What do the tutors want from an interview candidate?

The interviews are really a kind of mock-tutorial, an opportunity for the tutors to see how you interact with them in discussion in an academic setting, so essentially what it would be like to have you as a student. You're typically given a text to read for five minutes before you go in, and you'll discuss that text with them. Discussion about your school life/ gap year/ personal statement will be minimal. They're looking for your ability to think critically about a text and about a subject, and your ability to think on your feet and debate. Ideally, you'll go in with ideas and an argument about the text you're given, but don't be afraid to ask clarifying questions if there's anything you're unsure on - it's not an exam, it's a conversation. With regard to the discussion, there's a line to be drawn between holding your ground and being bullheaded - just like any student, you should have your own ideas and have faith in them, but equally be willing to learn from your tutors. 

HC
Answered by Harriet C. Oxbridge Preparation tutor

2071 Views

See similar Oxbridge Preparation Mentoring tutors

Related Oxbridge Preparation Mentoring answers

All answers ▸

Tell me why you want to study Classics at this university? (personal statement)


Explain a potential reason as to why a group of patients with cancer (who consistently listened to opera music) lived longer than a matched control group with cancer who did not listen to opera


Will Oxbridge interviewers purposefully try and trip me up by asking hard questions?


Suppose we complete a rectangle of dimensions m*n by the following rule: everytime we complete a square, we put in an number from 0 to 4 equal to the number of adjacent squares already completed. What can we say about the sum of the numbers in all squares


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences