Oxbridge interviews

[GiveMeStrength31]

Hello- does anyone have any experience with the Oxbridge Interview advice companies which help prepare candidates with mock interviews/workshops? Just having a quick google and they charge a small fortune.... anyone rate them or heard good things? Thanks in advance

Oh, and to answer PP question..... she didn't have any interview practice or training at all, either at her indie school, or from any outside organisation.

Goodbyestranger thanks for this. Yes, DD is applying for Biology. I just did not understand your message towards the end - did you mean that if she is to have another interview at another college, this means that her original chosen college does not want her (in most cases)? Or did your comment refer to the other subjects ( not sciences)?
I came across this commercial company for preparation for Oxbridge interviews, but will not be using them. I actually work at another university and shall try and organise some mock interviews there for her with some colleagues next week.

Goodbyestranger I just re-read your message and now understand that the second interview does not mean that the first college does not want her, sorry should have read better the first time! Do you know if it is possible that applicants have more than two interviews and in which cases does this happen?

I wasn't clear actually. The last sentence of that post applies to the system for History, Law etc.

For Biology, which has two sets of interviews (ie at two different colleges) as standard, any pooling which takes place is done by commitee which takes place without the applicants being interviewed at a third.

Here is a link to a blog by the Principal of LMH which describes the pooling process for Biology:

www.lmh.ox.ac.uk/about-lmh/principal/hells-passage-principals-blog/admissions-3-pooling

Puzzledmum as an aside, with Biology, the number of interviews at each of the two colleges can vary.

One key thing is that there will be "student helpers" available to answer questions, supply maps and directions to second college, etc. At my old college they all wear distinct red (I think) t shirts.

Goodbyestranger thank you so much! I’ll check the link now! Many thanks again for all the advice and info!

Puzzledmum - When DS went for his interview he said yes you have to check the board - but do take advantage of the student helpers - they are there to help you to be in the right place at the right time and he said they were incredibly helpful. So yes keep looking at the board but if unsure or sent to another college and want to know how to get there - he said just ask - they are so helpful. I think they really do try to get rid of any of the ancillary stress.

Thank you so much BasiliskStare! I’ll let my DD know that! Very useful!

One more point which is anectodal from Ds - during the interview few days - he ( when he had come out of an interview or just feeling a bit stressed ) 1. Go to your room and just relax for half an hour if you need to - nobody is going to check out what you are doing every moment. Indeed he went for a coffee with a school friend who was applying at a different college - 1. He specifically ( whilst being nice and friendly to everyone ) decided he wasn't going to get into a big discussion with people applying to the same course ) so he went to dinner and chatted to people applying for different courses, - Not saying that is the right answer - just saying that is what he did.

Great advice, Basilisk thank you! I’ll tell my DD. She was definitely planning to go and see friends in the evenings ( many of her classmates will be there applying to different colleges ), hopefully they will be allowed out of the college for a bit in the evenings.

I think puzzled mum that going for the college dinner is fine - it's just my ds decided to sit with people applying for different subjects. But he certainly didn't feel like he was being evaluated every minute of all the days . So if your DD wants to go an meet a friend for coffee or go and read a book or look at her phone for short while in her room just to relax , in Ds's experience that is fine. That said the student helpers were great and did a JCR quiz one evening which broke the ice somewhat. He certainly had no sense he was being evaluated every minute he was there. So - Professor of the Bleeding Obvious signing out here

Thanks again BasiliskStare ! Very useful!

hopefully they will be allowed out of the college for a bit in the evenings.

They're allowed out, no one's keeping a register, but there will almost certainly be things arranged in college if they're worried about not knowing what to do. A quiz, trip out for ice creams, etc. There will be plenty of student helpers around the whole time.

Ds was very well looked after - there are quizzes, they watched Love Actually, had dinner etc.

I would say that there are as many different interviews as there are interviewers. The process is not standardised. Ds had friendly interviewers and very unfriendly ones, and worst of all the (and I'm sure Goodbyestranger will remember this one! (I've name changed since then)) the two grumpy women . This interview consisted of silence. Ds was asked a question and... nothing. No encouragement, or further discussion. Then he was asked another question and... nothing. Ds was dying .Apparently it is a style of interviewing favoured by some but a nightmare for the candidate who is sweating away wondering if they're supposed to fill the silence and waffle on or sit back satisfied after each answer.

I absolutely remember the two grumpy women Irma . For DD2 they were in residence at Jesus but the previous year, when a boyfriend of hers interviewed, they'd nipped over the road to Balliol. I think that's their general patch anyhow because my understanding is that they also put the fear of God into another MNer DC at Exeter College. Was your own DS in that same geographical area? I certainly wouldn't say that Lincoln or Trinity are safe but I haven't heard reports of this fragrant pair roving as far as Wadham or Hertford. Anyhow the general message is: Be Very Afraid.

thanks Atia - I am sure they have everythig planned well and the applicants will feel that they have things to do if they wish to get involved. My DD will most definitely want to be in the thick of things, unless she has already planned outings (for a drink or food) with the large number of friends from her school, who also got interviews on these dates. :) When she went there for open day in June, she managed to befriend most of the applicants at the college she stayed at and get them all to go out with her other friends who were staying at different colleges. Should be exciting, I am sure. They see this week as a bit of a break from school too, at least my DD does :)
Irma - the two women sound terrifying, how awful for your poor DS! What an unpleasant situation to be in! The good thing is that they will have at least one other interview where the experience will hopefully be different.

I think ds encountered the Two Grumpy Women at Hertford so they seem to like to stick to the centre!

Ds also had the unfortunate experience of having the preceding candidate emerge from the interview room, punch the air and cry, "Nailed it!!" Ds's shoulders sunk and I don't think they rose for the rest of his trip.

puzzledmum, I assume your school get a lot of students into Oxbridge annually?

Dd did the UNIQ summer school this summer and stayed in Brasenose. She loved the atmosphere in the college and feeling of togetherness in the evenings, I believe it's similar. If we ever hear whether she's got an interview, she's actually looking forward to this aspect again. She won't know anyway, but can talk to a chair, so should be fine

*anyone.

My DD is a student helper for Merton College interviews this year. She'll be supporting the interviewees both socially and academically during their time there. They're arranging various events - non-alcoholic - and will hang-out in the JCR to be available to the youngsters. They are there to talk open and honestly about college life, discuss subject-specific questions and generally be a good friend to anyone who needs it. She's really looking forward to it - her interview experience was positive and she's hoping to help others have the same opportunity.

By the way, my DD came from an inner-city sixth form college with no experience of sending pupils to Oxbridge. She wore jeans and a jumper and talked passionately about her love of literature. She was told that her interviewers could see her potential after starting her studies at Merton.

Justanothermile - yes, the school gets around 45 each year into Oxbridge, but to be honest, I am not sure it is so much the school, as are the girls. They are all very ambitious and academic and push themselves( a lot of peer pressure). My DD is also looking forward to the atmosphere in the college over the interview period. It will be amazing as they will have it all decorated for Christmas and I think, the Christmas fair is on in Oxford at this time also.
Irma - I really feel for your DS! What an experience to have! I am so sorry he had to endure all this.

Oh I remember the two grumpy women and "nailed it" chap - I wonder if he got a place .

One small anecdote - My Ds had heard the ( I am sure apocryphal ) stories of Tutor reading a newspaper and saying " surprise me " and the interviewee set fire to the newspaper. When ds went for his interview there were two chairs set out - one more rigid , one more comfy - for a fraction of a second it went through his mind " is this a test " then he just thought - if I am going to bugger this up I might as well be comfortable whilst I am doing it In hind sight he thinks they were just giving him a choice of chairs All interview was just talking about his subject

As he left school for interview the advice the senior teacher who spoke to the Oxford interviewees was " don't forget to breathe " . Sage advice, I think .

The story of the the interviewee setting fire to the newspaper was doing the rounds in the 80’s, so if it happened it was a good 30 years ago!