Philosophy And Theology @ Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford in 2018

Interview format

3x 20 min interviews, over 2 days

Interview content

Texts given before; comparison to text given during interview; research discussion; philosophy questions

Best preparation

Past papers

Advice in hindsight

-

Final thoughts

Had mock interview; read 'Philosophy Now' magazine; should have been more confident and let my natural excitement shine through.

Remember this advice isn't official. There is no guarantee it will reflect your experience because university applications can change between years. Check the official Cambridge and Oxford websites for more accurate information on this year's application format and the required tests.

Also, someone else's experience may not reflect your own. Most interviews are more like conversations than tests and like, any conversation, they are quite interactive.

Interview Format

Test taken: Philosophy Test

Number of interviews: 3

Skype interview: No

Interviews spread across 2 days

Length of interviews: about 20 minutes each

What happened in your interview? How did you feel? "

Most of the interviews required me to read a text and explain it. One introduced a text once the interview had started, making me think on the the spot as to how they related to each other. They asked me to point out one word which I thought was most important to the text, which was challenging, but I thankfully found one.

One interview did not discuss my personal statement at all, whereas another asked how my extra curricular activities related to the degree I wanted to study. One tutor asked me for my opinion on a certain topic which he was working on, which was enjoyable. That interview was the most enjoyable as it showed the interviewer had respect for my opinions and posed curious and unique questions.

Another, less enjoyable interview asked me deep philosophical questions and ultimately I couldn't provide an answer for some of them which was logically sensible. It made me feel rather foolish, and the questions were relentless!

These were two very different styles of interview, and I am glad that I experienced both, as I felt I had a chance to shine in the former interview.

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How did you prepare?

I did the practice papers.

What advice do you have for future applicants?

Looking back, what advice would you give to your past self?

I did have a practice interview at school and it was nowhere near like any of my interviews. What was most helpful was me reading 'Philosophy Now' magazines, simply making me think about topical questions and what was appealing. I had no idea what to expect really, but the interviewers, who really engaged with what I included in my statement and tried to build on my questions, were really encouraging.

I ought to have been more confident I think, but after my first interview I got braver to speak my mind. The reading was really important to doing well, but ultimately my natural excitement for the subject drove the interviews and made them natural. I know many of my peers did a lot more work for the interview, but I found that me simply being myself allowed the things that I loved to be apparent, which is what the interviewers are looking for: someone to commit to the subject and be the driving force of your university life.