On the info page for interviews on Catz website it says there will be one technical interview (questions based on my subject - which I expected) but it also says there's an interview where they want to get to know you and why you like the course? I was under the impression cam wasn't interested in you as a person and just your aptitude? Where am I going wrong?
Well, for one thing they often like to ask you some general and/or personal questions before the more detailed and difficult stuff to make you feel welcome and help you warm up a bit.
But also, remember that who you are as a person and your reasons for liking the course are linked to your aptitude - they want to see that you fully understand what you are applying for and that you are enthusiastic about the subject, and that you are ready for the responsibilities and challenges of a degree. I think what you’re thinking of is the comparison Sarah first drew with US universities - where it is really important to have impressive extra-curricular credentials on your application to make yourself as competitive as possible. Of course Cambridge like to see well-rounded applicants with outside interests, they just place significantly less emphasis on extra-curricular achievement than is typical in the US system. You might also be thinking of some answers we have given on personal statements - in this case, because space is very limited, while it’s important to mention some things outside of your academic interests, they shouldn’t be given too much weight in comparison with more directly relevant stuff.
Don’t panic too much about it: the more technical part of the interview probably is the most important, and you’re not expected to fit a mould or meet certain requirements in terms of your personality. Just be friendly and be yourself.
