<p>I just had my interview. Wow. It's unlike any US interview that I've ever had. Prepare yourself for some hard mental gymnastics. </p>
<p>I feel a little bit better, though - the Student Room seems to suggest that if you felt like you were pushed to/past your limits, you've probably done at least OK. Here's hoping! Good luck to everyone else with interviews coming up!</p>
<p>AHHH heerothewizard your post did not help my nerves.
My interview is tmrw, and I just might die of nervousness.</p>
<p>Mental gymnastics? Oh gosh, my course is Biological Sciences so I expect that X ten...
Does anybody else have their interview in NY tmrw?
Or any last minute advice on how to survive the night before, it would be helpful lol.</p>
<p>Wizard.. glad to hear about your interview. Yeah, the overwhelming consensus is that it is very difficult to judge how one performed in interview. Usually people feeling like they did the worst get offers, as they were seemingly pushed much further.</p>
<p>Quick stupid question: when you were at the interview, were you asked to present hard copies of transcripts, SAT's..etc? It says that we should bring them, but I am a post-qualification student [I went to NYU for a bit..] so I don't really have my mailed SAT scores hanging around. I don't think its a huge deal, but it would ease my nerves about to see how they went about it.</p>
<p>Yeah, they wanted the scores, and took them and took a look at them while I was interviewing, and then gave them back to me (I think they made photocopies/checked to make sure that they fit with what I'd written on my UCAS app/Oxford supplement. So, er, good luck finding them? :).</p>
<p>I found SAT scores woo! I have my college transcript.. no AP though. They said it's okay.. thank god.</p>
<p>Oh and I got allocated to Pembroke as an open applicant. Lucked out actually!</p>
<p>Hooray, Alexkay! :). I'm glad.</p>
<p>How've other peoples' interviews been going?</p>
<p>I've just recieved mail from Corpus saying they've recieved my application. Hooray!</p>
<p>How'd everybody's interviews go?</p>
<p>I've got mine from Merton College (Biological Sciences).
My interview...eh, wasn't the most terrible experience but wasn't that great either. The passage wasn't difficult at all and I would have been able to explain it fine if my interviewer wasn't so intimidating, seemed very keen on proving me wrong no matter what I said.
Ahh wells, hopefully the interview isn't everything as it isn't supposed to be!
Are any of you applying to any other schools in the UK?</p>
<p>I found my interview to be a really great experience. He was a great guy, my interviewer, but was a German tutor -- I'm going for Arabic. So we kinda laughed about our lack of connection. Nonetheless, he gave me some Japanese poems, a Pound couplet, and a fable by Kafka.. the later which I studied fairly indepthly on my own.</p>
<p>He pushed me..but.. in a very constructive way. Not intimidating at all.</p>
<p>I would love to think it went well; I left with a positive attitude so. Guess we'll just wait and see.</p>
<p>Oh and yes, in response to cynthiaxp, I am also applying to LSE, UCL, SOAS and KCL. A bunch of acronyms and Oxford :)</p>
<p>Alexkay673,</p>
<p>Your situation is somewhat different from that of previous posters because, if I understood it correctly, you already are a college student in the US. It is actually very rare for a U.S student to be admitted into Oxbridge straight out of High School, but there are many American kids who are admitted after attending a US university for an year or so.</p>
<p>Hi!
I'm from New York, applied to Hertford for PPE. I feel like I'm entering a 12-step program.</p>
<p>Aaaahhh! I got an email saying I'd been rejected --- then they called me, this morning, to say it had been a mistake! I had quite the roller coaster ride of emotions this week.</p>
<p>Omg, how could they make such a mistake seriously? They're so disorganized gosh.</p>
<p>That's quite awful.</p>
<p>I flew to London to interview with UCL in October.. thought it went very well.. and then I got an e-mail about a week ago asking if I was interested in flying over to interview.. I guess the tutor completely forgot he'd interviewed me [he was 2 hours late and left me sitting in a locked lobby haha] they can't seem to find my report? Hm? </p>
<p>Oh disorganization.. ayiyi. Glad it worked out for you!</p>
<p>Hi everyone - I'm a current Oxford student (I'm a finalist at Pembroke College, studying Oriental Studies - Chinese), and if you have any questions about life here, interviews, or anything else Oxford-related, I'll be happy to answer :)</p>
<p>I'm not from the US, so I can't comment on stuff to do with international students directly, but if there are any burning questions you have that I really can't answer, I can pass them on to one of my best friends here, who applied from the US. </p>
<p>Anyway, good luck to all with your interviews, and if you need help, just ask! :)</p>
<p>Laylah- I know it's not exactly your field, but do you know how good the Assyriology/Cuneiform program is? I'm considering Oxford for post-grad if I can find the funding.</p>
<p>laylah, i was just wondering if you could just tell me a bit about pembroke? i applied there for oriental studies too, arabic though. all i seem to know is that it's a poor college, known for good rowing and fairly well known for its orientalists.</p>
<p>anything else about the general atmosphere? sweeping stereotypes... ha any info/experiences would be appreciated.. i never actually got to go inside the college when i was there. thanks :)</p>
<p>warblersrule - I don't know anything about it, although I can ask around and get back to you. Give me a couple of days and I'll try and track someone down who knows about it!</p>
<p>alexkay - well, sadly we're not so good at rowing any more! ;) But yes, we're a fairly poor college, although as an Orientalist you'll get a better deal than other people - they're really making an effort to encourage Orientalists to come to Pembroke, so there are special scholarships available (although only for current students at the moment). </p>
<p>The college itself is fairly apolitical, so if you're interested in politics you'll have to join one of the main uni societies for that. That's not necessarily a bad thing though, as you get to meet more people that way!</p>
<p>The food has improved MASSIVELY since I was in my first year - they actually fired the chef we had back then, due to the generally disgusting and low-quality food he was providing. Food now is much better :)</p>
<p>Accomodation is nice, but more expensive than at most other colleges. You get a choice of rooms - Bands A-C are all pretty much the same, but they differ slightly in size. Band D rooms are en suite. I think there's now a Band E as well, but I've never seen or been in one! </p>
<p>One thing - as an Orientalist, you will be spending most of your time at the Oriental Institute, so you won't be around college as often as other people who have tutorials there. So it's a good idea to get involved in a college society or two (they have loads) just so you don't feel left out!</p>
<p>I hope that was helpful - any other questions, let me know :)</p>
<p>ah that was quite helpful! thank you.</p>
<p>i am glad to hear it's apolitical.. while i have my own opinions, some stronger than others, going to a raging liberal school like NYU kind of turned me off to active politics.</p>
<p>i read about some of the travel bursaries for the orientalists, i am really excited about that. the more i hear about the college the more i really seem to love it. </p>
<p>just one other question [i should try and get an offer first before i start thinking about accomodation].. but how liveable are bands- A-C? my only dorm experience was a huge double with 2 walk-in closets, a third shared closet, a weird tiny auxilary room used as a pantry and our own bathroom. yes.. we are spoiled brats at NYU. money is huge for me as i'm paying for school myself.. are the smaller rooms that bad? the whole communal bathroom thing scares me a bit.. but i'm sure i'd get along fine..</p>
<p>thanks!</p>