Oxford (Said) 2013 - Calling All Applicants

I got interview invitation yesterday.

What is better ? In Person interview or skype ?

There is not much difference between in-person and Skype interviews. Although in-person interviews allow a more personal touch, if you are confident about your profile you have a strong chance of an admit. The following hold true in both formats.
1. Dress formal.
2. Ensure eye (webcam in case of Skype) contact.
3. Most importantly, engage your interviewer.

For a detailed advice please refer to (thanks to @sanjuro9)
sanjuro9[dot]tumblr[dot]com/post/35591549611/interview-advice

All the best and feel free to ask. Glad to help.

Has anyone received confirmation of an interview time? I sent in my request on Friday and am anxious to make travel plans

nup..
not received yet..
i think they would send it latest by tomorrow if not today since the earliest date is 11th feb and they would want to give the applicants a week at least..

Received confirmation today for Skype interview..Indian applicant based at Australia..

well, the interviews for the current round begin tomorrow..
all the best to everyone..
it would be great if people consider posting tidbits about their interview experiences once they are done with their interview..

cheers!

My interview is tomorrow- I'll try and jot some notes down and post them here afterward. I'm also going to an information session tonight, so I'll let y'all know if anything may be useful to you

all the best sir!

I was at the info session in NY tonight. Was it the same you visited? My interview is on Thursday. Keep us posted how yours goes.

Most likely- I found it useful, how bout you? Director Chambers discussed his perspective on why obtaining an MBA (from the right institution) right now is important. He focused on the need for future leaders of the world to tackle global initiatives like solving the water/energy/food/healthcare crises. He also highlighted the importance that the rest of the Oxford community plays in the valuation of a Said degree. Basically, Oxford has a huge brand name that carries with it immense sway, and that numerous top business leaders around the world all have some affiliation with the university, so that will help in the future job hunt. A third point he made is to focus on the location/duration of the program that you are applying to- 1 vs 2 year, US vs. Europe vs. Asia, etc., because choosing the right demographics is key to enjoying and getting the most out of your program.

Hope this helps

Well, done with the interview. Didn't go well, but I can't really complain. Most of the questions I was asked dealt with why I want to do an MBA at this time, and specific questions about my area of specialty.
My words of advice: be ready to defend your answers- no matter how good you think your answers are, try to find every possible counterpoint just in case your interviewer disagrees with you. Also, DO NOT RAMBLE- concise and directed responses are much more effective than convoluted responses. If you don't know what to say, silence for a few seconds is much better than rambling. I know these are obvious tidbits, but during an important and somewhat intimidating interview, clear thoughts can be hard to come by.

Good luck everyone!

Thanks for the tips. Good luck with the final decision.

My interview is tomorrow, same place. I thought the info session was OK, not much new information or anything surprizing.

argh- just got my rejection letter haha- and before everyone starts panicking to check your e-mails, I requested an early final decision because of some extenuating circumstances

if anyone has any remaining questions of what not to do during the interview, feel free to PM me and I'll try to answer them

Good luck everyone!

Sorry to read that. So I reckon you are off to Cornell?

I got admission offer from HEC Paris with a scholarship of 12,000 Euros and I am supposed to pay 1st installment of around 6000 Euros by 6th March. However, my oxford interview is also scheduled on 4th March. So what I should do ? Is there any possibility of extending the deadline ?

What are the chances of Scholarship at Oxford ?

When normally oxford announces their R2 results ?

Which schools is better , HEC Paris or Oxford business school ?

Regards

Hi Fraz!

Congratulations on ur admission and scholarship!

according to the website, the results of stage2 will be out on 15th March 2013.
https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/degrees/mba/Pages/process.aspx

I think the answer to the question - which one is better - depends on what you want out of the program and after that..

You could either send an email to HEC requesting for an extension of 10 days to pay the first installment or
ask the oxford adcom to give you the result quickly(crappyapp2 could help you out on this one since he has done this already)..

Hi Fraz,

Before commenting on your questions, let me clarify that some of your questions are subjective in nature and the answer will differ form person to person. The best person to take the final call on those is YOU.
Nevertheless, as a co-applicant and an Said admit I am providing some insight :-

Is there any possibility of extending the deadline ?
Yes, the adcoms are very accommodating in giving an earlier decision. They will surely be giving you an earlier decision if you ask them.

What are the chances of Scholarship at Oxford ?
SLIM. very SLIM. I am yet to meet an oxford admit who has recd. $$$ (even those with GMAT 750+)

When normally oxford announces their R2 results ?
Check the website dates. Going by the past trend, there should be no deviation from the mentioned dates.

Which schools is better , HEC Paris or Oxford business school ?
Personal choice. But sharing some thoughts on your case. For Oxford- Great Brand value in whole world (even in US or in Asia), Great diversity in class (Geographical as well as sector wise), Chance to study in Oxford for 1 year - The Highest seat of learning in the modern era
For HEC - Good brand value in France ( nothing beats HEC if you want to work in France post qualification), Good $$$ offered to you

Hope this helps