{"id":2749,"date":"2018-08-08T12:39:48","date_gmt":"2018-08-08T07:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.univariety.com\/blog\/?p=2749"},"modified":"2020-04-03T11:07:47","modified_gmt":"2020-04-03T05:37:47","slug":"rise-and-shine-in-oxbridge-interviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.univariety.com\/blog\/rise-and-shine-in-oxbridge-interviews\/","title":{"rendered":"Rise and shine in Oxbridge interviews"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sample this\u2026 You\u2019re just 18 and ready to face a volley of questions that border on the cryptic. It\u2019s your big day. You made it this far and walk into a room, where you feel a layer of tension piling on you. You meet experts and college professors waiting to grill you with strange and tough questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once you\u2019re seated, there comes the first question – \u201cWhy is your hair black in color?\u201d followed by \u201cIs violence always political?\u201d. Now that came from nowhere and makes you speechless. That seems to be a warm welcome to the world of<\/span> Oxbridge admission interviews<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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These 20 minutes make or break and may haunt you for the rest of your life. Now let\u2019s get into some myth-busting. Yes, interviews are critical in the selection process but they are not the only saviors. There are many false notions circulating in the context of Oxbridge that they are excruciating, weird, and out of place to an extent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dig deep into the Oxbridge interview process and see what it really takes to land at your dream college.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

1) Walk-in with an open mind<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
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Walk in with an open mind<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An admission at Oxford and Cambridge is always put on the highest pedestal of achievements. But don\u2019t get obsessed with the achievement to make it a now-or-never endeavor. You might have a lot of preconceived notions that the best of the minds get into Oxbridge and it\u2019s a place for the rich and elite. Don\u2019t carry that baggage into the interview room. Travel light and think of it as an achievable task. Then things fall into place. Connect with<\/span> alumni<\/a> <\/strong>from your school who got into Oxford or Cambridge to understand the nuances of the whole process.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2) The whole package is important<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
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The whole package is important<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The admission process encompasses many aspects and interviews are a part of it. The process starts with your academics, the right choice of subjects, test scores and gradually gets into interviews. That makes interviews a deciding factor but not the only factor that governs your admission.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Focus more on the whole package that you are presenting to the<\/span> admissions<\/a><\/strong> team and be thorough with your subject areas.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3) Try to understand the logical flow<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
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Try to understand the logical flow<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The interviewers don\u2019t ask some random questions to confuse or grill you. Remember you are not a walking Wikipedia who can pull out any detail in a jiffy. The ideal interview starts with your application, choice of subjects, and gets into knowing your personality. It\u2019s an activity to assess how you apply your concepts in the real world. These questions may be mapped to your subject choice or they come as random occurrences to know more about you.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have mentioned certain hobbies in the application, expect questions related to that. So for the most part of it, the interview panel picks cues from the details mentioned by you and spins a web around it.<\/span><\/p>\n

4) Think out loud<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Try to stay honest in interviews and take some time to think before you answer. Don\u2019t forget your fundamentals as the questions try to delve into them. One of the keys to success is to think out loud and churn out interesting discussions. Make them listen to the sound of your thoughts. If you are stuck somewhere, roll out a discussion and display your deduction skills to the interviewers. Think like Sherlock from the BBC TV series.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n