Everyone will have a different experience. Some might like it. I did at first, although I thought it was far too easy for college courses. Years later, going for my bachelor's - and the classes are still grade school level difficulty. It's really quite insulting for the tuition they charge - which is one of the highest in the country for an art school. SOME "professors" (which they are rarely called anymore even by the school) are excellent, yes. Just as many are totally incompetent and sometimes won't even respond to students. I've been in embarrassing classes where students know more about the topic at hand.
Myself, and hundreds like me, have experienced incompetent staff, erroneous bills with no explanation, a website that regularly posts misinformation, bogus graduation day estimates, clueless personnel, apathetic teachers, wrong class start dates, students handing in laughable work and passing, students handing in brilliant work and failing because they didn’t “participate” (meaninglessly pat other students on the back), aggravating class mix-ups (get used to them trying to stick you in classes you’ve already passed and forcing you to write a letter to the Dean to get out of them – that’s $457 a class by the way), teaching outdated knowledge, un-transferable credits even to their OWN schools (hope you don’t plan to move), “instructors” that are less savvy than students, student aids that come off as telemarketers trying to seal a deal but are too buried in students or downright incompetent to keep anything straight, expensive books that are almost NEVER referenced or used in class, policies that sometimes automatically charge you for books, even if you didn’t buy any and even if the books are never used in class.
This school blatantly lies about the transferability of their credits, quality of education and reputation during the enrollment process.
I'm glad your relative is enjoying her attendance (I did at first, too), and odds are things may work out depending on her connections and financial situation, but the school is DEEPLY dishonest and it isn't worth the risk. The classes are far too easy and don't teach students critical things they NEED to know. I would recommend informing her of the THOUSANDS of students crying out online and SUING this greedy company masquerading as a school. I plan to sue as well for damages and wasted time and money.
A brave EDMC employee recently called out the despicable way they throttled her into distorting the truth about alumni employment rates in front of The Senate HELP Committee. Apparently, if a graduate only worked a single day in a barley related field, they count as a success statistic. Graduates that work in the game department of Toys 'R' Us for $8.90 an hour are considered a success statistic for a Game Design degree. Graduates that write "Jakarta Slow Roast Blend" on the chalkboard menu of Starbucks are counted as a success statistic for Graphic Design.
AIO is a scam. Pure and simple. But don't take my word for it. Type in "AIO Scam" into Google. If this place was a great school, you wouldn't get such an apocalyptic flood of search results.
21 Jul 2011, 3:31 am
