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Original poster

Anyone whose DD or DS had a disastrous Oxbridge interview....

392 replies

Supermanspants · 07/12/2015 18:41

..... and managed to get an offer?
Hideous interview today. Grilled on a topic she hasn't even covered in her A level course and based purely on a 7 page academic article she only got half an hour before the interview.
She is so down about it all.

OP posts:
Themodernuriahheep · 15/12/2015 00:03

Pickled, I would have been far more pleased with a tough interview. Ds blathered for UK, on his subjects, which IMV means that they were giving him an easy time. Not a good sign.

RhodaBull · 15/12/2015 08:45

I just don't suppose you can tell, unless it went spectacularly badly. Ds said the previous interviewee emerged from the room and punched the air and said, "Nailed it!" This put ds in an extra nervous frame of mind and he felt he definitely far from nailed it when it was his turn. The other candidates said that the interviewers were nice and kind but ds found they weren't very nice at all - to him. He's usually quite affable but it seems he must have put their backs up!

Molio · 15/12/2015 08:53

Love the 'Nailed it!' guy Rhoda! Hope he enjoys Durham :)

I think if an interview was dull, that's not a good sign.

Molio · 15/12/2015 08:55

Perhaps 'Nailed it' guy put their backs up and they took it out on your innocent DS?

HPsauciness · 15/12/2015 09:08

I am so glad the university I teach at doesn't place that much weight on interviews! I have found over the years that some very quiet almost bewildered students who perform badly at person (I interview them for placements, see them speak in class) are amazingly good academically, and conversely have been caught out a few times by a confident student who then really can't back that up on paper. Students are very nervous at interview and so they are really not showing off their best side. Some of our best PhD students were quite crap at interview.

I guess they stick with it as a way of sorting through the A*'s, but it all seems a bit random to me!

FWIW I interviewed at Cambridge many years ago, and really couldn't answer the question, in the end I said 'I can't answer that' because I had a complete blank after my initial answer. I still got in and went on to do very well indeed.

FordPerfect · 15/12/2015 10:22

DS had two interviews yesterday at his first choice college and will have two more at a second allocated one today. One of the interviewers was quite impatient giving him no more than 10 seconds to consider a question before demanding an answer. It makes you wonder whether the interviewer regards the whole process as a chore to be got through as quickly as possible. Another explanation could be that he is looking for mental resilience. There is no knowing. Ho hum.

I laughed at the 'nailed it' comment. I told DS not to be fazed either by the super-confident types or the melodramatic hand-wringing ones.

Dumbledoresgirl · 15/12/2015 15:27

I am gobsmacked at the 'nailed it' candidate. That has got to be some form of mindplay with the next person in, surely? No-one could know they had got in on the basis of one interview!

Well, ds has just rung me. He described his first interview (physics - the subject he is applying for) as 'disheartening'. He said the first 2-3 questions were ok but then he didn't really have a clue about the others. It is hard to know whether he really didn't have a clue or whether, as I am hoping, the interviewer got the measure of him and was just testing him with harder things after he easily dealt with the first questions.

He then had a 'mathsy' interview (same college) which he said was a lot easier. He is better at maths than physics, believe it or not, so he felt comfortable he pretty much got everything right, with a little prompting, but, having read the threads on here, I am now fretting that it being too easy was not a good sign.

Oh the games our minds play with us.

He has until 4 tomorrow until his next interview with another college. What a waiting game!

AtiaoftheJulii · 15/12/2015 18:17

Re "nailed it" - no one would know they'd got in, but they might come out happy with themselves - some people do! My dd, for example, when asked how her interviews went, was very positive. When she went into detail (as she always does about everything lol), it was clear that she hadn't answered in any obviously brilliant fashion, she was just happy that she'd done the best she could.

Still, a phrase probably best kept in one's head! (Dd also rubbish at this, tends to think out loud.)

Hope your ds can relax a bit tonight and enjoy being there Smile

sassymuffin · 16/12/2015 01:33

DD had her Cambridge interview last year, she thought she had an awful first interview and came across as a bumbling idiot. She thought she had blown it and as a consequence was relaxed in her second interview and said it was interesting and she had a few laughs with the interviewer. She received an offer in January. Come results day she missed her offer (on a remark she eventually reached it) but the collage still accepted her.

I honestly think sometimes it can be totally unpredictable.

Good luck to all DC's awaiting news

Molio · 16/12/2015 08:29

DS2's first interview was like that Atia. He was happy that he just got through it (it was an interview on an essay on a very, very dull subject that he'd submitted (no choice, it was his only marked A2 essay)) but it was extremely clear that the whole interview was very unexceptional indeed. He was able to spark up a bit in his second interview and third, but the first interview on its own would never have got him a place. They really don't need good stuff in all the interviews, just some good stuff in some of them. If all the interviews are bland, I think there's little chance of an offer. To be fair to DS2 (who's quite chirpy by nature) he did tell us that he thought the first interview went well ('Good eye contact, good body language' Grin) but it was very obviously well below par.(NB There's clear water between 'Nailed it!' and 'Good eye contact, good body language'....). I think he expected extraordinarily difficult questions and didn't get any so he thought it was ok, but didn't get at the time that was bad, not good (quite fortunate really, even for a chirpy one :)).

Molio · 16/12/2015 08:33

Yes good luck to all who've finished and all who are mid way through. There seem to be far more DC being posted about this year than last - masses really. Good luck to Ddg DS at 4pm. Are you going to prompt him at 3? :)

Molio · 16/12/2015 08:40

Also Ddg having re-read your post, on the 'easy interview' front, surely maths is different? It all sounds good!

Dumbledoresgirl · 16/12/2015 09:02

There seem to be far more DC being posted about this year than last - masses really.

1997/8 was a good year for children. Ds has been lucky to be surrounded by loads of bright children throughout his school years, and we moved when he was in year 2 so it wasn't the same batch of children throughout.

Contrast that with the children born in 1999/2000 (dd's year). I don't know what it is, in our area certainly I feel there must have been some contamination of the water, as brainpower is not much in evidence (dd excepting, of course!)

Yes, it is easy for ds to know when he has a Maths question right, I believe. I am just wondering why they didn't stretch him. Or perhaps they thought they were? He is keeping quiet the fact that he has already achieved an A* in A level Maths as he will only be accredited with it next summer.

Molio · 16/12/2015 09:09

I won't tempt fate Ddg!

Dumbledoresgirl · 16/12/2015 09:12

UUURRGGGHHH! What does that mean?!

RhodaBull · 16/12/2015 09:31

Yes, cohorts are funny things. Ds was in an exceptionally bright year throughout school. Dd, 2002/3 is in a dud year. Well, round here, anyway.

Thinking about it, I really think it's a no for ds and Oxford. His submitted essay had to be one from this year, and as he had only done one that was it! He could talk about the subject well enough, but he wasn't "passionate" about it and consequently he felt he came over as plodding.

horsemadmom · 16/12/2015 09:58

Also not tempting fate here. DD did discover something interesting about her school while interviewing. The teaching in 6th form is an Oxbridge interview all day every day. The only difference (in her subject) is that Oxford gave her time to look over the material before the interrogation. She felt pushed but it was familiar and not stressful.

tropicalfish · 16/12/2015 10:01

hi all,
Shocked at the behaviour of the 'nailed it' guy. Very insensitive.
dd had 4 interviews and 2 went ok and then the last two at the next college were very difficult with the last one being 'very bad'. I wonder if they confer between colleges about the interviews to make sure there is no overlap as each of the 4 were very different. Relieved its all over now. Overall dd enjoyed the experience finding it quite exciting although didn't do much socialising as she wasnt really in the mood. Its a very tiring day especially when you take into account the travel there in the morning. I dont think you can really tell how it went especially when there are so many excellent candidates. All the best to everyone.
tf

Molio · 16/12/2015 10:01

Ddg he sounds really ridiculously clever but I wouldn't want to post that I bet he's nailed it, so I won't post that, because I wouldn't want to tempt fate. You're right, that was too elliptical. One of DS3s mates had very similar sounding interviews (both first and second) for a similar subject last year and walked it. It might be as well to make sure he gets to the 4pm though, or they'll think he thinks he's nailed/ walked it!

Molio · 16/12/2015 10:15

Rhoda that's exactly the same experience as for DS2 and it turned out fine. There was no passion involved on either side actually, because the tutor said it was one of the deadliest dull subjects in the history of history and although he'd like not to talk about it he had to. So they went through the motions. The following year (last year) DS3 (same school, same syllabus) had to submit the same one-and-only A2 essay and got an identical reaction from two tutors in two separate colleges and that was clearly ok too (in fact he got into his college of choice not the other one he interviewed at). I think the other interviews overrode the dull essay one for both DSs so I expect the book one will do that in your DSs case too. Your DS was sent elsewhere anyhow, so that's good evidence that the essay one didn't kill things stone dead.

Someone is going to come along soon and be philosophical about just enjoying Christmas :)

asilverraindrop · 16/12/2015 13:17

My DD had her interview last week. We don't know how she did. We're trying to be philosophical about just enjoying Christmas ;)

Dumbledoresgirl · 16/12/2015 15:41

Well Molio, we in the family think he is clever, but we have very little to compare him to. I also think there are some massive brains out there who make ds look very ordinary. And they are all going to setting their sights on Oxford (well, that is how it feels!) Plus, don't they say the cleverest students don't necessarily get in? Or is that just to make unsuccessful candidates feel better? Like the old myth that headlice prefer clean hair.

I have been out all day, but I sent ds a text at about 3 saying keep positive, keep focused, remember you're not supposed to know the answers, just show your thinking. I have had no response but hopefully he received it and it reminded him he had somewhere to be at 4. Wink

MrsUltra · 16/12/2015 16:11

horsemadmom
Same here. DS was expecting some kind of supercharged/Blofeld stroking a cat/really unusual/terrifyingly unexpected scenario that would psyche him out, and he said it was actually like the sort of questioninrg they get at school tutorials - stretching, not comfortable (like you always think - aagh shoulda thought more about that) - but not actually scary.
Am hoping that is a good thing...

horsemadmom · 16/12/2015 16:59

Same here. DD is quite a cool customer. If they were looking for her boiling point...

Cherryburn · 17/12/2015 08:44

DD also felt that her first Oxford English interview was a 'disaster'. Molio I'm very glad I followed your advice re being at the other end of the phone on interview day(s) because she needed a fair bit of talking down before the second one. She thought that one was better but still doesn't think she's done enough for an offer.

She was released with no further interviews so I suspect she may be right. Her UCAS application was strong in terms of GCSEs, predictions (4 A*s), reference etc and she was placed in an Oxbridge essay competition but presumably none of that will be enough to make up for a below-par interview performance (if she's right, and it was). And obviously we don't know how she scored in the ELAT which I would imagine is also a key factor in deciding who gets an offer.