Mumsnet Talk

So ds has been invited for interview by some of his university choices. Does anyone have any advice on dress code? He is applying for a science degree. I was thinking chinos, collared shirt and proper shoes (y'know, black lace-ups, not Converse!). One of his friends is applying for medicine and is going down the suit route, but I'm not sure this is entirely necessary for ds. All advice is much appreciated!

I think pretty much everyone wore a suit when I interviewed for uni (Oxford, maths)

DS1 wore black pants, a white shirt under a black jumper and proper shoes when he went for an interview at Cambridge. He was offered a place.

DS's had interviews at Cambridge and Oxford respectively (neither got places by the way).
Neither of them even owned a suit at this time, but just wore smart trousers, shirt, jumper and black shoes. Both looked smart.
DS2 spent 2 nights in Oxford for his interviews so was fully aware of what others were wearing and he said some boys had suits, but most were like him and just dressed smartly.

The interview is at a RG university, not Oxbridge, so it sounds like we're on the right track with the smart-but-not-suit attire!

Wearing a suit would have made DS feel really self conscious and wouldn't have helped his nerves at the interview.

Good luck to your DS

No one wears suits to Oxbridge interviews any longer - often not even the interviewers.

Collared shirt, clean dark jeans, cords or chinos, warm plain jumper because it gets cold. A tailored jacket if he thinks it'll help him feel more grown-up and confident. Shoes almost immaterial, as long as they don't smell. Business casual, basically, so you look neat and don't distract from the task in hand, but feel comfortable.

Ds was interviewed at Oxford (maths) last year. He went smart casual (with the emphasis more on the casual than smart, due to wardrobe limitations) and said there were a few there in suits but most weren't. I doubt what you wear has any influence on getting an offer these days, other than psychological effect of feeling smart.

Thanks all, this is really helpful

It's also important he wears clothes in which he feels comfortable so he is thinking about the conversation he is having and not his new shoes/stiff collar etc.

DS last year wore clean jeans, checked shirt and newish converses at Cambridge and got an offer. I am quite sure that the clothes were immaterial!

I can't even remember what my son wore to his Oxford interview - actually, I wouldn't know, given that he was there for two or three nights and could have pulled out any combo from the small selection he had with him. Anyway, he got an offer, so it can't have put them off! He didn't possess a suit. I think he wore his school shoes which were lace-ups but not shiny, city shoes. He definitely didn't wear a tie or jacket.

Good luck to all interviewees!

I was hugely surprised to find out that DS1 needed a suit for Medicine interviews last year. But he did. He didn't really want to wear one but capitulated under pressure when his very streetwise Biology teacher said he'd be a fool to go dressed otherwise. He got the offers he wanted.

On the other hand the three DDs all went to interviews for Humanities subjects in pretty laid back colourful High St. stuff. They all looked good and all got the offer they wanted too, but were way more casual than DS.

Clearly it varies. I'd certainly be very careful for Medicine.

I am really sure the interviewers couldn't give a flying fuck.

But if everyone else is smarter than you, you might feel self-conscious, so that would be the issue.

Exactly LRD. DS would much rather have gone along in ordinary smartish stuff but afterwards said he's have been hugely uncomfortable being absolutely the only one not wearing a suit. There's something about the interviewing for a job as well as a university place which seems to set Medicine apart.

Yes, exactly! You want to feel comfortable for you and it might be a suit does that, if that's what everyone will wear.

At DS's interview, Physics at RG university, he wore chinos, checked shirt, no tie, jumper and proper shoes. Other peoples dress was quite varied, some in jeans and converse, most like my DS in 'smart casual' and also a couple of suits. So probably what your DS is thinking of wearing is about right.

Good luck with the interview.

My DS went for an interview last week at a RG uni for pharmacy. He wore a suit as it stated 'formal interview' on the letter. He also wears a suit for sixth form so it was easy! Only one boy there wasn't wearing a suit. DS felt smart and self assured in his suit and got an offer! Yeay!

I made ds check again last night and it is definitely not a 'formal interview' so we will stick with the original plan.

I don't know about the rest of you but I think it is really exciting talking to ds and his pals about their plans for after A levels

I don't think interviewers are likely to be bothered about what prospective students wear, but IME, the academic departments where people tend to dress more smartly are the more vocational subjects - medicine, law, accountancy, business/management. You might fit in more in a suit/formal wear in those places.
But for social science/arts/natural science/humanities subjects, suits are less normal.
For physics he really should have a nerdy tshirt + sweatshirt with odd geeky joke on it. (DP's a physicist, he used to have lots of these. Things about every particle having its moment in a field, etc).

Interview done

Did he get his place?

Yes he did - he received his offer this week

Fab.
Congratulations!