Test taken: English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 30 minutes
Length of interviews: 20-25 minutes
Online interview: No

The first interview was about an unseen poem, which I was given 15 minutes before the interview started. I used that time to annotate the poem and collect my thoughts in order to prepare for the discussion. Whilst the interview primarily revolved around my interpretation of the poem, I was also asked to guess when it was written and who wrote it, as well as being presented with context about the subject of the poem and asked whether or not it changed my perspective.

Before my interview, I was asked to select 3 additional writers to research, and in this interview I was asked to link themes present in their work to the work of the unseen poet. Although I was nervous at first, the interviewers were lovely and I really began to enjoy our discussion as time went on. It didn't feel like an interrogation, it felt like they were genuinely interested in what I had to say which was very encouraging. The interview also took place in a really cosy setting - I was in an armchair and they were on a sofa - which helped me to relax more. Remember that if you don't understand a question you can ask them to rephrase it and if you need some time to think about something or revisit the passage, you can ask for it! The interviewers won't see that as a bad thing, they want you to give informed responses and communicate with them, as this shows them that you'd work well with them in supervisions.

The second interview was about my personal statement and submitted work, although in my case we only ended up discussing one of my submitted essays. I was very nervous at first because I had spent the majority of my preparation time reviewing my personal statement, and hadn't really looked at my submitted work for months. The interviewer pushed me to justify my argument, which was difficult at first but as the interview progressed I became more certain of my views. It's important to stick to your guns (so long as you can explain why) as it shows that you have conviction and won't simply agree with what the professor says; however, if the interviewer repeatedly pushes you away from a certain viewpoint it's important not to be too stubborn, as they may get the impression that it would be difficult to teach you. I also found that the second interview became more philosophical, although this doesn't seem to be standard. We discussed topics such as the purpose of literature and whether or not writers had a moral obligation to detach themselves from politics, which I hadn't prepared for in the slightest (although this wasn't a problem as it was very interesting to talk about and therefore easy to form opinions on). I would recommend doing some research into different critical theories, as it can really come in handy when thinking about your own viewpoints.

Although my second interview really stretched me intellectually, I enjoyed it even more than the first. Remember that the interviews will be hard, but hopefully rewarding too. They need to stretch you to see how you would cope in tutorials, so try not to overthink it afterwards - if it was hard it's probably a good sign because if they push you it means they believe you are capable of that level of thinking.

My school ran weekly mock interview sessions; whilst they certainly helped by ensuring I did my reading and knew my subject well, I found that the questions asked in the read interviews were totally different. These sessions actually made me really nervous because I found them very intense, but my real interviewers were much nicer and I really enjoyed the process! My teachers also helped me by telling me which parts of my personal statement I should research more before interview (although I ultimately wasn't asked about my personal statement).

I tried to do a few past papers but I found it quite stressful so I never actually completed one. Instead of writing my own responses, I looked at sample marked responses online and read the examiner reports to understand why certain essays did well and others didn't.

It's difficult to enjoy the process at the time, but remember that the skills you build in the application process will be valuable regardless of where you end up. I learned a lot during the ELAT and interview preparation which was invaluable to me when writing coursework and generally approaching my studies in the future. Also, whilst it's definitely worth applying even if you don't think you have a chance of getting in, make sure you're applying for the right reasons.

The application process is gruelling and if you feel pressured to apply because of your parents/teachers then it can be much harder, as the experience may be less rewarding. At the end of the day, the Oxbridge style of teaching is unique in parts and what works for some people may not work for others! Take time to try and work out how you prefer to learn. Make sure that you enjoy your subject too, as this will help you to get the most out of both your application and life at university. It's also important to remember that it's okay if you don't know everything about your subject - the interviewers are focussing on two main things: how teachable you are and how passionate you are. If you knew everything then you wouldn't have anything left to learn!