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Is it true you can BUY your way into Oxford?

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I've heard rumours of it happening at Oxbridge, but have never really seen it myself. Doesn't really matter though: if he deserves to be there, he'll do well - and if he can't cut it it'll become very apparent, very soon.

Reply 21

fudgesundae

Original post by ellasmith

Don't rate me down, but I've heard across the grapevine that some people with contacts in Oxford and with some extra moolah can BUY their way into Oxford.

For example, this super rich russian guy in my year is not really oxford mat. He's a distinctly average student who isn't really loquacious enough to blag his way in via interview or personal statement. He has links to admissions tutors in Oxford and a **** load of money and got an Oxford offer for law at BBB.

WTF? :hmmm:

OPINIONS?

Yeh, if you slip a 50p coin under the admissions tutor's door at night he gives you an offer.

But seriously, he is obviously lying, you just got real life trolled

Reply 22

Octohedral

Original post by zippyRN

ah the classic TSR misapprehension that entry grades reflect difficulty rather than popularity ...

I can't comment on other subjects, but Oxford maths covers more stuff more quickly than any other maths undergraduate courses that I have seen so far, save perhaps Imperial and Cambridge. The lecture notes are free on the internet if you don't believe me. The terms are short and the tutors have high expectations.

If it is true about the Russian, then I'd just say it's unfair, but if he gets a first without cheating he doesn't not deserve it. About 75% of Oxford students don't get a first, which is shocking considering the supposed standard of entry.

http://www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/facts_and_figures/undergraduate_degr_3.html#acollege_undergraduate_degree_classifications_201011_sorted_alphabetically

Edit: To clarify, I'm not putting down people who get 2:1's etc, just saying there's clearly a lot of people at other universities who do better than people who get into Oxford - you still have to earn your degree.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 23

Rock_and_roll

I don't know if what you're saying about this Russian guy is true, but I wouldn't be surprised to be honest.

Further proves the theory of life: It doesn't matter what you know; it's who you know.

Reply 24

fudgesundae

Original post by aakashsaif

Personally think it's possible........... case in point Bilawal Bhutto, son of former PM of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto. His Grandfather, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto(another former PM) and his mother both have gone to Oxford for studies and lo and behold, now he himself is at Oxford too...... is it just me or is that too much of a co-incidence. I know people will doubt me saying that it's possible he got in on merit but the fact is there is a rich history of son's and daughter's of Pakistani politicians getting into top universities of the world in exchange for some 'donations'.

Zulfiqar Ali already had a BA from Berkeley before he entered Oxford, so he had credentials.

Benazir Bhutto completed her O levels at 15, went to Harvard, then went to Oxford, she was also president of the Oxford Union. Seems pretty clever to me...

Is it so strange that Bilawal would also be intelligent enough to get into Oxford looking at some of his family members?

What people don't realise is that sometimes rich and powerful people are rich and powerful because they are very intelligent people.

Original post by Square

sultan of brunei's son went to oxford as well i think, hes one of the richest men in the world.

Original post by Rgman27

Sure, you can. How do you think all these Princes and etc go to Good Unis? lol.

If I remember correctly, Prince Charles went to Cambridge.

I know someone at Imperial in the year above who used to use money to get through.

They are rich so can afford the best tuition and preparation in the world.

Reply 25

nexttime

I do not believe this story is the whole truth.

Original post by memomemootoo

lol i was gonna mention russians aswell... my mum's friend said that their parents buy them places at oxford... and when i went there for an interview i did see a suspiciously disproportionate number of russians already studying there... unfortunately i got rejected, perhaps partly because my parents arent oligarchs :emo:

Russians make up a tiny minority of internationals admitted, and have a lower than average acceptance rate (80 applications, 10 acceptances last year).

Reply 26

username133326

Original post by fudgesundae

Yeh, if you slip a 50p coin under the admissions tutor's door at night he gives you an offer.

But seriously, he is obviously lying, you just got real life trolled

Maybe his parents are... trolligarchs :awesome:

Reply 27

Marc Fiorano

Considering Oxbridge is very much like a lot of the ivy league unis where alumni donate huge amounts every year, in the order of multi-millions, it wouldn't be surprising if their children/relatives/contacts would get in because of it. There'd be some leniency in the offer or the interview and maybe they'd let some flaws in the application/grades slide.

We already know about how it works in LSE, again another uni which has a lot of outsiders donating ridiculous amounts.

It also happens if you're related to a royal or a former minister or are the heir to a global business, but it's not that they buy their way in, the unis just really want to admit a person who is likely to be yet another big name to add to their alumni list in the future.

But remember even if somebody does buy their way in, they still have to do the work and pass.

Reply 28

thehaberprocess

If you wikipedia 'pembroke college, oxford' and look at the controversy, there's an odd case, where an undercover journalist tried to bribe the admissions tutors for 300K. Dunno if this true though.

Reply 29

bishbash72

Original post by Octohedral

If it is true about the Russian, then I'd just say it's unfair, but if he gets a first without cheating he doesn't not deserve it. About 75% of Oxford students don't get a first, which is shocking considering the supposed standard of entry.

Grading standards are vastly different across universities, everybody knows that. Otherwise, as you've rightly pointed out, everyone at Oxbridge would get first (and everyone at London Met would fail)

Reply 30

Rgman27

Original post by fudgesundae

They are rich so can afford the best tuition and preparation in the world.

and.....I don't get what your point is.

Prince Charles may have had the best tuition in the world. I don't doubt that. His grades tell another story.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 31

nohomo

Yes. You can buy textbooks and study them :tongue:

Reply 32

Chief Wiggum

Original post by zippyRN

ah the classic TSR misapprehension that entry grades reflect difficulty rather than popularity ...

Are you serious? A student getting BBB at A Level would have a very hard time coping with Oxford.

Perhaps Oxford is different to Cambridge, but at Cambridge, A Level scores are the strongest indicator of how well you'll do.

Reply 33

qwertyuiop1993

Original post by zippyRN

ah the classic TSR misapprehension that entry grades reflect difficulty rather than popularity ...

There is some overlap - unis which are popular and can set these high grades get more leeway with what they can teach and at what pace, seeing as if you fill a uni with A*A*A* students then you tend to get people who will be able to cover things at a faster rate. I highly doubt someone who struggled to get an A at maths A level could cope with a course at Imperial/Cambridge/Oxford/Warwick.

As for buying your way into Oxford - for every random anecdote of a friend of a friend who seems stupid getting in there is always another where someone with considerable connections to the college didn't get in. (Someone at Trinity resigned because their son didn't get in even though he held an important position)

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 34

The_Internet

I read somewhere that its considered good politics to let the aristocracy of other countries attend prestigious universities, so maybe?

Reply 35

capital S

Original post by nohomo

Yes. You can buy textbooks and study them :tongue:

this. getting a perfect score on your A-levels is possible for anyone, as soon as they get personal, high-quality education. or did you think prince charles would sit in a classroom with 30-ish other students?

Reply 36

plimsolls

I had to look up 'loquacious'.

Reply 37

Bellissima

Original post by Rgman27

exactly they are hardly going to reject the queens son are they, what a joke... especially as they are renowed for being of lesser intelligence.

Reply 38

Integral

Original post by Rgman27

Son of the Queen =/= Son of an Investment Banker

Reply 39

Bellissima

Original post by capital S

prince harry had one of the best educations money can buy (thanks to the generous citizens of this country) and still came out with only 2 a-levels at B and D grades..