Application

University: Oxford

College (if made an open application, allocated college): Exeter

Course: English Language and Literature

Year in (not for!) which you applied: 2008

Final outcome: offer made

Applicant

Qualification: A-levels

When did you apply in terms of your qualification? pre-qualification

Are you a home/EU/overseas applicant? home

What is your country of origin? United Kingdom

What type of school/college do/did you attend? Comprehensive School

GCSE or a similar equivalent taken: yes (2 A*,1 A,2 B,7 C)

A-levels

AS: Psychology (NA at AS)

A2: English Literature (A at AS; predicted A; gained NA at A2)

A2: Religious Studies (A at AS; predicted A; gained NA at A2)

A2: Sociology (A at AS; predicted A; gained NA at A2)

Details about the offer

Type of offer: conditional

Specific conditions: A in English Literature

Other conditions: AAA

Have you accepted the offer? yes

Have you applied to other universities you consider very close, ‘on par’ or even better than oxbridge? (Ivies, Sorbonne, LSE..others for different subjects) no

Have you met the offer? grades pending/unknown

Decisions about the application

For what reasons did you apply to Oxbridge?

tremendous academic reputation, top tutors in field, beautiful city etc.

How did you decide between Oxford and Cambridge?

use of ELAT in the admissions process

Why did you choose this course?

natural aptitude/genuine interest

Why did you choose this college/make an open application?

it’s a marvellous college. really quite beautiful. centrally located but mid-sized. seemed perfect.

Preparation

Did your school/college give you any extra tuition or help prior to your interview or application? yes

sent to an interview preparation day. was pretty useless – lots of “be yourself” & “relax” codswallop. i highly doubt it had any influence on my interview performance.

Do you have any advice for future applicants in terms of preparation?

don’t waste money on interview preparation days. luckily my school funded mine – i certainly wouldn’t of gone had they not. instead read the texts mentioned on your personal statement again & think critically about them. the interview tests your natural ability, so any preparation (other than learning what you said you have learnt) is fairly redundant.

Interview

Did you have to sit any pre-interview exams (LNAT/BMAT/..)? yes

ELAT. visit the ELAT website for further information.

Did you have to submit any written work prior to the interview? yes

one piece of written work.

Did you have to take any exams as part of your interview(s)? no

How was/were in general your interview(s)?

extremely enjoyable. the tutors were wonderfully comfortable (as was the sofa) & it certainly felt more like a casual conversation than an interview.

Please comment further on any particular aspects/topics of your interview(s).

discussed the texts i was studying for a level, anti-semitism in the merchant of venice etc. was given a poem to annotate an hour before the interview & we discussed that in some detail. i think my interpretation was reasonable. spent the second interview discussing books that i was currently reading. i remember having a conversation about marxist approaches to literature with reference to terry eagleton’s popular text.

What questions were you asked during your interview(s)?

“what texts are you currently studying?”, “is there anything in particular that you would like to talk about?”, “what do you find interesting about …?”

What did you wear to your interview(s), and why?

can’t remember. i think a grey suit minus the tie and jacket. i can’t imagine what you wear to be of any real interest to the tutors. just don’t do something crazy.

Impressions

What was your general impression of the college that you applied to/any others you visited?

fantastic. i felt at home instantly.

If seen, please describe the college accommodation eg. size of rooms, facilities.

good size, running water, toilet across the corridor, desk/wardrobes/heating etc.

How was the food provided by the college?

regrettably i didn’t have the chance to dine in college

How did you find the tutors in the college?

splendid. relaxed & friendly with a great sense of humour. can’t wait to spend three years with them.

Generally, what were the college students like (from what you saw of them)?

friendly & welcoming.

Final stage

Please describe your feelings during the time you waited for the decision.

anxious. i applied because i wanted to go, obviously, though it was the interview process that really captured me. i fell in love with the college and with the tutorial system. i felt i belonged at oxford.

Please describe what happened when you received the letter/the call telling you whether you had a place or not.

mum brought it up whilst i was still asleep and woke me up with it, reaching up to my bunk-bed and handing it through the bars. letter seemed fairly thin but it was an offer. was understandably ecstatic!

Looking back

If you were to re-live that year of your life again, would you still apply?

of course.

What advice do you have for potential applicants based on your experiences?

find areas of your subject that interest you and talk about them. i feel most (if not all) english offer holders will agree with me when i say that we are lucky in this respect. “middlemarch” is a cracking read. i doubt the same can be said for a biology textbook, but it’s essential that you are interested in what you say you are interested in. i feel that i really connected with the tutors because it was clear that i was enjoying the discussion. i never once had to feign interest, and that’s the way it should be.