Not what you might think... (How to get into Oxbridge)

Member Name: Cacambo

Product:	How to get into Oxbridge
Date:	03/01/04 (3555 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Testing, Can be fun, Useful for applicants

Disadvantages: Long wait between interviews, Badly organised

I have just been accepted by Downing College, Cambridge, so while I might not have the inside scoop on what Cambridge is actually like, I can give you a pretty up-to-date idea of what to expect from an interview.

First of all, I'll deal with the application. It's essentially a pain in the neck. Why is it necessary to fill out an extra application form? To write an extra statement? To send in a photo? To basically duplicate your UCAS form? The truth is I do not know. But it'll only take you an hour and to be honest it can come as a welcome excuse for not doing that essay. Next they'll send you a letter asking for written work. I've seen people say you must make sure that only the best work gets sent off - I didn't, primarily because my History teacher had yet to mark what was my best piece of work to date. And to be honest, it doesn't matter. Provided that your work is usually of a high standard you shouldn't have much problem digging something of worth out. What are a pain are the cover sheets you have to fill out for each piece of work.

Next comes the interview. I received my invitation exactly two weeks beforehand, so be prepared to cancel any prior engagements you might have already made. My advice is DO NOT OVER-PREPARE. Learning answers does not work; it's a waste of time that could be better spent doing some related reading or briefly looking over French verb constructions (I applied for Modern Languages). My friend spent her time learning "answers" by rote only to fall apart in the interview when she was thrown a curve-ball of a question.

And the interview itself? Well, let me first tell you that by December I had already been to two interviews (at King's College London and UCL). The French portion of both interviews was taken up with overly-simple "Tell me about your last trip to France"-style questions. Easy, you might think - we all did that at GCSE. But in all honesty
such questions can be extremely restrictive. I left feeling frustrated. Cambridge was different. I was given a piece of French text about linguistic psycho-analysis ten minutes before my first interview. I was asked to read it and then discuss it in French. A bit more difficult, you might think. Perhaps. But it's far more free - you can really cut loose and actually experiment with your French. I came out feeling quite happy, and as if I'd actually had fun. My second (and final!) interview (FIVE hours later by the way) was more challenging - they fired a few questions on linguistics and Russian literature at me - but if I recall, a large portion of the interview seemed to be taken up discussing how my Polish grandparents made it to England.

It's a massive cliché but expect the unexpected. Don't be afraid to make your interviewer laugh. And saying anything is better than saying nothing. Cambridge interviews ARE there to test you - be under no illusions. But they can actually be rather satistifying and (dare I say it) fun experiences.

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