School Gate blog: How should you answer those tricky interview questions?

Before the interview

1. Don't forget an alarm clock

It sounds mundane but could be make or break if you have an early interview and stay over in college the night before. Pack an alarm clock or a mobile phone that is charged so that you don't have a restless night's sleep worrying whether you'll miss it.

2. Brush up on your personal statement

Make sure you've done everything you put down in your personal statement. If you have time, quickly skim-read some of the texts you've mentioned so that you'll be able to quote in your interview or at least know what they’re talking about. “I hadn’t read one of the books on my personal statement so I got my dad to give me a quick summary before the interview. I got in there and they asked me about one of the characters and I had no idea who it was. It was so embarrassing,” says one graduate who read French and Spanish at Oxford.

3. Know what your interviewer has written

Rosemary Bennett, who read Politics, Philosophy and Economics says doing your homework on the subject tutors at the college will make you stand out. “Be really prepared and read what they have written recently. It’s so easy to find out what they have done – not so that you can suck up to them - but so you know their areas of interest. If you know their take on a situation you won’t go in with half baked opinions to the expert.”

4. Make an effort with your appearance

“Wear something bright to make yourself more memorable. Try to look smart but not too try-hard,” says one Cambridge Theology graduate.

Murad Ahmed, who studied Law at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge advises, “You just have to look like you've made an effort and take the interview seriously. That might mean a suit and tie, or just dressing smartly. The guy after me came dressed in a Gap hoody, and I never saw him again.”

5. Keep an eye on the notice board

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