Oxbridge Aspirants 2022 part 3....Will they or won't they make it to interview? Our Mum nerves are in tatters!

[TangoWhiskyAlphaTango]

New thread for us, lots of lovely support whilst we wait. Some of our lovely DC now have interview dates whilst the rest of us hold our breath and try not to hassle our teens into checking their SPAM folders at least several times per day .

My DC heard yesterday they had an MML at interview assessment next week. Pleased but a little taken aback by the short notice. Ah well, not much time to overthink it which may be a good thing.

That’s great news HotGingerPudding, best wishes to them for next week.

A week's notice for interviews is not unusual. At least with online interviews there are no last minute travel plans to be made or disrupted by the weather. Online tech does of course brings its own anxieties.

I don't think there is much interview prep to be done apart from being familiar with your PS and anything you've said you've read. DS was asked a lot of questions about current affairs but he follows the news closely anyway so that was fine. DD had to interpret biological artefacts and graphs. If she recognised anything, they simply moved onto one she didn't know.

@HotGingerPudding

My DC heard yesterday they had an MML at interview assessment next week. Pleased but a little taken aback by the short notice. Ah well, not much time to overthink it which may be a good thing.

Good luck, fantastic news!! I know Oxbridge have said that due to things being online they don’t need to give so much notice as no travel arrangements etc to be made

Last year the Oxford college DD applied to posted a table of when invitations to interview had been sent out. This kind of thing (random college selected). It didn't really curb the impatience, but it steadied the nerves to see what was actually happening howwww.balliol.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/admissions-updates

Odd, I'm sure that was a clicky link in the preview. Easy enough to Google anyway, now that you know it's out there.

Seconded ofteninaspin. That really is all the prep needed: make sure you can deal with anything thrown up by your personal statement. Nothing more is required so don't stress. Keble put feedback on their website a few years ago saying how the English tutors had terminated an interview instantly when an interviewee had to admit she hadn't read one of the books she'd listed, claiming she 'hadn't had time'....

St John's is a good college for that too Dahlia: www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/applications/applicants-news/

Queen's as well,: www.queens.ox.ac.uk/applicants

Maybe more will join in this year.

DD has an interview for Music! She heard today. Dates are 6/7/8 December, presumably to allow for interviews at more than one college.

Great news @pantjog. Good luck to your DD!

Lovely news @pantjog - really pleased!

Fab pantjog! Is Music also online? How does that work?

Yay! Great news @pantjog

@pantjog congratulations, fantastic news!!!

congratulations @pantjog

Thanks all. Yes online. She has already submitted four pieces of work and a performance video. She has a diploma exam in one of her instruments in a couple of weeks so it’s all go!

Great news @pantjog!

Fabulous pantjog!

Pleased to hear your news @pantjog!

Congratulations @pantjog Wonderful news!

Congratulations to all those with interviews. Sorry to hear your news @Startoftheyear2021.
I came across the offers spreadsheet today on the Student Room which shows colleges subjects and interviews for applicants this year.
www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6655586
You have to select the spreadsheet option.
It has giving me some reassurance whilst waiting to see if DD will get an interview. I haven't found any entries for her chosen college and maths.

Thanks for that link! There's a lot of HSPS on there but not lots of Selwyn.

@goodbyestranger

Seconded ofteninaspin. That really is all the prep needed: make sure you can deal with anything thrown up by your personal statement. Nothing more is required so don't stress. Keble put feedback on their website a few years ago saying how the English tutors had terminated an interview instantly when an interviewee had to admit she hadn't read one of the books she'd listed, claiming she 'hadn't had time'....

Just why??!

It's amazing how people think they can bullish*t on their PS and not be called out on it - it's much better to be authentic and genuine, rather than trying to sound clever.

Anyone with interviews coming up, my advice would be to practise reading unseen articles/poems/whatever - depending on your subject - and drawing together some lines of argument in a very short time-scale, which is one of the things interviews will look at, plus go through your PS, make sure you're secure on that, and maybe have some items to add - ie 'since I wrote my PS, I've been looking at....' so they have more to draw on. Remember they're not particularly interested in A level books/articles - it's not particularly credit worthy to have read a set text!