Posted in Tuition News on 27th September 2014
So, you’ve sat the exam and done your best.
But it’s not over yet.
Now comes the all-important interview.
How do you sell yourself – yes, that’s what you’ve got to do – and stand out from the competition?
Here are some DOs and DON’Ts to get you through.
1. Enthusiasm. Enthusiasm. Enthusiasm. This is the most important quality to show at your interview. Think about what you are passionate about. Whatever it is, if you can speak fluently and passionately about it, you will infect the interviewers with your passion.
2. Shake hands firmly and keep a straight back. Give the impression of confidence.
3. Read. Read. Read. If you do only one thing between now and your interview, read. Read novels, non-fiction, biographies and newspapers.
4. Keep abreast of current affairs – especially those affecting the UK. Catch up here http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/news on a regular basis. Be aware of the world you live in. You are quite likely to get asked questions about what is happening in the world – and your opinion thereon.
5. Research the school thoroughly. Think about what the school offers in terms of facilities and how YOU can improve them and make a great difference. For example, if you are a wizard chess player and the school is looking to increase its numbers of chess-playing pupils so it can enter national competitions, sell yourself on this basis. If the school has an orchestra and lacks a great cellist – and this is your niche – publicise the fact.
6. Kill your inner wallflower. Boast your abilities, talents and interests. You need to stand out. Compile a mini CV so you can list, and feel confident about, your assets. The more unusual they are, the more you will stand out.
7. Get involved in charity/fund-raising work in your school/community. Schools are impressed by this because it suggests you have leadership abilities, can work in a team and understand how to make money – and its value!
8. Participate in team sports to demonstrate you can work as a team player. Prizes are highly prized by schools.
9. Be prepared that if you make statements such as ‘I like art’, you might get a question such as ‘What do you think is the artistic merit of surrealism?’ or ‘Does art have any function other than to entertain or delight?’ ‘Should it have a moral function?’ Be prepared to follow through.
10. Practise answering the following questions FLUENTLY, CONFIDENTLY and in a way that is true to yourself:
1. If you could be any famous person, who would you be and why?
2. What are your hobbies? What do you do outside school? DO NOT reply: ‘Playing computer games’ or ‘watching TV’.
3. How would you run a school for boys/girls? What do you think constitutes a good school for boys/girls?
4. What makes a great holiday? Is it all about fun, or should it encapsulate other elements?
5. What is the difference between a lamp and a table?! (A rudimentary knowledge of physics might help here!!)
6. What is the difference between this school and the other schools you have applied to?
7. If you were offered places at all the schools to which you have applied, which would you accept and why?
8. Do you think the government should spend more money on art, health or education?
9. What do you think makes a good friend? Is loyalty an important element?
10. What are you reading at the moment and what do you particularly enjoy about it?
11. What is the most influential book/film/play you have every read/seen and why?
12. Who is your favourite character in history and why?
13. Who do you admire and why?
14. How would your friends/teachers describe you?
15. Which living person would you most like to meet and why?
16. If you were marooned on a desert island, which three items would you wish to have with you?
17. What are the good things about your present school and which things would you like to change?
18. If you didn’t have enough players for a game of football or tennis, how would you persuade someone who is reluctant to join in.
19. Do footballers get paid too much? Justify your answer.
20. To boys: What is better: football or rugby?
21. Why is the British electorate so disinterested in politics?
22. Do you think Wikepedia is reliable?
23. Do you think that news interviewers such as John Humphreys (BBC Radio 4 Today) and Jeremy Paxman (ex. BBC 2 Newsnight) are justified in their aggressive approach to politicians?
24. What is the one thing you would change about the world if you could?
25. If you were Prime Minister of Britain, what would you like to be remembered for?
26. What would you bring to this school that would improve what it has to offer?
27. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
28. Do you think that books that are turned into films are never as good as the books themselves? If so, why?
Tags: 11+ SELL YOURSELF AT INTERVIEW, ETON, ROEDEAN, RUGBY, WESTMINSTER, WINCHESTER COLLEGE
