Essential Tips for Oxbridge Interviews

Fingers crossed…for the arrival of your invitation to interview

As December approaches, news on whether students have reached the interview stage will arrive shortly. Don’t worry if you haven’t yet received your Oxford or Cambridge interview dates yet, as the Universities will let you know either way. If you still haven’t received anything by the beginning of December, perhaps get in touch with your College to put you at ease.

The run-up to your interview

This is the final hurdle in the application process and the culmination of all your hard work this year. It is perfectly natural to feel nervous as this is perhaps the first serious interview you have ever had and, unlike other nerve-wracking events in your life, imagining your interviewer naked or consoling yourself with the thought that they are just as scared as you are is unlikely to help.

Nerves are your friends

Nerves, however, can serve you well and be useful! Any Medic or Biologist can tell you that the adrenaline pumping through your body makes your mind work faster to process ideas and fish out, from the recesses of your mind, relevant pieces of information and pertinent examples. The historians amongst you will be able to reel off acts of bravery and resourcefulness that have resulted from leaders being subjected to great stress and anthropologists might explain to you exactly how and why this reaction developed over the millennia. Just remember – nerves are your friends. The key – as with all friends – is not to let them rule your head.

A masterful approach to your interview

A good exercise is to consider why Oxford and Cambridge interview. This will not only give you a good idea of what your interviewers may be looking for but also how you can adjust your behaviour to show these qualities. The interview period is costly and time-consuming for the colleges and you can bet your bottom dollar that, just as you would rather be at home eating mince pies and Christmas cake, so would your interviewer.

Cambridge and Oxford interview partly because of the unique way in which they teach their students. It’s really important that their students respond well to one on one teaching and that they are willing to try out new ideas, work with new information and carry on unfazed if they make mistakes or have to ask for help in their answers. Unless you can demonstrate that you are going to be a good student, they cannot offer you a place.

Things to remember about interviewers

They are not looking for someone with all the answers. You should know your A level or IB syllabus and what you’ve written on your personal statement, but there are still going to be gaps in your knowledge.

If your interviewer asks you a tricky question, they are not trying to catch you out, but rather they are offering you the scope to show what you can do. It’s worth continuing to think about what the interviewer is wanting from you at an interview. Try talking about it with your friends who may also be going for an interview in different subjects. Then try to get as much subject-specific interview practice as you can, putting what you’ve thought about into practice.

Remember, the Admissions Tutors want to see that you are right for the course for which you are applying. Ensure you understand the course and that your answers illustrate your understanding of the complexity of questions in light of the course.

On the day of the interview

You should be feeling rested, clear-headed and confident. In other words, you should have done all your preparation in good time so that you can get a few good nights’ sleep before the interview. Interviews are not the time to take advantage of cheap drinks’ prices. Ever hear of a guy who got really drunk at interviews, got into trouble at College and got made an offer? No, us neither.

Some common questions

Have a look at our tried and tested checklist and, hopefully, it will help you to feel confident and excited about the prospect of your Oxbridge interview:

1) What should I wear?

It’s important to be smart but comfortable, you aren’t attending a job interview so there isn’t a need to wear a suit and you’ll find that Oxbridge tutors rarely do. Recommendations for boys include a smart pair of trousers and an ironed shirt (you want to look smart, not just out of bed!). Girls can opt for a professional top with a skirt or trousers or choose a smart dress. Ensure both the dress and skirt aren’t too short, especially when it comes to sitting down.

It’s a good idea to remove your jewellery as this might rattle or jingle when you move your hands and it helps to remove the temptation to play around it, especially when you’re nervous. Tying your hair back can also help to remove potential temptation to play with it during your interview. The golden rule, however, is that you should feel comfortable, and admissions tutors are not judging your clothing.

2) How do I find my way around?

If you are attending an in-person interview, remember that Oxbridge colleges can resemble rabbit warrens to the outsider. Your interviewer’s room could be in the basement, in another building, up an unpromising flight of stairs or even on a different site. It’s worth finding out where you are going before your interview – maybe even the day before – so that you don’t run the risk of showing up late. You can speak to the porters, who will be very happy to point you in the right direction should you get lost.

3) How should I sit at the interview?

Beware of squishy sofas! There’s nothing worse than sinking deep into them and being forced to look up at your interviewer from a rather unflattering angle. You should be sitting leaning slightly forward, facing your interviewer, on the hard part of the seat. Even if what you are saying is brilliant, if you are slumped or sprawled across an armchair, you won’t be able to establish the rapport and the atmosphere that you want. Be comfortable but formal and as poised as you can possibly be.

If you are having an online interview, then try to sit in a way that communicates a front-footed and curious person, rather than a slumped, slouchy one. Try to get more than your head into the video frame to build rapport, and make sure you are well lit, and that your connection and video/microphone are of good quality to avoid being a barrier between you and the interviewer.

4) Who do I look at during the interview?

There may be more than one person in your interview for Oxford and Cambridge. This might be because it is a panel interview, with more than one person asking you the questions or there may be someone, usually a graduate student, taking notes in the corner. In both cases, you should address the person who asked you the questions, but also glance across to the other interviewers to include them in your answer. Play it by ear and ensure that you are a polite and formal version of yourself.

Again, online interviews are tricky for eye contact. It is a good idea to try and have your interviewer’s faces near-ish to your camera on the screen, so that you will seem to look as closely ‘at’ them as possible. The opposite to this would be to have your camera on one monitor, then your interviewer’s faces on a monitor to the side, which can feel indirect and make communication harder to achieve. You can also use the camera in the opening of your interview to give more direct eye contact and establish a connection with the interviewers .

5) Should I try to be funny?

There is a balance to draw here, as with everything. It’s not the time to rehearse your material for a stand-up appearance, but there’s no reason to avoid lighter comments or laughter when appropriate. After all, these people may be teaching you personally, and being a lively and fun person to have as a student is always an attractive prospect. The key thing however is to use the interview time to show off your academic potential – you should also be sure that you are answering the question you are asked. Don’t waffle on for ages if you’re asked how your journey was – this is really just an ice-breaker. At the same time don’t always answer with just a couple of words – it won’t make the conversation flow and the interviewer will find it very hard work.

6) How can I justify my answers?

You need to give good, pertinent examples to back up your claims. You could try making a spider diagram of everything that you’ve read and everything you have seen in the news recently and thinking about the complexities in all of the issues. It would be a real shame to not mention some extra reading you had done because you weren’t thinking properly and used a basic example instead of a rather good one. At the same time, you shouldn’t mention your reading just for the sake of it. It needs to come in naturally. Also, examples could take the form of general observations or personal experiences and anecdotes – they don’t need to be only the examples used in scholarly works.

7) What impression do I give?

The aim of your interview is to demonstrate that you are an applicant who is passionate and dedicated to your subject, open-minded and intelligent with an eagerness to expand your knowledge and make the most of your time at Oxford and Cambridge. If you aren’t getting this across in your interview, you need to rethink your approach and consider why and what you can do to share your interest and enthusiasm for your chosen subject and show the Admissions Tutors you are dedicated to further learning.