People often ask questions on how to approach an interview, hoping to get some tips to help get accepted to Oxbridge. Instead of trying to ‘game the system’, let’s look at it from the perspective of the interviewers; what do you think they want to see from you?

Have you ever heard “the goal is not to be able to run 5km, it’s to be a runner”? The principle is, having a goal such as being able to run a 5k is unsustainable, because once it’s reached, you will stop running (until you set yourself a new goal). Instead, you should focus on changing your identity to match one of a runner; track your runs, eat well to complement your running, run with friends, be excited about your next run! If you do that, running a 5k will naturally follow, and by being a runner you will naturally progress onto tougher challenges like marathons.

Let’s apply the same principle here: “the goal is not to get accepted into Oxbridge, it’s to be the kind of student who receives a successful application”.

Imagine the ‘perfect’ student who does get accepted. What do they look like for you?

Do they study 14 hours a day? Do they only get top grades? Not necessarily.

They want to know if you’d benefit from a system like Oxbridge – you need to become a scientist, become a historian, or whatever else you want to study. Make it part of your identity. A good mathematician would be excited to work on a new proof!

How would they sense you’re a good fit?

Demonstrate in the interview obscure but pertinent knowledge (from your further reading); attend competitions in your subject; write essays for fun; have academic discussions with your peers to practice your argument building; watch YouTube videos relevant to your subject! There isn’t a good way to ‘cheat’ this, you need to become an Oxbridge student.