Interview tips
Queen Mary prides itself on its friendly approach, and we also know that it is important for applicants to get a feel for the university and its staff before making their final UCAS choices. We therefore interview as many candidates as possible – as much to give you a chance to assess us as the other way around. Interviewers will normally start by asking you specific questions about your personal statement and your reasons for applying to Queen Mary, before moving on to more open-ended questions about the study of history. Remember that we are looking primarily for skills and potential, rather than for you to know more than we do about the subject. Here are some suggestions to help you perform to your best:
Prepare
Read through your UCAS personal statement, think over what you’ve studied in history so far and what has interested you, both in terms of subject matter and in terms of approaches to the past. Talk over your ideas with friends, colleagues, parents or teachers. Get used to explaining why you’re so passionate about history that you want to study it to degree level. Think about some of the questions that interviewers might ask.
Stay calm
Some people find being interviewed a stressful experience. Remember that it’s probably just as nerve-wracking for interviewers, who want to ask the right questions, make the right choices, and show off their university as well as assess your abilities. In the interview, don’t worry about asking for time to think about the answers you want to give. There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to give a glib answer off the top of your head.
Ask us questions
Prepare some things that you want us to tell you, but also pay attention to what the interviewer says and try to ask questions arising from the interview itself.
Even if an interview feels like it places you under a lot of pressure before it happens and whilst it’s on, we hope that you will look back on it as an enjoyable experience. This is an opportunity to talk to someone who shares your fascination with the past, to start to think about the next level of study, and to find out about what could be a decisive experience in your life. We look forward to seeing you!