Interviews Guide 2010

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s a t o x f o r d

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This booklet aims to explain Oxford interviews and

the part they play in the selection procedure for

undergraduate courses. Please remember that the

interview is just one aspect of your application, as

tutors will also consider your:

n examination results,

n predicted grades,

n personal statement,

n academic reference, and

n admissions tests or written work, if they are

required for your subject.

This booklet also gives advice on how you canprepare for your interview, so that you will be

able to do your best.

If you have any further general questions

about your interview, please contact the

Undergraduate Admissions Office. You can find

contact details on the back cover of this booklet.

If you have been invited to an interview, and

have any questions, please contact the college

that has invited you. You can find their contact

details on any letter that they have sent to you,

or at www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/colleges.

applcn h dbleStudents with disabilities should inform their

college of any particular requirements well in

advance of their interview, so that any appropriate

arrangements can be made. Please also refer to

www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/guides for furtherinformation on sources of support that will be

available to you.

Interviews at Oxford

interviews at oxford



For details of how to apply to Oxford, please see

www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/apply. The deadline

for applications is 15 October. Please note that

several subjects require you to sit a written test

as part of your application and/or to submit

written work. To make sure that you can prepare

in good time and register for any tests that may

be required, please do check the details for your

subject at www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/courses.

shrlngMany excellent candidates apply each year,

and most of them have a good personal

statement and a glowing reference and are

predicted top grades. With so many applications

for each place at Oxford, it isn’t possible to

interview everyone. Tutors review each UCAS

application, along with any written test or written

work required for the subject, and then decide

on a shortlist of candidates who will be invited

to interview.

For some courses, over 90% of candidates

Applying to Oxford

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international students, please check

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are shortlisted. In other subjects, particularly

those that are most heavily oversubscribed, a

smaller proportion of candidates will be shortlisted

– in some cases, less than 50%. Sadly, this does

mean that some candidates will be disappointed,

as their applications will not be considered beyond

the shortlisting stage. However, shortlisting means

that those candidates who have been identified

as having the strongest ability and potential may

have more than one interview, increasingly at

more than one college.

G r e g S m o l o n

s k i

interviews at oxford | 1



Before your interview

Towards the end of November or in early December you will receive an email or a letter indicating whether

or not you have been invited for interview. If you have

been invited, the letter will include practical details of

your interview and further information.

Please note that you will probably be interviewed

at the college to which you applied, or the college

to which you were allocated, if you made an open

application. However, in some cases your application

may be referred to another college. This can happen if

a college is significantly oversubscribed for your subject

that year, and will be made clear in the letter inviting

you to interview.

In some subjects all candidates will automatically be

interviewed at a second college. For other subjects, you

may be offered the opportunity to have an interview

at a second or even a third college. This does not

necessarily mean that you will not be offered a place at

the first college.

Hve i been hrled?

d JublL

A couple of hours before my interview I was given part of a House

of Lords judgement on a homicide trial to read and analyse. The

interview was focused on the text in hand, which then provided a

springboard for wider discussion.

The questions were initially fairly subjective. I was asked to give

my own denition of manslaughter (based on what I’d just readin the judgement) and examples of different situations in which

the offence may be committed. We then moved on to the policy

behind the charge in question: the justication of holding liable for

manslaughter someone who had prepared a syringe of drugs for

the victim, but had not administered it. I was encouraged to use

analogies from everyday life to explain my reasoning, and I really

felt the tutors were keen not only to assess how I thought but also

to ensure I enjoyed the experience.

The interview was very well structured, which enabled me to

organise my thoughts and evaluate to the best of my ability. The

teaching style at Oxford is about exploring and testing ideas and

theories: the best advice I can give is to think every thought out

loud, which will show your analytical process, and allow you to

benet from a debate with leading academics.

2 | interviews at oxford

N a s i r H a m i d



H cn i prepre?We recommend that you:

n think about the obvious questions that are

often asked at the beginning of an interview to

help you settle down, and think how you might

answer them. Think specically about why you

want to study at Oxford and why have you

chosen this particular subject.

n read widely around your chosen subject,

including newspaper articles, websites, journals,

magazines and other publications that relate to your subject.

n take a critical view of ideas and arguments that

you encounter at school or college, or in the

media – think about all sides of any debate.

n be prepared to show some background

knowledge of the subject, if you are applying

for a course not normally studied at school or

college, such as Medicine, Law, Biochemistry

or Oriental Studies. However, you will not beexpected to have a detailed understanding of

specic or technical topics. For example, you

may be asked what role your subject plays in

P HckGgphy

For my rst interview I had to analyse an article on Easter

Island, and give my opinions on some of the main arguments

within it. I then got asked about the two pieces of work I had

submitted before the interview, and nished with discussing an

aerial photograph of a volcano.

In my second interview, I was grilled about my AS-level

coursework, which led into a wider discussion about economics

– I had to think on my feet; using my own knowledge as

opposed to things I had learned in school.

Although I found the interviews daunting, I really enjoyed

them; they denitely helped me to improve my condence

and my ability to express myself. I would say it’s best to relax,and don’t pretend to be somebody you’re not: after all the

interviews are designed to let tutors learn about who you are!

Just be as enthusiastic as possible, and never be afraid to take

your time to think over the answer to a question.

society and how you came to be interested in it.

For these subjects, the topics for discussion are

likely to allow you to demonstrate the skills

needed by an undergraduate: the ability to use

information to construct your own opinions,

the willingness and ability to analyse and, in

the sciences and mathematics, facility in

problem-solving.

n re-read any written work that you have submitted,

and think about how you might expand on what you wrote.

n re-read your personal statement.

n organise a practice interview for yourself. This

could be with a teacher or someone else who

is familiar with your subject, but preferably not

someone you know very well. This will help you

to get some more experience of talking

about yourself and your work in an unfamiliar

environment.

n remind yourself of the selection criteria for your

chosen subject. These criteria can be found at

www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/courses/criteria.shtml .




For details of how

to get

to Oxford and

how to find

your college,

please see our

website:

www.ox.ac.uk/aboutoxford/maps .

Interviews in Oxford take place in December,

after the end of term, when many of our current

students will have returned home for Christmas.

However, each college makes sure that thereare plenty of undergraduates around to provide

information and to help candidates find their way

around. These undergraduates will have recently

experienced the interview process themselves,

and are very well placed to help and advise you.

What to wear andwhat to bring

Please wear whatever clothes you feel

comfortable in – and remember that it can be

very cold in December, so bring something warm.

Most tutors will not dress formally, and it is not

necessary for you to do so.

We recommend that you bring copies of any

written work you have submitted, and a copy of

your personal statement, as tutors may refer to

these during your interview.It’s a good idea to bring a book with you

or some school or college work to do, as you will

only spend a relatively small amount of your time

in Oxford actually in interviews or taking tests.

There will also be plenty of opportunity

to spend time with other interview candidates

as well as current undergraduates.

You will need to bring your own personal

items such as toiletries, but your accommodation

and meals will be provided free-of-charge bythe college. It is advisable that you bring a mobile

telephone, along with its charger, so that the college

can contact you, if they need to.

Finding your waya KllBchmy (Mlcul

Cllul)

I had two interviews; the rst was at the

college that had originally invited me for

interview and the second was at a different

college, both taking place on the same day.

I was asked why I had chosen Biochemistry

and not Medicine, because in my personal

statement I said I wanted to work on the

medicinal aspect of biochemistry, but all

other questions were subject-orientated: I

was asked to identify a few compounds and

functional groups from a handout and wediscussed their chemistry and purpose in

metabolic processes.

I felt very comfortable during the

interviews; they were more of a discussion

than question-and-answer. The interviewers

were friendly and I felt they wanted me to

be comfortable while talking. There aren’t

necessarily any right or wrong answers: you

are essentially answering questions based

on what you currently know. Some help and

hints are given if you get something wrong

and you are always asked to explain your

thinking behind your answer.


J a m e s W h i t a k e r



wh ll nerve yuInterviews in Oxford will be conducted by experts

in an aspect of the degree course for which you are

applying. You may be interviewed by two or more

tutors at a time. If you are applying for a joint course,

with two or more subjects, you should expect to

be interviewed by tutors representing each of the

subjects.

wh expec n he nerve,r nerve

Tutors want you to be yourself in the interview, and

to allow you to demonstrate your skills and abilities.

They will probably ask you a few simple questions to

begin with to help you feel at ease.

They will then move on to questions about your

subject, and questions that will help them to assess

your suitability to study at Oxford. It is quite likely,

especially in arts subjects, that you will be asked toanswer questions about a short piece of text. You

will be given the chance to read the passage carefully

before the interview, and will be advised if there is

anything particular on which you need to focus.You may be asked factual questions, especially

in science subjects. The basis for this discussion

will probably include the subjects you are currently

studying at school or college; for courses that

require written work, this may also be used.

However, you may also be offered opportunities

to show whether you have read around the subject

and to demonstrate your interest beyond your

school or college syllabus.In many ways, your interview will be like a

mini tutorial. If you don’t know the answer to a

question, you may wish to explain that you haven’t

covered that topic yet, but do try to work out the

answer if you can. Allow the tutors to guide you,

if necessary, and ask if you don’t understand a

question. Many questions are designed to test

your ability to apply logic and reason to an idea

you may never have encountered before. The

questions may seem difficult, but don’t worry:this does not necessarily mean that the interview is

going badly. The tutor will be seeking to stretch you

in order to assess your potential.

At your interview

Jck Hyeh scc (Glgy)

For Earth Sciences, all the interviews are held in the

department instead of the college. I had one interview

with the college I applied to and another interview with

a second assigned college. I really enjoyed meeting the

student helpers and the other candidates – the student

helpers really made me feel welcome and I knew they’d

be happy to help if I had any problems.

My interviews were remarkably similar to the tutorials

I’m having now, and just as enjoyable. The tutors used a

piece of evidence to start a discussion between us and

asked me to comment on various things. At one stage

they began to question what I thought on one point, andI explained it thoroughly so they could see how I came to

that conclusion. The tutors are far more interested in how

you think rather than in what you know, so they can see

if the tutorial system is going to benet you.




The interview is designed

to assess your academic

abilities and, most importantly,

your academic potential. It

provides tutors with a valuable

opportunity to assess your

potential beyond your written

record. The interview allows them to evaluate your

understanding of and aptitude for your subject, and

to give you the opportunity to explain why you are

committed to studying it. Tutors make their decisions

based on your academic abilities and potential,not your manners or etiquette, appearance or

background.

wh ur re lkng r?A good deal of the teaching in an Oxford college

takes place in small classes or tutorials, and your

interviewers – who may be your future tutors – are

assessing your ability to study, think and learn. This

depends both on how carefully you listen to questions

and how sensibly you answer them. Clarity, and

concise and relevant arguments are all-important.

Tutors are looking for your self-motivation and

enthusiasm for your subject. They are looking for

evidence that you are thinking independently, that

you are willing to engage with new ideas, beyond the

scope of your school or college syllabus, and

that you are committed to your subject.

are here rgh r rng ner?Interviewers are not going to ask you trick questions,

but many of the topics you will cover do not have

simple ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers. The questions

are designed to encourage you to think for yourself

and develop an argument. Be yourself and ask for

help if you need it.

Interviewers are not trying to make you feel

ignorant or catch you out. They are looking for

evidence of how well you can explain what you do

know, and whether you can think your way through

a new problem or argue your position. If you don’t

understand something, do just ask.

Purpose of the interviewJ dMhmc

I spent four days in Oxford and had four

interviews in total. For Maths, everyonehas two at the college they chose (or

were allocated), and one at an assigned

second college. My second college then

invited me back for another interview, and

subsequently made me an offer.

The problems I was given got

progressively harder, but the tutors steered

me through them. The content of the

questions was from A-level, but I found

myself applying my knowledge in differentways. I was also able to nd out rst-hand

how tutorials work, because working

through problems and justifying your ideas

is exactly what you do on the course.

I also met a really nice group of people

in my fellow applicants – and we went

into Oxford together to explore, which

was a great chance to get a feel for what

it would be like living in the city! I verymuch enjoyed my interview experience,

and when I received my offer I knew that

Oxford was for me.




are exr-currculr cve kenn ccun?

Please remember that tutors make their decisionsbased on your academic abilities and potential:

extra-curricular activities do not form part

of the selection criteria in any subject. However,

they may ask a question or two about extra-

curricular activities which you have mentioned in

your personal statement, particularly at the start

of the interview, as you are settling in. They may

ask you why you enjoy a particular activity and

what you have learnt from it. They may also be

interested in how you have balanced your time

between studies and other activities.

Yur quenAt the end of the interview you may be given the

chance to ask your own questions. This is not the

place for in-depth discussion of the course syllabus

or other details, as you should have explored the

course information before you applied. However,

it is the time to ask about any points about your

own academic work, or perhaps about one of the

questions you were asked in the interview. G r e g S m o l o n s k i

Mh HmHy

My two interviews were each with two history tutors and I

was given passages to look at beforehand, on areas of history

which I’d never studied before. The questions were challenging,exploring my understanding of the sources and asking me to

criticise them and then expand my answers further.

The tutors also talked about my personal statement and

the essay I had to submit as part of my application. I’d written

about literature in my personal statement and I was asked

general questions about how this could be viewed as historical

sources. I was also asked about an aspect of my essay that I

had never really thought about before.

All the tutors appreciated that I would be nervous and did

all they could to try and ease my nerves at the beginning of the interview. Try to enjoy your time in Oxford: you will feel

more relaxed in the discussion, which will help you to think

more clearly.




Colleges will inform

candidates of their

decision by the middle

of January. The letter

you will receive will

explain one of three

things:

n You have been made an offer of a place to study

your subject at a particular college. If you havealready completed your examinations, this offer

will probably be unconditional. If you have not

yet nished your nal examinations, the offer

will be conditional upon your achieving certain

grades, usually AAA at A-level, or equivalent

qualications. The offer may specify that you

need to achieve certain grades in particular

subjects and may include a requirement for

evidence of prociency in the English language,

if English is not your rst language.

n You have been made an ‘open offer’, which

means that you have an offer from Oxford

and are guaranteed a place if you meet the

conditions. However, the college you will go

to has not yet been specied, and will not be

decided until after your nal examination results

have been published.

n Your application has, unfortunately, not been

successful.

For many applicants who have, until now, been

the most academically successful in their school orcollege, it can be very dispiriting not to get an offer.

In recent years, over 75% of those who applied did

not get an offer.

However, almost all applicants who do not get

an offer from Oxford will go on to study at other

excellent universities if they have made their UCAS

choices wisely. Many students then opt to apply

to Oxford for further study after completing their

first degree elsewhere. We often see candidates

who were unsuccessful in their undergraduate

applications making successful applications for

graduate study here.

The result

Hh PhllpChmy

I had two interviews – one based on inorganic chemistry,

physical chemistry and maths, and the other on organic

chemistry. They were both at the same college and all of the

interviewers were from the Chemistry department.

I did not expect the rst interview to comprise of mainly

maths, but now I realise that maths is a large part of the

course in the rst year. It was only in my second interview

that I was asked non subject specic questions; one was

about my personal statement, so make sure to take a copy

with you! During my second interview I also worked through

a sheet of questions, with help from the interviewer.

The interviews were very similar to my tutorials now,so they give you an idea of how you will be taught. I was

more relaxed in my second interview which is probably why

I enjoyed it much more, leaving with a smile on my face! By

then I was glad of the experience whatever the outcome.




admn inrmn CenreWe have an Admissions Information Centre,

the , on Little Clarendon Street,

usually open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday,

which is a good first port of call for potential

applicants and their parents and carers. At the

you can pick up copies of the

prospectus, individual subject brochures and all

other leaflets relating to undergraduate study atOxford. There are also staff on hand to provide

advice and to answer any questions. If you are

not able to visit us in person, you can call or email

or write to us instead. Contact details can be

found on the back cover of this booklet.

www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/admissionsi

PdcFind out for yourself what Oxford University

is all about by listening to our podcasts. Be a

fly on the wall when Mike Nicholson, Oxford’s

Director of Undergraduate Admissions, chats

with students and staff from around the

University about how best to prepare for the

Oxford interview, as well as about courses,

colleges, student finance, and what to include

in your application. Download and listen to

whole episodes, or select taster clips from

each episode.

www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/podcasts

tune UOur podcasts are also available on the

University’s site on iTunes U, along with lectures,

interviews and short films about life at Oxford.

They can be listened to online or downloaded

to a mobile device.

http://itunes.ox.ac.uk

smple nerveYou can find example questions from interviews,

including video clips of academic discussions with

our tutors, on our website.

www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/interviews

Finding out more

J a m e s W h i t a k e r



Produced by the University of Oxford Public Affairs Directorate

Photographs: Rob Judges (except where indicated) 0 3 1 0

Undergraduate Admissions Office

University Offices

Wellington SquareOxford OX1 2JD

Tel: 01865 288000

Fax: 01865 280125

Email: [email protected]

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Interviews Guide 2010