Like an overwhelming proportion of Medwards students, I didn’t choose the college - they chose me. Of the hundreds of applicants eligible to have been selected from the winter pool you’ve been selected, this is testament to your strength as an applicant and potential to be a great Cambridge student. Being selected from the pool is a huge privilege, it’s a second chance at that dream of studying at Cambridge - you’ve got nothing to lose by going for it.
I distinctly remember arriving at Murray Edwards the morning of my interview with no idea what to expect and being greeted by a host of smiling faces at the plodge and interview help desk. We were offered tea and biscuits to help calm our nerves and then shown to the Froud room and Bar to relax, watch TV or prepare - whatever we wanted. It was a far cry from the haste and crowdedness of my original Cambridge interview where all the applicants were held in a single small room for what felt like an eternity with nothing to do but make awkward small talk.
I recall coming out of my Medwards interview buzzing and excited, I felt it went well but on reflection I think I actually enjoyed my interview - it was my first experience of talking with real academics about a subject that we share a mutual passion for. The interview itself was far more of a conversation and supervision style than it was an interrogation. This relaxed, welcoming and warm attitude is something that Medwards is famous for, we’re a college like no other. We might not have been your first choice (or even second or third!) college but how can a prospectus and a quick tour on an open day guarantee you the right college anyway?