My tuppence worth...
I am an OAA Grad (integrated, probably ill-timed, but that's for another day) and finished earlier this year. I do not intend to provide a complete review, which has been done to death, and wlll no doubt lead to OAA sales team coming back on and quoting the usual pitch again anyway, but just some general points.
1) OAA is a business, a big one, which grew much bigger throughout the course of my training and has, in my opinion, grown too big for its own good as far as ab initio training is concerned.
The company is a money-making venture and you absolutely must remember that.
2) OAA Accommodation is part of the money-making venture and therefore HUGELY overpriced and not especially good quality. I elected not to stay in it at all but spent enough time there to know I had made a wise decision. If you want a cooker then stay elsewhere; if you're happy with a two-plate plug-in hob and a microwave then knock yourself out.
Notwithstanding this the accomm staff are, by all accounts, some of the best on offer.
3) OAA Management...least said the better, quite frankly. Let's just say that they go to great lengths to make you feel like a "student... trainee pilot... graduate" and do not take kindly to being reminded that you are also a "customer" ... (I shall now have to wash my mouth out, bad, bad word)
4) Groundschool...pretty much spot on, if you match the tuition you are given with a mature, dedicated approach and put the work in yourself as well. The instrcutors are committed and generally very knowledgeable. If you are not ex-forces then you may get a bit fed up of all the "in-chat" but it's bearable. CBT was growing in popularity, seems to be an industry-wide thing so just accept it but personally I absolutely can not stand it.
5) Arizona Flying...great fun, absolutely loved it. Make sure you get yourself sorted out on a personal and professional level with your instructor early on. Make it clear how much experience you have and how you would like to be taught. I do not suggest making demands but having a mature and sensible conversation. Whatever you do speak up at all times, do not just go along for the ride and if it's not working out then get it dealt with. There were some less-approachable staff (instructors and non-intructors) but mostly they were great. Flying solo keep your wits about you and NEVER stop looking around you, there are a lot of planes in the valley...
Only gripe --- maintenance could be better, especially on senecas, but that may well have been rectified by now
6) Instrument flying... everything above with extra emphasis. My personal opinion is that there is always something you can be doing. I was in the airport nearly every day for a solid 5 or 6 hours studying, planning and reading everything I cold get my hands on and I still felt like I hadn't a clue. Others turn up, fly/sim, go home, do some planning for a hour or so and seem to get by. I would suggest that if you are not nervous and feel that you know what you need to know you are not working enough but that's maybe just me. Even with a first time pass on the IR you should, in my opinion, be accutely aware of the fact that you know almost nothing about instrument flying in the real world.
7) MCC...great fun if a bit short. I was with someone I knew and with whom I could work almost without speaking (although that's very much not the point of the MCC). I still believe you should be putting the work in to every session although there is more emphasis on your instructor briefing you in this phase. Coming soon after IR it tends to get a bit of a last-hoorah reputation which is a shame because it's actually a pretty good exercise
8) Getting a job afterwards...
Right, this is the bit I guess everyone wants to hear. I am saying this now and afterwards donning my tin-hat and taking cover:
If you expect OAA to find you a job you will be disappointed and you are most likely a bit dim; if you expect them to help you look for a job, recommend you for a job and prepare you for any subsequent interview you are still likely to be disappointed but perhaps marginally less so.
Why do I say this... well...
I started the training under no illusions as to what was waiting on the other side i.e. not a great deal (again, different discussion about timing).
Since leaving OAA I have found a sort-of relevant job albeit not flying much, OAA has nothing to do with this and I have no problem with that, I needed to go back to work and always planned to either in my old job or something relevant.
If you try to express the opinion to OAA that you don't believe in P2F or, even worse, that you feel that as a newly qualified pilot you are perhaps, dare I say this even after training with them, not ready to for a jet or even maybe airline job you will probably just have committed employment suicide no matter how much you might be able to get experienced pilots to agree with you. Some may say that this is nonsense and point to the usual examples; some will say that perhaps it's a lack of confidence; some might just accuse me of trying to be too sensible.
In my opinion OAA have become absolutely dedicated to P2F with Ryanair and Easy to the point where you will be (almost) dismissed if you do not opt for one or both. This is pretty much seen as the reality of the wold now, and maybe it is, that's another debate, but my point is that the approach seems to be completely blinkered. One other interesting example that has been offered recently was to take up employment with OAA as an FI in Melbourne, sounds intersting you might think, well it is, until you find out that for the costs involved you'll see change from Ryanair! Absolutely no joke (well, on my part at least..)
Final point, there are still, very occasionally and at very, very short notice opportunities which come up through OAA which do not involve the level of investment you will need for Ryanair or Easy but will involve some investment or some kind of sacrifice... How do you get these, well, honestly, I am buggered if I know. I have tried and I have failed each time (and I thought I was pretty good by OAA standards although do try to recognise my own faults). I have asked how they select people and received no answer other than competition is tough and that it's my job after training to keep in touch with them for job opportunities etc. I suspect politics plays a large part in this process but maybe I'm just a bit fed up and cynical.
Bottom line (in my opinion) ... Oxford is mostly a good training establishment buried under the weight of a growing business and if you arm yourself with some knowledge and bit of common sense you should be fine on their course. As for afterwards well, frankly, there's a queue, join it, and pray you haven't missed the bus ... or get the cheque-book out (again).
Just my tuppence worth, and now I am off to send out some more copies of my CV before asking in my evening prayers for the fortitude to continue the struggle and not cave in to temptation. I wish everyone well whatever you choose.
*Bit longer than expected and now ducking for cover.