ABSTRACT
The chapter begins with a discussion about the reasons why a school student might aspire to attend university. Then there is a consideration about which university, which goes on to discuss how a university makes decisions about who to admit. There is a section on the interview – and how it tests potential rather than straightforward knowledge – and concludes with some thoughts on how all of this might be prepared for in the classroom. It makes the point that interviews are not so much about proven ability, but rather they are about potential, hence the need to treat them as conversations – or even as tutorials where the opinions the student gives are only a part of the process. It also examines how successful candidates for elite universities delve a little further into their subject areas through independent reading, not because they have to, but because they have a genuine love for their subject. By reading around their subject they not only demonstrate their commitment, they are also immersing themselves in the essence of the discipline.
