Architecture Interviews - UCL Bartlett and Cambridge | How to Apply to Architecture School 06

In 2019 Euan and Reuben made applications for degrees in architecture, receiving offers from universities including UCL’s Bartlett school, Sheffield, and Edinburgh; and in the Autumn of 2020 they both began the undergraduate course at the University of Cambridge. In this six-part series they offer their insights to the confusing process of applying to architecture school.
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Interview days are intense and long. They can feel really daunting, but we think they’re actually something to be excited for!
In this episode we talk through our experiences in interviews at The Bartlett and Cambridge, and give some advice on how to keep calm, answer clearly, and be yourself at interviews.
Styles of Interview (why you can’t know how it went…)
After his interview at the Bartlett, Reuben felt it had gone terribly. The interviewer hadn’t given any positive feedback to his work, and instead criticised Reuben for his lack of clinical drawing skill. Euan’s interviewer was much warmer, and the conversation was much more reciprocative. Despite the differences in how they felt afterwards, both got offers for their chosen courses.
This is to say that every interviewer will ask questions and give feedback in a different way. Some will choose to test how you respond to pressure (like the environment of an architecture crit), while some will nurture you more. This means that it’s close to impossible to know how your interview went after the fact, and it’s best to try not to think about it afterwards.
Thinking Aloud (and listening carefully)
Take your time to answer questions - particularly in the more academic style of interviews like those at Cambridge. Feel free to close your eyes and focus carefully on the specifics of the questions you’re being asked, and make sure to talk through your thinking as you answer.
A great way to practice this is by talking 1-on-1 with friends, family, or your art teachers about your art work. Let them ask you questions about its influences, processes and ideas, and try to be precise about your ideas as you talk. Another great way to do this is to talk with someone about the last book you read: try to convey its main ideas, or what was most important to you.
Know Your Weaknesses (and your personal statement)
At least when Reuben was criticised about his drawing ability, he knew the question was likely coming, and was able to answer ‘I’m aware of this weakness, and I’m working on it’ - with lots of life drawing and sketching in his portfolio to back it up. It’s important to know about the little holes in your application that could be interrogated, and to be prepared to prove you’re working on them.
Likewise, it’s really important to know your personal statement really well. Re-read it before your interviews, make annotations, and think about how you could verbally develop the ideas your discuss in it. Lots of interviews start with a quick question about your personal statement just to warm you up, and it’s a great way to get across your personal interests in architecture straight away.
Keep calm and take some time out
The most important thing at interviews is to be yourself. It’s important to be aware of how tiring and intense interview days are, so try to schedule in some time to go for a walk outside or get some food, just to let your brain relax a little. If you’re in Cambridge, consider going to see some art at Kettle’s Yard, or at UCL there’s the Wellcome Institute just across the road.
You might also want to look up your interviewers before arriving for interview. There’s no need to obsessively study their careers and work, but it might help to know what they look like and what they teach. Reuben had an interview with two ancient historians, and being aware of that before the conversation allowed him to slightly adjust his vocabulary when in the interview, to avoid technical architectural language.
The only thing left is to wait…
This is the final stage of the long, difficult application process. It’s a whole lot of work getting to this point, so be proud, and try not to think about it for a while. Even if you don’t get an offer from your interview, it’s still a great experience and a chance for a super interesting conversation, so there’s lots to be excited about with them.
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This is the last episode of our applying series. We want to thank you for tuning in, and we hope it’s been really helpful! If you have any extra questions, feel free to send us a DM on talkingvolumes, or send us an email [e-mail].
Stay tuned for future episodes from Talking Volumes, coming once a month.
- Euan & Reuben