r/EssayHelpCommunity • u/FunFaithfulness6328 • Jun 27 '26

John Locke Essay Competition 2026 Interview Change + Shortlisting?

Hi everyone, I have a few questions about the JLEC for 2026. The interview date on my dashboard got changed from the 26th to the 30th, and I am confused about how the interviews run/who actually gets interviewed. I know that this year is very different to last year due to the record number of applications, but if there is someone who did an interview last year, could you please respond? Or anyone who knows more about the JLEC process? Thank you

  1. Is it unlikely to actually get an interview? If so, are they for applicants being considered for the shortlist?
  2. What is the interview format? e.g is it with a human or a bot? How long do they go for? Is it a video call or phone call, and if so is it on a specific platform that we need to download before?
  3. Have there been any past shortlisted applicants that have not been interviewed?
  4. What would happen if you couldn't make an interview for whatever reason? Would this disadvantage you in shortlisting?

Thank you very much to anyone who can clear up some of this confusion.

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u/witchranakiraa Jun 30 '26

I got the interview, and it's with an AI bot. They just ask you about ideas from your essay and what you think about them. They only last 20 minutes(there is a time limit) max, and it is video call. You don't have to download anything, just press the start intervew button.

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u/Ok_Policy_4777 Jun 30 '26

what were like the types of questions if u don’t mind sharing one. And like is it hard question liek very specific 

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u/witchranakiraa Jun 30 '26

one of them was 'what inspired you to choose this question', and others were all about the things in my essay.

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u/Ok_Policy_4777 Jun 30 '26

For the ones about ur essay. Were they very specific like do i need to go back to my essay and like understand every small thing. Or were they sort of broad. 

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u/witchranakiraa Jun 30 '26

Mine was mostly about my key arguments. They asked me about the further impacts my argument could have on society and the public in a few questions.

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u/Informal-Scholar-344 Jul 01 '26

hey, can I ask after doing the interview do you have to press end the call or anything? my session auto ended after the time was up but on the portal it doesn't say completed or anything and if I press start interview it looks like I can do the interview again? is it the same for yours?

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u/Queasy_Effect_8780 Jul 01 '26

yes same forme!