Empire State College, State University of New York
Established: Unknown
Accreditation: Middle States
For-Profit: Unknown
Country: USA
Empire State College, State University of New York Reviews:
Positive Overall
November 15, 2009
I began my studies at ESC CDL in 2003 and completed in 2007. My decision to attend ESC was driven by its value and the flexibility it offered me as a working parent. I was generally pleased with the fact that many transfer credits from other NYS-based institutions were accepted, ...
A degree, not an education
October 14, 2009
After much deliberation, I've decided to transfer to another institution to complete my degree. The school is starting to rely too heavily on remote adjuncts who teach for multiple schools and are completely overextended. It ceases to be a SUNY education when the instructors are institutional babysitters hundreds of miles ...
Empire State College is run my a bunch of MORONS
August 27, 2009
The mentors are pathetic and when they can't evaluate you they send in the CLOWNS... Then when you file a grievance, they run for cover and send in the CHIEF CLOWNS... DON"T WASTE YOUR MONEY
Read all 16 Empire State College, State University of New York reviews...
Comments:
LRW April 8, 2008 at 5:47 p.m.
I have also just completed my BS in Community and Human Services and previously attained a AAS in Interdisciplinary Skills with SUNY ESC and am in agreement with the previous writer, the school is a good one. In New York they are highly recognized, and if any one knows the SUNY name they know that SUNY is known highly respected.
The things I mostly valued were the cost, you cannot beat the tuition rates, they are almost as good as community college rates. Mostly the instructors were good, there were a few that were less than desirable, but I am sure most would say that about their college experience. I also felt that most professors wanted to see you succeed and would work with you at times on some of the time constraints. Materials always good and up to date, however, they never sold used books. I never really had a problem with the financial aid, I think most students will also say that the financial department in any college USA has its issues. I also like the fact that you could tailor your degree.
Dislikes were when they changed the course space, the new space took some time to get used to and to me was not as user friendly. My mentor was great but I know of someone else who's mentor is not so great and you depend on them a great deal especially in the beginning. Also the tailoring your own degree did get confusing at times. I also did not like having to take classes just to learn to tailor your degree.
All in all a good college experience and I hope to continue on to graduate school there as well.
MJS May 2, 2009 at 8:10 p.m.
It makes no sense to disparage the institution through which you have taken your certification; on the contrary, to a degree holder, the praise received by the institution illuminates its graduates. No one who takes a degree from any institution is, therefore, unconflicted in criticizing or in praising that institution.
With that in mind, and having taken a B.A. from SUNY Empire State, I felt it necessary to include the following remarks.
In half of the courses I took, getting any kind of feedback from the instructor was a Sisyphean exercise in futility. In these "courses," it was only necessary to buy the book(s), write the papers, and move on. The "instructors" were conspicuous by their disinterest and silence. They seemed to see their roles as detached spectators or referees.
In one instance I was finally told by one reticent professor that I was "trying too hard." You pass if you do just what is required, no more and no less. Each course is simply a phase in an industrial process, one which requires little or no human oversight or intervention.
If you are, as I was, looking for instructors to act as mentors, give up the idea. Such involvement is rare.
Of course I must admit that there were exceptions. In three cases out of all the courses I took, the instructors bothered to maintain a meaningful (and educational) exchange with me.
If you feel that the human dimension of a modern education is spurious, then ignore my remarks. I, however, was overwhelmed by the sense that my certification proves that I have read several books and written acceptable papers in response to them. Nothing more.
NY, Long Island May 10, 2009 at 3:05 a.m.
Empire is a scam! It's a lie. Empire is a Sham! Run.
The professors take weeks to get back to you --providing they respond to you at all. YOU ARE LEFT HANGING. Empire promises you personal attention and flexibility; anything to get your money. Once your fee is paid you are disregarded and ignored. Eventually you quit, hurt and discouraged but don’t take it personal. This is how Empire does its business.
Nothing on Empire's web site is true. If they were a business, the management would be in jail. Empire one of those places where you’re just waiting for the 'shoe to drop'. You know trouble is coming but you just don't know when. Empire’s unethical practices and the crooks that run the place will hit the newspapers sooner or later. The lighting is visible; we’re just waiting for the sound of the thunder to arrive.
And don't but that 'suny credit' stuff. When they tell you “All our credits are suny credits and accepted anywhere you go.” That is not completely true. Most maybe, some are not. Not by some other colleges and not by some New York State Licensure agencies. Not everyone accepts all Empire credits face value, and in some instances will reject Empires credits as having no use or value at all. Do you homework before you even think about attending. And don’t bother asking them, remember they lie.
Best thing is to stay away. Go to one of the REAL online colleges where you will learn something and get value for your money. And your degree be worth something. Avoid the insults and aggravation you'd feel when the professors ignore your phone calls and e-mails. Don't waste your time complaining, the people in charge enable the problems by doing nothing about it. They know what you’re experiencing when you complain about how shabby you have been treated. They have heard it many times before. They are the bigger part of the problem. They don't care! In fact, they'll blame you!
You deserve better, and anything is better than Empire State College.
New York, Long Island.
To NY, Long Island August 26, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.
Please list REAL online colleges.
ESC is part of the SUNY program. If it's not good enough, try elsewhere.
RRL August 27, 2009 at 11:57 p.m.
To poster "NY, Long Island", it seems like you are just ranting without saying what is wrong with ESC! This is SUNY you are talking about so you better be direct with your statement.
You did not even say if you went to the school, the courses you took...NOTHING!
I was looking for recommendation and your posting just wasted 2 mins of my life's time!
SHNG October 1, 2009 at 2:43 p.m.
"To NY Long Island " did you went to this school, did you took classess online?
if you can please send us real online college or university,
please everybody i just need some advices, i want to start study but i cant decide to which school i have to go
please help me.....
Door October 11, 2009 at 6:31 p.m.
I enrolled at SUNY Empire State (ESC) three semesters ago because of the convenience and excellent value-for-money. I was also attracted to the school because I prefer full-length semesters to the drastically abbreviated sessions that have become the hallmark of online diploma mills and are increasingly disparaged by many employers.
So am I happy at ESC? Decidedly not. Like most online institutions, the faculty are scattered all over the country. Most teach for more than one school and project no sense of personal commitment to ESC or have the time or inclination to address students individually. The courses they teach are not of their own design and their lack of personal investment in the assignments is often very evident as well - quite often they don't even know what's supposed to be happening. On average it's taken five weeks to get my first grade/feedback of the semester and most instructors stay seriously behind in their grading throughout the term. Their conspicuous lack of presnce makes for poor partcipation in class discussions as well, so you really do feel like you're learning entirely on your own.
I was also surpirsed by the lousy level of scholarship I've found in the many assignments that are intended for peer review and exchange. I'd attribute some of that problem to the lack of course leadership, too, because many students don't seem the least bit motivated or confident in their work. The result is the frustration of having to craft meaningful responses to halfhearted, uninteresting submissions on a regular basis. A serious drag.
I should note that I had already earned an online Associate's degree before I enrolled at ESC so I'm no stranger to online learning, and I really enjoyed going to college in cyberspace until I transferred. Over time the toxic apathy at this school has eroded my interest in what I'm studying to the point where I am actively trying to find another school for Fall 2010.
In short, SUNY Empire State is not a particularly good atmosphere for education and definitely not worthy of the SUNY brand.
Andrew October 29, 2009 at 6:28 p.m.
So in other words, don't apply
Bill November 4, 2009 at 3:18 p.m.
It's really a disservice to Empire to call it an "online" school. I earned my BS in Finance from there, and I took a total of TWO credits "online". All the other credits were earned through textbooks, assignments, and meeting with the teacher in person.
I attended SUNY Stony Brook for two years and let me tell you this- Empire was MUCH more work, but I learned SO much more.
And the quality of teaching at Empire is just like anywhere else- you get some great teachers, and you get some horrible teachers. Just a short example: At Stony Brook, I had a teacher for Financial Accounting who barely spoke English (she was Chinese) and I finished with my "A" and 3 credits, but walked away feeling almost robbed. At Empire, I had a teacher for Corporate Finance who was incredibly bright, articulate, and always made himself available. It's all relative.
Bottom line is this- it is all what YOU make of your experience. If you want to do well, you put yourself in that position.
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C. B. December 9, 2007 at 5:04 p.m.
I have just completed my BS in Community and Human Services with SUNY/ESC. What the first reviewer left out was probably the most important factor pursing a degree in ESC; it is a State University of New York degree. Not as valuable as a SUNY Cornell degree, but valuable nonetheless.
It is true, as in every college, you have some okay professors, some schmucks, or diamonds in the rough. One would be in criminal justice classes S. Raptis. I had this professor for two semesters, his knowledge, clarity, and truthfulness was genuine. There are some others to avoid, especially Prof. J. Putt in Urban Studies, he is as useful as nipples on a bull.
My life credits brought me to 75 credits after completing the Educational Planning, no worries with that, if you have a decent mentor they will give you a template. Remember when you succeed, so does the mentor.
I received federal and state grants rather easily. I suggest that you buy all of your required reading used - you will save hundreds of dollars. Some classes require literature from ESC, so you have no other choice on those.
If you are an adult learner, and have accomplished a lot in your life vocationally, and the likes, I strongly suggest ESC over ANY online school. ESC degree does hold weight - I myself will be taking the LSATS in order to get into Northwestern School of Law that shows you the weight of ESC.