INTERVIEW RULES

If your grades, personal statement and references fitted the bill, you will by now have received an interview invitation. Starting this year, all Oxford candidates invited are seen by two colleges, the one they picked and another one randomly generated by computer, as mentioned before. The computer’s choice may lead to some odd matches, but being given the chance to impress two different colleges can improve your chances of success. This is especially true if you were horribly nervous at your first college interview.

Cambridge candidates still normally have two interviews at one college. Candidates who do well are put on a shortlist. Once they have left, the college will either make them an offer, conditional on their A-level grades, or put them into the so-called “pool”. This enables another college that might be short of strong candidates to fish them out. Not many pool candidates receive offers, but it is a great achievement to get this far.

To give yourself the best chance of an Oxford or Cambridge place, now read chapters 10 to 14 of OXBRIDGE ENTRANCE: THE REAL RULES.