Interviews
If you are invited to interview, you will come to Harris Westminster Sixth Form for a 15-minute conversation with one of our teachers.
We know interviews can feel daunting but think of it as an exciting chance to share your enthusiasm for a subject with someone who is just as passionate about learning as you are. The interview has two parts:
- Your passion for the subject (5-7 minutes)
First you will be asked what aspect of the subject you particularly enjoy. This is the part you can prepare for: choose an idea, concept, or area of knowledge that has sparked your curiosity, and be ready to talk about it knowledgeably and enthusiastically. We are especially interested in students who have gone beyond their classroom studies through wider reading or exploration.
- Stretching your thinking (8-10 minutes)
Next your interviewer will introduce ideas or questions that go beyond what you already know. It will be a mini lesson or subject tutoring session. Don’t worry if you don’t have the answers straight away. It’s supposed to be hard. We want to see how you think, how you use what you already know, and how you engage with new and hard concepts and challenge.
During the interview, we will be looking at four key qualities:
- Enthusiasm for your subject
- Affinity for the subject’s ways of thinking
- Ownership of your learning
- Speed of learning when introduced to something new
We hope you find the interview a positive and stimulating experience. Many students come away having learned something new. To help you feel confident, wear clothes that make you feel smart and ready to do your best (though appearance is not part of the assessment).
Good luck. We look forward to meeting you!
