UK unis - Applying to Oxbridge

[deissi]

As far as I'm aware, you're not supposed to download music without paying for it.

As far as I'm aware, there are lots of things we shouldn't do but we still do them.

[Aliquantus]

As far as I'm aware, you are not allowed to share the contents of your interview to other people.

Hm, they never told me anything about that. Where did you hear that?

[Hyperbole]

They did attempt to keep us from talking too much about the texts we were given, and we weren't allowed to keep the scrap paper from the written tests, so I guess they aren't too hot on sharing the actual material. But they never told us that we weren't allowed to discuss the interview content!

The thing with not talking about what texts you had to read and discuss is that they're often using a couple of texts for all interviewees, so if some people have heard other people talk about how they answered and what they were asked and stuff, it'll give them an advantage. I heard they had to switch texts for the Law applicants in the middle of the interview period at Balliol because people had talked too much about it and it wasn't fair to use it anymore.

But no such thing as not being able to discuss it -afterwards- was ever mentioned.

[deissi]

Don't worry, it's perfectly legal to discuss the interviews.

[Roundabout]

Don't worry, it's perfectly legal to discuss the interviews.

I wouldn't discuss the interviews in any depth. There have apparently been cases on TSR where people have discussed interview questions on the forum, and Oxbridge have contacted TSR about the posts. These applicants were, needless to say, rejected.

We were told at Merton that while it is not explicitly forbidden to discuss interviews with other applicants (in person that is, not publicly online), it would not be smart, as you are in competition with the others.

[Vvi]

I wouldn't discuss the interviews in any depth. There have apparently been cases on TSR where people have discussed interview questions on the forum, and Oxbridge have contacted TSR about the posts. These applicants were, needless to say, rejected.

We were told at Merton that while it is not explicitly forbidden to discuss interviews with other applicants (in person that is, not publicly online), it would not be smart, as you are in competition with the others.

Unless you applied for the same course during the same year, it's not competition. Helping other people to get a feel for a Cambridge interview is a nice thing to do. Someone in my school got an interview there for Maths, and had no idea that they were giving him an exam so he wasn't at all prepared. No surprise then that he didn't get in. If someone had bothered to tell him, he may have had a chance.

And Cambridge posts interviews online (2 of them) so applicants can get a feel for them. Therefore, they can't be that secretive. And if they are, they're one of the world's worst kept secrets.

[Roundabout]

Unless you applied for the same course during the same year, it's not competition. Helping other people to get a feel for a Cambridge interview is a nice thing to do. Someone in my school got an interview there for Maths, and had no idea that they were giving him an exam so he wasn't at all prepared. No surprise then that he didn't get in. If someone had bothered to tell him, he may have had a chance.

And Cambridge posts interviews online (2 of them) so applicants can get a feel for them. Therefore, they can't be that secretive. And if they are, they're one of the world's worst kept secrets.

They were addressing all the E&M applicants in the first meeting when they said that, so I reckon they meant people applying for the same course in the same year. I'm not saying that you can't say anything, of course you can say things like "They asked me maths/problem-solving/poem/[insert general class] -questions", but posting the exact questions online is something I would not do, even after getting a decision. It is not the responsibility of former applicants to give others a feel for the interviews - the interview videos posted online are meant to give applicants exactly that.

I think the person from your school should have known that there was going to be a test at interview - such things are bound to be mentioned on prospectuses/websites. The lack of this info can be blamed on his school or himself, but certainly not other people, who could not have possibly known that he had not read the websites through.

I also quoted below the announcement on TSR regarding the Oxbridge interviews:

Discussing Interviews - PLEASE READ

Firstly, GOOD LUCK to all of you who have interviews! They are exciting and a good chance to show them what you're made of.

However, in all the excitement you might decide to come and tell us all about it - but please think first!

YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DISCUSS THE CONTENT OF YOUR INTERVIEWS.

This includes who interviewed you as well as what questions were asked and your responses to them.

In the past admissions tutors have contacted TSR regarding people who have discussed interview questions on here - so by discussing them you are jeopardising your place!

Any instance of discussing interviews will be not be tolerated, and you will be warned.

Please bear this in mind as you don't want to ruin your chances over something like this.

[moneyfaery]

They were addressing all the E&M applicants in the first meeting when they said that, so I reckon they meant people applying for the same course in the same year. I'm not saying that you can't say anything, of course you can say things like "They asked me maths/problem-solving/poem/[insert general class] -questions", but posting the exact questions online is something I would not do, even after getting a decision. It is not the responsibility of former applicants to give others a feel for the interviews - the interview videos posted online are meant to give applicants exactly that.

I think the person from your school should have known that there was going to be a test at interview - such things are bound to be mentioned on prospectuses/websites. The lack of this info can be blamed on his school or himself, but certainly not other people, who could not have possibly known that he had not read the websites through.

I also quoted below the announcement on TSR regarding the Oxbridge interviews:

I think I agree with Roundabout here. General discussion of interviews (e.g. there was a test, interviewer asked x number of questions, the interview took x minutes, etc) should be tolerated. It's similar to saying that certain IB subjects have x number of papers on the exam. However, giving out what specific questions were asked during the interview is like saying this and this and this was on Paper 1, and that is 'cheating' as it provides certain applicants an unfair advantage.

[Vvi]

Well then, I guess the person who wrote this: http://timesonline.typepad.com/schoolgate/...-you-rathe.html , on the Times Education Guide shouldn't have? There's about 20 strange questions that applicants have been asked, as well as the "correct" response (if you want to call it that).

Other strange questions that can get asked (which are on a post further down on the page):

-What does it mean to be happy? (Philosophy and Modern Languages,

Oxford)

-When I get home this evening, how can I be sure that my wife’s diamond

ring won’t have turned into graphite? (Chemistry, Oxford)

-If it could take a form, what shape would the novel “To the Lighthouse”

become? (English, Oxford)

-How many monkeys would you use in an experiment? (Experimental

Psychology, Oxford)

-How many grains of sand are there in the world? (Physics, Oxford)

-How would you define infinity? (PPE, Oxford)

-If I were a grapefruit, would I rather be seedless or non-seedless?

(Medicine, Cambridge)

-Would I be justified in saying that only morons play sport? (Economics, Cambridge)

Other links to Oxbridge questions can be found here: http://www.ibsurvival.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=4762

If everyone else round the world is willing to give out their names on public websites and give details, I don't think there's a problem. Oxford and Cambridge might want to maintain an image of "mystique" around themselves, but even they admit that their admissions process isn't perfect (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article4925057.ece) and there's a comment from an admissions officer there giving details on it.

And anyways, all the people in the world telling you how their interview went won't help you if you're boring and unoriginal. No one's interview is exactly the same, so all you're getting is some warning from others. And hopefully tips on how not to be so terrified you can't answer any of the horrid questions they throw at you.

[Roundabout]

Well then, I guess the person who wrote this: http://timesonline.typepad.com/schoolgate/...-you-rathe.html , on the Times Education Guide shouldn't have? There's about 20 strange questions that applicants have been asked, as well as the "correct" response (if you want to call it that).

I would presume that the person who wrote that asked for permission from Oxbridge, so they know not to use those questions in the future. However, some interview questions could be reused in some other year, and hence sharing specific interview questions with others is prohibited.

If everyone else round the world is willing to give out their names on public websites and give details, I don't think there's a problem. Oxford and Cambridge might want to maintain an image of "mystique" around themselves, but even they admit that their admissions process isn't perfect (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article4925057.ece) and there's a comment from an admissions officer there giving details on it.

And anyways, all the people in the world telling you how their interview went won't help you if you're boring and unoriginal. No one's interview is exactly the same, so all you're getting is some warning from others. And hopefully tips on how not to be so terrified you can't answer any of the horrid questions they throw at you.

I'm not saying that you can't give tips or tell how your interviews went - that's fine. I'm saying that sharing specific questions is not acceptable and could risk your place. Therefore the people who give details of interviews and their names (or even details of themselves that could reveal their identity - I know the tutors at Merton could recognize me from these posts) are, frankly speaking, ignorant, or have been rejected. If a person is waiting for a decision or has an offer, I would definitely not take the risk.

[deissi]

There are no legal grounds for a university to reject a candidate simply because they've shared information. At least Cambridge didn't make me sign anything saying that I must not share information about interviews, nor did they mention it either. Also, TSR is not allowed to give IP details of their users to third parties (nor are we btw), such as universities.

[Vvi]

There are no legal grounds for a university to reject a candidate simply because they've shared information. At least Cambridge didn't make me sign anything saying that I must not share information about interviews, nor did they mention it either. Also, TSR is not allowed to give IP details of their users to third parties (nor are we btw), such as universities.

Nice to know that our privacy is protected So I could commit an online crime here on IBS and be secure in knowing that you'll save me from the authorities.

Honestly, people cheat the system all the time and I wouldn't feel a bit guilty about helping someone else get into college. I just basically wrote my friend's college essay for Canada, and edited her other one so all the spelling mistakes disappeared (she's in a French school and her English isn't great). So what? I'm not competing with her for anything, and her going to college next year benefits me, since I can visit her there. On the other hand, if she didn't get into college it would be somewhat my fault since she doesn't really know anyone else with English as a first language.

I'm not for cheating in tests or anything, but I don't mind bending the rules of society to get what I want. Not that I'm condoning bribery (unless it's in Africa and I've been stopped for a traffic violation) or corruption (unless I'm being accused of ridiculous crimes and need to pay off the authorities). Really, no one will know unless you actually call the university up and confess what you did.

Off-topic: Do any of you feel weird, talking to other Finnish people online in English? There's like over 10 Finnish speakers here, but according to the site rules we can't post in languages other than English unless we provide translation. I feel like I'm cheating myself out of good conversation.

[Roundabout]

There are no legal grounds for a university to reject a candidate simply because they've shared information. At least Cambridge didn't make me sign anything saying that I must not share information about interviews, nor did they mention it either. Also, TSR is not allowed to give IP details of their users to third parties (nor are we btw), such as universities.

You don't need to share IP details in order for unis to recognize someone. Nationality and grades in sig could get them pretty far. And as far as rejections go, I heard at least one applicant got rejected this year due to being rude at the interviews (as in, the feedback said he/she would have gotten an offer otherwise). There are no papers governing behaviour that have to be signed, but they still factor into decisions, just like sharing interview questions online when you have been told not to (in your case apparently not).

I'm not sure though whether a uni could rescind an offer once it's come through UCAS, then the legal mess probably gets more complex.

[Aquarius]

As a prospective applicant to Cambridge this September, this is totally a lie if I say I do not want to know which questions I will be asked (In case I can be called for an interview). However, I still keep my view point earlier this topic that we should not share the content.

The notice below is credited to Downing College JCR Forum:

The JCR has been asked to lock this applicants' forum during the "interview season" at the request of the College Education Committee. It is not considered helpful for candidates to discuss what interview questions they were asked here - and these constituted the vast majority of questions that were asked last year. By discussing the content of your interview, not only could you jeopardise your own place at Downing, but that of those that are able to 'overly prepare' for their interview.

[Hughie]

I heard at least one applicant got rejected this year due to being rude at the interviews (as in, the feedback said he/she would have gotten an offer otherwise).

What!? I thought they, as in the Oxford tutors, said it themselves that they don't care about the candidate's manner or appearance, but only about their academic potential? They said so on their homepage, if I'm not mistaken. What the......

[Hyperbole]

What!? I thought they, as in the Oxford tutors, said it themselves that they don't care about the candidate's manner or appearance, but only about their academic potential? They said so on their homepage, if I'm not mistaken. What the......

Well, they obviously take into account that we're nervous and all that, but of course interviewees have to be polite and courteous! The people interviewing us are the ones who will be teaching; of course they won't make an offer to someone they don't feel like spending a considerable amount of time discussing things with in the next three years! They don't care about your appearance or your general behaviour, to a certain extent. I'm sure that if you came to interview looking like a tramp or something they wouldn't make you an offer either, even though you were good enough; similarly, they definitely won't make an offer to someone who isn't pleasant to work with.

Also, when I was at interview I felt kind of cheated by their repeated "dress as you like" comments; the majority of the other interviewees were dressed rather formally, and it hadn't even occurred to me that I might need to be, because that's not how we do it here. So I was one of the, in fact, really few who went to the interviews dressed the way I normally am: simply and not very fancily. I guess my point is that you shouldn't listen too much to that part: if you're comfortable wearing something more smart, then do!

[Roundabout]

Also, when I was at interview I felt kind of cheated by their repeated "dress as you like" comments; the majority of the other interviewees were dressed rather formally, and it hadn't even occurred to me that I might need to be, because that's not how we do it here. So I was one of the, in fact, really few who went to the interviews dressed the way I normally am: simply and not very fancily. I guess my point is that you shouldn't listen too much to that part: if you're comfortable wearing something more smart, then do!

I completely agree with this. While the tutors were fairly informally dressed, practically all applicants, at least for E&M, wore somewhat formal clothes.

[Hughie]

O God. That means I gotta dig out my dress pants out of some corner in my wardrobe (or suitcase, even) that I can't even remember Well that sucks. I was hoping a dress jacket and jeans'd be fine. Thanks for the warning

[Vvi]

Dress jacket and dark jeans (like black) would probably be fine. Look, if you don't feel comfortable wearing dress pants it's going to show, and you're going to spend the whole time fixing them and shifting around. The interviewer will notice you're fiddling around, and I'm sure you would rather that he/she was listening to what was coming out of your mouth.

I don't wear skirts to any interviews because I spend the entire time worrying if it's rising too high above the knee and whether my tights are ripped. So I wear the same pants I go to nightclubs in, because they are comfortable and look half smart. For a top, I wear a sweater. Wear a polo shirt or a sweater that isn't covered in lint.

For shoes, I would go with smart shoes. Especially if you're wearing jeans. And wear the right socks. When your pant hems rise up, you don't want to be showing off sports socks. And smile. Firm handshake, and don't sit down until asked (dead rude). Tips from job interviews.

[Hughie]

I didn't know that sitting down before being asked was rude.......O_o Oh shoot. Again, thanks

Does anybody know about overseas interviews? As in, do the tutors actually come all the way from UK to Singapore and other places for the interviews, or would they be conducted by a representative of the university?