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Interview dates for entry in 2013-14

The interviews at Emmanuel will take place between Monday 3 December and Thursday 13 December 2012.

International students needing a visa to enter the UK for an interview should visit the International Student Team website.

About the Interviews

Cambridge interviews are often the most dreaded part of making an application to Cambridge, but there's no reason why they have to be. This section will tell you a bit more about why we interview and what the interviews will be like. We also have some videos of mock interviews for you to watch.

Why we interview

Most people who apply to Cambridge have lots of As and A*s at GCSE, and most are predicted A*AA or more at A level. On paper then, they all seem to be of pretty similar ability, so we need some additional way of distinguishing between them. Interviews are one way in which we can do this. However, that's not to say that everything hinges on how well you do at the interviews (a popular misconception!). When considering whether to give you an offer, university staff will take a lot of information into account, including your GCSE and AS/A2 grades (or equivalents), your performance in extra exams (like the TSA), your school background, and anything else that might be relevant (for example, if you missed some schooling through illness).

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Are the interviews fair?

The answer is that we try as hard as we can to make them fair. Often there's the idea that Cambridge interviews somehow discriminate against certain people: girls; boys; people from state schools; people from independent schools; people who have lots of extra-curricular activities; people with poor social skills. The fact is: Cambridge tries its hardest not to let any discrimination like this happen. At Emmanuel, we take steps to ensure that everyone is treated fairly:

In summary, interviewers cannot make 'ad hoc' decisions: they are trained in assessing candidates, and they have to justify whatever decisions they make - to the other interviewer(s), to the Admissions Tutors, and also to your school!

Remember, interviewers understand that you may be nervous during the interviews, and will make allowances for that. There is absolutely no chance that interviewers will try to catch you out by asking you trick questions. You may have heard the horror stories, but they are certainly not true now (if they ever were!). Instead, interviewers see the interviews as a chance to get to know you, to establish how your mind works, and to see what potential you have for taking the subject you want to study further.

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What happens at the interviews

Virtually everyone who applies to Cambridge from the UK or other EU countries will be interviewed. Exactly when the interviews take place varies from College to College, but at Emmanuel interviews take place in early to mid-December, before Christmas. The format of interviews may vary a little from subject to subject, but details of all of them can be found in the subject pages. There are some videos of mock interviews to give you some idea. However, typically you will have two interviews with up to four different people (normally two in each interview). Each interview lasts for 20-25 minutes (some may be longer), and you may have to read a passage or some questions beforehand, so that you can discuss them during the interview.

One of your interviewers will be the 'Director of Studies', who will oversee your studies if you are accepted into the college. However, the interviewers won't expect you to know everything, and will take into account the material you have covered in your coursework when assessing your performance (and will tailor their questions accordingly). Don't worry if you have to stop and pause for a while before answering a question - that's much better than rushing on and not thinking through what you're saying. The interview is supposed to be an intelligent discussion, and you'll be expected to think about what you say and respond to the interviewers' questions with your own ideas and thoughts. Don't say what you think they want to hear, say what you really think - and if they disagree, don’t be afraid to debate the point! A lot of people find the interview to be quite a fun experience and nothing like the grilling they were expecting.

During the interview period, we have undergraduates on hand to take you to your interviews and collect you afterwards, and we also have a common room for you to relax in (with a drinks machine and comfy chairs!). If you have any questions or passages you need to read for your interviews, we will tell you about them when you register on the day, and there is a quiet reading room for you to read them in. We try to make sure that the experience is as stress-free as possible.

Occasionally circumstances beyond your or our control can intervene in the interview process - such as being stuck in traffic and therefore arriving late. You can be assured that in any circumstances like that, we will make whatever allowances necessary to compensate for them, both for you and for any other affected candidates. So bring your mobile with you!

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What to wear and how to prepare

Just choose something you feel comfortable in! The last thing you want is to be fiddling with your outfit when you're already a bit nervous. There's no need to look very smart, as it’s your brains we're focusing on – not your appearance, but most people like to dress up a bit as it might be an outward reflection of how much effort they've put into their application and how seriously they're taking it. As a rough guide, you're probably better off not wearing sports gear or anything very revealing, but pretty much anything else is fine.

You can't be coached for a Cambridge interview, but it often helps to reduce nerves if you think over what might happen at the interview in advance. Helpful things you could do are:

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