Eton interviews

[Zingapopo]

Hi Ladies/Gents.
Please can someone give me some tips on how to prepare your child for the Eton interview. My son has his on the 22nd of Feb and a week later the Eton test!
Any advice will be appreciated thank you.

Feedback on Eton College Interviews.

Nothing specific about Eton I can offer. Just be there on time, be neat and tidy please. As I have mentioned in the context of exams, good nights sleep beforehand, no late nights or last minute revision.

Is your son an enthusiastic reader?

Does he have interests of his own? (Sport, games, music, space, insects, whatever.)

Is he accustomed to speaking one to one with adults outside his family?

If yes, he should be fine. He won't need specific preparation. They may have advised him to take a book he's reading and would like to talk about?

If no to any of the above, maybe arrange a couple of practice interviews over Zoom with people he doesn't know well - a colleague or a friend of a friend.

The interviewer only wants to find out what he's like. They won't be interested in any pre-prepared responses. He should find it a reasonably relaxed and enjoyable experience.

(Obvs when I say "take a book" - I probably mean "have on the table in front of him ready to show" during a presumably Zoomed interview. Oh, the times we live in ...)

Forgot to say good luck to him.

(Though the school is ... a bit weird, right now ...)

Hi thanks for your response. It’s all virtual. They will interview him online in our home and he is doing the Eton Test also online but in his current school when they reopen. Is it best to put him in his school uniform for interview?

We've just done Eton house interviews via zoom. The interview was pre covid so face to face. My son wore uniform but other boys there were in normal clothes. I don't think they care. Maybe try and look a bit smart.

For the house interviews he just wore whatever he was wearing. Honestly, he's only little so they could only really see his head & bit of shoulders anyway. I probably should have sat him on a cushion.

I think the key is stay relaxed. My son was terrified they'd ask him hard questions at interview , but actually it was just a chat, mostly about his current school and what he enjoyed.

He got a place: I've discovered from seeing him "perform" in the house interviews that he is much more engaging than I'd given him credit for (only seeing the stroppy Xbox obsessed version of him at weekends).

Now he's not sure he wants to go though, having never had a proper look at the place with all the flipping zoom only contact. Such a shame.

Very best of luck to your ds, op.
Look the interviewer in the eye, give full answers, be enthusiastic.
The master who interviewed my ds asked him how he defined friendship and my ds answered “friendship is about companionship, having fun, making each other laugh and above all loyalty to one another” which I thought was a good answer.
He had a wonderful time at that fabulous school.

Thank you. He did the interview 2 weeks ago. Now we just have to wait.

Well done! Have you accepted the offer? DS will know in June .

We have just paid the deposit. He got his first choice of house.

I'm still worried he'll back out though and we will lose our money! As soon as we can, I am keen to get him to look around so he feels more affinity with the school

May I know if you are talking about 2023 Y9 entry? My son did the zoom interview in February also and still waiting for the result. They have emailed out all results for the first tranche ?

My son is 2022 entry.
He did his interview in September (postponed from April thanks to pandemic), and was offered a place at end Oct. He was in the third group to be interviewed (summer term baby).

Thanks for your reply and congratulations 😃

May I ask Which tranche is your child? I agree just have the child totally relaxed and be themselves.

Well done!!!! 🙏🏽👍🏾