31st October 2012 9:00
By Blue Tutors
At this time of year, as students start to prepare their university applications, some are finishing off their applications to Oxford and Cambridge universities, which have to be completed by 15th October. Increasing numbers of students are receiving private tuition to help with the lengthy application procedure, from help with the personal statement, to interview practice and even personal tours of universities with tutors who have graduated from the colleges to which students are hoping to be admitted.
Most students who apply will have had their personal statement vetted by a tutor, either privately or at school, and during the Oxbridge admissions process it often merely serves as a jumping off point. So what can tutors do to help students prepare for the all-important interview? If students have had tutors throughout their A’ Level courses, the best thing a tutor can do is consistently require their students to think creatively about the problems and questions posed to them. An A’ Level answer might be awarded an A grade, but a tutor can push further, and enquire as to the different ways in which we might view an issue.
A history admissions tutor at Oxford University recently said that a favourite question of his is to ask a student what we could learn, if we had no historical sources except those relating to sport. This is a classic style of interview question, which one would not find on the A Level Syllabus, which challenges a student to think originally about an issue. The best thing tutors can do for their students is to find time alongside teaching A’ Levels, to really challenge their students to approach problems in innovative ways.