In this article we will guide you on how to best prepare for your Cambridge Land Economy interview, with guides on past Land Economy Cambridge interview questions, interview tips, mock examples and real experiences from students who have sat the Cambridge Land Economy Panel Interview.
This article has been made from a collection of accounts from Oxbridge applicants.
St Catherine’s College, Cambridge, has a Youtube video webinar discussing Economics and Land Economy with current University of Cambridge students. Although it discusses the whole application process, it may be useful to watch to gain a broader understanding of the course, and some specific tips on answering Cambridge Land Economy interview questions:
What is the Cambridge Land Economy Interview structure?
Each college organises its own interviews for Land Economy at Cambridge. Thus, there is not a universally set structure – the format of the interview will vary from college to college. You can see individual college websites for details on their Land Economy interview process. You may have two interviews, though these will likely occur on the same day.
Despite the lack of a universal structure, you are likely to be asked about ideas you brought up in your personal statement, so make sure to be knowledgeable about these. As well as this, applicants to some colleges may be required to submit written work before the interview – this will be for discussion during the interview. The Cambridge website has a useful document outlining the Land Economy entry requirements by college.
What are the Cambridge Land Economy interview dates?
Once again, the exact dates for Cambridge Land Economy interviews vary between colleges. However, they will likely all be in the first few weeks of December. You will be informed of your exact dates upon receiving an invitation to interview.
Majority of interviews for Land Economy this year will take place virtually. The exception is Trinity College, for which all applicants based in the UK will be interviewed in-person. Once again, you will be informed of your specific situation when you receive an invite.
Example Cambridge Land Economy Interview Questions
- General Land Economy Cambridge interview questions:
- What is land economy?
- What in particular motivated you to apply to study Land Economy?
- Why have you chosen to apply to Cambridge?
- Questions based around content in your personal statement, such as books you mentioned, or concepts you stated your interest in.
- You may be given a short article to read prior to the interview, and asked questions based around this article during the interview.
Specific Land Economy Cambridge interview questions
- What is a public good?
- Housing crisis: There is currently a housing crisis in the UK. With this in mind, should we continue to care about the green belt and planning permissions as they stand?
- Parks: Are public outside areas, such as parks and beaches, in cities important?
- Cars: Would it be a good idea to ban cars and other large motor vehicles (such as buses, vans, etc.), converting all roads to cycle lanes?
- Global crises: Is the environmental crisis a bigger problem than the global poverty crisis?
- Traffic: What can be done to improve bad traffic in cities? Why might there be bad traffic to begin with?
- Fox hunting: Was it right to ban fox hunting?
- Transport policy: What kind of transport policy might you implement in a city such as Cambridge?
- Greed: Is greed good or bad?
- London wages: What is the reason for higher wages in London?
- Poverty abroad: Should we focus more on poverty at home (in the country we live in) or abroad? Can it be considered interfering with the freedom of others to get involved in the poverty crisis abroad?
- Questions about current global issues – such as the EU, China’s economic boom, etc.
Insider Guides: Cambridge Land Economy Interview
What happens on the day of your Cambridge Land Economy interview?
I had interviews in person – yours may be online, but this should not change the structure of the actual interviews. I had two Land Economy interviews: one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. Each interview required me to read a small report 15 minutes prior to the interview. After the allocated reading time, I was escorted to the interview room. Each interview lasted 30 minutes.
What do you have to bring to your Cambridge Land Economy interview?
I didn’t have to bring anything – though if your interviews are online, I would recommend having a pen and paper on hand in case you feel the need to make notes. The dress code was smart casual, so no jeans but no blazer either. Just something comfortable yet smart.
What is the interview setting and how long is it?
My first interview was in the office of the Director of Studies – I sat on a sofa and the two interviewers sat on chairs opposite me. The second interview was in a small room with a table – I sat at one end and two new interviewers sat at the other end. As said before, my interviews were 30 minutes each.
What are the Cambridge Land Economy interviewers like?
Cambridge Land Economy interview questions can be daunting. However, the Cambridge Land Economy interviewers were friendly, but professional. They asked a mix of follow up questions based on what I had said in my answers, and questions from a pre-written list. They may ask you to substantiate whatever point you are making with ideas/facts – I was asked this a few times.
What are the best tips for planning my trip for my Cambridge Land Economy Interview?
I would make sure to have some paper and a pen on hand just in case, as well as a copy of your personal statement and a glass of water! Before the interview, just try to do something relaxing to calm down, and make sure to get there in good time.
Are there any academic or challenging Land Economy questions at the Cambridge Interview?
I was not asked any specifically challenging questions – quite a few of my questions were very open-ended, so make sure you listen to the questions very carefully. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification – you want to ensure you fully understand the question before answering!
Are there any personality, work experience or extracurricular based Land Economy questions at the Cambridge Interview?
There were no questions on personality, work experience, or extracurriculars. I could have brought them into conversation, but I was not directly asked about them. I was asked a question in one of my interviews concerning my personal statement – this was because I had mentioned something that overlapped with the Director of Studies’ area of expertise. It was a very general question about what I thought about a book I had mentioned, and whether I had any criticisms of it.
Top Tips for the Cambridge Land Economy Interview
- Prepare a list of a few questions to ask – they may ask if you have any questions of your own
- Stay up-to-date with current affairs in the field – reading papers such as The Economist every week is very beneficial.
- Make sure you are familiar with any books/resources that you listed in your Land Economy personal statement
- Try to stay calm!
- Remember to see it as a conversation rather than an interview – they are trying to get to know you as a student and see how you would fit into the course at Cambridge, not simply testing your knowledge.
Top Tips for the “Why Cambridge” interview question
My only tip is to think about things that make Cambridge, and the Land Economy course at Cambridge, unique. For example:
- The supervision scheme – allows you to have close teaching from leading academics, and really explore and understand the ideas that you’re studying
- The Land Economy course can only be studied at Cambridge – no other UK university offers such a course
- The collegiate system at Cambridge allows for a more intimate experience socially, as well as in your academic life.
If you would like support in preparing for your interview, contact us today to see how we can support you with Cambridge Land Economy interview tutoring.
My Favourite Thing about Studying Land Economy at Cambridge University
Land Economy is incredibly diverse, and you study topics that are a crossover of economics and geography – this can’t be found anywhere else. It’s also very real-world and policy focused rather than theoretical, which is quite rare at undergraduate level.
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