Oxbridge 2024 Entry Part 4

[Lightsabre]

New thread as our dc start the rollercoaster ride of interviews.

Good luck to all doing interviews at the moment. I’ve been lurking on here a while and DD has just had an in person interview at C for her essay subject. Unusually it was just one interview with 2 people. She is very distressed and feels she didn’t do herself justice as, unexpectedly, she found the whole conversation so relaxed and congenial that she ‘forgot’ that she was there to perform, although she said she did convey her interest and enthusiasm. A rookie mistake i guess but obviously she’s so cross with herself now that she feels she missed opportunities to show off what she knew and expand on answers properly, and has no 2nd interview to make up for it. She had no pre interview tests or readings so she is worried that everything rests on that one interview. Is it realistic to think she still has a decent chance even if she underperformed because she has max predicted grades, v strong GCSEs and a good PS and supercurriculars - one of the interviewers said her passion for her subject was evident in her PS).

Looking for some reassurance I guess, esp as I know that people say that it’s the interviews where you feel pushed and under pressure that end up resulting in offers!

I think she really shouldn't worry now Cornflower65. All interviewers have their different styles. She could only respond to that really. It really is impossible to know. If they wanted her to answer challenging questions, then they would have asked her more challenging questions!

@Cornflower65 i think all good interviewees match the pace and style of the interviewer. I don’t think anything you have said in your post indicates that your DD has anything to worry about. It really is a stressful time, but there is nothing to be gained from trying to second guess - and I said exactly the same to mine yesterday who was concerned about hair fiddling during an interview when they normally never do that….Just being selected for an interview is a massive achievement and they should all be proud of getting this far.

@RIPMatthewperry you are so right - interestingly one of the college webinars DD went to actually said we don’t care if you are twisting your earrings, playing with your necklace, etc and there is a great mock history interview where the interviewee is playing with her necklace the whole way through

I do get concerned around the assumptions around bad interview = offer and vice versa; everyone goes through their own post interview curve of despair or hope. Lots of kids are used to high stress interviews, events etc and will view the process differently which wont make them any worse or better at it, just give them a different post interview feel. Lots of tutors will have different styles which will feel quite different. The truth is no one but O/C know until the results come out :)

To make things interesting, the cat has brought a mouse in, which is currently trapped in the room DS will do his interview! Hopefully, the mouse does not surface mid-interview.

Sorry to hear about mouse!!

in first interview dd was asked one q from
her personal statement so they definitely read it. In a way I like that they all get the text just before - that makes it as fair as possible really.

Ds didn't get o e question about his PS in either interview but this was for a Stem subject. It was straight in with problem solving.

It is really so hard for her to tell how it went. Just because it was relaxed doesn't mean it was bad. My daughter did this last year and got told afterwards precisely the answers that swung it for her and it was not what she would have expected. Best of luck for results time. Prepare for bad news but cross fingers for something positive. Of course most don't get in (and I've been through that with another daughter) but you never know...

Daughter heading back to Cambridge today to help as "student ambassador" with interview candidates. She has been briefed and her main job at first it seems is to prevent any parents entering college! :) Well guided to an offsite college building or told to go and enjoy John Lewis, etc....

It must be variable, as DD was quizzed about her personal statement (and her EPQ) in detail. But she was interviewed mid-pandemic and maybe they wanted everything possible to go on.

Yes to the 'ridiculous quotes' from it coming back to haunt you, though!

Cambridge different then - she was asked about a specific book that she referred to in PS and other references made to her PS!

It's more that there's variation between colleges at Oxford.

I do get concerned around the assumptions around bad interview = offer and vice versa

I don't think that's what anyone here has implied. Rather that an interview perceived as bad by the candidate (and indeed which sounds objectively bad) doesn't necessarily equate to no offer. In the interest of balance I had one DS (History) who reported back that he'd made excellent eye contact, body language was good, used the phrase 'nailed it' and wasn't rejected.

Cambridge offers definitely trickled in throughout the day...DS' email was relatively late on - definitely after lunch so he thought it a rejection, but was pleasantly surprised. Think Oxford were a bit more bunched in the morning...

Good luck all!

Would you be okay to say what subject this is for? DD has an in person interview for English in person at Cambridge tomorrow. She only has one interview also and has 2 interviewers listed and she is a little unsure as everyone else seems to be having multiple interviews or more people interviewing.

I'd be so stressed there was a mouse in the house let alone in the actual room!
I've got the animals (2 cats, 2 dogs) shut in downstairs with me - tech test shortly. The first interview has the pre reading - I think dealing with that (will printer work, will paper jam etc)... will be more stressful but hopefully will go smoothly - she seems far less concerned about the tech than me.
Yesterday we did another trail run and she was obsessed with the fact if you look at the interviewers it looks like you are looking down , if you look at the camera you look like you are looking at them. She said it's very hard not to look at their image when they are talking (me being the 'interviewer' at the time). So she's obsessed with that at the moment! She doesn't fiddle with hair or jewellery so she had to have something to worry about!
Good much everyone! Can't wait for this day to be over!

Best of luck to both those waiting for interviews and those now in the long wait (particularly for Cambridge) for the decision.

It has been really interesting and quite surprising how different the experiences are even for the same subject at different colleges. I have posted the link before, but will again as I found it useful even it a bit out I’d date.

https://www.insideuni.org/interviews/all/

My son has his interviews tomorrow in person for History at Cambridge. Possibly at the same college as @Headunderthecovers son as he also has two interviews, the first with prep time attached. His are well timed though. The first is at 11:50 (with prep before) and the second is at 3pm. He has been offered lunch but not accommodation (it is an easy journey well under 2 hours by public transport door to door), but was wondering if they offer the early and late times to those staying overnight at the college. Interview invite made it very clear the parents are not welcome and won’t be allowed in college at all unless for prearranged medical conditions 😂.

@Jaxx my son has interview at Cambridge next week first one at 0900. He has been offered accommodation, dinner the night before and breakfast in the morning.

DD was also offered accommodation the night of the interview but her interview is at 2pm and our journey is just under 2 hours so we don’t really feel like she needs it. As @Jaxx says the email firmly stated that the accommodation was just for the candidate.

is it standard to have two interviews with your oxford college - one subject, one general. Or do some only have a single subject interview?

@MommaZenZone my son had two subject interviews but nothing else - no questions about him/his PS at all.

@MommaZenZone if you read up thread there is a mixture depending up on the college interviewing. Mine has 2 - first was only subject and nothing about the PS whatsoever. Second is a pre-read then Q’s. It also varies how many interviewers there are and how long the interview is for.

Snap

I shall just throw in here that DD had four interviews.

I'm starting to wonder if she was an outlier in every respect.

@MonsterSister 4 interviews seems rather excessive. Feel for your DD.

Is is possible to get a feedback for computer science Oxford who didn't get an interview asking for a friend's child xx