<strong>Fitzwilliam</strong> is a cosy college where many people are nice and friendly. Chee How Tan
Interviews Be prepared, be candid, but above all, be yourself. You cannot predict the precise questions that you will be asked, however, give some thought to the topics about which you would most like to be questioned. Interviewers should give you the chance to tell them what these topics might be. For some subjects there is an additional exercise: reading a passage in a foreign language, answering questions from a short text, or some other form <strong>of</strong> written test. You will be informed in advance if such an exercise features as part <strong>of</strong> an interview. If it does, it is designed as much to be a stimulus to discussion as a test <strong>of</strong> knowledge. Even here, we are less concerned that you give the 'right' answer than we are with your intellectual curiosity, and your ability to grapple with problems whose solution you have not already been taught. In the course <strong>of</strong> an interview, we will help you think through these problems. In Science subjects, it is common for candidates to be given problems to solve during the interviews themselves. In some Humanities subjects we ask for sample school essays to be sent to us before your interview, and pose questions and arguments provoked by these. Here again, we will be asking you to think laterally, to recognise conflicting viewpoints, and to suggest how intellectual debates can be resolved. Your General Interview is likely to be conducted by a Fellow <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> who teaches in a subject different from, but close to, the one for which you have applied. You should not be surprised then, if in this interview you are asked academic questions about your subject, and the reason for your commitment to it. At <strong>Fitzwilliam</strong>, the General Interview may focus on some <strong>of</strong> the interests that you have described on your application form (reading, work experience, travel, plans for a gap year, for example). You should not, however, expect it to be less demanding than the Subject Interview. A large part <strong>of</strong> the General Interview may well feel like another Subject Interview, with technical questions on your school studies. These are only general guidelines, and you should try to talk to your prospective Director <strong>of</strong> Studies about the special demands <strong>of</strong> his or her subject; a <strong>College</strong> Open Day provides the best opportunity for you to do this. This is likely to be particularly useful in the case <strong>of</strong> subjects that are not commonly studied at school, eg Anthropology or Architecture. We would expect applicants for subjects like these to have tried to find out about them, and to have done some research or reading that we can then discuss at interview. One <strong>of</strong> the benefits <strong>of</strong> attending an Open Day is to get some suggestions as to what kind <strong>of</strong> preparation might be most helpful. Remember, an interview is not a test <strong>of</strong> smoothness. You should not try to present a fictitious self. Dress smartly, by all means, but don’t wear clothes that make you feel stiff or awkward. We want to find out about you: your views, your abilities, your enthusiasms. Try to think out loud; let us know what is going on inside your head! That way we get to see how your mind is working. Tell us what you think, rather than what you guess we might want to hear. We will try to give you the chance to do this, and actually to enjoy being interviewed. Tests Applicants for some subjects will be required to take a test to further aid the decision-making process. For Engineering, Economics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences (Physical), this will be a ‘thinking skills test’ based on multiple choice questions, organised by the <strong>University</strong>. Candidates for Medicine and Veterinary Medicine will be required to sit the BMAT, and candidates for Law the LNAT. BMAT and LNAT are organised nationally. For school-leaving qualifications other than A-levels, the <strong>College</strong>, advised by the <strong>Cambridge</strong> Admissions Office, will make <strong>of</strong>fers based on grades equivalent to AAA at A2-level.
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