Interview invitations

In 2025, interviews will take place from 1 to 19 December. 

The majority of applicants for a place at Selwyn are invited to an interview.

Our applicants are among the best in their school with excellent academic records, top predictions for exam results and strong support from their school. Interviews help us assess your academic potential and whether you'll thrive at Selwyn and Cambridge, building on what you've already told us in your application.

For courses that are heavily oversubscribed we do not interview those people whose academic profile (e.g., assessment results, prior exam marks) makes it unlikely they would be successful in gaining an offer, even if the interviews went well.

In-person and online interviews

If you live in the UK or the Republic of Ireland you will be invited to an in-person interview in Selwyn College. 

If you live elsewhere in the world, you will be invited to online interviews. You can ask for an in-person interview however you must let us know by 1 November. Please bear in mind the practicalities of travel, environmental impact, expense and, if it is relevant, the time needed to arrange a travel visa. From 2 November onwards, we will not be able to switch you between online and in-person interview formats if you change your mind.

You will be assessed in exactly the same way whether you are interviewed in person or online. All interviewees are treated equally.

In-person interviews

We look forward to welcoming you to Selwyn. When you arrive at the porters' lodge on Grange Road you will be directed to our team of student ambassadors who will confirm with you the times and places of your interviews. They will show you where you need to go. For some courses, there is material to look at and consider before the interview begins and you will be shown the relevant place where you can review it. The student ambassadors will also guide you to the right interview room.

If you are unable to make a round day-trip to Cambridge, we are pleased to offer you free overnight accommodation and meals in college. We are only able to offer accommodation to applicants, not to any accompanying parents, guardians or friends.  When you are invited to interview, if you need overnight accommodation, please let us know.

We are happy to support eligible students with travel costs for public transport. You are eligible for reimbursement if you are a UK school pupil and are eligible for free school meals funded by your local authority. If you are invited for interview, you will be asked to send us the details (digital receipt or photo of a paper receipt) and we will reimburse you as soon as possible. Alternatively, let us know if this is a problem and we can buy the tickets for you. We do not reimburse international travel.

Travelling to Cambridge may become difficult or impossible, for example if you are unwell on the day your interview is scheduled. If this happens to you, please let us know without delay. If rescheduling is not possible, we may consider switching to an online interview.

Online interviews

If you are having a remote interview, it will take place online using either Zoom (https://zoom.us/) or Microsoft Teams (https://teams.microsoft.com/). You will be given instructions about which platform to use and how to join the interview.  

You will need to be confident that you have access to a reliable internet connection, on a computer with a video camera, in a place where you will not be disturbed. It can be in your school, home or somewhere else - wherever you feel most comfortable and have most confidence that you will not be interrupted.  If you anticipate any problems with this, please contact us to let us know your situation.

Even with a reliable internet connection, audio, video and online whiteboard/tablet streams can take up a lot of bandwidth. If the subject you are being interviewed for would need you to show your writing/drawing to the interviewers, a low-tech solution like a flipchart or small whiteboard is preferable. Or you can simply do your working with pen and paper and hold it up to the camera.

For the subjects that have pre-interview reading or questions, you will be given this at a specified time shortly before your interview.  

If you are invited for online interview you will be sent a URL link for each interview.  We strongly encourage you to log in for your interview(s) 5-10 minutes in advance.  You will be placed in a waiting room, and then will be let into the interview by your interviewers at the appropriate time.

Protecting the integrity of interviews

We take vigorous steps to protect the integrity of all interviews and all aspects of the admissions process. These include verifying candidates’ identities, requiring interviewees to formally confirm that the content of interviews will not be shared in any way (including with friends and schools) and will not be recorded, invigilation of reading or writing sessions and prohibiting the use of any external source of information during any reading, assessment or interview. If we suspect that the integrity of the process has been undermined, we will take further measures, including but not limited to rescinding an offer.

Even more interview information

The University YouTube channel has plenty of material about interviews, including "The Interview" which focuses on in-person interviews - parts of it were filmed in Selwyn College. A central source for information about interviews whether online or in-person is the interviews section of the University website. We strongly recommend that you review this material before you come for interview.

Please do read this message from the Master too.