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[@Akshhat425]

Hello Sir! Hope you are doing well. I have applied for Law at the University of Oxford and I was quite curious about the interview process. I understand the general flow of the law interview (mostly thanks to the videos provided by you) and I am aware of the general criteria that are considered, but I am quite curious as to how you would assign a numerical value to such free flowing discussions? The interview is so complex in nature, so I am intrigued about how you or any other interviewer would be able to decide what an 8/10 interview was compared to a 3/10 (knowing that the ratings wouldnt be so rigid and more divided into various factors). Of course I understand that the exact metrics arent necessarily openly available, I would just appreciate if you could give a general idea of how you personally would go about deciding a score for a particular aspect of the interview. Thanks again for your fantastic videos!

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

It's a good question! I'll be releasing a video shortly with these sorts of details. We do have different criteria that we measure performance against. We then have to reconcile any discrepancies between markers. This is why you will typically have two interviews with at least two interviewers per session. That all means more opportunities to work out the strengths of your performance.

[@meridakobold]

I would have argued that Google does not (cannot for a stronger version of the argument) know us better than we know ourselves because as I define it, "to know something/someone" requires a conscious thought process - which Google does not (cannot) have. Thank you very much for the video, it is very helpful for understanding what you are looking for in an interview.

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

It's a good point. The tutors would challenge why/whether consciousness is a prerequisite for knowledge. They might say, do dogs know when they will be fed? Are they conscious of it being time for food? Or, perhaps we could argue that a thermostat is conscious because it knows the room temperature?! These are slightly annoying examples, but they're just designed to test your thinking process. I'm certainly not saying "you're wrong"!

[@FuturePastPerson]

Especially for humanities subjects where subjectivity/creative thinking is paramount in developing a problem, could it be a decent strategy to spend a numerical majority of the question time simply breaking down the language of the prompt? I understand this concept was alluded to at the end of the video with the 'good' analysis but is that supposed to be more of a secondary requirement to the quality of communication or is it the other way around. Taking the philosophy question at 09:23 for example. If that talking point was supposed to take up 3 minutes of my interview, I probably would have spent the first 1/2-2/3 of my time just going over the meanings of the words 'know us' (us referring to a collective of individuals or as one single group entity) and 'better' (qualitative vs quantitative measures of Google's skill) and then come to a shorter conclusion than other candidates but one which has considered different bases as opposed to one central idea? I personally view this as answering the question but could spending so much time on the conditionality of the question actually be seen as avoiding taking a stance or stalling? Keep the videos coming I really appreciate it :)

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

It is important to take your timing cues from the interviewers. If they want you to explore the question wording in more depth, they will ask you. Don't try to structure the interview yourself. Although, starting by saying "I think we should begin by defining some terms..." is likely to be helpful and appreciated. just avoid the temptation to talk for too long.

[@hungvu2575]

Hello Dr. Williams, Thank you for another very insightful video. I am currently applying to the Oxford Master's Programme in Advanced Computer Science and have a question regarding the reference letters. The programme requires three referees for the application, and at the moment, I have two people in mind who would likely be able to provide strong references (one is a mentor at work who oversees my project, and the other is a professor at school who has supervised two of my school projects). However, I'm a bit troubled about how to select the final referee. I could ask one of my professors from courses in which I had good results, but I'm concerned that they may not be able to provide a strong reference for my academic abilities, as I haven't had the opportunity to work closely with them. The application deadline is on the 7th of January, and I'm trying to figure out the best course of action for securing the third reference. Would you mind offering some advice on potential referees I could ask? Do you think having a course professor who doesn't know me too well will reduce the competitiveness of my application? Thank you again for all the helpful content you have published. It has greatly assisted me in preparing for my application.

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

Provided the referee knows your work they do not need to know you very well. If they can say that your academic ability is within the top x% of your class, that is helpful. It is best if a reference is written by someone who can gauge your academic ability and potential. They may be able to do so from your grades. But they don't otherwise need to know you very well.

[@simonturner5548]

"What" is, indeed, a curious name and I am as equally surprised as the questioner that they have been able to "make a good joke".

[@historan1020]

Hi Dr Williams, Thank you so much for these videos. I have a quick question about special consideration. The night prior to sitting my TSA exam I felt sick all night and couldn't sleep which obviously led to me being extremely tired during the exam. I was told this wouldn't count for special consideration and while I imagine this is true, I would rather know for certain. Could conditions like this count as special consideration? It just feels horrible that my chances of an interview are so reduced because of one night of poor sleep as I know in my mock tests I was scoring competitively. Regardless, thank you so much for your time, your videos have been incredibly helpful these past months.

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

Hi there, thanks for your message. I hope you're well. You are best of contacting the college you have applied to. If you email the admissions officer at the college, they should provide a more complete answer.

[@dojando6003]

You really need to try this interview again but this time you need to tell ChatGPT that it is a student in an interview situation. Then you can have a proper conversation with it and I can imagine it would get a lot better answering the questions, especially if you enter a discussion with it. I would be really interested to see if it would really handle it better.

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

Ok, thanks for the tip

[@DaisyManiac]

Hello sir. In the M.St in Comparative Literature and Translation course by the faculty of English, there is a second language requirement. Is there any possibility where they'd accept someone who knows a second language other than the languages specified in the requirements list. It would be helpful if you reply. Thank you sir.

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

The website states: "To take the course, you must be able to work with two languages and literatures, out of...." I'm afraid the "must" there is definitive. But you're best off contacting the faculty to be sure: www.english.ox.ac.uk/contact-us

[@alexaconnor2089]

Hello, I have a question regarding GCSEs. As an international student I did not have a possibility of taking them. How does the University look at students who do not have them? Is it a disadvantage or do they just place a higher value on entrance exam/achieved IB grades?

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

It's not unusual for applicants to have a variety of qualifications other than UK GCSEs. Yes, we will look to your IB results, and any other qualifications you have that we may be able to assess. It should not act as a disadvantage that you do not have GCSEs.

[@cathalmacfadden80]

What do you recommend an applicant do when they want to apply as a mature student but their last education was 10+ years ago where they got a Masters degree. Their university lecturers wont remember them so where are they to get the mandatory academic references for the application?

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

Are you applying for a postgraduate or undergraduate degree? Which course/s are you looking at? There are a few options for references. You can ask your university to write a reference based on your official transcript. Even if the lecturers won't remember you, they should have records of your performance. It is also possible for professional colleagues to write references, although they will need to speak to your aptitude for academic study. It is best to confirm any details with an admissions officer for your chosen course.

[@cathalmacfadden80]

@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 It is a postgraduate. MSc in Environmental Change and Management.

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

It's not unusual for postgrads to apply without easy access to academic referees. I imagine that you could use professional referees. But please check with the department: [e-mail] ☎ [phone]

[@aem2001]

Hello sir. I wanna be oxford student Can I contact you regarding this issue?

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

You can send me any questions you have here. Happy to help.

[@skreast]

Hello Dr. William, I am applying for the Physics and Philosophy undergraduate course at Oxford. I was wondering what to expect in the interview process as I have seen a few practice interviews for physics but not philosophy. How do joint degree interviews really work? Will I be sitting two different interviews for both subjects or will the interviews be interweaved? I would really appreciate some advice as the interview stage is rapidly approaching. Thank you!

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

Hi there, you will be interviewed by tutors for both subjects, yes. That may be in separate interviews, or may be conjoined. It will depend on the practice at the college you have applied to. It's important to prepare for both physics and philosophy interviews. I suggest preparing for some logic puzzles, as these are not uncommon in philosophy interviews. You can find examples on KZbin and elsewhere online.

[@mountainslovermanoj8979]

William sir good evening, i want to pursue Dphil in department of History. Kindly share details about the eligibility criteria for Oxford University if possible. I am from india. I will be very grateful to you sir if you help me sir.

[@JesusCollegeOxford1571]

See here: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/courses/dphil-history Click on the link for "Entry Requirements".