14th November 2016 1:00
By Blue Tutors
While the interview stage is still going strong, Oxbridge has made some changes to its admissions this year that have left many eager sixth formers feeling anxious about securing an offer for a place at one of these prestigious institutions. The answer for some has been the help of a private tutor.
There are many companies lurking on the internet claiming to be able to get students into Universities which range from providing help and guidance to writing personal statements for you. The later, of course, while attractive to desperate students and worried parents, is never a good way to go. Firstly, Universities are well aware of these services and many of the statements being provided will be very similar to others. Almost all higher education institutions have sophisticated plagiarism software with vast databases to catch out those claiming others’ work as their own, resulting in an instant disqualification. What is more, if you are invited to interview or to submit work that is glaringly different to your statement, it is a dead give-away. Most importantly, this does not develop the student’s skills and ability to reflect on their experiences and what they wish to get out of a University place, which are both critical to future success.
A more productive approach is that of tuition. This can help with University admissions in many ways beyond securing the all-important final marks. The new admissions tests introduced this year will be used to test more fundamental knowledge and understanding as well as critical thinking in a subject to demonstrate ability beyond the rote learning of material and specific exam technique demonstrated by A level marks. This more holistic approach, based on fundamentals, is something which additional one on one lessons can facilitate, bringing together topics which are taught as distinct modules in class.
The most anticipated stage is the notorious interview. There are many who claim to have tips and tricks to success, and horror stories of terrible trick questions which can be found, but in reality, every interview is different. Every subject, every college and every interviewer will take a slightly different approach so the main thing to remember is what they are looking for: a good understanding and interest in the subject, and the ability to interact and learn well in a small group or one to one teaching environment. The later is key. This is what the unique thing the Oxbridge system has to offer. They want to know if they want to supervise you and if you will do well being supervised.
The key is therefore not to have all the answers, but to be able to talk through your reasoning and be receptive to their guidance. In order to prepare for these, students need to ensure they can think around a problem and explain their thought process. In this way, long term tutoring is great preparation as it gets a student used to thinking out loud and justifying their decisions as they solve a problem, as opposed to simply providing a final result. It also reduces the intimidation factor of having to solve a problem or give an answer on the spot.
While mock interviews and pointers can be very helpful, no tutor can reasonably claim to be an expert at getting students into any Oxbridge college or subject, however, the process of being tutored nurtures all of the skills that are needed to give yourself the best chance at interview, and of meeting that offer.