So you’ve got an interview for Geography at Oxford, congratulations! To help you prepare we’ve compiled some of the best advice from real Geography applicants who went to interview so you can get all the top tips in one place.
TL;DR
- Recap A-Level material you've covered so far
- Be ready to elaborate on your personal statement and know it inside out!
- Practice talking about Geographical graphs and images out loud (get your friends/family/teachers to help if you can)
- Read the news to keep up to date with current affairs
- Try to enjoy the experience - it is a massive achievement to get an interview and a great opportunity to learn from academics!
“To prepare for my interview I watched lots of YouTube videos about current environmental issues. I found that I was quite unsure about some key concepts in geography so this really helped with that. I also took time to read through an atlas the night before (I recommend doing this regularly in the weeks before) as it included maps that showed sets of data and I tried talking aloud and describing the patterns I saw. I made an A4 sheet of notes on each of the books I put in my personal statement and highlighted the things I really wanted to show off with if I got asked about them at interview. In my personal statement, I had also spoken about some interviews I took part in and some super-curricular activities in school (like helping with the sustainability of the school's catering arrangements) so I spoke aloud to myself about everything I could remember about them and found interesting and why I did them etc. In terms of immediate (and emotional) preparation, I found that setting aside an hour before the interview to just relax - or at least try to by watching television or YouTube unrelated to my subject.”
Geography | Worcester | Full interview here 🔗.
“I got asked about something in current events at the start, so reading the news is vital!”
Geography | Mansfield | Full interview here 🔗.
“I did a mock interview at school which was helpful - you could always ask past students to interview you if this isn't offered at your school. I googled past interview questions and asked family members to ask me them - I think this was the most useful thing as it got me to start thinking on my feet about how to answer questions as best as possible even if they seemed really outlandish or hard.”
Geography | Keble | Full interview here 🔗.
“I created lots of questions around the topics I stated in my personal statement, and was very clear about explaining everything that I had mentioned in them which was very useful as you feel as if you have a foundation of knowledge that you are certain you know about - it makes for a good beginning in the interview.”
Geography | St Edmund Hall | Full interview here 🔗.
“I had a mix of questions and talking about sources - one of which I had a few minutes to read through in advance. The interviewer would wait for your response and then prompt you in the direction they want to take you towards finding an 'answer'. Try to say your thinking process outloud - even if you have no idea what the answer really is!”
Geography | Keble | Full interview here 🔗.
“The first involved looking at a map and describing and explaining trends across the country. The second involved looking at images and answering questions about them.”
Geography | Hertford | Full interview here 🔗.
“Consisted of being shown pictures and being asked to relate them to certain topics, as well as being asked hypothetical questions regarding certain scenarios. Personal statement wasn't mentioned but this varies between colleges.”
Geography | Brasenose | Full interview here 🔗.
“Both interviews started by going through questions about topics I had mentioned in my personal statement. Then there was a series of images and I was asked about them and their geographical significance in many respects.”
Geography | St Edmund Hall | Full interview here 🔗.
“Please do not be scared of making mistakes! They all know you are nervous and might stumble on your words etc. so this is completely normal. They also aren't looking for perfection - if someone was perfect at their subject what would be the point in teaching them? They are looking for people who can challenge ideas every now and then but also can adapt to feedback and accept where they may have been wrong - in other words, they want someone who can engage in a discussion about their passion with them”
Geography | Worcester | Full interview here 🔗.
“Break down problems into their constituent parts. If they give you a hard question they're not necessarily expecting a right answer, just an approach to what would be an answer - they want to see your method. Don't feel like you have to ask a question at the end either.”
Geography | Brasenose | Full interview here 🔗.
“Admit if you don’t know. Give everything a go and don’t be afraid to disagree with the interviewers.”
Geography | Hertford | Full interview here 🔗.
“Remember that you’re only doing this because you love your subject! As long as you’re passionate and show you have an active interest in the subject you apply for it should be an enjoyable experience as you get to demonstrate your knowledge and commitment!”
Geography | Mansfield | Full interview here 🔗.
“I now understand that interviewers just want to see how passionate you are about your subject, because you can't do an Oxford degree without truly loving what you're studying. They want to see that you've read around your subject and have expanded upon stuff you've learnt in the classroom in your own time, independently”
Geography | Mansfield | Full interview here 🔗.
If you would like to read the accounts of Geography applicants in full, we have thousands of testimonials in the Interviews section of our website. Geography testimonials can be found here 🔗. You can find non-course specific information about the interview and how to prepare an Oxford application here 🔗, and the Oxford University YouTube channel also has a video 🔗 about the interview process with Geography tutors and a first-year Geography student. Information about how to prepare for the Geography Admissions Test (GAT) can be found here 🔗