My name is Bennett Sebastian, a parent who has something unbelievable to say about this institution. This experience of mine is as direct, as real as it can get. It will leave you wondering how could such a thing happen to anyone. Sitting 8250 kilometres away I need not lie , try and defame an institution if it isn't true. Every word of it. Whether its a one off incident or a common feature with this place I am not sure. Please read on...
I got in touch with this university for admission for the MSC Marketing course that was scheduled to start in September 2021 for my son who just completed his graduation with top honours from Lucerne, Switzerland. Being very serious about planning things we underwent all processes up to CAS papers with ample time to spare. With the unconditional offer in hand, initial fee to the college paid for, accommodation and flight booked and paid for and CAS interview completed successfully and about 45 days to spare (before we can go in for Visa process) we had no idea what was about to befall on us.
Then suddenly the University and its Indian representatives stopped all interactions with us and also with the facilitating agency. Their whole approach took an ""about turn"" ( from sweet sounding to highly pi***d off ) for no reason whatsoever. Emails went unanswered, calls never returned. All our efforts to get to them ( to at least return what we paid ) have gone unheeded after a full 5-6 months.
No explanation for rejection, No explanation for holding up our money for months ( Where as the accommodation agency in UK made a quick refund within days !) have come in thus far. As it is it looks like the deposit has disappeared along with the prospect of admission to the course. This experience beats all that I have heard of in developing countries , of street thugs stealing your stuff, people running various scams with the intention to loot. I stand corrected in my entire perception of the West because the "extraordinary experience of Switzerland" led us to believe it would be the same nearly everywhere. ABSOLUTELY NOT.
This terrible breach of trust from the Northumbria University made my son loose an entire academic year, caused him unbelievable mental strain ( Being the topper of his class he has no clue why his application was rejected) and worse still why even the deposit was never returned.
Of course, the matter is now under judicial review here in India and the perpetrators will be made to pay. Not just refund our deposit with interest but explain before the court how such a despicable incident can happen in the first place. ( watch this space for more updates..)
( The deposit came back in a matter of hours after posting this review but for all that we went through
-and may be scores of other overseas students- we are pressing charges. )