Undergraduate admissions interview prep when AI writes the draft

Practise explaining what you did, what you read and how you think.

Try an admissions interview

What admissions teams say they’re looking for

01 Keep your own evidence

“Any use of AI tools during an interview hinders this approach and is therefore prohibited.” (opens the source)

University of Cambridge, Undergraduate Study · University of Cambridge, Undated

Cambridge prohibits AI use during the interview. Before it, check that each claim matches what you did.

Admissions practice · Worked answerWhat did you learn from mapping rainwater?Example

02 Work through a tutor’s hint

“We use this sort of question to try to find how applicants think about problems, and how they might operate within a tutorial.” (opens the source)

Steve Roberts, Materials Science interviewer, St Edmund Hall · University of Oxford, Undated

Explain your first assumption aloud. Change it when a tutor gives you new information.

Admissions practice · Worked answerWhat happens to the temperature when you mix the water?Example

03 Reopen your written work

“Read your personal statement again and any written work you submitted to your College as part of your application.” (opens the source)

University of Cambridge, Undergraduate Study · University of Cambridge, Undated

Revisit a line from your submitted work and practise explaining what it supports.

Admissions practice · Worked answerWhat does the reading room passage support?Example

04 Explain an interest across subjects

“The interviewer’s real area of expertise, we believe, is their familiarity with the Yale College learning environment.” (opens the source)

Mark Dunn, Yale admissions officer and podcast co-host · Yale Undergraduate Admissions, Sep 1, 2026

Yale’s evaluative interviews are by invitation. Many successful applicants do not interview. Explain your interest in words someone outside your subject can follow.

Admissions practice · Worked answerWhat made you curious about bus arrival times?Example

05 Give a specific reason in one take

“Explain how those experiences shaped your interest in your chosen program.” (opens the source)

University of Waterloo, Faculty of Engineering admissions · University of Waterloo, Undated

For September 2027, Waterloo Engineering applicants excluding Architecture must give one recorded response of up to 90 seconds. Choose one experience that explains your interest.

Admissions practice · Worked answerWhich experience explains your interest in mechatronics?Example

Sources

University of Cambridge, Undergraduate Study, at the time. University of Cambridge, “AI and undergraduate applications”, Undated. Open the source. Checked against the published text.
Steve Roberts, Materials Science interviewer, St Edmund Hall, at the time. University of Oxford, “Sample interview questions”, Undated. Open the source. Checked against the published text.
University of Cambridge, Undergraduate Study, at the time. University of Cambridge, “Preparing for your Cambridge interview”, Undated. Open the source. Checked against the published text.
Mark Dunn, Yale admissions officer and podcast co-host, at the time. Yale Undergraduate Admissions, “What Yale Looks For, Part 1: Academic Strength”, Sep 1, 2026. Open the source. Checked against the published text.
University of Waterloo, Faculty of Engineering admissions, at the time. University of Waterloo, “Online Engineering interview”, Undated. Open the source. Checked against the published text.

Last reviewed Nov 11, 2026