DEPARTMENT OF MATERIALS UNDERGRADUATE BROCHURE

The Interview

MS applicants are interviewed by Fellows (senior academic members of college staff and tutors in Materials Science – they may be male or female) and Lecturers of colleges. At least one of the interviewers will be a member of staff of the Department of Materials.

Candidates are interviewed at their “first choice” college and one other. Candidates for MEM may also be interviewed by an Economics or Management tutor. At the time of printing this brochure we normally aim to arrange all your interviews on the same day, and candidates are notified of the times and venues in advance.

One of the main purposes of the interview is to assess aspects of your academic ability that are not tested by written exams such as ‘A’-levels. There is no set pattern for interviews, and different tutors have different styles and preferences, but all are technical. Indeed, the fact that you cannot be sure what to expect is all part of the interview.

A common example of how an interview might proceed is for the interviewer to set the candidate a problem that does not require knowledge beyond that gained at school, but is more challenging than typical ‘A’-level problems. Most candidates will require some help in solving the problem(s), and the purpose of the exercise is for us to see how far you get without help, which route you take in trying to solve the problem, and how you respond to help from the interviewer. In some ways, this simulates an undergraduate tutorial, and is therefore a good way of assessing how you might perform as a student.

The application timeline

As early as possible in the year start thinking about possible careers and the degree courses that will help you to achieve these aims.

• Early September: Ask your school for your UCAS school password, and for help with filling out the forms.
• Mid October: The deadline for applications to be submitted.
• Mid to late November: You will be told if you have been selected for interview.
• Second Week of December: Interviews. (See the section of this brochure entitled 'Interviews').
• January: You will be informed if you are being offered a place.