The University Interview: Oxbridge vs. Ivy+ Edition 

Interviews can be one of the most daunting aspects of the university application process. Students can be asked to talk about themselves in ways and circumstances they may not be used to. While both Oxbridge and Ivy+ interviews are crucial parts of the application process, the form and function of the interview can be drastically different.

We have talked to our experienced university advisors Owen Walding (Oxbridge Applications) and Umut Arslan (A-List Education) to get their ideas and advice on interviews on either side of the pond, and how students can best prepare for them. 

Is an interview required for admission? 

Owen Walding (OW), Oxbridge Applications: All undergraduate courses at Oxford and Cambridge require interviews as part of the application process and no offers are given to students without them having been interviewed first. Whether or not an applicant will be interviewed depends on their realised and predicted grades, the strength of their personal statement, their performance in pre-interview admissions tests, as well as the competitiveness of the course. Cambridge generally interviews a larger percentage of applicants than Oxford, who tend to use admissions tests to more selectively shortlist applicants. 

Umut Arslan (UA), A-List Education: Interviews are not required for most schools in the US, although selective Ivy+ universities are likely to offer interviews ensure that they get a holistic view of their applicants. US Universities offer interviews based on various criteria: while some schools interview candidates they lean towards admitting, others offer interviews to all applicants where they can. However, due to interviewer availability and applicant numbers in the tens of thousands, it has been reported that selective universities gave spots to students without having conducted an interview. Regardless, if a student is being offered an interview, they should take advantage of the opportunity to not only leave a good impression on the admission office, but also to ask questions they might have about their school of choice. 

When and in what format does the interview take place? 

OW: Interviews take place throughout the first three weeks of December and applicants generally find out whether they’ve been invited to interview by mid to late November- sometimes not long before the interviews themselves! All applicants to Oxford are interviewed online, as are most applicants to Cambridge. However, since the colleges have more independence in Cambridge’s application process, some Cambridge colleges have decided to interview in-person this year. Emmanuel, Gonville & Caius, King’s, Pembroke, Peterhouse, Selwyn, and Trinity are all interviewing home applicants in-person this year- so is Corpus Christi, but only for engineering! 

UA: For early applications, interviews are typically conducted shortly after the submission deadline in November to give the schools enough time to make decisions by late December. For regular applications, interviews take place in January and February. It is rare for students to do more than one interview, and they will usually meet interviewers in a semi-formal setting like a café or an office building. While universities offer in-person interviews in large cities like London with large alumni presence, interviews for international students are often accommodated through video calls. 

Who conducts the interviews? 

OW: For most subjects, Oxbridge interviews are conducted by fellows at the college the student is applying to and who will be subject specialists in the relevant field. With smaller subjects, such as Linguistics, ASNC, Archaeology etc., students may be interviewed by faculty members from other colleges. Students may sometimes have more general interviews conducted by non-specialist fellows at the college they’re applying to as well As you’re told in advance who will be conducting your interviews, students often like to research their interviewers. However, be warned: while it can be fun to learn about your interviewer’s academic background, don’t try to pander to their research interests- admissions tutors can smell flattery from a mile away.  

UA: US interviews are most commonly conducted by alumni who volunteer to talk to students on the university’s behalf. Alumni have first-hand experience with the student experience at the university they represent, and they are able to gauge the student’s fit to the academic and social life. Alumni interviewers are usually matched randomly with students, and don’t have any access to the students’ grades and essays. This is done to ensure that the interviews provide the university with an unbiased and fresh perspective on the students’ achievements and aspirations. However, interviews can also be conducted by admission officers or even faculty in some cases. 

What’s the structure of a typical interview? 

OW: Interviews are generally around 20-30 minutes long and students may be given something to read through in advance such as a literary text, a historical source, or some unseen data. Two interviews are standard, but students can be interviewed more- I’ve known some Oxford applicants to be interviewed up to six times! Within an interview, the structure will depend on the subject, the interviewer, and the flow of conversation but generally applicants can expect to be confronted with something new and must combine their subject knowledge and critical thinking skills to tackle whatever comes their way.  

UA: Interviews are usually not longer than 30-45 minutes and follow a simple structure similar to a relaxed conversation. First, the interviewer and student both introduce themselves, which yields to a few initial topics for the interviewer to follow up on. Then, the interviewer asks questions in the broad topics of academics, extracurriculars, community, interest in the school, and anything else they might want to learn about the student. The kinds of topics to be covered change based on the direction from the university, and the interviewer’s personal style. At the end, there will be 5-10 minutes for the student’s questions about the school or the interviewer’s own personal experience. Asking meaningful questions that cannot be answered using online sources will often show a genuine interest in the school. 

What are some common questions should applicants expect? 

OW: Oxbridge interview questions are really variable and differ from subject to subject- we’ve got plenty of past interview questions for students to practice with, but expecting the unexpected is the name of the game. For one of my own interviews, I was given a poem in a completely unknown language and was asked to analyse it, so preparing for a broad range of possibilities is very important! With that said, some specifics are worth preparing for: in particular, while there’s no guarantee that students will be asked about their personal statement at interview, it’s still worth knowing it inside and out in case students are asked about it, as it’s one of the few specifics that they can prepare for in advance. 

UA: The interviews vary vastly across different schools and interviewers, but most interviews will cover similar themes. Students are likely to be asked about how they explored different academic fields, what they have done to develop themselves beyond academic means, how they have impacted and improved the lives of those around them, their hobbies, and their goals for university and beyond. However, interviewers often evaluate students on such themes indirectly. One question that was asked once in a Harvard interview was “Can you prepare an itinerary to experience your hometown like a local?”, which gives the interviewer an understanding of how a student structures an answer creatively, their level of engagement with their environment and how they spend their time engaging in a variety of intellectual and leisure activities. 

How should students demonstrate their subject knowledge? 

OW: Students need to show both depth and breadth of knowledge for Oxbridge interviews, balanced between engaging intelligently with the new ideas in front of them as well as bringing in their own reading and outside knowledge to support their arguments. Oxbridge are ultimately looking for scholars, and so students need to make sure they highlight their academic potential for their subject and show how they’ve already begun to engage deeply with the specifics of their field. 

UA: Students definitely need to show a level of engagement and passion with their field of choice for Ivy+ universities, however depth is not necessarily in focus. Because interviews are usually held by alumni who might not have studied the same field as the student, interviewers are more interested in learning about the student’s journey of intellectual exploration. Students should mention any original research they have completed, how they have explored and supplemented their interest beyond their school curriculum and what they are looking forward to getting out of a university education in their field. Here, interviewers do not necessarily look for a strict commitment to one discipline: students who are deeply entrenched in one field are celebrated just as much as students who are undecided, as long as they exhibit academic promise, a willingness to experiment and curiosity to learn. 

Are students asked their reasons for applying to a particular college? 

OW: There’s no guarantee, but it’s very possible and basic questions along the lines of “Why this course/college?” or “Why Oxbridge” are absolutely the sort of questions I’d expect students to have answers for. These answers shouldn’t be overly coached, however, and students should really think about why they’re choosing this specific academic pathway and what intellectual curiosity is driving them. Mentioning you picked a college because it’s close to the shops, or a course because it’s less competitive, is unlikely to endear yourself to admissions tutors. 

UA: As students apply to a significantly higher number of universities in the US, schools often want to hear why students want to attend that particular school. More applicants than available spots have the academic credentials and qualities to be thrive at schools like Harvard and Stanford, so it comes down to proving that one has a unique and well-researched set of reasons to want to attend such schools. Hence, while having access to the lively social scene of New York City is undoubtedly a benefit of studying at a school like Columbia or NYU, students should focus more on proving why their school of choice is the “perfect match” for their interests and goals. 

Where do the extracurricular activities fall in the interview process? 

OW: Extracurriculars are, by their very definition, outside of student’s academic work, and so not relevant for students’ applications to academic UK universities. Oxbridge are looking for scholars and specialists, and thus mentioning your cello in a Chemistry interview or football when you’re supposed to be talking about Greek is unlikely to get you very far in the eyes of admissions tutors. Supercurriculars, however, are gold and should be highlighted- showing that you’ve engaged with your subject beyond schoolwork and are already tackling university-level content is exactly the sort of passion and dedication Oxbridge are looking for. The days of walking into an interview, catching a Rugby ball, and being given a place at Cambridge are long over! 

UA: Extracurricular activities are a central facet of the US application process, including the interview. Ivy+ universities are looking for diverse perspectives and experiences on their campuses as well as scholars and specialists, and extracurricular achievements are great examples to prove fit to the flexible and interdisciplinary nature of US schools. This being said, the interview is more of an opportunity to understand the student’s incentives to engage in an extracurricular activity and the impact they have had. Founding a nature conservancy club and balancing demanding after-school basketball practice sessions will only add up to the profile of a student who is already showing promise through academics and supercurriculars. 

How important is the interview in the application process? 

OW: Interviews are absolutely central to the Oxbridge application process, as they test students’ suitability for the defining element of Oxbridge study, that being the supervision/tutorial system of intense, small-group learning. Interviews are essentially a trial run of what supervisions/tutorials are actually like, and so testing that applicants demonstrate the appropriate knowledge, eloquence, and curiosity to excel in this system is crucial. It’s also a great opportunity for students to see for themselves if this type of learning is something they enjoy as well. 

UA: Given some schools don’t offer interviews and they are often optional, the interview is rarely the deciding factor in whether the college will accept a student. However, the interview gives the student a unique opportunity to show their interest in the college and contextualize any other aspect of their applications, which is impactful in increasing a student’s chances in the already-competitive Ivy+ applicant pools. Admission officers at different schools use the interview for different purposes: they might confirm their interest in a student, raise any red flags, or sway the decision on an acceptance they are on the fence about. 

How can students prepare for the interviews? 

OW: Practice, practice, practice. The gold standard for this is, of course, mock interviews with expert, Oxbridge-graduate interviewers, and this is certainly what we find makes the biggest difference in performance with the students we work with. However, this doesn’t mean students can’t practice by themselves- answering interview questions at a mirror, breaking down an unseen text to your family or friends, or walking your pot plant through your favourite mathematical theorem is all excellent practice students can to by themselves. Encouraging active and thoughtful engagement in class is also useful in making sure students start their interview practice already confident talking about their subject and breaking down complex questions in real time. 

UA: Students should initially start by preparing possible answers to common interview questions, then practice with peers, but eventually start having mock interviews with interviewers experienced with the unconventional structure of the US interviews. It is particularly important to practice with interviewers from different educational backgrounds and personalities to be well prepared for the range they will experience in their real interviews. It is also helpful to talk to university alumni to learn about their interviews and experiences they have had on campus. 

What are some final tips for students you’d like share? 

OW: Enjoy it! It’s easy to see Oxbridge interviews as an obstacle to be overcome or an ordeal to suffer through, but what they actually are is an opportunity to sit down with a world-leading expert in their field and just chat about your favourite subject for half an hour! Getting to talk about your personal statement and explain your favourite academic anecdotes to an Oxbridge lecturer in your subject is a real honour, and so make sure not to lose sight of how special and unique an experience it really is. When students are actually enjoying the interview, it really comes through in their performance as well, so make sure to take a breath, relax, and make the most of an amazing experience. 

UA: Be yourself! The admission office already has an understanding of your accomplishments and aspirations on paper, and they would like to learn things about you that might not come across on the application forms. Skills like holding a rewarding conversation with someone you’ve just met and pushing the limits of a topic intellectually will speak to the kind of student you are likely to be on campus. Lastly, be genuine and flexible: interviewers talk to many students during the interview season, and they are more likely to remember and vouch for those who remind them of the casually enriching interactions they had dining halls or classrooms themselves.