs! It isn't helping you! First, "chillax"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU
How can you prepare? Well, they are going to ask you questions you won't know the answers to, so you can't really. If you want some sample questions, click on the link below
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/sho....php?t=6100480
Go to the subject you are interviewing for, click on the link and go down to where I have posted the sample interview questions. There should be more than enough to keep you going before the interviews. Also look at my chapter 3 "making your application" and that contains some handy hints about interviews.
Print out your personal statement and go over it before the interview. Make sure you remember exactly what is in it. Opinions are divided as to whether or not they will ask you a question about it, but better to be safe than sorry.
Make sure you have some comfortable clothes to wear. If you feel better in a suit, then fine. It depends on the individual.
What I really like is that Oxford tutors are NOT superficial. They do not care if you are not a supermodel. They do not care what race, religion you are etc. All they care about is your brain and what is in it. All our brains look identical, so you start with an identical chance of getting in.
Make sure your technology works. Do a dry run with friends/family. Make sure you are somewhere quiet without distractions.
Your mindset can make a massive difference in whether you get a place or not, so let's start being positive. All the OMG statements up there are negative, and I want to get you in a positive state of mind.
First, even getting as far as an interview is a kind of celebration. By giving you an invite, they are saying that you are good enough for their course. The rest is up to you. Now you all have a 1 in 3 chance of getting that coveted place at Oxford. Every week, people play the lottery for much worse odds than that, and yet they still hope!
You are the chosen ones. Why have they chosen you? Because you show promise. Because, they find you interesting. Because, in the words of the L'Oreal advert "you're worth it". They have a lot of experience choosing worthy candidates, so please don't doubt yourself at this point.
They are not scary people. They are not there to catch you out. They are wanting to give you a chance to go to one of the greatest unis in the world. They will be looking forward to meeting you as much as you are looking forward (or dreading) meeting them. They are used to people being nervous around them. Even if they challenge you, don't forget they are nice people (and interviewees often agree that they were nice)
Just think of it as having a conversation with a couple of adults about something you love to talk about. I bet that if you try to talk about your specialist subject at school with your mates, they think you are slightly obsessed. I know that A's school peers just wanted to talk about football at the time. Really you feel like a square peg in a round hole! Well now, finally you get to speak to someone who actually understands you and can join in the conversation at an even higher level. These people want you to take your knowledge to new heights at Oxford, with their encouragement. Take the helping hand they are wanting to give you, and don't be scared. Don't forget these same, self assured people will once have been spotty 17 year olds who knew a lot for their age, but not enough to be a professor. That takes time, but like them, you can get there. You have to be the type who wants to find out more, constantly.
Don't let the "grandeur" of the situation take over you, or you may panic and switch off. Whatever you do, don't do that, because once you lose your thread, that's not good. You need to concentrate and be mentally "present" at all times
There are tried and tested techniques, that you should know about. All the successful chapter writers from Oxford Demystified use them. The tutors are also looking for exactly the same behaviour.
All agree that mindset and knowing how to go about interviews is vital. It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o0r9unT4L4
My favourite quote comes from my son, A. He says "Someone has to get in, and it might as well be me". A lot of people have found great comfort in this simple saying
Very few people who get into Oxford and Cambridge are geniuses. In fact, I have only known one. So don't go into the interview thinking that you are going to dazzle them with your amazing knowledge. It may be like my younger son, who said his medical interview at Oriel was..
"the hardest b****y interview in the whole of Oxford". He said the ice breaker question was OK but then he "proceeded to make a fool of myself".
Let's look at the iconic Miss Varz. She had been at LMH all year. As a foundation year candidate, she had been taken on with Bs at A level, but she had been prepared for the interviews all year. Here she is talking about her interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLvt3UMn2r0
"It was horrible, I was crying". She was told after the interview that she had done really well, but didn't think so at the time!!
The tutors are having to choose between some excellent candidates. It can't by definition, be a walk in the park. Plus they are actually testing how you think and more specifically how you think about new concepts you have never met during your school work. They also want to look at teachable people, who respect them and "want to learn".
They may give you an extract or two to study. Print it out and look carefully at interesting points and think about how you could interpret the text. and any evidence to back up your views. It's really important to concentrate at this point. If you see a point and you have two opposing views about it, even better. Oxford is looking for someone who can not just read, but read between the lines.
The interview will take the form of a tutorial so this is what your Oxford life will be like. The tutors will ask you to discuss a point, then they will keep drawing you out, so you start thinking for yourself. You need to constantly question everything. It's all about critical thinking.
Don't try to be someone you are not. They wanted to interview you, not some fancy version of you, which would come across as fake anyway.
There will be a minority of you who will be a bit arrogant. You may think the interviews are easy, or boring. These are the types who don't get in.
On the other hand, you may surprise yourself and get in despite what you would consider to be a "handicap" of a failing school or a lack of a trust fund. All you need is natural intelligence and keenness and you may have this already. Take the story of the tortoise and the hare:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUngzUtFr7Q
You may be overawed by the interviewers. You may be scared of offending them, or think it's impolite to argue with such eminent people. Yet the opposite is true. What they don't want is someone who just sits there like a lemon, especially in a law interview. A law student friend of mine said the law interview was more about logic than anything. You don't need to have read great tomes of law theory, you need to use your common sense and give reasons behind what you say. It doesn't matter if you disagree with them, as long as you can make a decent point. If you can give examples, (especially from the given text) and evidence, then that's great. It should be challenging but interesting.
Another thing you should not do is jump straight in with an answer. They do not expect to answer you straight away. My son used to look at a certain point in the room whilst he was thinking. At the interview it was a map of Germany on the wall behind the interviewer. Listen carefully to the question. If you don't know a word and want it explaining, then be like my son and ask. If you start answering a question but you've made a mistake and have recognised it, ask the tutors if you can start again. They will actually be pleased, because you have recognised where you have gone wrong: you are intellectually self aware.
It is important to let the tutors know what you are thinking, as this is what may get you your place. Someone asked me to explain this.
Have you ever seen those posh clocks and watches, where you can see the insides of the clock? You can see all the cogs whirring round. Well Oxford wants to see your cogs whirring round too. You may get arrested if you start talking to yourself in the street, but in an Oxford interview it's a positive asset!! Think in stages. Say a statement, then try and take it further. The tutors will encourage you in this. now and then they may lead you in a certain direction. They may give you little hints and clues about the direction you need to go in. Take that hint from them and develop your thoughts along these lines. It will make the convo a lot more interesting, for you and them.
Often you will give wrong answers. One Univ candidate was asked about a puzzle. Later when she got back home, she looked up the answer and she had got it completely wrong. Bang goes my place she thought, but... not so!! Not only that but she came top in her preliminary year. They just liked the way she thought. Tutors are really academically open minded, and you might inadvertently say something even they hadn't anticipated.
All I have left to say is just go and do your best. That's all we can ask of you and I am proud of each and every one of you.
Good luck from OM and Woshette xx
@RooWennink
@Gucclank
@ltxleo188
@lxf03
@byronic2907
@Bazinger
@Ryuvision
@a_kg
@ziqzaczuck
@cflau_
@venom19
@lilyeaton1
@Pang13
@XSH
@casabonita
@IJAmadeus
@Debs25
@hmussa1
@s_arah
@So sad
@turna127
@lauraeleanor.x
@soggyomelette
Pink Woshette is waving her magic wand
Swish, Swish Swishety Swish.
She is praying for all those who have interviews, and those who are still waiting for interviews
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/02...g?v=1599514224
The last time she did this, Dobbo got an interview invite about 10 minutes later, so here's hoping, for you all
Many of you will have got interview invites by now and I have had many comments so far. They are along the lines of
OMG I'm not good enough
OMG my bedroom's a tip and they'll see it
OMG what will they think of my clothes/piercings/hairstyle etc etc
OMG what if I fail at the last hurdle
OMG these tutors are going to think I'm stupid
OMG I will make a fool of myself
OMG this means so much to me, I don't know what I'll do if I don't get in
OMG I didn't go to a top public school and they are better prepared
OMG I'm really not the Oxford type and they will see through me
OMG what will my parents/Aunty Jean/next door's budgie think of me if I don't get in
STOP IT WITH THE OMGs! It isn't helping you! First, "chillax"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU
How can you prepare? Well, they are going to ask you questions you won't know the answers to, so you can't really. If you want some sample questions, click on the link below
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/sho....php?t=6100480
Go to the subject you are interviewing for, click on the link and go down to where I have posted the sample interview questions. There should be more than enough to keep you going before the interviews. Also look at my chapter 3 "making your application" and that contains some handy hints about interviews.
Print out your personal statement and go over it before the interview. Make sure you remember exactly what is in it. Opinions are divided as to whether or not they will ask you a question about it, but better to be safe than sorry.
Make sure you have some comfortable clothes to wear. If you feel better in a suit, then fine. It depends on the individual.
What I really like is that Oxford tutors are NOT superficial. They do not care if you are not a supermodel. They do not care what race, religion you are etc. All they care about is your brain and what is in it. All our brains look identical, so you start with an identical chance of getting in.
Make sure your technology works. Do a dry run with friends/family. Make sure you are somewhere quiet without distractions.
Your mindset can make a massive difference in whether you get a place or not, so let's start being positive. All the OMG statements up there are negative, and I want to get you in a positive state of mind.
First, even getting as far as an interview is a kind of celebration. By giving you an invite, they are saying that you are good enough for their course. The rest is up to you. Now you all have a 1 in 3 chance of getting that coveted place at Oxford. Every week, people play the lottery for much worse odds than that, and yet they still hope!
You are the chosen ones. Why have they chosen you? Because you show promise. Because, they find you interesting. Because, in the words of the L'Oreal advert "you're worth it". They have a lot of experience choosing worthy candidates, so please don't doubt yourself at this point.
They are not scary people. They are not there to catch you out. They are wanting to give you a chance to go to one of the greatest unis in the world. They will be looking forward to meeting you as much as you are looking forward (or dreading) meeting them. They are used to people being nervous around them. Even if they challenge you, don't forget they are nice people (and interviewees often agree that they were nice)
Just think of it as having a conversation with a couple of adults about something you love to talk about. I bet that if you try to talk about your specialist subject at school with your mates, they think you are slightly obsessed. I know that A's school peers just wanted to talk about football at the time. Really you feel like a square peg in a round hole! Well now, finally you get to speak to someone who actually understands you and can join in the conversation at an even higher level. These people want you to take your knowledge to new heights at Oxford, with their encouragement. Take the helping hand they are wanting to give you, and don't be scared. Don't forget these same, self assured people will once have been spotty 17 year olds who knew a lot for their age, but not enough to be a professor. That takes time, but like them, you can get there. You have to be the type who wants to find out more, constantly.
Don't let the "grandeur" of the situation take over you, or you may panic and switch off. Whatever you do, don't do that, because once you lose your thread, that's not good. You need to concentrate and be mentally "present" at all times
There are tried and tested techniques, that you should know about. All the successful chapter writers from Oxford Demystified use them. The tutors are also looking for exactly the same behaviour.
All agree that mindset and knowing how to go about interviews is vital. It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o0r9unT4L4
My favourite quote comes from my son, A. He says "Someone has to get in, and it might as well be me". A lot of people have found great comfort in this simple saying
Very few people who get into Oxford and Cambridge are geniuses. In fact, I have only known one. So don't go into the interview thinking that you are going to dazzle them with your amazing knowledge. It may be like my younger son, who said his medical interview at Oriel was..
"the hardest b****y interview in the whole of Oxford". He said the ice breaker question was OK but then he "proceeded to make a fool of myself".
Let's look at the iconic Miss Varz. She had been at LMH all year. As a foundation year candidate, she had been taken on with Bs at A level, but she had been prepared for the interviews all year. Here she is talking about her interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLvt3UMn2r0
"It was horrible, I was crying". She was told after the interview that she had done really well, but didn't think so at the time!!
The tutors are having to choose between some excellent candidates. It can't by definition, be a walk in the park. Plus they are actually testing how you think and more specifically how you think about new concepts you have never met during your school work. They also want to look at teachable people, who respect them and "want to learn".
They may give you an extract or two to study. Print it out and look carefully at interesting points and think about how you could interpret the text. and any evidence to back up your views. It's really important to concentrate at this point. If you see a point and you have two opposing views about it, even better. Oxford is looking for someone who can not just read, but read between the lines.
The interview will take the form of a tutorial so this is what your Oxford life will be like. The tutors will ask you to discuss a point, then they will keep drawing you out, so you start thinking for yourself. You need to constantly question everything. It's all about critical thinking.
Don't try to be someone you are not. They wanted to interview you, not some fancy version of you, which would come across as fake anyway.
There will be a minority of you who will be a bit arrogant. You may think the interviews are easy, or boring. These are the types who don't get in.
On the other hand, you may surprise yourself and get in despite what you would consider to be a "handicap" of a failing school or a lack of a trust fund. All you need is natural intelligence and keenness and you may have this already. Take the story of the tortoise and the hare:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUngzUtFr7Q
You may be overawed by the interviewers. You may be scared of offending them, or think it's impolite to argue with such eminent people. Yet the opposite is true. What they don't want is someone who just sits there like a lemon, especially in a law interview. A law student friend of mine said the law interview was more about logic than anything. You don't need to have read great tomes of law theory, you need to use your common sense and give reasons behind what you say. It doesn't matter if you disagree with them, as long as you can make a decent point. If you can give examples, (especially from the given text) and evidence, then that's great. It should be challenging but interesting.
Another thing you should not do is jump straight in with an answer. They do not expect to answer you straight away. My son used to look at a certain point in the room whilst he was thinking. At the interview it was a map of Germany on the wall behind the interviewer. Listen carefully to the question. If you don't know a word and want it explaining, then be like my son and ask. If you start answering a question but you've made a mistake and have recognised it, ask the tutors if you can start again. They will actually be pleased, because you have recognised where you have gone wrong: you are intellectually self aware.
It is important to let the tutors know what you are thinking, as this is what may get you your place. Someone asked me to explain this.
Have you ever seen those posh clocks and watches, where you can see the insides of the clock? You can see all the cogs whirring round. Well Oxford wants to see your cogs whirring round too. You may get arrested if you start talking to yourself in the street, but in an Oxford interview it's a positive asset!! Think in stages. Say a statement, then try and take it further. The tutors will encourage you in this. now and then they may lead you in a certain direction. They may give you little hints and clues about the direction you need to go in. Take that hint from them and develop your thoughts along these lines. It will make the convo a lot more interesting, for you and them.
Often you will give wrong answers. One Univ candidate was asked about a puzzle. Later when she got back home, she looked up the answer and she had got it completely wrong. Bang goes my place she thought, but... not so!! Not only that but she came top in her preliminary year. They just liked the way she thought. Tutors are really academically open minded, and you might inadvertently say something even they hadn't anticipated.
All I have left to say is just go and do your best. That's all we can ask of you and I am proud of each and every one of you.
Good luck from OM and Woshette xx
@RooWennink
@Gucclank
@ltxleo188
@lxf03
@byronic2907
@Bazinger
@Ryuvision
@a_kg
@ziqzaczuck
@cflau_
@venom19
@lilyeaton1
@Pang13
@XSH
@casabonita
@IJAmadeus
@Debs25
@hmussa1
@s_arah
@So sad
@turna127
@lauraeleanor.x
@soggyomelette
Brilliant post! Thank you for the kind words.
Original post by 9dobbo1
I have to say I'm still a little perplexed by Wosh and his sister (?) Woshette. Was this A's doing or yours? A long family tradition? I feel like I'm missing something...
OK, so this is the full Wosh and Woshette story...
It all started when A (elder son, whom you know) got made redundant. As a result he had to leave Southampton and come back home. Despite getting a job only a handful of days later, he was let go only a week afterwards, because they had lost the German contract (and, as they so charmingly said, that's the only reason they hired him).
There followed a tense 5 month period of unemployment. It was terrible. He would apply for jobs, only for the employers to withdraw their applications without telling anyone. Or they would interview him and not get back to him. Or they would say they were interested, he would try their phone number but couldn't get through, because they were now working from home and were now using different numbers!
Day after day he would ask what was wrong with him and why nobody liked them. I found myself getting angry at the employers, who seemed to almost revel in messing the poor applicants about.
Then one day he noticed this Wosh cuddly character. Apparently Wosh is love and Wosh loves cuddles. This seemed an antidote to a world that was not really caring at the time. So Wosh arrived (the grey one). He had an Institute of Shipbroker's exam. These exams are hard, I mean super hard. Despite most interviews and even Oxford final exams being taken at home, the ICS was so strict and vigilant about cheating, they insisted you attended in person and presented your passport to the invigilators.
So off went Wosh and A to London for these exams. A took Wosh for a ride in his bag and there are a few photos of him admiring the sights. A hoped Wosh would bring him luck. Sure enough, at the end of the exams, all the others left saying how tough they were, but he thought he had done OK.
When the results came through, we all celebrated as A was one of only two people in the entire world to have passed the ICS sales and purchasing exam. The other candidate, from Dublin, has already been snapped up by Maersk.
At the moment no ship brokers are hiring, as the job is too complicated to learn at home. However at last he has another job.
As a kind of thank you for supporting him, A bought me Pink Woshette. Woshette is actually Wosh's girlfriend, not sister. They look really cute cuddling up together on the sofa of an evening, watching Columbo and eating groovy bars.
Woshette lives near my computer and was aware that many people were stressing about their Oxford interviews, so she wanted to help. She also really loved your spread sheet (she says she's never seen anything like it). So of course it was natural for her to wave her wand over your magic spreadsheet wait patiently (as the real Wosh statue does) and bring her Woshy love to everyone on this thread.
PS, she still hasn't heard from New College.
Original post by turna127
thanks OM! this is quite reassuring. i am still a little terrified and im sure i will be closer to the time, but i am also feeling a little excited for the interview
Don't be terrified. This is your time.
Original post by venom19
Brilliant post! Thank you for the kind words.
Thanks Venom! I have also posted it on the Cambridge thread. They probably think I'm off my onion now.
Original post by Ghostlady
Love St johns. my daughter had a tutorial there last year at the summer school. Gorgeous college. Its like a tardis the grounds, they are huge and just keep going and going
Have never visited St Johns! Maybe I ought to
Original post by Oxford Mum
I rather love it myself! Congrats to you and please de-lurk yourself
I guess I should!
Original post by Oxford Mum
For everyone with interviews
Pink Woshette is waving her magic wand
Swish, Swish Swishety Swish.
She is praying for all those who have interviews, and those who are still waiting for interviews
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/02...g?v=1599514224
The last time she did this, Dobbo got an interview invite about 10 minutes later, so here's hoping, for you all
Many of you will have got interview invites by now and I have had many comments so far. They are along the lines of
OMG I'm not good enough
OMG my bedroom's a tip and they'll see it
OMG what will they think of my clothes/piercings/hairstyle etc etc
OMG what if I fail at the last hurdle
OMG these tutors are going to think I'm stupid
OMG I will make a fool of myself
OMG this means so much to me, I don't know what I'll do if I don't get in
OMG I didn't go to a top public school and they are better prepared
OMG I'm really not the Oxford type and they will see through me
OMG what will my parents/Aunty Jean/next door's budgie think of me if I don't get in
STOP IT WITH THE OMGs! It isn't helping you! First, "chillax"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU
How can you prepare? Well, they are going to ask you questions you won't know the answers to, so you can't really. If you want some sample questions, click on the link below
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/sho....php?t=6100480
Go to the subject you are interviewing for, click on the link and go down to where I have posted the sample interview questions. There should be more than enough to keep you going before the interviews. Also look at my chapter 3 "making your application" and that contains some handy hints about interviews.
Print out your personal statement and go over it before the interview. Make sure you remember exactly what is in it. Opinions are divided as to whether or not they will ask you a question about it, but better to be safe than sorry.
Make sure you have some comfortable clothes to wear. If you feel better in a suit, then fine. It depends on the individual.
What I really like is that Oxford tutors are NOT superficial. They do not care if you are not a supermodel. They do not care what race, religion you are etc. All they care about is your brain and what is in it. All our brains look identical, so you start with an identical chance of getting in.
Make sure your technology works. Do a dry run with friends/family. Make sure you are somewhere quiet without distractions.
Your mindset can make a massive difference in whether you get a place or not, so let's start being positive. All the OMG statements up there are negative, and I want to get you in a positive state of mind.
First, even getting as far as an interview is a kind of celebration. By giving you an invite, they are saying that you are good enough for their course. The rest is up to you. Now you all have a 1 in 3 chance of getting that coveted place at Oxford. Every week, people play the lottery for much worse odds than that, and yet they still hope!
You are the chosen ones. Why have they chosen you? Because you show promise. Because, they find you interesting. Because, in the words of the L'Oreal advert "you're worth it". They have a lot of experience choosing worthy candidates, so please don't doubt yourself at this point.
They are not scary people. They are not there to catch you out. They are wanting to give you a chance to go to one of the greatest unis in the world. They will be looking forward to meeting you as much as you are looking forward (or dreading) meeting them. They are used to people being nervous around them. Even if they challenge you, don't forget they are nice people (and interviewees often agree that they were nice)
Just think of it as having a conversation with a couple of adults about something you love to talk about. I bet that if you try to talk about your specialist subject at school with your mates, they think you are slightly obsessed. I know that A's school peers just wanted to talk about football at the time. Really you feel like a square peg in a round hole! Well now, finally you get to speak to someone who actually understands you and can join in the conversation at an even higher level. These people want you to take your knowledge to new heights at Oxford, with their encouragement. Take the helping hand they are wanting to give you, and don't be scared. Don't forget these same, self assured people will once have been spotty 17 year olds who knew a lot for their age, but not enough to be a professor. That takes time, but like them, you can get there. You have to be the type who wants to find out more, constantly.
Don't let the "grandeur" of the situation take over you, or you may panic and switch off. Whatever you do, don't do that, because once you lose your thread, that's not good. You need to concentrate and be mentally "present" at all times
There are tried and tested techniques, that you should know about. All the successful chapter writers from Oxford Demystified use them. The tutors are also looking for exactly the same behaviour.
All agree that mindset and knowing how to go about interviews is vital. It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o0r9unT4L4
My favourite quote comes from my son, A. He says "Someone has to get in, and it might as well be me". A lot of people have found great comfort in this simple saying
Very few people who get into Oxford and Cambridge are geniuses. In fact, I have only known one. So don't go into the interview thinking that you are going to dazzle them with your amazing knowledge. It may be like my younger son, who said his medical interview at Oriel was..
"the hardest b****y interview in the whole of Oxford". He said the ice breaker question was OK but then he "proceeded to make a fool of myself".
Let's look at the iconic Miss Varz. She had been at LMH all year. As a foundation year candidate, she had been taken on with Bs at A level, but she had been prepared for the interviews all year. Here she is talking about her interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLvt3UMn2r0
"It was horrible, I was crying". She was told after the interview that she had done really well, but didn't think so at the time!!
The tutors are having to choose between some excellent candidates. It can't by definition, be a walk in the park. Plus they are actually testing how you think and more specifically how you think about new concepts you have never met during your school work. They also want to look at teachable people, who respect them and "want to learn".
They may give you an extract or two to study. Print it out and look carefully at interesting points and think about how you could interpret the text. and any evidence to back up your views. It's really important to concentrate at this point. If you see a point and you have two opposing views about it, even better. Oxford is looking for someone who can not just read, but read between the lines.
The interview will take the form of a tutorial so this is what your Oxford life will be like. The tutors will ask you to discuss a point, then they will keep drawing you out, so you start thinking for yourself. You need to constantly question everything. It's all about critical thinking.
Don't try to be someone you are not. They wanted to interview you, not some fancy version of you, which would come across as fake anyway.
There will be a minority of you who will be a bit arrogant. You may think the interviews are easy, or boring. These are the types who don't get in.
On the other hand, you may surprise yourself and get in despite what you would consider to be a "handicap" of a failing school or a lack of a trust fund. All you need is natural intelligence and keenness and you may have this already. Take the story of the tortoise and the hare:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUngzUtFr7Q
You may be overawed by the interviewers. You may be scared of offending them, or think it's impolite to argue with such eminent people. Yet the opposite is true. What they don't want is someone who just sits there like a lemon, especially in a law interview. A law student friend of mine said the law interview was more about logic than anything. You don't need to have read great tomes of law theory, you need to use your common sense and give reasons behind what you say. It doesn't matter if you disagree with them, as long as you can make a decent point. If you can give examples, (especially from the given text) and evidence, then that's great. It should be challenging but interesting.
Another thing you should not do is jump straight in with an answer. They do not expect to answer you straight away. My son used to look at a certain point in the room whilst he was thinking. At the interview it was a map of Germany on the wall behind the interviewer. Listen carefully to the question. If you don't know a word and want it explaining, then be like my son and ask. If you start answering a question but you've made a mistake and have recognised it, ask the tutors if you can start again. They will actually be pleased, because you have recognised where you have gone wrong: you are intellectually self aware.
It is important to let the tutors know what you are thinking, as this is what may get you your place. Someone asked me to explain this.
Have you ever seen those posh clocks and watches, where you can see the insides of the clock? You can see all the cogs whirring round. Well Oxford wants to see your cogs whirring round too. You may get arrested if you start talking to yourself in the street, but in an Oxford interview it's a positive asset!! Think in stages. Say a statement, then try and take it further. The tutors will encourage you in this. now and then they may lead you in a certain direction. They may give you little hints and clues about the direction you need to go in. Take that hint from them and develop your thoughts along these lines. It will make the convo a lot more interesting, for you and them.
Often you will give wrong answers. One Univ candidate was asked about a puzzle. Later when she got back home, she looked up the answer and she had got it completely wrong. Bang goes my place she thought, but... not so!! Not only that but she came top in her preliminary year. They just liked the way she thought. Tutors are really academically open minded, and you might inadvertently say something even they hadn't anticipated.
All I have left to say is just go and do your best. That's all we can ask of you and I am proud of each and every one of you.
Good luck from OM and Woshette xx
@RooWennink
@Gucclank
@ltxleo188
@lxf03
@byronic2907
@Bazinger
@Ryuvision
@a_kg
@ziqzaczuck
@cflau_
@venom19
@lilyeaton1
@Pang13
@XSH
@casabonita
@IJAmadeus
@Debs25
@hmussa1
@s_arah
@So sad
@turna127
@lauraeleanor.x
@soggyomelette
Pink Woshette is waving her magic wand
Swish, Swish Swishety Swish.
She is praying for all those who have interviews, and those who are still waiting for interviews
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/02...g?v=1599514224
The last time she did this, Dobbo got an interview invite about 10 minutes later, so here's hoping, for you all
Many of you will have got interview invites by now and I have had many comments so far. They are along the lines of
OMG I'm not good enough
OMG my bedroom's a tip and they'll see it
OMG what will they think of my clothes/piercings/hairstyle etc etc
OMG what if I fail at the last hurdle
OMG these tutors are going to think I'm stupid
OMG I will make a fool of myself
OMG this means so much to me, I don't know what I'll do if I don't get in
OMG I didn't go to a top public school and they are better prepared
OMG I'm really not the Oxford type and they will see through me
OMG what will my parents/Aunty Jean/next door's budgie think of me if I don't get in
STOP IT WITH THE OMGs! It isn't helping you! First, "chillax"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU
How can you prepare? Well, they are going to ask you questions you won't know the answers to, so you can't really. If you want some sample questions, click on the link below
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/sho....php?t=6100480
Go to the subject you are interviewing for, click on the link and go down to where I have posted the sample interview questions. There should be more than enough to keep you going before the interviews. Also look at my chapter 3 "making your application" and that contains some handy hints about interviews.
Print out your personal statement and go over it before the interview. Make sure you remember exactly what is in it. Opinions are divided as to whether or not they will ask you a question about it, but better to be safe than sorry.
Make sure you have some comfortable clothes to wear. If you feel better in a suit, then fine. It depends on the individual.
What I really like is that Oxford tutors are NOT superficial. They do not care if you are not a supermodel. They do not care what race, religion you are etc. All they care about is your brain and what is in it. All our brains look identical, so you start with an identical chance of getting in.
Make sure your technology works. Do a dry run with friends/family. Make sure you are somewhere quiet without distractions.
Your mindset can make a massive difference in whether you get a place or not, so let's start being positive. All the OMG statements up there are negative, and I want to get you in a positive state of mind.
First, even getting as far as an interview is a kind of celebration. By giving you an invite, they are saying that you are good enough for their course. The rest is up to you. Now you all have a 1 in 3 chance of getting that coveted place at Oxford. Every week, people play the lottery for much worse odds than that, and yet they still hope!
You are the chosen ones. Why have they chosen you? Because you show promise. Because, they find you interesting. Because, in the words of the L'Oreal advert "you're worth it". They have a lot of experience choosing worthy candidates, so please don't doubt yourself at this point.
They are not scary people. They are not there to catch you out. They are wanting to give you a chance to go to one of the greatest unis in the world. They will be looking forward to meeting you as much as you are looking forward (or dreading) meeting them. They are used to people being nervous around them. Even if they challenge you, don't forget they are nice people (and interviewees often agree that they were nice)
Just think of it as having a conversation with a couple of adults about something you love to talk about. I bet that if you try to talk about your specialist subject at school with your mates, they think you are slightly obsessed. I know that A's school peers just wanted to talk about football at the time. Really you feel like a square peg in a round hole! Well now, finally you get to speak to someone who actually understands you and can join in the conversation at an even higher level. These people want you to take your knowledge to new heights at Oxford, with their encouragement. Take the helping hand they are wanting to give you, and don't be scared. Don't forget these same, self assured people will once have been spotty 17 year olds who knew a lot for their age, but not enough to be a professor. That takes time, but like them, you can get there. You have to be the type who wants to find out more, constantly.
Don't let the "grandeur" of the situation take over you, or you may panic and switch off. Whatever you do, don't do that, because once you lose your thread, that's not good. You need to concentrate and be mentally "present" at all times
There are tried and tested techniques, that you should know about. All the successful chapter writers from Oxford Demystified use them. The tutors are also looking for exactly the same behaviour.
All agree that mindset and knowing how to go about interviews is vital. It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o0r9unT4L4
My favourite quote comes from my son, A. He says "Someone has to get in, and it might as well be me". A lot of people have found great comfort in this simple saying
Very few people who get into Oxford and Cambridge are geniuses. In fact, I have only known one. So don't go into the interview thinking that you are going to dazzle them with your amazing knowledge. It may be like my younger son, who said his medical interview at Oriel was..
"the hardest b****y interview in the whole of Oxford". He said the ice breaker question was OK but then he "proceeded to make a fool of myself".
Let's look at the iconic Miss Varz. She had been at LMH all year. As a foundation year candidate, she had been taken on with Bs at A level, but she had been prepared for the interviews all year. Here she is talking about her interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLvt3UMn2r0
"It was horrible, I was crying". She was told after the interview that she had done really well, but didn't think so at the time!!
The tutors are having to choose between some excellent candidates. It can't by definition, be a walk in the park. Plus they are actually testing how you think and more specifically how you think about new concepts you have never met during your school work. They also want to look at teachable people, who respect them and "want to learn".
They may give you an extract or two to study. Print it out and look carefully at interesting points and think about how you could interpret the text. and any evidence to back up your views. It's really important to concentrate at this point. If you see a point and you have two opposing views about it, even better. Oxford is looking for someone who can not just read, but read between the lines.
The interview will take the form of a tutorial so this is what your Oxford life will be like. The tutors will ask you to discuss a point, then they will keep drawing you out, so you start thinking for yourself. You need to constantly question everything. It's all about critical thinking.
Don't try to be someone you are not. They wanted to interview you, not some fancy version of you, which would come across as fake anyway.
There will be a minority of you who will be a bit arrogant. You may think the interviews are easy, or boring. These are the types who don't get in.
On the other hand, you may surprise yourself and get in despite what you would consider to be a "handicap" of a failing school or a lack of a trust fund. All you need is natural intelligence and keenness and you may have this already. Take the story of the tortoise and the hare:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUngzUtFr7Q
You may be overawed by the interviewers. You may be scared of offending them, or think it's impolite to argue with such eminent people. Yet the opposite is true. What they don't want is someone who just sits there like a lemon, especially in a law interview. A law student friend of mine said the law interview was more about logic than anything. You don't need to have read great tomes of law theory, you need to use your common sense and give reasons behind what you say. It doesn't matter if you disagree with them, as long as you can make a decent point. If you can give examples, (especially from the given text) and evidence, then that's great. It should be challenging but interesting.
Another thing you should not do is jump straight in with an answer. They do not expect to answer you straight away. My son used to look at a certain point in the room whilst he was thinking. At the interview it was a map of Germany on the wall behind the interviewer. Listen carefully to the question. If you don't know a word and want it explaining, then be like my son and ask. If you start answering a question but you've made a mistake and have recognised it, ask the tutors if you can start again. They will actually be pleased, because you have recognised where you have gone wrong: you are intellectually self aware.
It is important to let the tutors know what you are thinking, as this is what may get you your place. Someone asked me to explain this.
Have you ever seen those posh clocks and watches, where you can see the insides of the clock? You can see all the cogs whirring round. Well Oxford wants to see your cogs whirring round too. You may get arrested if you start talking to yourself in the street, but in an Oxford interview it's a positive asset!! Think in stages. Say a statement, then try and take it further. The tutors will encourage you in this. now and then they may lead you in a certain direction. They may give you little hints and clues about the direction you need to go in. Take that hint from them and develop your thoughts along these lines. It will make the convo a lot more interesting, for you and them.
Often you will give wrong answers. One Univ candidate was asked about a puzzle. Later when she got back home, she looked up the answer and she had got it completely wrong. Bang goes my place she thought, but... not so!! Not only that but she came top in her preliminary year. They just liked the way she thought. Tutors are really academically open minded, and you might inadvertently say something even they hadn't anticipated.
All I have left to say is just go and do your best. That's all we can ask of you and I am proud of each and every one of you.
Good luck from OM and Woshette xx
@RooWennink
@Gucclank
@ltxleo188
@lxf03
@byronic2907
@Bazinger
@Ryuvision
@a_kg
@ziqzaczuck
@cflau_
@venom19
@lilyeaton1
@Pang13
@XSH
@casabonita
@IJAmadeus
@Debs25
@hmussa1
@s_arah
@So sad
@turna127
@lauraeleanor.x
@soggyomelette
Thank you so much for this! Nobody in my family has gone to university so it's quite a nice feeling to have a (Oxford) mum give university advice 🥰
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