There are lots of myths about interviews at Oxford, but really they're just conversations about your chosen subject - like a short tutorial.
This video was produced as part of the Oxford Pathways Programme. For more information about the programme, please visitwww.pathways.ox.ac.uk.
The interview plays a vital part in the selection procedure, but remember that the interview is just one aspect of your application. Tutors will also consider:
* any admissions tests or written work required for your course
* your examination results and predicted grades* your personal statement* the academic referenceAdmissions tutors' video diaries Watch videos of a tutor’s-eye view of Oxford admissions interviews.
Shortlisting: who gets invited to interview?
With so many excellent candidates for each place at Oxford, it just isn’t possible to interview everyone. Tutors review each application before deciding on a shortlist in late November or early December. Tutors then interview the shortlisted candidates, usually in early to mid December. Please check the details for your course on the interview timetable.
You will receive an email or letter indicating whether or not you have been invited for interview. You may not receive this until a week before the interviews are due to take place. If you have been invited, the letter will include practical details of your interview and further information.
Preparing for an interview
We recommend that you:* think about some basic questions that may be asked at the beginning of an interview and how you might answer them. For example, tutors may ask why you have chosen this particular subject, and why you want to study it at Oxford.
* read widely around your chosen subject, including newspaper articles, websites, journals, magazines and other publications.
* take a critical view of ideas and arguments that you encounter at school or college, or in the media – think about all sides of any debate.
* be prepared to show some background knowledge of the subject, if you are applying for a course not normally studied at school or college, such as Medicine, Law, Biochemistry or Oriental Studies. However, you will not be expected to have a detailed understanding of specific or technical topics. For example, you may be asked what role your subject plays in society.
* re-read your personal statement, and any written work that you have submitted, thinking about how you might expand on what you wrote.
* organise a practice interview for yourself. This could be with a teacher or someone else who is familiar with your subject, but preferably not someone you know very well. This will help you to get some more experience of talking about yourself and your work in an unfamiliar environment.
* remind yourself of the selection criteria for your chosen subject (you can find this on the relevant course page).
Coming to OxfordInterviews take place in December, after the end of term. Accommodation and meals will be provided free of charge by the college which has invited you. Although most students will have returned home for Christmas, each college makes sure that there are plenty of undergraduates around to help and advise you.
It’s a good idea to bring a book with you or some school or college work to do, as you will only spend a relatively small amount of your time in Oxford actually in interviews. You can also spend time with the other interview candidates as well as current undergraduates.
Please wear whatever clothes you feel comfortable in. Most tutors will not dress formally, and it is not necessary for you to do so. We recommend that you bring copies of any written work you have submitted, and a copy of your personal statement, as tutors may refer to these during your interview.
Along with your other personal items, we recommend that you bring a mobile phone so that the college can contact you if they need to. * Maps and directions
The interviewSeriously, relax during the interview. Rushing off the first thought that comes to mind will very likely end in a wrong answer. Although, getting an answer wrong doesn’t mean that you will fail if you have fun learning from the interview, chances are that you’ll do just fine.
Yedam, 1st yearA good deal of the teaching in an Oxford college takes place in small classes or tutorials, and your interviewers – who may be your future tutors – are assessing your ability to study, think and learn in this way. This will depend on how carefully you listen to questions, and how sensibly you answer them.
You may be interviewed by two or more tutors at a time, each being an expert in some aspect of the degree course for which you are applying. If you are applying for a joint course, with two or more subjects, you will be interviewed by tutors representing each of the subjects, separately or at the same time.
The interview is designed to assess your academic abilities and, most importantly, your academic potential. Tutors are looking for your self-motivation and enthusiasm for your subject. Decisions are not based on your manners, appearance or background, but on your ability to think independently and to engage with new ideas beyond the scope of your school or college syllabus.
In many ways, your interview will be like a mini tutorial. If you don’t know the answer to a question, you may wish to explain that you haven’t covered that topic yet, but do try to work out the answer if you can. Many questions are designed to test your ability to apply logic and reason to an idea you may never have encountered before. The questions may seem difficult, but don’t worry: many of the topics you will cover do not have simple ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers. Interviewers are not trying to make you feel ignorant or catch you out, but to stretch you in order to assess your potential. See sample interview questions.
If you don’t understand something - just ask. Tutors are not necessarily so concerned with what you know, but how you think.
In this website you can find Harvard College Information. Harvard is known for global leadership in education, and the Harvard school is composed of men and women who are world-class scholars. Faculty members are passionate and curious individuals who continue their own research while teaching at Harvard school. They come from across the country and all over the world, bringing with them a diverse wealth of knowledge.
In this website you can find Harvard College Information. Harvard is known for global leadership in education, and the Harvard school is composed of men and women who are world-class scholars. Faculty members are passionate and curious individuals who continue their own research while teaching at Harvard school. They come from across the country and all over the world, bringing with them a diverse wealth of knowledge.
