Walking into my Cambridge interview felt like stepping into a virtual academic lion’s den. My heart pounded, palms clammy, as two stern-looking academics on my screen, sat ready to dissect me – and my personal statement – line by line. They grilled me on my subject choices, poked at areas I thought I knew well, and presented unseen material that sent my head spinning. The worst part was the silences, long, lingering moments where I scrambled for something, anything, to say, terrified that my blank expression was sealing my fate. I’d been told to embrace those silences, to think aloud, to show my thought process. But, theory and practice are two very different things when you’re under that spotlight.

There’s a common belief that Oxbridge interviews can’t be prepared for. In many ways, this is true. However, it would be a mistake to think that mock interviews aren’t an incredibly useful tool in the process. I went to a selective state sixth form, and the support I received there was invaluable. I had mock interviews with teachers who had coached previous Cambridge applicants, and they were able to give me advice that made all the difference. They knew the types of questions that might come up, the common pitfalls to avoid, and how to push me to think more critically. We pored over successful statements from past students, learning what stood out and why. They showed me how to structure my personal statement so that my passion for the subject wasn’t just stated but demonstrated through examples and reflective insights.

"Hard work alone isn’t always enough when the rules of the game are hidden from view"

Lunchtimes became makeshift interview prep sessions with friends, where we’d quiz each other, stumble through tricky concepts, and share tips. Sure, you can’t rehearse your way into the perfect answer, but you can practice thinking aloud, handling nerves, and approaching unfamiliar material with confidence. It wasn’t just about studying hard; it was about knowing what to do with that hard work when it was time to apply. Without a few practice rounds, it’s hard to show the real you when anxiety makes it difficult to think clearly.

This kind of preparation doesn’t just stop at the application process, either. Once you arrive at Cambridge, that same culture of knowing extends into supervisions. Engaging in a supervision isn’t just about having the right answers. It’s about knowing how to navigate academic discussions, when to challenge a point, and how to back up your ideas thoughtfully. If you’ve spent months practicing how to articulate your thoughts under pressure, you’re more likely to feel comfortable voicing your opinions in front of a leading academic. For those without that prior exposure, however, the transition can feel like being thrown into the deep end without a lifejacket.

In places like my sixth form, success at getting into Oxbridge isn’t just hoped for, it’s expected. Each year, a certain number of students secure places, and that expectation becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It creates a culture of knowing: a web of teachers, alumni, and older students who pass down advice like a well-guarded secret. If you know how to structure your personal statement, what to expect in the interview, and how to handle those dreaded silences, you start the process several steps ahead. That kind of insider knowledge isn’t everywhere — and that’s where the cracks start to show.

"In places like my sixth form, success at Cambridge isn’t just hoped for; it’s expected"

To put things into perspective, Cambridge has made progress in diversifying its intake, but the numbers reveal a different kind of inequality, one that’s less talked about. While students from state-funded schools now make up just over half of successful applicants at 53.3%, a closer look shows a sharp divide within that category. Only 23.2% of successful applicants come from comprehensive schools, whereas a significant portion comes from grammar and other selective state schools. These selective schools, with their targeted resources and competitive environments, often mirror the advantages seen in the independent sector, giving their students a notable edge. The gap is striking: comprehensive school applicants, despite making up the majority of state-educated students nationally, remain underrepresented. If admissions were purely about talent, that divide wouldn’t be so pronounced.

And what about everyone else? For many students, Cambridge feels like a distant planet, fascinating but unreachable. Widening participation programmes, open days, and summer schools are helping to bridge the gap, but it’s not enough. The process still favours those with access to that culture of knowing, leaving countless talented students on the sidelines simply because they don’t have the right guidance. Hard work alone isn’t always enough when the rules of the game are hidden from view.

The truth is, the Oxbridge application process, for all its merit-based ideals, doesn’t operate in a vacuum. When information is concentrated in certain circles, it leaves countless capable students on the outside looking in. Changing the system isn’t just about widening participation schemes or adjusting admissions criteria, it’s about dismantling this hidden culture, making sure that every student, no matter their background, has the tools, guidance, and confidence to take their shot.

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