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OXBRIDGE APPLICATIONS (the company): Useful/less?

Did anybody pay £100+ to "Oxbridge Applications" (run/set up by James Uffindell), thinking it'd increase their chances of getting an offer?

Did you think it was worth it?

Or are "Oxbridge Applications" shrewd opportunists, seeking to make money (and A LOT of it) from young peoples' insecurities?

Some people didn't get a discount by applying through their schools, so had to pay £140 for the "Interview Training day" as well as the train fayre (/fair?) to get to London!
A few of the "packages" they offer cost as much as £2000. :eek:

The price for the most expensive package is so huge it isn't even listed in the brochure and is only given on demand. :frown:

Just HOW much can you help a potential candidate and can that help POSSIBLY be worth £1000 or more?!

Please fill in this profile when you reply to this thread:

Did you use any of "Oxbridge Applications"s services?
If so, which ones?
How much did you spend? (optional)
Do you think you got your money's worth? Why?
Did you receive an offer?

Thanks

Reply 1

emzie

Did you use any of "Oxbridge Applications"s services? NO
If so, which ones?
How much did you spend? (optional)
Do you think you got your money's worth? Why?
Did you receive an offer? YES

Reply 2

blissy

15

Had no guidance whatsoever, hardly had any help even with my personal statement. You cannot be what you're not; if you do happen to get in because of training only you might find yourself out of your depth once you get here. (Of course I understand that many people who truely are Oxbridge candidates have training too). I think I would always question myself if I had had training.

Reply 3

Helenia

20

I did not pay any money to any of these companies, although I did go on Medlink, but that was aimed at helping me get into Med school in general. I got an offer without the help of Oxbridge Applications or any other service. One of my friends told me of someone she knew who spent about £2000 on one of their courses, got the offer and then missed their grades! Gutted!

And it's "train fare." :smile:

Reply 4

Chocopudlate

OP

2

Well, Congrats on getting in with no help at all.

What was the offer& what're you going to study?

The reason I ask, is that opinion varies greatly betw my friends and I on whether "OXBRIDGE APPLICCATIONS" is any good or not.

Reply 5

Helenia

20

My offer was AAA in Maths, Chemistry and Biology, for Medicine at Clare college. Loads of people get in without help!

Reply 6

blissy

15

My offer was AAB, but I got AAC. No assistance :tongue:

Reply 7

yawn1

I think that for those who genuinely have no help - because their school is inexperienced in Oxbridge applications, their school does not do well in the league tables, they have nobody in their family who has been through the university application system before or they do not have parents who were undergraduates or teachers - then it can be extremely beneficial in giving them practice and increasing their confidence because of the feedback they get from the company after undergoing 'interview training'.

The best way to find out how effective their services are is to look at their statistics. How many of those who undergo training get offers of places, for a start. Do not rely on the opinion of those who got offers despite not using their services as this will tell you nothing!

Reply 8

blissy

15

yawn1

I think that for those who genuinely have no help - because their school is inexperienced in Oxbridge applications, their school does not do well in the league tables, they have nobody in their family who has been through the university application system before or they do not have parents who were undergraduates or teachers - then it can be extremely beneficial in giving them practice and increasing their confidence because of the feedback they get from the company after undergoing 'interview training'.

I think that would have made me more nervous. Because I had no assistance or expectations I was just myself - I would have been trying to be something I wasn't if I had been trained. Besides, where would you get that kind of money from! :smile:

Reply 9

yawn1

blissy

I think that would have made me more nervous. Because I had no assistance or expectations I was just myself - I would have been trying to be something I wasn't if I had been trained. Besides, where would you get that kind of money from! :smile:

I believe that the interview training day does not tell you what to do but rather recognises your strengths and tell you how to maximise them, so in essence you are not being somebody you're not, rather you are making the best of your own personal attributes.

The cost for the itd is not excessive and would not be beyond the reach of someone who is determined to have the best opportunity that they would not otherwise have (as listed in my previous post).

Reply 10

Chocopudlate

OP

2

The company claims their clients get twice the normal success rate.

BUT you'll never be able to tell whether 1/2 or more of these successful applicants who'd used their services, would've received an offer by themselves anyway, but just felt a little insecure.

The point is, the comapny stands to make a lot of money out of candidates who are good enough to get a place on their own, but can afford to pay for courses and want to feel they've done absolutely everything they can to maximise their chances of getting in.

I will never know if I'd have gotten an offer on my own, but if everyone at my sch had paid for the day, then said twas really useful and I'd not been there, I'd have been kicking myself.

Reply 11

yawn1

Chocopudlate

The company claims their clients get twice the normal success rate.

BUT you'll never be able to tell whether 1/2 or more of these successful applicants who'd used their services, would've received an offer by themselves anyway, but just felt a little insecure.

The point is, the comapny stands to make a lot of money out of candidates who are good enough to get a place on their own, but can afford to pay for courses and want to feel they've done absolutely everything they can to maximise their chances of getting in.

I will never know if I'd have gotten an offer on my own, but if everyone at my sch had piad for the day, then said twas really useful, I'd have been kicking myself.

I think the fact that they have a success rate double the normal speaks for itself. I don't have any connection with the company, by the way :smile:

Reply 12

Chocopudlate

OP

2

shiny

What on earth are you talking about yawn1? The basic package offered by Oxbridge Applications is over £700! Oxbridge Applications is in the market to help the well-off not the disadvantaged.

Actually the "Head Start Day" is £40 and the ITD with a discount if done through sch is £60. At my sch, about 20 people paid for the Head Start Day.

Reply 13

yawn1

shiny

What on earth are you talking about yawn1? The basic package offered by Oxbridge Applications is over £700! Oxbridge Applications is in the market to help the well-off not the disadvantaged.

Check out their website and see their prices for yourself. Their interview training day can be taken in isolation from any package and is affordable for many people.

It is in the market to cater for all those who have aspirations to apply to Oxbridge, not exclusively for the 'well-off'.

I am aware that they have come in for a lot of 'flak' from the unis and the media but consider that it may not neccessarily all be justifed.

Reply 14

yawn1

shiny

What on earth are you talking about yawn1? The basic package offered by Oxbridge Applications is over £700! Oxbridge Applications is in the market to help the well-off not the disadvantaged.

I've just checked their website for prices. They start at £60, going to £140 for interview training day. The whole premier package which would be prohibitively expensive for the family on average income (if they hadn't saved any money for their children's uni education). But that includes every item that you can pick and choose from.

Reply 15

yawn1

shiny

Hmm ... yes ... and exactly how have they calculated their average acceptance rates?

You obviously admit you were wrong about their pricing don't you :smile:

But I can understand you want to 'save face' by asking another question which you hope will give you ammunition to 'flame them down'.

However, they arrive at their success rates by the average percentage of offers from applications - i.e. if a third of applicants normally receive offers from Oxbridge (which is the average of offers from applicants, not acceptances - there is a difference) then Oxbridge Applications customers will comprise two thirds of those who get offers. So in effect, you will be doubling your chances of getting an offer.

Reply 16

yawn1

shiny

No I was correct. The basic package is £760. You talked about individual bits - I talked about packages.

And if you don't work for Oxbridge Applications then how do you know how they compute their stats?

I am willing to admit I am completely wrong if you present documentation detailing exact calculations and data. Otherwise anything you say is about as accurate and proven as what I am saying.

The thread starter asked whether anyone had paid £100+ for the services of Oxbridge applications and then mentioned the figure of £80 for interview training day and that particular aspect was followed on by all posters.

Their stats computation is given on their website. I'm not asking you to admit you were wrong about the statistics I quoted - but their statistics are proven by the feedback form completed by customers after they have received their offers (or not). In fact, they guarantee a return of fee if the customer does not receive an offer!

I am answering the thread starters question with facts - you seem to be denying that a company that is successful has successes that make it so :smile:

Reply 17

yawn1

Bye for now Shiny. :smile:

Reply 18

F. Poste

blissy

Had no guidance whatsoever, hardly had any help even with my personal statement. You cannot be what you're not; if you do happen to get in because of training only you might find yourself out of your depth once you get here. (Of course I understand that many people who truely are Oxbridge candidates have training too). I think I would always question myself if I had had training.

I was in a similar situation, and agree 100%.

I was my school's first ever Oxford candidate, and the first to get an Oxbridge offer (there were two people who applied to Cambridge, one was pooled but not picked and the other was just rejected). My school knew very little about it and I had to find out everything by myself. I didn't have a mock interview or anything in the way of preparation. I got a teacher to mark my homework essay as soon as they could so I could send it to Oxford specially but that's about it. If I had paid for that kind of stuff then I'd never feel the sense of achievement or pride that I have, I would feel like one of Pavlov's dogs.

I can see why it might help people in a non-Pavlovian way, but I hate the idea that if you have enough money, you can buy yourself an edge. It's tough enough being bright but poor!

Reply 19

fishpaste

Well firstly they no longer give you your money back if you don't get an offer. Secondly, they wisely claim that they don't double your chances. They just give that figure ~ 60%. Don't you think that the people motivated enough to go on an oxbridge training day and pay for it are also likely to do everything else to aid their application? You'll never know, but I don't think these people would be looking at 30% if there wasn't any help from oxbridge applications, because they're already absolutely determined to get that offer.

OXBRIDGE APPLICATIONS (the company): Useful/less?

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