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Step 1
Before walking the halls do your researchWhen you select a vocational school you would like to know more about, you need to have an open mind to all the scams going on around you. Do not let them woo you with their sales pitches. Go to the school meet with them. Gather all information as you can. Read through everything, because once you sign up your stuck with the bill. There is no bankruptcy for student loans.
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Step 2
Talk to the studentsWhile your still at the school go up to random students find out how long they have been there. Ask them how their experience has been. Don't take the administrations word for it.
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Step 3
When you get home READ everything. Act as if your monk and your solving a case. These schools can be very sneaky. Start surfing the internet for complaints. There are tons of consumer complaint boards and most of these will come up if you goggle consumer complaints. Once at these sites type in the school name and do a search. To your surprise your school may come up.
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Step 4
Look Up EverythingAlso check their accreditations see if their even real. Some schools like to use the logos on their web sites but they really don't have them. Search your better business bureau see how they rate on that.
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Step 5
Another way is to look up the schools name to see if they have changed it. If they have how many times this is a good indication of a troubled school. You see they have to change their name due to all the lawsuits they may have pending. To maintain students from joining they have to change their name.
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Step 6
Stuck with false credits and diplomaCall other community colleges in the area to see if the credits you will earn there will be accepted by them if you wish to continue your education. And make sure its all the credits earned. This is very important because these vocational schools take anyone and if your one of the few who decide to go to a community college later that's when you'll realize only a few of the credits are transferable and the rest are not. So its as if you never went and have to start over.
Comments
rmorefield said
on 9/29/2009 Your article is so true. ECPI is one of those schools. Their nursing program is accredited but according to the students who have already graduated, it shouldn't be. They only offer the LPN program locally. They charge as much for that as Jefferson College of Health Sciences does for their 4 year bachelor's degree, (which is a very good private school). They don't have the normal classes, so you can't transfer them to ANY other colleege. And according to everyone that I have talked to that has graduated from their program, you don't really learn much. You learn just enough to pass the state boards, and nothing more. The info that you DO learn is practically self-taught. I am glad that I checked into all of this before I got sucked in. I decided to go to a public college.
rkremer said
on 9/23/2009 #4 is a very good point. I was ready to start a college for my MS and at the last moment realized they were "licensed", but not accredited. There is a big difference.
YuliyaDaniels said
on 8/27/2009 thank you
hockeygal4ever said
on 8/21/2009 Great points! Nice job!
vernk said
on 8/16/2009 you really do gotta watch out for these!