<p>I am applying to Oxford this September, and I think I have an above average shot based on my SAT and ACT scores. I also took 8 SAT IIs and over 12 APs with great scores, so I guess that puts me in the standing. I am really worried about the interview, and I wanted to know what their questions are more concentrated into. Do they ask questions about ECs or personal matters? Do they ask questiona regarding a specific subject? I wanna major in Economics and I already have 5s on both AP exams, am I ready to ace the interview? What else do I need to do to prepare. CCers, please help!</p>
<p>I'm by no means an expert, but from what I've read/heard:
They really don't care about ECs or personal stuff, and will ask you about a subject (economics in this case) to test your knowledge.</p>
<p>My friend applied to Oxford this year under Anthropology/Archaeology. She had to fly to New York City for it (she lives in Los Angeles). In her interview, she had to describe the eating habits of some extinct marsupial on the western shore of Africa in the Mesozoic Era (not that question exactly, but something seriously and insanely obscure).</p>
<p>I'd like to know about this as well. I'm only a junior, but my parents want me to apply to British schools (in addition to American ones) as financial safeties.</p>
<p>Firstly you cannot study economics alone at Oxford. It appears as part of the Joint Honours courses PPE (Philosophy, Politics & Economics) or E&M (Economics & Management). You can read Economics alone at Cambridge.</p>
<p>Have a look at this</a> link which gives you some information about the PPE course and the entry requirements. You will see there is also a written test at the interview. If you follow the link at the top of the page to 'Selection criteria' you will find some more detailed information e.g. if you have previously studied economics you can expect to be questioned on it. There'll be similar pages on E&M somewhere.</p>
<p>My understanding is the the economics course requires a good grounding in maths, otherwise you might struggle.</p>
<p>Regarding maintainyourvelocity's comments they are very unlikely to say "You've probably never heard of the western short-nosed wombat but tell us about it anyway". Instead they may well give you a piece of academic writing about said wombat and then quiz you on it to see what your critical thinking is like and how you can apply your existing knowledge. (In your case the piece of academic writing would most likely be about Phil, Pol or Econ.)</p>
<p>And think yourself lucky - you would probably have just one interview in New York or Vancouver, but your UK colleagues who are interviewed in Oxford are likely to have at least one interview on each of the three subjects of PPE!</p>
<p>I applied tp Oxford for E&M this year (starting Sep 2006) and already had my interview back in Dec. It is extremely different from interviews at american colleges. There's nearly nothing about extra-curriculas or past achievements (like APs, grades in general etc.).
They (up to three interviewers) basically ask you shortly why you want to study E&M and why you think you would be doing great and the proceed with some tasks mainly based on logical and analytical thinking. They do not require too much background knowledge on E&M but you are likely to be asked some things if they know you already did some economics.</p>
<p>If you want to know anything in particular feel free to pm me.</p>
<p>I couldn't see a link to the PPE interview test, and I was a historian sometime ago so I can't help personally. I suggest you try The Student Room or perhaps email the admissions people.</p>
<p>Mainly little 'games' like company "x" can produce for "y" and launches a campaign for "z" while company "a" can produce for less but has to built a factory first and so on, I don't remember it completely but it was about the question whether it is profitable for "a" to enter into the market and if under which circumstances. Mostly games where the obvious answer is the wrong one. They do not expect a perfect answer immediately but they want to see the ability of constructing arguments etc.</p>
<p>Regarding A level Economics: I didn't do A-Levels at all (international student as well) I in fact never did economics at school at all. I guess they considered that when choosing questions but all the others that did economics or business studies said that their interviews weren't based on anything they'd actually learned in class. That means you are more than perfectly well prepared.</p>
<p>The opening questions are pretty predictable, "why do you want to study xy?" "Why Oxford?", "which of your qualities would make you a good manager?" For internationals also 'why UK?'. What comes afterwards isn't really predictable and every interview is slightly different in terms of lengths, concept and questions asked. As long as you can build an argument and think logically you probably do well.</p>
<p>There are many threads on the student room site where candidates share info on the specific questions they were asked at interview. There is another site - oxbridge admissions - which offers the same info. My D interviewed (successfully) in December for English - the advice she got from her school was simply to 'read around' her subject. The interviews are designed to see how candidates think. My D thinks there is really no way you can 'prepare' for these interviews - in many cases there were no right or wrong answers to the questions she was asked; the tutors were seeing if she could analyse new material, articulate an opinion, argue it. The tutors were trying to determine what she would be like to teach and whether it was worth their time. As your subject is so different, it is worth investigating those sites already mentioned, but the approach will be more or less the same.</p>
<p>University tuition fees for overseas (non-EU) students in 2006-7 have not been decided at the time of going to press. Fee rates vary according to programme of study, but may be broadly categorised as shown below. For guidance, the fee rates applicable in 2005-6 are quoted in brackets.
(a) Classics / Literae Humaniores; Philosophy and Theology; B.Th. in Theology (£8,540)
(b) Most other programmes in social sciences, humanities and human sciences (£9,960)
(c) Science subjects, including joint degrees, involving a laboratory-based element; Computer Science; Music; Fine Art (£11,380)
(d) Clinical Medicine (£20,820) </p>