Mock University Interviews
Our partnership work has developed substantially over the years, but university admissions support remains a key part of our work with our partner schools. We want to ensure that all young people can access transformative higher education, regardless of their socioeconomic circumstances.
Each year, we invite hundreds of students expecting an interview as part of their university application – including Oxford and Cambridge applicants and students applying for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science, among others – to Highgate for a rigorous mock interview. Highgate’s expert teaching and support staff, along with teaching staff from LAE Tottenham and LAE Stratford, deliver these mock interviews to help our partner school students learn how to answer difficult questions, develop interview strategies, improve their communication skills, and help them feel less anxious when they are invited to their real interview.
After the mock interview, students receive detailed written feedback, outlining recommendations and guided preparation in the weeks before their interviews. In 2020 we took our mock interviews online, giving students greater flexibility and ensuring that the students had a mock interview that was representative of their real experience.
Aims
To support aspirational sixth form pupils applying for competitive university courses that require an admissions interview.
To give pupils a sense of what a real interview might entail.
To give pupils from a wide range of partner schools a sense of belonging to a wider academic community.
Identified Need
It is widely established that students that have the opportunity to have a mock interview before the real thing. The university interview experience is designed to be challenging - prospective students are put through their paces by subject experts and are required to do so in unfamiliar settings, whilst maintaining professional at all times. This is particularly challenging for those that do not routinely have these experiences. Therefore, we strongly believe in the value of giving pupils from our partner schools the chance to be put through their paces with Highgate, so they have the best chance of impressing in the real thing.
Critical Factors for Success
Most important Critical Success Factors are strong relationships with partner schools with sixth forms - particularly with Heads of Sixth Form and/or UCAS Coordinators - and a large body of subject expert teaching and support staff able to deliver interviews.
We have also found that running other Higher Education access projects - such as admissions test preparation - enhances the impact of this provision, as it gives easy access to the right pupils and ensures we have an impact at many stages of their application.
Beneficiaries
Immediate beneficiaries are the partner school students that take part in mock interviews and receive feedback. Highgate staff that may be subject experts but do not have great experience with university admissions interviews can use the project as a CPD opportunity. We also look to the expertise of staff in our partner schools, with many departments operating student exchanges and partner school teachers offering mock interviews in subjects that we are unable to offer.
Resources
The mock interviews are run in the format that best represents the students' real experiences. In all years prior to 2020, this means the interviews happen in person, with students coming to Highgate for their mock interview.
In 2020, we operated the interviews remotely over Zoom. Therefore, when delivered in person, a number of resources are critical - a large space that allows for many interviews to take place and a core administrative team that is able to manage scheduling of interviews, communication and supporting documentation. When delivered remotely, the most critical resource is a video conferencing platform that allows individuals from different institutions to take part in video calls.
Use of facilities
When delivered in-person, interviews take place at Highgate School, using a large space that can host at least 30 interviews at a time, such as the school library. Occasionally, members of Highgate staff go to partner schools to deliver interviews. When delivered remotely, interviews can take place from departmental offices, or even with interviewers at home.
Staffing
Both teaching and support staff are involved. 95 teaching and support staff delivered interviews - 91 from Highgate and 4 from partner schools. In-person formats see interviews take place on one night, with each teacher delivering an average of 3 interviews. In a remote format, interviews took place over the course of a month, with interviewers arranging the same number of interviews as in other years.
Financial Contribution
Generally, there are no direct costs to Highgate. The indirect cost of running the project are the in-kind costs of teaching staff time and the core Chrysalis administrative team. On occasion, Highgate has paid the cost of a coach for partner schools that plan to send a large number of pupils that live far away from Highgate.
Impact
We undertake a qualitative assessment of the pupils' experiences after each iteration of the project.
In 2020:
99% of students and 100% of partner school staff would recommend that students have a mock interview with Highgate
97% of students said that they felt more prepared for their interview.
100% of partner school staff felt that their students were more prepared,
97% of students said that the feedback they received was detailed and helpful
92% of students said that they were academically challenged and learnt something new from their interviewer.
Feedback is sought from pupils and staff after each iteration. Over the course of the year, we speak to Heads of Sixth form to determine the outcomes for the interviewed pupils.
Pupil Involvement
Pupils from state sixth form partners are invited to have a mock interview with Highgate staff. A number of Highgate pupils have a reciprocal mock interview during subject exchanges.
All pupils are applying to university and are 17-18 years old. There is a mix of genders that take part.
Frequency
The mock interviews take place once per year, in line with the university admissions cycle. We will continue to run this programme for the foreseeable future.