Kaplan University

Robbie May 3, 2007 at 5:56 p.m.

I am a 3rd semester student at Kaplan University and I couldn't be happier. My senior academic advisor was so supportive and encouraging in convincing me to pursue my degree. Kaplan is comparable with a "regular" classroom in EVERY sense of the word. Kaplan U. is #1!

Lynn May 15, 2007 at 4:17 p.m.

I meant 100% of the tuition.

Marianne June 5, 2007 at 1:03 a.m.

I have had a very good experience as well at Kaplan. I am in my 5th term and love it. No money problems...wouldn't go anywhere else.

shannon June 7, 2007 at 4:09 p.m.

I am contemplating going to kaplan but I am affraid for the accredidation and be known. Any advice?

Luis June 12, 2007 at 11:10 p.m.

Im about to start the criminal justice program online at kaplan can anybody if is better than phoenix??...

John June 24, 2007 at 5:03 a.m.

I am currently a Kaplan university student. The class room setup and education is challenging. The only problem I have is, the Financial Aid office. It has been three semesters so far and my pell grant have not been approved. I have called, email, to my financial aid officer, Wynita Pierre, and not an answer. They have great staff, just stay away from her.

nell July 1, 2007 at 10:14 a.m.

I am seeking an online degree in pharmacy and Kaplan seemed to be the way to go but after reading some of the reviews on this site, I'm having doubts. Has anyone taken the pharmacy technician certification courses? I would like to hear how they were before I sign up with Kaplan. It does seem expensive, does anyone have any advice?

Rosaline July 12, 2007 at 12:54 p.m.

I am considering Kaplan. I want to go for Bachelors in Human Resources. Has any graduated from that field. I have neever been to colleg before. Is Kaplan Online Degree just as good as a regular college degree. Would anyone say that online is difficult or has anyone had problems online with Kaplan Professors returning calls and things like that. I just want to make the right decision. I live In DC and Kaplan is in Iowa.

Paul July 16, 2007 at 6:47 p.m.

I am considering Kaplan. I have been in the workforce for a number of years but do not have a bachelors degree. Is Kaplan all wat it is supposed to be? Does anyone have any experience getting a job with a Kaplan degree?

N.J. July 17, 2007 at 1:05 a.m.

Is it just me or did anyone else feel that they were being harassed by Kaplan's admission's staff?? I contacted them to get information on a specific program, and I was pretty much told that I would be an idiot for not attending. I was bombarded with every reason that I should spend my money, my hard earned money, to attend their university, and their university ONLY. I don't know about anyone else, but it makes me a bit leery to attend when you have an admission's counselor practically demanding you to attend. My education is something that I have to pay for, and I know for a fact that I will not allow some commissioned admissions associate, Mr.Damien H. to force me into something that I'm not sure of.

Janie July 19, 2007 at 7:57 p.m.

I am transferring from Phoenix to Kaplan and I feel this is a great change because Phoenix is really lame; you have to work in learning teams and many times you get stuck doing all the work yourself and the entire group gets the grade. My husband and myself are both students there and we have had nothing but trouble, they won't return calls, give you your transcripts or your degree. I have been waiting 6 months for my diploma and still no sign, yet they won't give me anything showing that I have a degree. From what I have heard from other students at Kaplan it is a great college to attend.

Jon July 20, 2007 at 8:03 p.m.

P.S. go to onlineuc.net and find a real school for your field.

Daniel July 23, 2007 at 10:33 p.m.

I would not recommend this school to anyone. I had nothing but trouble from kaplan starting from the day I applied. Their Financial Aid program is a joke. I was selected for their "Random verifcation process" every single term I was there (which was 6 terms). 4 of those 6 termes i was selected I had to fax my information to them over 4 times, 2 of those 4 i was locked out of my account becasue they never received the 7 faxes that i sent them. They would not make exceptions even though I was able to provide them the transaction logs showing i faxed it to them, this casued me to fail my classes for those two terms because I could not log in to take my finals. This School is only in it for the money, they care nothing for the students and its a waste of Money.

Jon July 27, 2007 at 9:42 p.m.

I am attending Kaplan now. I must say that it is more than what I expected. As long as you are disciplined and are willing to really learn you should have no problems with the school. I work a full time job as a manager with a very large well known company. They pay my tuition, provided I get A's and B's. I do not think they would be willing to spend money on a fraudulent school. Kaplan gave me a discount because of who I work for. So, I am very please with Kaplan. I previously wrote on June 25th, 2007. I guess I feel a lot better now.

Changelives August 6, 2007 at 9:08 p.m.

Hi,
Well, I decided to give my two cents. I encourage all to do your research before attending any college, be it online or traditional, when doing thorough research, you should find that not only is Kaplan one of the Top rated online universities v.s traditional as well as online, but also one of the most affordable. Kaplan is owned by the washington post and acknowledged by CHEA and the U.S Department of Education, this means that they have financial backing, (they won't run off with your money) and they are Accredited. So do your research, and understand, they can help you earn the degree, but what you do after that depends on you...for more info just call 3127066069, they helped me....that's all i can say. I have graduated, and now I have went from making 5.45 an hour to a salary of 50k+....goog luck

CoCo August 16, 2007 at 3:07 a.m.

Ok first off Kaplan employees DO HARASS people. I went on a site where they had different colleges listed. I chose Kaplan and gave them my information so i could recieve their "information". Oh my gosh!! They called me like 7 times a day! This just happened recently and my caller id and voicemail is flooded with calls from them. When I spoke with a advisor online, she asked for my info so she could fill out my application for me, then she kept sending me the link 5 more times and kept having me fill it out again. After all that she still kept me talking to her about nonsense for 2 full hours! I was thinking about attending Kaplan seeking Associate in Early Childhood Development to be a kindergarten teacher. But, my friends husband attends University of Phoenix online and I'm thinking about going there. Im going to tell Kaplan's pushy sales-like people to get a life and stop calling me.... hopefully that works.... she's supposed to call me again tomorrow!!!!

Jennifer August 21, 2007 at 12:47 a.m.

OMG Im so nervous after reading those responses. Im stating Kaplan in 2 days and let me tell you..that you guys are not making this very easy for me. Im nervous know and scared that Im not doing the right thing :( Thanks!

Fran August 22, 2007 at 8:29 p.m.

I had a really good experience with my admissions advisor. He made things very easy for me; very helpful, very accessible and not pushy at all.

Pete August 23, 2007 at 4:58 p.m.

I have to be honest here. Kaplan turned me off. I was researching on-line schools to attend. I eventually called Kaplan just to get info. What a mistake!! I thought I was talking with a used car dealer. Pushy and smothering is an understatement.

This guy was trying to pinpoint me down as to when I would apply, why couldn't I pay now. I don't know how good the school is, but if it's anything like the jack@#$ on the phone I'm glad I avoided it.

Obviously their admissions staff get a percentage off of the students that they enroll.

Careful August 31, 2007 at 5:08 p.m.

Just an FYI for everyone attending Kaplan. Kaplan is not different from ITT or Pheonix. They are a business selling education. Their admissions people are sales people and willing to do whatever they can to get you in. They have open enrollment so there is no "admissions". Everyone gets in. I have heard of people who got in without a diploma from a high school or GED.

This open enrollment makes their degrees seen as the bottom feeders degrees. It is not taken serious in many industries and in all of acadmia. They are expensive and the education you are recieving, may be good, but since your in class with the guy who still eats paste and is as smart as a rock, your degree is watered down.

Your better off at a community college or finding a public non-profit school that has online courses. Kaplan's bottom line is the almighty $$$, that means they dont' care what happens to you as long as you pay.

Al September 11, 2007 at 5:02 a.m.

Now, for all you future students Kaplan University is a very fine choice in schools. I have no complaints at all with their financial aid office or any of the instructors. I have been a student at Kaplan for 5 semisters going on six for a Bachelors in Accounting and I can say one thing it is worth every penny. I can say that they were very pushy when recruiting me but I applied to at least ten schools and they were all the same trying to fill the seats. I chose Kaplan out of all of them because they graded me on my merits not a group of idiots that do not hold up their part of the deal. I do think that Kaplan's degree is worth as much as any physical school because it is not the diploma it is you and how you use your degree. As all a degree is as a invitation to the interview not a guaranteed job. Just know one thing if you think the grades are handed to you without any work you are wrong and going to fail. The rumor that they pass everyone is not true because I just finished college Algebra and I managed to come out of class with a high C and I busted my butt for that grade. The professors are very approachable and always willing to help, I had one professor that gave us her cell phone number for emergencies.
In the end if you turn and tuck your tail between your legs and hide because of a few issues you don't deserve a College degree from Kaplan.

Get A Life September 12, 2007 at 4:40 a.m.

You need to get a life or just shoot yourself in the head and do us all a favor. What has Kaplan University done to you that made you hate them so badly. Did they realize that you can't read or write either. Some people hate online learning and some people love it, but it is not up to you to try to discourage them from trying to better themselves.

Stephanie September 14, 2007 at 12:47 a.m.

The posts I've read here are a mix of encouraging and discouraging. I hope it all works out in my case and feel for those who have had a bad experience. I have already been burned but, by a brick and mortar university that I am sure others think the world of. I just hope to get out what I put in to it because I have a lot of hope riding on this. If anyone graduates and comes back please post how this has either helped or hurt you I really would like to know.
Thank you

Dorothy September 19, 2007 at 12:09 p.m.

Okay people, I don't know why everyone gets so touchy about things. I am thinking about enrolling into Kaplan's psychology course and so far the advisor has been very nice and helpful. I don’t know if Kaplan will be the best school for me but I plan to do all my research. The thing that I do know is no matter what school you go to it is going to be about how you make your own experience. Yes, Kaplan is in this business to make a profit but then again so is every other university! If you look up any major private university (for example University of Miami) the cost is much higher than Kaplan. As long as you understand that no matter where you go there will be bumps in the road and you keep on top of you financial situation things should turn out okay. With persistence almost anything can be resolved, but some people want everything done for them and when it isn't they just play the victim. Now lets all be adults and take responsibility for the things that happen to us, complaining will only make it that much harder. With that said I truly hope that everyone here is able to achieve their goal of higher education whether it is at Kaplan or another path you choose to take.

Katie September 26, 2007 at 4:49 p.m.

I'm a 19 year old high school graduate who just recently decided on going into the Criminal Justice field. I did some research and decided that an online college would be best for me. While researching I found Kaplan University. I have now filled out all of the papers and done everything that I need to do. As soon as I send in the $95 or so I will be enrolled. But after reading all of the posts on here and on other sites as well ... I am not so sure about it anymore. I don't have the time or the money to waste on something that is a scam ... So I would really like to know if there is anyone out there who has actually gotten their diploma, is happy with it, and hasn't had any problems with the financial aide.

Good October 1, 2007 at 4:58 p.m.

Yes, Kaplan is a joke and will sell you a lemon of education just like a used car salesman will sell you a lemon of a car!

Penn State October 3, 2007 at 5:52 p.m.

You can go to Penn State online "Stay-At-Home Mom". They are well known and the difference in the BS you recieve does not distinguish online versus offline.

Brian October 3, 2007 at 6:31 p.m.

Penn-State online is a good choice. UC Berkley also has a good online program. No online degree that I know of will have Online printed on the degree.

Time for a change October 5, 2007 at 2:47 a.m.

Wow.. I am so overwhelmed by all of this information!
I have to admit, that the Admission Advisors are very pushy and that not a day has gone by, without a call from Kaplan, since inquiring about their "Communications Program", but I actually appreciated that little extra push, until I read about all of the financial aid difficulties on this site. I've had issues with their financial aid as well. I was selected for that "special" verification requirement as well and was contacted with the same request, in regards to the necessary documentation by TWO(!) different Financial Aid Advisors. When I tried to reach the first one- via phone, I got directly re-routed to his answering service, which hung up on me before giving me an option to leave a message. When I tried to reply to his email.. I got a delivery failure notice, which made me very suspicious and had me wondering-about fraudulent transactions. My Admissions Advisor went as far as wanting to exchange personal photos and offering trips out of state at his expense, which left me wondering "what was really going on", seeing that all I wanted, was to better myself by getting an online education! I have mixed feelings at this point and I am worried about not being able to land the job I am pursuing, due to an "online degree" that might not receive as much credit and respect as actually going to school! Still.. no one who has actually graduated and made a successful transition into the job field of their choice has posted any empowering comment.. Mmmmmhhh!?

Dear "Ah.." October 5, 2007 at 4:27 p.m.

Thanks for commenting in regards to my concerns. Since checking several school reviews online, with all of them sounding pretty much the same, I've been heavily considering to simply bite the "inconvenience bullet" and attend school. I was unaware that highly recognized schools offered online programs as well, since they dont seem to advertise them as heavily. Thanks for the tip!
I am definitely starting to understand the immense importance of research, before committing to a several thousand dollar obligation :)

Brian Powers October 19, 2007 at 5:37 a.m.

If anyone would like to speak with me, I am an Admissions Advisor at Kaplan University. Kaplan is the Education Division of the Washington Post and Newsweek Magazine. Feel free to email me at bpowers@kaplan.edu If you would simply like to find out what grants or federal aid you qualify for, I will help you with that as well. I hope to hear from anyone who has questions. That is why I enjoy my job.

How much October 19, 2007 at 2:28 p.m.

How much you get paid to recruit people Brian? Do you really think Kaplan is a good education?

Believe in your Dreams October 19, 2007 at 11:17 p.m.

I was reading about the posting of people here online ...and it makes me laugh. If you actually do your research and I do mean real research, you're going to fine a true cost analysis of online university vs. actual campuses.
Do your homework/research-- to see the (actual stupid) people trying to get a degree. Some people here do not even know the difference between an Assoc. vs. Bachelors... or even know the steps in attending any college.
If your actually going to attend a major university - you must have gone thru an acceptance procedure.... like taking an SAT/ACT and have high scores.
Kaplan University challenges you to become that good. Its that good of a University. Look at the research and credentials.

If you cannot accept the challenge-- you should attend a communtiy college and be an $8 hour clerk for the next 10 yrs.
Until you grow up and realize you just been passed over for a promotion or you see jobs online and realize you don't have the skills or the degree to qualify, you're just going to be low-skilled or just low intellegence.

You can tell the from the comments on here how idiotic these comments can become because of some experience....ask yourself.... did you get a creditable degree?

I graduated fm: UCLA and got my Masters fm: Kaplan. I just happen to stumble into this site because my son/nephew are thinking about getting their last 2 yrs. of college online.
I am recommending Kaplan Univ. not because I went there... but because I had a professional instructor/ polite advisors who truly wanted me to be successful.

That's the key thing. Are the people around you wanting you to become successful. If they are not.... go get people around you that will get you there.

Kaplan Student October 23, 2007 at 8:14 p.m.

I'm pretty sure Kaplan is respected. There's a reason they're the leading test prep provider in the country....
Ever hear of Newsweek Magazine or The Washington Post? Do your research buddy, Kaplan has been awesome for me.

Brian October 24, 2007 at 1:22 a.m.

Jenny,
If you would like to talk, please email me at bpowers@kaplan.edu

How Much October 24, 2007 at 2:55 p.m.

Kaplan is not respected because they just want money. They don't care about your education. They make money on students. Who cares they are owned by the Washington Post. It just means any articles written by the WP about Kaplan are invalid because they have a stake in them. Your tuition goes to good places, you know, advertising. And admissions for a HS diploma? HA HA HA! All respectable schools require SAT and other standard tests. Kaplan just says, "You have a pulse and are eligible for federal aid? Your IN!"

Loser November 2, 2007 at 1:26 p.m.

Christy is obviously a loser too since she went to Capella. Must be a janitor at the fortune 500 company. Good Job.

Inchik13 November 16, 2007 at 2:05 a.m.

Hi all, I'm currently in my 4th term with Kaplan and I love it. The only thing I could complain about is the tuition cost, but hey, you get what you pay for. How much better could it get for people that have to work full time, have children, and go to school at the same time? Classes are very hard, because you know what you learn and what you learn only. If you don't do the work, you don't pass the test. There is no slacking in Kaplan. The Professors are great and so are the student accounts reps. As for putting pressure on people, I don't think it's that bad. It's not like they're asking/making you do something illegal. I like the school and I hope to graduate soon. By the way, I'm taking BS in Health Care Management there. Thanks.

July 2005 Graduate from Kaplan November 19, 2007 at 8:34 p.m.

I have read everyone's comments about Kaplan and there are some that I agree with and some that just seem really harsh. I graduated from Kaplan in July of 2005 with an Associates Degree of Applied Science in Paralegal Studies. I have applied for jobs in this field and have been on interviews but the problem that I encounter is not because of my degree it is because of the hours I am available to work. I am a stay at home mom and want to work part time but in the legal field there it is difficult to find part time work, unless you are willing to work as a runner or general office work. It is quite challenging finding a job as a paralegal part time. I would like to note that I did have the opportunity to work as a paralegal part time but decided to decline the job when I found out I was pregnant with my second child. I think I have gotten off the subject, so here is my rating on Kaplan University, it is a good school. I did have financial aid problems and I ended up owing $500.00 and could not receive my degree until I paid the amount in full. I had a great advisor and my professors were very professional, although, I did have one professor that would announce to the class that she was drinking while giving her lecture. It does cost a lot to go to Kaplan and if you have the option of going to a university in your area or even a community college I would recommend going there, only because of the money. I have been pursuing my bachelors degree at a local university that offers an online program for my major, I feel lucky to have this option. For a lot of us it is easier to go to school online, everyone has there own reasons. My advice is to just make sure you do the research and make sure it is right for you. As far as the credits you receive at Kaplan they all transferred to my university, I have never had a problem transferring my credits to any local university. Hope this helps...

Smart November 20, 2007 at 2:13 p.m.

Smart Guy Me want degreeeeee.

So Close November 22, 2007 at 6:23 a.m.

I was feeling really good about enrolling in Kaplan University until I talked to my admission advisor for three full days. When I was really busy and had to hang up the phone, he was still talking until I rudely cut him off and stated clearly that I have to go. He kept pushing me to complete the application until I start to feel uncertain about all these. Also there is the issue of the tuition. After the $95 deposit, it seems like I only need to pay couple hundred dollars for eight months and the rest will be due after I got my degree. He said I only need to sign the promissory note... Now I almost forget why I pick Kaplan (I already have my MA degree and I just need to take several business courses because of my job requirements). But here I was, ready to sign my name to pursuit another "degree". This is really not what I want and I feel I have been lead into a different direction. Maybe I will make a mistake with this decision. But after reading all these mixed comments here, I decide not to pusuit Kaplan. You know I have been tricked into signing a bad mortgage, and I really do not need another deal that is not the best for me! I just do not know how to face the admission advisor after all the "help" he gave me and that (according to him) we are so close to finish all these. Maybe I will just stop answering his phones!

SAN November 25, 2007 at 4:19 a.m.

I currently know someone who is attending Kaplan University, and I'm sure she is not aware of all the negativity linked to on-line university. I believe if she knew the truth, and cared about the legitimacy of a higher education then she would back-out before it's too late.

This is the case November 26, 2007 at 9:12 p.m.

I have been attending Kaplan University since July of 2005. Since I have been attending the University I have found that I have very mixed issues regarding it.

The classes are great. They offer classes that are very interesting and the seminars can really get heated with debates about the subject matter. The message board questions are usually difficult and the interaction with the other classmates can create some real good discussion. For me, it is even a plus to do it all when I can.

The teachers so far have been good and poor. It is not the Universities fault, my wife had the same type of professors and she went to a resident university. That is a people issue, not a university issue. Kaplan does 2 surveys a quarter regarding the class and the instructor. There you can give them your two cents and if you have further problems you can talk to your academic advisor. They fix things quickly.

The problems I have had are two fold. One, sometime the seminars (mostly mandatory) are during times when I really don't want to take them. I am either working or have other things planed, but I also understand that not everything will run smoothly according to my schedule. Secondly, the financial departments within Kaplan are realy unorganized. This is by far their weak point and I hope they know that. That is a commmon complaint amongst students.

The bottom line is this. It is accredited regionally and can provide a real good education if you want one. If you attend it watch your financial stuff carefully. It is also an online school and not harvard or yale. Keep that in mind. It is the equivelent of a community college as far as teir levels go.

I have had fun and have had some real cool classes. Sometimes classes are harder then others and sometimes they are real hard, but I know that when I am done my employer will accept it and others as well.

Polly November 29, 2007 at 8:02 p.m.

Has anyone attended Kaplan for their certificate in Forensic Nursing? I would be interested in hearing about your experience.

Rob December 5, 2007 at 1:15 a.m.

Hey Veterans!! Do not enroll in this school. It's like pulling teeth to get the VA rep. at the school to process your paperwork so you can get paid from the VA. All I can do is leave a message for them not to respond- ever!

Yuselin December 6, 2007 at 7:05 p.m.

The academic advisors NEVER are availabe when you need them. I spent a month calling my financial aid officer and I never could've talk to her. She was ALWAYS unavailable. My academic advisor is always unavailable and responds my email 4-5 days later. The customer support is HORRIBLE they never know what to tell you when you have questions. Everytime I call to ask any questions about any issues they always transfer and transfer me to another person and another and another until I get tired and hang up. DO NOT ENROLL IN THIS UNIVERSITY *TOO EXPENSIVE AND POOR SUPPORT*

FormerKaplanEmployee December 12, 2007 at 5:28 p.m.

I am a former Kaplan Employee. I worked as an admissions advisor. I did not succeed in this position for a few reasons. I am not good at being pushy. I take the approach that, if a student wants to go to school, he/she should not have to be pushed into it. Kaplan tells admissions advisors to "sell the dream of an education" to potential students. I could not do this because I had failed myself on the dream.

Most legitimate colleges require admissions staff to have a college degree. Kaplan does not require this. The reason: Kaplan wants qualified sales people who can close the sale. It is all about the bottom dollar. Kaplan teaches admissions advisors, during their training, that you should only enroll "the right student in the right program at the right time". This idealogy gets thrown out the window once you are out of training. There were times when management told me to disregard a student's personal concerns and say whatever was needed to enroll the student.

As for Kaplan paying employees based on the number of students enrolled, they will tell you this is not the case. In a sense that is correct. It should be noted that Kaplan pays employees hourly to comply with federal regulations regarding a school being eligible for federal financial aid. Kaplan does, however, offer a "bonus like" structure to it's admissions advisors. This incentive provides for opportunities to earn up to $100K per year.

After Kaplan terminated me, I enrolled in a traditional school to complete my education. I am very content with my decision and thank Kaplan for showing me the "evil" of how online schools conduct their business. I would not advise anyone to attend Kaplan or any other online school. Bite the bullet and find a time or way to attend a traditional college

Rita December 15, 2007 at 3:01 a.m.

I am currently a student at Kaplan University. I started reading Kaplan reviews after being made aware of some financial concerns from another person. I wanted to see if this school was a good one, or if I was subject to some of the same headaches as were reported to me. I would like to add my piece for others to read.
I am currently in my second term. The classes are challenging. I am an independent learner, so I required very little instruction. However, there are some times when I need more than what is given in class or seminar. The instructors are about like the instructors from previous schools (tech and high) that I have attended - some are better than others. So far, only one instructor has truly disappointed me. I just needed more help, and we weren't connecting. I finally received the help I needed from a fellow peer. Maybe this is not that uncommon, since tutoring seems to be a regular occurence at most universities.
To comment on the VA rep - I had absolutely no problems with the Kaplan VA rep. Now, the VA office is another story, as they take about 2-3 months to process your paperwork, and then they will still have questions. It takes a great deal of time and patience to work with the VA Office, so veterans - start early.
To date, I have not had any issues with my financial aid. I am, however, keeping a close eye on it since it appears to be the most prevalent problem. Considering that Citibank funnels the money, I wouldn't expect anything outside of the ordinary - as they are a reputable company. I can't imagine Citibank doing business with a shafty university, as they would also be dealing with the problems. In addition, Washington Post is also reputable, and I am under the impression that they are the parent company. I do, however, realize that Kaplan is a little more expensive than other colleges, however, it is at a university price. It seems comparable to UTSA, were some of my friends go. A community college is a little easier on the wallet, but if you want a university, then you may have to pay the university price.
Outside of that, my experience has been wonderful. My academic advisor has been great. We communicate primarily through e-mail, which works best for me. I've never tried calling. I simply don't have the time. I apply a great deal of time to my studies, and have the grades to show for it. If you plan on attending Kaplan, be prepared to schedule at least two hours per day to your studies, and up to four per day during mid-terms and finals. Stay consistent. Stay on top of your assignments. Get involved. I've heard online classes are harder than in class, but I believe that it is because you do not have the resourses readily available, and you will trade lecturing for personal reading. Plan on reading a lot!!

Jack Benabib December 20, 2007 at 4 a.m.

I'm getting ready to enroll in the Certificate in Financial Planning. So far the admissions advisors have been great.

If anyone has any comments, good or bad, regarding the Financial Planning Program, its content and the overall online experience at Kaplan, I would appreciate if you share those with me.

My email address is: jandmanny@gmail.com

Thanks and good luck to all

Jack

Heather January 1, 2008 at 7:35 p.m.

I am currently a student at Kaplan. I am working towards my bachelors degree in accounting. I finished my associates through Kaplan as well. I am very satisfied with the education that I am receiving. I currently have a 3.94 GPA and that is only due to an 92 that I received in quantitative methods. The support staff is great. If you are not happy with your assigned support member, you can always request a change. Kaplan is expensive but what online school isn't. The classes are challenging but you have net tutor and smart thinking to help. These are tutoring services. The school also helps students with tutoring. There is even a service for person with learning disabilities such as my friend has who is starting her first term here at Kaplan. It is a wonderful school, and although I do get frustrated sometimes, I would not change my learning experience. Unlike Phoenix where you do every project as a "team" you get graded on your work and the effort you put into the classroom experience. I myself am a member in a study group of friends and this helps a lot with classes. Bottom line, Kaplan is a very good school and worth the time, money, and effort.

alicia January 6, 2008 at 5:41 a.m.

Honestly people. Goody for you if you made this joke of a school work for you, but it sucked horribly for me and apparently others. Their programs are a joke, and i'm SO glad i'm going to a REAL school now. The difference is incredible. And when it came to financial aid - WOW!!! For the price of a semester of 2 classes i can go to a FANTASTIC highly rated college and get 14 credits!!!!!!! I mean wtf?! The quality is so much better at the new one i found, and Kaplan screwed me soo badly financially.
They were very pushy like others stated, and i signed up again for the fall semester, hoping it would be better. I ended up changing my mind and told them to disenroll me. (I never attended any of their fall classes!) However, i had applied for a citiassist loan ($2107) to cover my tuition, it was disbursed to them on 9/12/07, and they would not refund it! They took $2107 that i have to pay back and wouldn't refund any! Why would i pay them for doing nothing?!! They didn't do anything to earn that money!! What a ripoff!!! I admit, i'm pissed and i don't think they should be able to take the money from me when i didn't even attend their school. Also, after they took THAT money from me, i'm STILL getting an invoice all the time wanting another $264!!!!!!! For what?!!! For nothing, that's what!!!
Take a look at this site and read what their own professors had to say about the college! BEWARE!!

http://chronicle.com/free/2006/03/200603...

"The problem with online education is, we're admissions driven and revenue driven, not academically driven," one professor said.
"People who can barely read and write are given A's," said the professor. "We have people who are about to graduate who can't write a memo."
Another professor said students lacked basic reading and writing skills, such as knowing the difference between "their" and "there," and between "to" and "too."
"We have students who have no writing skills, no math skills," the professor said. "We're passing people through with high-school skills and giving them a college degree. And that's not going to do anyone any good in the long run."

Doesn't sound like you get much of an education to me. PLEASE don't be just another sucker who pays big bucks and gets screwed out of a GOOD education.

Ex-Kaplan Instructor January 28, 2008 at 8:05 p.m.

Here's the deal everyone. Kaplan offers nothing that a student cannot get locally. You will find that it is over-priced when compared to a community college. Online students of the are paying for the 70 campuses nationwide. This translates to online textbook-less courses that cost $1,600, or more! Do you think that this is worth not having to "go" to class? If you do, then by all means go to Kaplan. How much food and gas can you get with $2,400 every ten-weeks? Can you attend two classes for $800 per semester? Chances are that you can! If you are interested in information technology, you can save thousands, yes thousands, by attending a local community college and then continuing on to a four-year college. Guess what, you will likely get more current information at one-quarter the cost. Think about how many industry exams(information technology certifications) and new computers this pays for over the length of the entire degree. Save yourself the headache, invest your money locally. What the heck, buy yourself a new car with the savings... If freedom isn't free, then it isn't freedom. It's privilege.

Tired of it all February 1, 2008 at 12:46 a.m.

I just wish Kaplan University would stop calling my home phone multiple times each day and then not leave a message. I never applied to go to this school, and calling my home every single day - many times a day - is not the way to get me interested.

Gman February 6, 2008 at 6:13 p.m.

I have been a student at Kaplan since August 2006... It's working out fine for me. I've actually learned a lot and have had only one issue with the school itself. Truthfully I think I'm getting more out of it than I would if I went back to a brick and mortar school. It is a lot of work though. I'm in a business management degree and it is a A LOT of writing! Get your papers and pencils ready!

J February 13, 2008 at 1:32 a.m.

To really unsure~ That pin information is for your FAFSA, so you can get financial aid. Kaplan is not going to scam you. I suggest you know all about this before continuing.

trulyworried February 18, 2008 at 8:35 a.m.

If it is so bad why cant anyone get some legal action against them.Wouldn't there be some type of rights helping the students against some scam like this?I would say why you all not get together and do something if it really is such a scam prevent others from falling, just do it.

J.P February 19, 2008 at 1:44 a.m.

I think that people are so afraid of the unknown, that they make stupid decision and never reach the goals. I don't understand how people can say EDUCATION is a scam. Kaplan University give all of the poteintal students a funding plan that they can accept or decline. If you think they ripped you off, you need to look at yourself. It might be that you are not smart enough to go to college period. Knowledge is power, so that means education is good. Online schools are not for everyone, but they are good. For the people that don't know about paying for college, any university that you go to will be expensive. Online you will spend 50,000 in 2-3 years, and brick and mortar(ground base schools) 50,000 in 4-6 years. Same price people, get your fact straight before you down talk KAPLAN.

Bobby February 28, 2008 at 11:10 p.m.

DQ, seriously is this how you make assumptions?? This is it? Right here?? I hope to god you don't get into a profession where someone relies on you to do research, because you failed miserably already. good luck sir!

Andrew March 4, 2008 at 4:58 p.m.

I am very put off by the admissions staff. I felt like I was being hounded by a collections agency. If I didn't answer the first time, they would call again immediately. I got too many emails as well. After going through the "process" they "forgot" to tell me I had to pay $95 up front until the very end, even though my GI Bill would have covered everything. When I refused, I was forwarded to a manager. The "managers" all had horrible English and sounded like they were reading from scripts. The admissions process could ruin this school. We'll see how the actual schooling goes.

Mike March 12, 2008 at 10:14 p.m.

I have been going to Kaplan University since 2005, I should finish this term. I have nothing but praise for the school when you initially enroll the classes are easier but the higher division courses are hard (Quantitative Methods)anyone! If you plan on going to Kaplan University I applaud you, get your education and stop listening to people who went to Kaplan University and quit for various reason, say's more about them as people and students.

Jeff March 19, 2008 at 12:10 a.m.

I signed up for criminal justice 101. I found the courses too easy, some of the people "attending" the classes online seemed like morons too. I had to fax my fafsa and 2006 tax returns on various times, they claimed they never received those items, and eventually blocked me. I requested to be withdrawn from their university and it took them over 2 weeks to do so, while I was still blocked from courses, etc etc. They attempted to stick me with a bill, and still took money from citibank, the lender they MADE me sign up for. I recommend going to a community college, stay away from this place, they want your money, and they will attempt to mess up your credit report. It's a gimmick, they have a poor business model as well. Stay away from them, I am warning you...your going to be ripped off. They are like used car salesman they want to RIP YOU OFF and run away with your money. I think the positive reviews on here are lies. Thanks for your time

Jack D March 20, 2008 at 6:15 a.m.

@Jeff

Why do you come here and make excuses for yourself? Everyone knows you couldn't hack the courses so you dropped out like all the rest of the whiners. It's not their fault you never grapsed the class cycles. You can't just drop out and not get billed mid-stream. Calling those of us who give Kaplan a positive review liars only shows your true ilk and doubt if reasonable people will listen to your complaints.

Looking To Transfer From Kaplan To Another School March 27, 2008 at 11:59 p.m.

I have earned about 50 credits here at Kaplan and I am looking to transfer to my local community college to start a new program. I was wondering if anyone can share their experiences with transferring their Kaplan Credits to another school. What school did you transfer to and how many credits did you have and how many credits did the school actually accept from Kaplan. I am looking to see if I am in for bad news or not. Any information you can share with me about transferring Kaplan Online credits to another school would be greatly appreciated.

Just My Thoughts..Take it or leave it.. April 8, 2008 at 7:05 a.m.

I am just going to put this straight out there. I have been a student at Kaplan since Jan of 05. I started out in the B.S. of Crim Justice and then switched, with absolutely NO problems from Academic Advisers or Financial Aid, to the A.A.S. in Crim Justice at the end of my 1st year. I finished my A.A.S. in Criminal Justice and received my Degree in Jan of 2007. I finished with a 3.92 CGPA! Also during those 2 yrs I became a member of Alpha Beta Kappa and have been listed with the National Dean's List for 2 yrs running. I am currently enrolled in their B.S. of Legal Studies. My GRADES and ACHIEVEMENTS have lead me to have doors opened. I have helped get a Bill passed by the House of Representatives, I have been given personal invitations by politicians to attend "private" political events, I have met potential Presidential hopefuls, and I have been working with a firm that has helped me to put into practice EVERYTHING that I have been learning. NETWORK while in school! The classes do start out easy. They do get harder as you go along. If you do not know how to use MS Word you better get really good. If you do not know how to navigate well on the Internet, you better learn. If you are taking Paralegal courses and you have NEVER drafted certain types of documents... you better learn. If you have not explored the "library" you better learn it. YOU have to do the work, YOU have to be SELF motivated, YOU have to meet the deadlines. If you slack, even for a moment, you WILL fail! Period! ALL my Profs have had AWESOME credentials. I have had Judges, ADA’s, highly experienced and educated Crim Investigators from both private firms and Gov’t entities, Authors, Professors who have 6 upper level degrees and 1 Professor that also taught at Notre Dame. NONE of these Professors would be working for Kaplan if they did not believe the school to be anything but one with high quality education. IF you have problems with Fin Aid call and ask for a Super, if the Super doesn’t give you satisfaction, ask for the Super's Super. If you are not getting the help, ASK YOUR PROFESSOR! THEY KNOW PEOPLE! In addition...FOR GOD SAKES.. Watch your E-mail! EVERY quarter we all get E-mails from the Academic Chair for the Legal Studies Department. People, you can E-mail them! These people want you to be in class. Another key point... When you write USE SPELL CHECK! There is NO EXCUSE for sloppy writing. PERIOD! Sloppy writing gets you the benefit of having lower grades. IF you have NEVER used APA formatting for your resource citations... LEARN IT! AND... Lastly.. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE TO WRITE choose another career! WRITING IS YOUR LIFE... your bread and butter in law! It is just an example of what you will do in Law School. If you cannot write well... YOU WILL HATE studying law. Did I fail to mention... I am not JUST am student, but I am also a FULL TIME Paralegal, a Notary Public, and a SINGLE mother of 4 kids!!!! So those that like to complain, STOP!

to Paralegal April 10, 2008 at 4:19 a.m.

You mention networking yet there is little networking this school provides... actually none at all. Have your grades opened doors or has the networking of your own hard worked opened those doors for you? It is the fruits of your own labour, not the school. Kaplan provides a piece of paper, that is all. You have to work that much harder to prove yourself over those that have already been weeded out by schools without open-enrollment. Kaplan has a watered down cirriculum, faculty, and an inflated GPA scheme. There is a qui tam lawsuit as we speak for 4 billion dollars against Kaplan for inflating student grades and enrolling unqualified students. Employers know that a 3.92 at a real school is rare, but from schools like Kaplan it is the norm. The faculty at Kaplan are adjuncts, not tentured as you lead us to believe. Kaplan's law program isn't even accredited by the American Bar Association. If you recieve your JD there you can't even sit for the bar in any state other than California. Concord Law School has the worst flunk rate on the California Bar Exam of any of the schools with major numbers on the board.

http://www.calbar.ca.gov/calbar/pdfs/adm...

In the legal profession Kaplan is the bottom of the pile. Their graduates can only take the bar in a few states that accept degrees without ABA accreditation. With the Federal lawsuit against Kaplan saying they have inflated grades and Concords low bar results why should anyone have a high opinion of this school's legal program?

Having second thoughts April 14, 2008 at 7:38 p.m.

I spoke with an advisor this morning. I was forwarded to the financial aid department. I was told that this was part of the admissions process. I did some figure crunching with her. I must admit I was a bit confused by that process. I did not pay the $95 and actually was not even pressured to. I think that I could probably work my way through some of the problems mentioned in the postings. I will definitely be aware and on top of financial aid issues. I did not see any postings regarding the RN to BSN program. Any comments from anyone in this program? I am very concerned about the credibility of this degree once completed. I will do some more research before officially enrolling.

Deena April 17, 2008 at 11:37 p.m.

I am certainly discouraged from reading the posts here, especially the ones from the former employee and former prof. I am considering attending and I'm working with an advisor named Kimberly. She seems very honest and helpful; hasn't pushed me at all. YET. I'm concerned about being "scammed" as others have been. We are a middle class family so I won't qualify for grants and will have to pay out of pocket or with student loans. We certainly don't have money to flush away on an inferior education. My other major concern is the difficulty of online learning vs a campus environment. I've been cancer free for one year this month and am legally disabled, so health is a concern for me. I need to go back to college in "baby steps" and ease into school. High stress levels will affect my health and recovery, so this school interested me because it's only 2 classes at a time. How are they compared to a regular 16 week semester taking 12-15 credits? I know it may sound lame and you might think I'm not intelligent or willing to work hard for my degree but that's not me. I've got 63 credits from attending a university 16 years ago. I excelled in college and really enjoyed it and felt comfortable there. Now I'm a bit older, have a family to care for and need to take good care of myself to heal. I want more than anything to get off disability and work in a profession I love; psychology and social work. I want to give back and help others as I've been helped. My husband and I are researching and he said Kaplan seems legit... any comments or suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks!!

to CASMO April 19, 2008 at 8:50 a.m.

Most states require the law school to be ABA accredited in order to sit for the bar... Kaplan is not.

Michael April 23, 2008 at 4:20 p.m.

Most of the complaints that I hear is that the financial aid staff isn't very helpful. It's like that at every University, online or physical. Also all the people who do complain must not know how to read or follow directions, you should know how much a school costs before even attending. People who post unflattering remarks about this school all have one thing in common they are quitters or do not understand the way financial aid disbursements work. I went to Kaplan and I loved the school, my advisor's were great and I received invaluable knowledge. Some teachers were great and some were bad but guess what that's what you get at every University.

A Kaplan graduate and Admissions Advisor May 3, 2008 at 7:03 p.m.

A Kaplan graduate and Admissions Advisor

After reading through all these “reviews” I see there is a lot of confusion about attending Kaplan. I am a Kaplan graduate, as well as a Kaplan Admissions Advisor. I will try to address some of the things that are most frequently brought up in this forum. I would also like to point out that I graduated from a traditional university, so I feel I can make a fair comparison between online ~vs~ campus based programs.

Continuing reading below.

A Kaplan graduate and Admissions Advisor IIi May 3, 2008 at 7:09 p.m.

With the online program there are no shortcuts. You have to read the material in order to achieve mastery of the learning objectives. In a sense, I could make the argument that I actually learned more from my online class because I was essentially forced to have to go thru all the material, as opposed to simply relying upon what was put out during class. I also found the interaction between students to be more enriching to my education online than I did in the classroom. This was an added benefit that I did not anticipate, but it paid dividends on several occasions. To understand this, think of the typical scenario while attending a class. You show up prior to class, several students are assembled in the hall, you exchange small talk, eventually the teacher arrives and you take your seat. If you’re lucky you may get to know 2 or 3 students on a friendly enough basis that you actually discuss your assignments. In most cases though you hardly know all the students’ names, let alone interact with them in a meaningful way that is relevant to your studies. Contrast this with the online environment where you actually interact with the students in discussing your homework. I had access to each student’s email address, and as a matter of common practice, I would always send an email out the first week of class and introduce myself and let everyone know that I am available for study groups. Invariably, I would get a big response to this and would wind up meeting several students, either online in a chat room or by talking over the phone, to discuss actual class projects and assignments. This was like having 25 tutors available whenever I needed it. I also found the convenience of going to school online EXTREMELY beneficial. There was no need to juggle work schedule with school schedule, no trips back and forth to the campus, no trips to the library, and no reason to miss a beat with my studies if I had to take a trip or a vacation.

A Kaplan graduate and Admissions Advisor v May 3, 2008 at 7:11 p.m.

If a student states that they want to apply, then yes, I will follow up closely with that student, and that may mean several phone calls to them, especially if they have missed prearranged appointments. As much as I enjoy building a rapport with potential students, I have a job to do, and I don’t have the luxury of sitting back waiting 6 days for you to do something that takes 30 minutes. When a student says they are ready to proceed, I expect them to follow my lead and get things done. If they are not ready to proceed, all they have to do is say so from the beginning. What few potential students realize is that we have deadlines that have to be met, and there is a great deal of behind the scenes work that has to be done to get everything set up for them to start their classes. I do my best to be of service, and I always make it a point to make sure I return a phone call. I can’t speak for every advisor out there, but this comes down to my own personal standards. As for other departments, such as advising or financial aid, I have heard of problems with communication and so forth. I think there is room for improvement in this area, but to be fair about it, each Academic Advisor or Financial Aid counselor is tasked with a huge work load. I have heard that they have to juggle hundreds of students at a time. I can see where this would be overwhelming for any organization, but my experience at a campus based school wasn’t much different. The fact of the matter is that university administration is a huge task, and while there may be inefficiencies, I think Kaplan does a pretty fair job with this. I know for a fact that the administrators higher up are concerned about this and are always looking for ways to improve.

A Kaplan graduate and Admissions Advisor vii May 3, 2008 at 7:12 p.m.

Kaplan does have an open admissions policy. There are no standardized tests to be accepted. You do have to have a high school diploma. Standardized testing, such as the SAT or ACT are fine for graduating high school students who have just completed a high school curriculum upon which these tests are designed, but for adult learners who have been out of school for 5, 10, or 15 years, these tests are impractical. Kaplan does administer a placement exam during your first term, and if it is determined that you are not up to speed in writing or math, you will be placed accordingly. Personally, it is up to YOU to do what it takes to pass your classes. This is solely a function of the amount of time, effort, and commitment you make to your studies. If YOU are not willing to put forth that effort, then don’t blame anyone but YOURSELF for what you get out of it.

A Kaplan graduate and Admissions Advisor ix May 3, 2008 at 7:16 p.m.

Anyone wishing to discuss further, please contact me at:
anewimage@gmail.com

Rob May 7, 2008 at 7:07 p.m.

Ok I was seriously considering taking courses at Kaplan, but all this negative feedback is making me second that. As well as some friends I know. What should we do

James May 8, 2008 at 9:50 p.m.

Rob,

I went to Kaplan and it was a great school for me, my experience was great. The school worked for me, if you're not a self starter and plan to problem solve a lot by yourself I don't recommend Kaplan. This school is tough and the higher level courses are very challenging. I recommed this university but its not for everybody.

Jim

Jeff May 15, 2008 at 1:54 a.m.

Tim,

You're ignorance is dangerous. Please read the review from a Kaplan Advisor above. It offers a MUCH more thorough viewpoint than your unsubstantiated claims.

Yes, Kaplan probably does care about the tuition that students agree to pay.......is there a school out there that doesn't? Cost of tuition.......yes it more costly per credit hour, but there is no charge for books, and it doesn't cost you a ton of fees as well as transportation and other hidden costs.

And, like other universities, not ALL teachers have PHD's as you imply. Kaplan does have teachers with PHD's, so get your FACTS straight.

If you're going to slam a school, at least be specific about what you are slamming. A lot of people are looking for honest viewpoints that sound credible. Your viewpoint sounds like sour grapes.

Eric May 24, 2008 at 12:35 a.m.

Use to work at Kaplan's headquarters (Georgia) in the Financial Aid and Accounting Dept. If your financial aid gets messed up, it's because you only need to be a hs graduate to work for them. You have low-level people knowing all your information, SSN, addresses, you name it.

It was my first job at of college (UNLV). Worked at Kaplan for 7 months, but left to pursue my master's at a "non-profit" university.

In all honesty, I feel sorry for people who get their degree(s) from Kaplan or "for profit" schools in general.

Go to a real school people. Take it from someone who was on the inside, you're making a mistake.

James May 30, 2008 at 12:31 a.m.

i am a 34 year old regular working guy, i pay bills and dont have time for much else outise of work. i researched about 30 different online schools over the course of a year and decided to atend Kaplan because of what i found. they are not a scam nor will they run off with your money. they are not afraid to answer your questions and even direct you towards information sourses to locate info yourself, i was helped by Mario Jeffries a Senior Admissions advisor who was most helpful in all areas. i know that sometime even the best companies or even people get a bad rap from negative experiences but kaplan is truely what they claim to be and thats the best in online education. if you dont believe me give them a call and then call University of Phoenix and then post a comment to this page....ill see you in class.

-James

ephedrine June 2, 2008 at 3:39 p.m.

Article Opinion <a

ambien June 2, 2008 at 3:40 p.m.

Article Opinion <a

Jacqueline Mure' June 4, 2008 at 8:18 p.m.

I am an Admissions Advisor here at Kaplan and I have been here for almost two years. I have been reading everyone's comments on our school and I thought I might respond.

I am the type of person that I have to believe in what I do and I believe in Kaplan. Kaplan is a GREAT school! My students who attend here love the school.. if they run into a problem (as this will obviously happen from time to time) they all know that they can always contact me and I have always been here for them. If some of you have had an advisor call you and sound like a salesman... chances are they just got out of training. They don't know any better. The seasoned advisors are the ones who really take their time with the student and they really do care. I know I do.

Not everyone is accepted into our university. You have to prove that you are serious and dedicated to your studies. You have to meet deadlines as you would with any university that you attend.

Kaplan is not for everyone, but it is for a lot of people. I encourage my students to research because there may be another school out there that will better suit them. Not all advisors are the same! I hope one of my students come on here and tell you about their experience with Admissions, Financial Aid, Academics and all the other departments. Maybe that will give some insight to the people who are researching.

If anyone would like to contact me to ask some questions you can reach me at JMure@kaplan.edu or call me at 1-866-527-5268 Ext. 9202-7873

I will also be able to provide a link for you to research accreditation through any school that you are researching. I wish you all the best of luck!

Joe June 8, 2008 at 7:04 a.m.

Dear God... this blog is FLOODED with Admissions Advisors. What ever happened to "unbaised" reviews?

FA Problem June 13, 2008 at 10:52 p.m.

I just was locked out of Kaplan Online after I recived a bill for $9000. I was told I was covered by my Admissions person and now they have locked me out of class and have charged me for the class to boot! If you want to go to college and do busy work and waste one hour a week on a chat style classroom that is useless "That is KAPLAN".

Katlin September 4, 2008 at 8:18 p.m.

I took the Legal Studies Program. Love the school and I am thrilled with the program. I graduated with Honors and landed a paralegal position 1 year before I graduated with a huge law firm. Would recommend the school and the program to anyone. If you want more information there's a student forum out there, just do the search in google for Kaplan University Student Forums and you will usually find it on the first page of google search. As far as tuition, for those of you that are not eligible for grants.....you will need to apply for your subsidized and unsubsidized federal loans and then apply for a separate loan to cover the rest. I applied through Citibank and received it very quickly and easily. I believe I needed an extra $5,000 in private loans to cover everything.

Saved-I hope September 23, 2008 at 10:25 p.m.

Just went through the admissions/sales dupe with Kaplan. The evening I signed my life away (i.e. the Enrollment Agreement), I decided I should research the experience of others at Kaplan and got an eyeful. Tried to cancel the next day since I was within the 3 day window and it was not made easy and was apparently purposefully made difficult and shuffling around so I would either rethink the cancelling or pay my pennance for wasting my advisor's precious time. Last time I checked, I still had free will to change my mind and to decide what is right for me. What a nightmare and I didn't even get to taking classes. Cancel and they are rude, indignant, put out and deceiving about it to you during the process. I am supposed to get my $1000 back in 3-5 weeks. Hmmmmmm......I just paid it last night and they already have the money. Scariest mistake I ever made in my life.

Paula v. September 24, 2008 at 10:19 p.m.

First of all let me tell everyone that is downing Kaplan. They give you all the details before you even attempt to start class. They also go over a finacial plan with you also. It lets you know excatly how much money you have to pay out of pocket, pell grant, and how much your lender is going to give you towards your schooling. Now I attended Phonenix and they did not tell me anything before I attended classes. I started classed before all my paper work was processed. I really like the way Kaplan has the classes set up and you actually have seminars every sunday. At phoenix all you were requried to do was turn in your assignments and do your final essay by the end of week nine. Kaplan is not like that at all. How could your school not be accredited when it is mandatory that you complete a internship before you graduate. That will show off your hard work. And for those of you that believe you will be going to Kaplan all that time for nothing is crazy. Kaplan helps you get a job in your field while you are in school, So it is your responsibility to climb up the ladder while you are in school. Not kaplans. Some of you just sound so bitter and mad, but i bet ninety percent of the reason wjy you guys are degrading Kaplan is because you were lazy and didn't do your research or didn't turn in you information by your due date.

kaplanemployee October 22, 2008 at 8:40 p.m.

I am a kaplan employee and I have been working here for 2 years, I am currently attending Kaplan as well for a bachelor's in Healthcare Management, Honestly, there will always bee negative complaints about any business/school or everything else. The courses here from my experience with other online institutions are great, this is not a program for you to do at your own pace, it is demanding and you must have the right discipline and determination. You have to do the work, I attended uop previously and trust me that was a nightmare. Even though we do enroll students and sometimes it does seem like a sales job if you make it seem that way. Sometimes, people need to be motivated to do certain things, others have to be babied and some must be spoken to firmly. We are all adults and no one is forcing you to attend or to do anything. I always advise my students to do their research first, compare us with other schools and make a decision for yourself. We are not the cheapest, but we are definitely not the most expensive. Right now our tuition rate is $353 per credit hour, compare that to other schools that range anywhere from $400-$600 some include books and others dont. You also have to worry about diploma fees and graduation fees and all of that. At kaplan you do not. THe professors are knowledgeable, the staff, at least in my location are great and really support our students. I have enrolled almost 100 students and even though not all of them are still here, the ones that are, I have a great relationship with and i call them every month or every other month to keep them focused. I do believe in higher education but I also believe in building morale. The only thing i don't know yet is employer's recognizing the degree. The world is changing, years ago an online degree was laughed at, nowadays, it's just a market whose needs had to be met. Working adults with lives and work and the convenience of getting a degree at home. Just be prepared for the challenge.

Jess October 31, 2008 at 7:51 p.m.

Stay away from Kaplan. Far away.
j.

Beth November 14, 2008 at 6:27 a.m.

I was really considering going to this college before reading all of the reviews. Yes, I gave my information and Kaplan calls constantly. The financial aid situations really make me rethink this school... if THAT many people have had problems with it, obviously it's something worth complaining about. But you know what really makes me laugh? 90% of the people on this "message board" who say they have a great degree from Kaplan can't spell or write. Apparently, Kaplan doesn't teach you punctuation, basic English, or correct sentence structure. If you all "busted your ass" for your degree from this school... and it's such a GREAT college to go to... why do you fail so miserably at basic things you should have learned in high school?

I've never attended this college, but I'm already very skeptical from simply speaking to the woman who keeps harassing me. I would tell you to steer clear of this college... do you really want a degree from a college that can't even teach you basic English? I think not.

Jim P December 1, 2008 at 10:14 p.m.

Hey just a little tidbit for those of you that are worried about a "for profit" university being a bad thing. If you are going into business, you should recognize that businesses work in the free market. If they are good, they do well, if they are bad, they fail. Therefore, a BAD for profit university will not do very well. See, being FOR PROFIT means that these colleges actually have to turn out educated people that can compete in the marketplace. Conversely, subsidized education has none of that. I went to a brick and mortar state school for four years and got my degree. I learned nothing. I was more indoctrinated than anything, and the professors never once worked in the "real world" conversely the University of Phoenix and Kaplan relay on part time people that actually know what they are talking about. So don't sweat it...

Gabrielle December 9, 2008 at 10 p.m.

I talked to a Kaplan advisor yesterday and it wasn't that big of a deal. We talked about what i was going for and what classes are available with the job i have going for me now. I have only went to a community college near my town and didnt feel right. The teachers dont help you and just expect you will get it right there. I even had a friend who was cheating and had some english teacher to write her paper and still got a D. Im going to try Kaplan and see if its best for me. I dont understand everyone else who went there for 4 terms and hated it... why didnt you just get out sooner really?? If i didnt like it after the first classes i just wouldnt stay. Well if anyone have any advice for me please help me:)

Pardon... December 10, 2008 at 6:43 a.m.

You won't find many schools with this bad of a track record.

Gawd... December 12, 2008 at 9:55 a.m.

Look at all those BBB complaints and they are all over Kaplan's shady business practices. I feel sorry for anyone willing to be ripped-off by a company with such a bad track record. As consumers, it is your job to research good schools before you set yourself up to be a chump. If you want to know how Kaplan degrees are accepted call around. People think Kaplan is a test prep service, not a university. They will think you took a test and were handed a diploma, that isn't far from the truth.

Gina December 25, 2008 at 2:24 a.m.

ok haha just kidding im starting school with kaplan and after researching it it sounds great! im so ready and amd very excited to be in.

Something you should know. December 29, 2008 at 10:30 p.m.

O.K. people listen up! Here’s the real deal about Kaplan University. It appears that many of you haven’t done your research and you are going by hear say; I did mine, and it was the best choice I could make. I’ll explain something to most of you; I attended and graduated from an ACCREDITED community college and then transferred to Kaplan. In addition, I also attended a state university as well. What you all must realize, you have to want the degree; you have to work for it. Yes, I agree it’s a bit pricey however, you’re paying for the luxury and convenience, of learning in an environment you are most comfortable with; your home. In order to be successful at Kaplan, you must apply yourself; you don’t have the luxury of “cramming” for a test. Your test is writing about what you’ve learned vs. studying for a test, and only studying for what you know is going to be on that particular test. With Kaplan there is LOTS of writing and yes the classes get tougher as you get further in you degree paths. I’ve read the posts about the nightmares of financial aid. I only have this to say about that, if you don’t READ AND STAY FOCUSED ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE PAYING, then yes you could get taken for a huge sum of money. I watch my bill every term, and if there are any problems I’m on the phone ASAP. If I don’t get my financial advisor on the first go around, then I get the next one in line, and so on and so forth. People complaining are people who don’t pay attention to detail and hence, get lost in the storm. Another thing about Kaplan, you have to participate in group discussions as well; this alone helps you to become an effective writer because you can look at other posts, and gain lots of writing skills from your class mates. Yes you have to use APA format; for those of you that don’t know it, you will fail or even get kicked out of the school. As for speaking with the instructors, there are many ways to get in touch with them such as e-mail, instant messaging, and sometimes you can call them. So people; do the research and don’t let anyone hold you back and most off all good luck, on which ever way you choose to go.

sandra January 4, 2009 at 2:16 a.m.

i just wanted to say THANKS to everyone for posting. i was unsure about going to kaplan and really put off by the high price, and after reading what everyone had to say i've decided against it. i probably would've ended up giving kaplan a try had it not been for all the posts on this message board. i think i've made a good decision, so thanks agan to everyone who posted on here... it helped me save a ton of money.

Latoya January 7, 2009 at 6:27 a.m.

Well I went to Kaplan about a year ago. The distance learning was great and very understanding. I loved the way it was set up as far as teacher and students interaction. The enrollment advisors are only out to get commision and they are stalkers. I had one call me at midnight and hang up.(caller Id) The financial aid department is another story they are horrible and keep all of your money. Including any access funds. I tole them I was going to transfer to another school and to drop me,and instead they charged me for extra classes because I logged onto their main page. I have been with University of Phoenix for the past year and the are scammers and have several law suits going on. If you google them or look up bad reviews you will see! Good luck with all this scamming money hungry schools.

Credit System is Deceptive January 9, 2009 at 10:43 p.m.

I recently decided to finish my Bachelor's online. I was ready to sign with Kaplan when I realized something. Their price per credit hour seems reasonable ($353; comparable to most other online institutions), but instead of working on a three credit system like most colleges they work on a five credit system. This means that most of their courses are five credits for a single class and they require 180 credits to graduate. Most of the other schools I looked at had 3 credit classes, and required 120 credits to graduate. This means you'll probably spend the same amount of time at Kaplan as another University, but you'll be charged for two more (and sometimes three more) credit hours per class. It adds up. And the extra credits don't translate to any real-world worth. They'd transfer as 3 credit classes to any other institution. It's just one more thing to think about.

Smith January 16, 2009 at 6:10 p.m.

There are a bunch of whinny babies on this blog. Do the work. Pay your bills. Learn as much as you can. In the end you will be better for it.
-Current Kaplan MBA student.

Barry January 18, 2009 at 4:28 p.m.

Just got off the phone with Kaplan. The thing sounds totally phony. I'd be going in with an associate degree. Kaplan has a 90 credit residency requirement to finish my bachelors. The counselor said I could compete 90 credits in 1 year while working full time and having a family. Give me a break!. I earned my associates by going part time for 3 years, both on line an in classroom at a local community college. It was a lot of work. Kaplan says I can take all my 300 and 400 level classes in a year part time. Oh yeah for $30k. Sounds like they're selling degrees.

Go to ratemyprofessor dot com. Kaplan has very little history there compared to real schools. I would stay as far away from this as possible.

You get what you put into it January 21, 2009 at 4:29 p.m.

I have to totally agree with the post from "Something you should know." I am a current IT student at Kaplan University who has been attending for over 2 years now finishing this October with a Bachelor of Science in Networking Technology. There are quite a few negative posts on this site about Kaplan from people who either did not attend the school or base their entire opinion on the admissions staff they dealt with. I won't deny that the admission staff is persistent however I have not dealt with an admissions staff from any school that wasn't persistent in some form or fashion. The key with any decision is that you have to make it being well informed and if you do not take the initiative to become well informed on your own, you can't blame others because you were not spoon fed. I consider the price for attending Kaplan relatively reasonable when you take into account that the price includes all of your books and software. When you consider the total cost of attending traditional schools; tuition, books, transportation, etc. the cost of attending Kaplan is not outrageous.

The academic department at Kaplan is in par with most of the academic departments at other schools I have attended; the advisor will not be everything to everyone, you have to take the initiative and do your homework, if you don't get the answer you are looking for escalate, you will eventually get someone who can help. I have had no complaints with the course work at Kaplan, it has been at a level I expected; challenging while still being easy to understand and rewarding. The comment about being able to purchase the books on Amazon and learning on your own is a stretch. It is true you can get quite a few of the technical books that are provided on Amazon; you can find most academic books online now a days, however this is not a disadvantage, using books that professional use for their own reference as a teaching aide should be the way higher education is taught.

In the end I think it boils down to preference, if you are a self starter who does not need to be academically babysat, then distance learning is a great alternative to traditional higher education and Kaplan is one of the best online schools I found. I interviewed quite a few of the other online schools back in late 2006 to see which one provided a program that fit my needs and Kaplan came out on top and was the one I selected. Until someone can provide some sort of evidence or statistics that the Kaplan University academics are sub-par take negative comments about the school with a grain of salt.

sick of your whining January 21, 2009 at 9:18 p.m.

As a Kaplan employee, it is very refreshing to see these last 2 posts. I agree 100% with you both. You have to want to succeed in order to do so, and most of the negativity posted here reflects students who did not attempt to learn.
Great job to both of you! I'm sure your advisors are proud :)

Oh Geez January 27, 2009 at 2:46 p.m.

Quit crying. I go to Kaplan. Some of these people are retarded on this review."Oh, Oh , Oh if your financial aide is messed up that's because your stupid and incompetent." lol
That is not true, it's because your a yuppy and your hands are clean and mommmy and daddy paid for your schooling. There were about 6 people who said that statement I just put in quotes. I like Kaplan a lot. They are expensive. HOWEVER, there was miscommunication on there part about financial aide. They DO tell you, you are all set and then I get a bill in the mail for 300 bucks LOL. Oh god. Anyways I love the teachers, most do have a P.H.D and a lot with Masters. If you take 3 classes at time you graduate quicker. They don't make you take frickin basket weaving as a required course to graduate.
Overall like I had mentioned, the financial aide and student accounts are a little funky but the school is great. Who gives a crap about profit and non profit, I just want my education. I live in Michigan, I need an education.

You get what you put into it January 28, 2009 at 6:06 p.m.

LMAO, I need to correct your comment, I am not a Kaplan employee I am a Kaplan student so my only bias is that I am earning my Bachelor degree from there. The comment in the post from Oh Geez regarding financial aide telling you that you are all set is somewhat true, some advisors do fail to tell you that government backed financial aide does not always cover your tuition 100%. This means that you may have to proactively go out and get additional student loans to cover the difference or pay out of pocket per month, however this is the same thing that would happen at a traditional school.

As a small example of the type of academic work that is required at Kaplan; for those interested in a comparison, let me provide a small outline of a typical class. All courses require attending a weekly instructor led seminar. Some instructors will provide an alternative option to the seminar like an asynchronous posting or a quiz it just depends on the instructor and the level of the course. In addition there is an asynchronous discussion board with varying amounts of questions that all students must participate in and there are strict guidelines as to what is expected when participating. Every course I have taken has also required reading course material and writing APA style papers of varying length (usually no less then 2 pages) each week. So in the end there is quite a bit of work that needs to be done from attending seminars, reading material, and then applying your understanding of course material in several different ways. Trust me your time at Kaplan will be busy if you apply yourself.

Current Employee February 6, 2009 at 4:39 a.m.

I have been reading many comments on here, both good and bad. I just felt that some things needed to be clarified.

First things first, I am an Admissions Advisor and I have been working for Kaplan for over 2 years and I have to admit that there are Admissions Advisors that do act like salesmen and push to "seal the deal", but that just shows that they aren't seasoned advisors. If you speak with a seasoned advisor, we actually care what program you're going into and if it is the right time. We do care about your situation... most of us.

Kaplan doesn't pay commission, but as one former employee on here stated, there is some form of plan that has been put in place. The more students you enroll, the more money you may be able to receive. BUT, the thing is here is that the "newbies" or the people who just don't care fail to realize that the money doesn't come when the student enrolls.... it comes when the student stays in school and graduates, there is a bonus check. I personally really DO care and it's rewarding for me to enroll them into school knowing what their goals and dreams are and then 2-3 years later see them walking across that stage holding their degree and seeing how proud their families/friends are of them and how proud they are of themselves....It's amazing! That is honestly my bonus..... You have to be in a position that you're passionate about and this is definitely something that I am passionate about... changing lives.... It's hard to describe the feeling I personally get when I know that I have been able to assist someone in their dreams.

As far as Financial Aid goes.... Prospective students.... please don't sit here and listen to everything that you hear. One person may have a horrible experience and the next has a great one. As far as these " Random Verification Processes" that so many students get angry with on here... FYI, this isn't Kaplan that is randomly selecting you for verification.... it is the government... Kaplan has to comply with what the government asks in order to keep Financial Aid available for students. So if this means asking you to fax over documents.... then yes, we will hound you for them. If you fax something and it doesn't come in clear or if we don't receive it, then yes... we will ask you to fax it 20 more times until it's right so this way we can send it to the government and make them happy. We don't ask the student to re-fax things to us just for kicks... if we ask you to re-send it to us it's for a valid reason. We honestly have better things to do with our time then to wait for a fax to come in over and over again... we do it because we have to!

unhappy kaplan student February 6, 2009 at 9:53 p.m.

Kaplan employees do get commission for enrolling the most students per month. My sister works there, and enrolled me. I thought, at the time, this was a great idea. My husband got laid off and I am a stay-at-home mom right now. I was attending the local junior college for an A.S in Nursing but I had to stop because of transportation....I am withdrawing from Kaplan because it costs 3,630.00 PER term for 2 classes. If you want to do the accelarated scholarship program, you have no guarantee that your loan will pay for more than those 2 classes. They say they are regionally accredited, but if after I earned my B.S. and wanted to attend UAB here in Birmingham,AL they would not accept it. I can't see myself wasting 3 years of my life in something that I can't continue on and get a M.S. in. I can get it online at Kaplan, but what's the point it's not transferable, plus I would be stuck with the insane amount of student loans. 3,630.00 per term for 2 classes. I don't know what I was thinking. I thought my sister (she is my half sister and I hadn't seen her in years and she emailed me out of the blue with hey do you wan't to go to school?), would not jip me, but boy I have I been hoodwinked. BTW, she received the most enrolled back in October (including me and my husband and got a promotion)....

Bunch of Bull February 11, 2009 at 7:54 p.m.

This blog is full of Kaplan employees. Of course they get a commission, their job depends on the enrollment numbers.

Bunch of Bull February 14, 2009 at 6:22 a.m.

Wow... if a musician is paid to speak at a commencment it must be good?

Patrick February 15, 2009 at 10:04 p.m.

I completed my bachelor's degree in Legal Studies and I had very few problems with the University. I will recommend Kaplan University to any student who understands how online programs work. You must be dedicated to your studies and be a very good organizer of your work, and make sure you commit time to study. Kaplan is a very good school, period. Transfer of Transcript, I had no problems either.

To Suck a D February 23, 2009 at 3:55 p.m.

I got suckered into looking at Kaplan because they offer a Fast Track program for adults looking at pursuing a career in teaching.

I will now be attending Graduate School at a REAL university. I suggest those of you on the fence about attending Kaplan do yourselves a favor and find a local college or university to attend.

You get what you put into it February 25, 2009 at 3:50 p.m.

Human nature dictates you will take the path of least resistance. If you are not challenged to put forth the effort to make an A. You will not make the effort if they give it to you anyway. This is why the "you get out what you put into it" debate is a very bad idea. You need to be challenged or you will do the minumum. It is just the way people are wired.

Natasha March 4, 2009 at 1:20 a.m.

hi
i am about to enroll in kaplan. I am very scared and just needs some word of encouragement before making a bad decision.

Delaney March 10, 2009 at 4:51 p.m.

This was the only school that would accomodate my schedule I dont have the best of grades, but this school really does work with you, to try to help, I like the live interaction of the classrooms once a week, I like the variety of projects and class work, I once was falling behind in my studies and the school as well as the teacher reached out to me. me and My 5 kids wouldnt be as far as I am now at any other school, Kaplan does care, SO I REALLY DONT KNOW WHAT YOU OTHER PEOPLE ABOVE THIS COMMENT IS TALKING ABOUT!
Natasha you must reach out for yourself, the dealership cant keep your car tune up if you dont bring your car in. you cant get funds. or necessary concerns tooken care of unless you bring your concerns in

Betsy March 11, 2009 at 3:13 a.m.

I am a student at Kaplan and with my financial aid, I received 99% Federal Funding (After making six figures the year prior to the school year) Kaplan is Regionally accredited through the NCA (check it out on www.chea.org). I was in recruiting and the people my customers DIDN'T want to see is someone who graduated from UOP!! They were dumped by the wayside because UOP is definitely a diploma mill. I have found that the terms are just long enough to learn everything I need to without getting bored and without the content flying by. All the Professors have Master's Degrees and work in the field in which they teach. I've never encountered a more supportive environment that truly cares about my success. I've waited way too long to get my degree and finally I found a place I feel good about going to school. The online environment is like a classroom and I've made a ton of friends in classes all across the country. The good news is Kaplan isn't 'open-enrollment' and the level of student is a higher calibre than I've seen in any community college and certainly higher than UOP. Can you imagine a Master's Degree recipient without the basic knowledge of the english language from UOP still saying "ax" instead of "ask"? Kaplan is the best!!

Unsure March 16, 2009 at 10:34 p.m.

I am thinking of getting a degree online. I have already got some people calling me from Kaplan's admissions. The person seems to be very friendly. But I'm unsure about enrolling after reading some of the reviews here. I'm a mother of 3 and don't have money to throw away.

Amanda March 17, 2009 at 8:29 p.m.

I recently enrolled in Kaplan and start the 25th of this month I have read so many things on here that didn't happen with me. The admissions lady I had was neither pushy nor did she call me every single day. I received one call when I was enquiring on the school and then they told me to call back if it sounded like one that I would like. My financial aid officer walked me through everything and I had all my papers and loans and pell grants approved within 3 days after I filled out everything. For all you people out here complaining about their fin aid or etc all you had to do was keep everything on their computer in a seperate email. Everyone has been great and so far from harrassing that its not funny. Based on my experience so far I would recommend it to anyone. Good luck for all you out there looking for a school to go to.

academica March 24, 2009 at 9:48 p.m.

Don't do it.

I was recently recruited to be an adjunct Kaplan instructor. I've got a prestigious graduate degree and have taught at major universities and a community college, and I genuinely enjoy teaching.

If Kaplan were an honest joint, I'd have no problem teaching there, even though the pay is lousy. (You have no idea how much of your money isn't going to the instructors. 5-10% is going to instructors. The rest? Shareholders, the Post's newspaper ops, etc.) Now don't get me wrong -- to a pretty fair degree, all higher ed is a scam. The odds of your being able to use all those classes is, oh, close to nil. But at least if you go to a real university you'll have a decent name on your resume. This? No, Kaplan's not a real university. I don't care what kind of accreditation they have.

I think this outfit rips off people who have no acquaintance with higher ed and for whatever reasons can't struggle through a community-college AA. If you cannot manage academically at community college, really rethink your plans to go to college. See if you can master a trade. If you're competent academically, but don't have the time or freedom to go to a bricks/mortar school, look for online degree programs from state universities.

Stay away from Kaplan. It's unbelievably expensive, and really all they're doing is taking advantage of your ignorance to a degree that's shocking even in higher ed.

Former Faculty Member March 25, 2009 at 6:26 p.m.

Jolie Rain:

What does this mean, exactly: "They go beyond any other school I have ever seen to make sure you get done what must be done."

Colleges are not supposed to handhold students. They are designed to create independent working professionals or academics. So unless I am misunderstanding your comment, it appears that Kaplan is not very different from 13th grade.

h March 29, 2009 at 2:34 p.m.

joke school

Tony March 30, 2009 at 8:31 p.m.

Kaplan is a great school...if you want to pay for a degree that is completely worthless, and stay at your retail job.

Unsure now April 9, 2009 at 2:01 a.m.

Wow i have 2 schools in mind one is kaplan the other is herzing university.. Of course herzing is allllllllot cheaper the kaplan. But i don't like that herzing uses direct loans i hear direct loans are good because its from the department of education, and have low interest rates. but since i started with Sallie Mae i would rather stay with them.. Now kaplan was the number 1 choice. and classes start next Wednesday. I'm unsure about joining now. My admission advisor is kinda pushy.. she just keeps trying to get me to give her the $55 deposit now even though i keep telling her im doing research and looking into both schools.. LOL she's not trying to hear all that though.. She wants me to ask everyone for the money.. I told her i cant and don't have it now just to get her off my back.. so I can do my homework and see which school is better for me.. I never found anything about herzing but i see alot about kaplan.. Wow i have to make a decision soon.. I don't want to be trapped like i was before at Keiser University.. I wouldn't recommend then at all.. I attended ground classes there to.. They are verrrrrryyy expensive and leave you hanging towards the end.. Fact is we all go through bad things and no matter where we decide to go we will always run into issues.. I'll do alot more research that's for sure before i settle for one school again.. Oh in seeking BS in Paralegal/Legal studies.. I was told by kaplan that they were different but others said not so much..

Scott April 14, 2009 at 1:20 a.m.

Warning to anyone considering Kaplan University, the school has gone downhill fast. As a cash paying student and 3.85GPA carrying student it is not that I have a complaint that they are failing me rather their service and staff really do stink! Getting someone to call you back is rediculous and no one gives the same answer, the advisor your assigned changes every two semesters and only cares about enrolling you in more class, I really think they work off commission. Their customer service and attitude is horrible, if you have issues you will spend hours upon hours on the phone. The online class are often down. If you paying to get a degree, piece of paper, this is one thing but if your paying for an education and people who care about your education your best to look elsewhere (other online schools). Several at my job have used Kaplan and other online schools, Kaplan really does rate at the bottom according to them. Read the complaints on the web about this school and if you dare to take a chance with them, don't say you were not warned. I don't hestitate at all to say Kaplan University is a ripoff and fraud.

scott April 14, 2009 at 1:26 a.m.

Those posting here about their financial aid office and Kaplan staff getting rude with them are dead on. It is not uncommon for you to recieve threatening calls from this school to pay for things that no one can explain, literally. As stated above even though I paid all my courses in full in cash, I still recieved numerous calls at my place of work requesting payment, at least 4-5 per semester. And as the other poster stated asking for a supervisor or even the dean is a joke, they will not let you speak with either unless you get nasty with them.

junk mail April 15, 2009 at 8:05 a.m.

I don't get this! I'm a student at Clemson and got this junk mail from kaplan. I decided to use their postage paid envelope to ask them not to send me any more unsolicited junk mail. As I was typing the note, I decided to look up some reviews and wound up here. Interesting that every single positive review is from someone in the school who is enjoying it. I have not read one review from someone who graduated and has a decent job. I know going to school is difficult and time consuming. My wife and I are both full time students and we have an infant. It is still possible. I did three semesters of classes entirely online at AB Tech and Greenville Tech, in order to set myself up for admission to Clemson. I made it, but the fact is you cannot get the same education online that you can in a classroom. It is just not possible to have your questions answered, to be engaged with a professor and other students in open dialogue through email and discussion boards. Having a good experience while you are in school is important, but lets face it, an online degree will never give you a leg up on an equally qualified person with a more reputable degree. Especially consider that this school is charging an obscene amount for classes that most community schools offer online. PLUS, at a community school there are on campus resources available such as math and science labs where you can get help, real advisers to help you pick classes etc.. I don't imagine I will ever follow up here, but wanted to offer my input before I send this note of to Kaplan requesting that their dean spend her time and resources helping current students instead of soliciting uninterested parties and students already enrolled in a good school. Good luck all.

Mike April 16, 2009 at 10:29 p.m.

I went to Kaplan and work for the Department of Defense, I have nothing but goog things to say about Kaplan. I work as a financial analyst this reply is for junkmail, yes there is one person who graduated from Kaplan and has a "good" job. Not to mention countless of other graduates who have graduated and hold "good" jobs..

Rose April 20, 2009 at 6:49 p.m.

I have been in class everyday and taken all my test but yet others that haven't been in class for 4 weeks walked out of class with the same grade. what a rip off school

h April 27, 2009 at 11:48 a.m.

so i was wondering how a person who never took alg 1 or 2 which are prereq's for statistics (and for college), taking a stats class? how could anyone say the professors are always there to help? Also if you do happen to call the school for help you might get laughed at. not a joke a friend called for help and the lady laughed at him. thats not help. they couldnt even answer a simple question. And to all the people saying there is nothing wrong with kaplan, YOU ARE SUCKERS, THATS WHY YOU THINK ITS A GOOD SCHOOL. If you had a brain you would go to a school that has real people to help you.

mimi April 30, 2009 at 6:53 p.m.

I just enrolled in kaplan but after reading all these reviews I am really scared. I will be paying out of my own pocket and I just want a good education I don't know what to do anymore. Help

Brian May 5, 2009 at 5:55 p.m.

Ok guys and gals, this might shock you. I work as a "name basher" for very well known nutrition supplement company. My job, as well as others, is to search for our competitors' products and bash them!...It's hard to do research knowing that guys like me exist. What I have learned, and will advise others, is that you have to consider where the source of information came from. My team also files complaints with the BBB all of the time against our competitors.

Go to school, any school. Learn and apply yourself. Don't be lazy. Once you land a job, work your butt off to the top. Network with people. Your ammo is your education. Be a sponge and learn as much information as you can about your field of interest. Be proactive. After you have all that in your "tool belt" you will be one hot commodity.

Scott May 6, 2009 at 5:38 p.m.

Wow. It seems as though a lot of you have not had good experiences with Kaplan. I am not going to say my experience should be the one that you should expect.

Let's first discuss the admissions process. I have a feeling that most of you have exaggerated your claims that they are pushy. Sure, my admissions advisor tried to contact me (at most) three times in one day but when I finally spoke to her, she was nothing but nice. She could tell that my feet were not firmly planted in regards to attending Kaplan University and allowed me time to, "think it over". After I made my decision to attend I contacted her. At this point, she asked me about my academic background; informing me if I did not have a diaploma or a GED I could not attend. I, however, do have a diaploma which I later had to use a pin number of sorts located on my diaploma to validate this claim. So, to those who say that there is not any type of admissions criteria are either lying, or perhaps Kaplan have changed their policy since these people tried to enroll or did enroll.

Now, let's discuss the "phony education" that they provide. I am persuing a B.S. in Information Technology and while there isn't a real "hands-on" environment to tinker with the inner workings of a computer (which isn't really of interest to me, I'm more of a software guy than a hardware guy) I have found that everything I am learning thus far to be extremely useful, both in my everyday life and in my line of work and I know that the education I receive will help to land me a job in this field. In fact, I am thinking about getting a Master's in IT from Kaplan after obtaining my B.S.

The financial aid department. The first advisor I had was rather elusive but when I let my academic advisor know, I was promptly given a new advisor who has been a big help. I too have been sent e-mails by Kaplan stating that I owe this or that. After having contacted my finacial aid advisor, she straightened everything out. If you have student loans, sometimes a delay in your loan's disbursement can cause these e-mails claiming that you owe money when you do not. So far, I have not had to pay any money out of pocket with the exception of the $90 I put forth at the beginning of my enrollment. If you have a problem, you need to communicate it!!

I have now been with Kaplan for one solid year and I love and value the experience that I am obtaining there. I am a full-time student and still have the time to hold down my job and I have recently started a family with my wife. At the end of the day, this is your life! Don't allow me, Al Can't Write or Brain "The Former Dean" to tell you what to do with it! Dig deep! Do research! Make sure that whatever school you are thinking about enrolling in and/or whatever program you are interested in is right for you!

Never allow others, or even your own self doubt to deny you of your goals and your dreams.

Best of luck to all,
- Scott.

Mike Smith May 18, 2009 at 11 p.m.

Avoid Kaplan and choose another online school. Kaplan is a huge rip-off and I wish I read these comments before I enrolled. Take my advice and pick any other school but Kaplan.

Tamika L. May 20, 2009 at 4:16 p.m.

Kaplan is BS.....Luckily University of Maryland accepted ALL of my credits. Transferred after one year @ Kaplan

Recent Graduate May 25, 2009 at 7:33 a.m.

I dont know what to say to your individuals with bad reviews. I guess you have to really research a school. I just graduated from Kaplan May 5, 2009. I have a better job already. I didn't have any finanical aid problems, or any problems getting in touch with my advisor. I guess I was lucky to get a good one. As for the classes, I had some professors who were extremely hard. They graded assignments and explained why you got the grade that they gave. They stuck with the policies. I did more work online than I did when I went to a physical campus. I would recommend this school to anyone. I've been researching schools to get my Master's online, and all of the school has some of the similar ratings. So I guess all online school have people who are not happy with them. I've been searching for hours and have done through about 30 online schools, and I have yet to find one with all good reviews. I guess it all depends on the individual.

A Former Kaplan Executive June 1, 2009 at 4:44 a.m.

Is it just me, or does Jim's reply sound like it was written by Olgivey, the ad agency that Kaplan paid approximately $22 million dollars to for a half-dozen television commercials?

Brittany June 7, 2009 at 6:47 a.m.

Kaplan has ruined my life. I enrolled because I had a baby and was trying to have a better life. The class work was so easy, I didn't learn much. One semester from my "A.D." and I get this bill I couldn't possibly pay. (Wasn't supposed to owe anything else). I could not enroll and I am in worse shape then before I ever heard of Kaplan. My credit is now effected and my joke-like education is very depressing. I was told by a community college I could finish there but Kaplan will not permit me to transfer my credits. I will join a law suit.

New Student June 11, 2009 at 9:38 p.m.

Oh my! I recently enrolled in the Medical Billing course and I have to say, I was a little skeptic at first. Now, I see all these reviews and I wonder if I made a bad choice. Ahhh!! I guess I'll have to stick it out. I can't back out now. Regardless good or bad, there's only one way to find out. =)

Yani, June 14, 2009 at 11:20 p.m.

WEll, what can i say, after reading all these comments iam confuse now, i really want to get an education i have a 11 months old baby and i take care of her, so theres no way i can go to school, and when i saw the online schooling i thought to myself wow this is just what i need to have a better future,but please advise me on this, what do you people think those of you that already attend the school? thanks alot.

tigersfan3411 June 22, 2009 at 10:27 p.m.

This school is horrible!
I am in my 2nd term at Kaplan, and I am already having a negative experience. You can't register for classes on your own: you must speak with your academic advisor, and they are always on the phone and never call you back. You can speak with another advisor, and most of them give you a lot of crap about not taking classes in order. If you want to skip around you can, that is your money that you are using to pay for those classes. Also, the honors program is terrible. You have to be accepted into the program before you can complete your core classes and they must be honors. I recieved an email from the honors program today and they told me that since I had one core class left, and since all my core classes have not been honors, I could not join even with a perfect 4.0 GPA. I am a Nutrition Science student, which if you plan on becoming an RD, you are wasting your time and money working on this degree. All Dietetics programs must be CADE certified in order to even be considered for an intern/externship. Kaplan's program is not. This University is absolutely terrible. The tuition cost is much higher than the physical university I was attending, and you had access to financial aid counselors every day. At Kaplan, it goes back to the issue with your academic advisor: they are always on the phone, and leaving a voicemail or an email is a waste because they never get back to you. I am going back to the University of Memphis in Spring 2010 only because this University is so terrible. A waste of time, money and energy at that. Screw this fake ass "school."

KU is Great, the problem might just be you!!! June 23, 2009 at 9:42 p.m.

I'm a student as well as an employee @ KU. I must say Kaplan is one school that actually cares alot about the student's need. Most of you who complain about KU might just not be the right fit for online school, you probably should just consider a campus school, which you will be complaining about, eventually. Instead of talk bad about the school, why not concentrate more on getting a better education. Aleast KU gives serious student a chance of changing their life, you should considering changing yours too...

A. Gray June 25, 2009 at 3:24 p.m.

After just getting of the phone with a debt collector I'm going to try to write this as level-headed as possible.

Let me see. About two years ago I was PUSHED into signing up for Kaplan University. (Push you say?) The admin. called me nearly everyday. After several calls I told them I didn't want to go through with it. Instead of the calls stopping I received more calls, in which I did not answer. One day my husband handed me the phone. (OOPS) It was Kaplan. The admin. asked me to hold on while he got a supervisor (isn't it funny how easily I could get one before I started attending when I couldn't reach one when I had problems) who basically told me that I was a bad mother for not getting a degree and how much I would regret it if I DID NOT got to Kaplan (jokes on me). So (yea) I was pushed into starting Kaplan (even though I should have done my research and found out that I should have waited until I could go to actual classes).

I told them that I could not afford any out of pocket expenses because I was a stay-at-home-mom to (at the time) 2.5 children (pregnant, not a pet) and we were living off of my husband's income. When they told me about the $95 fee I backed off again. My admin. called me back and said that he would have my fee waived. So after pushing me through the process of enrolling and ATTEMPTING to transfer my credits I started my classes for Corporate Paralegal (even though I had signed on for Family Law, it somehow got switched to Corporal).

During my classes I noticed how sometimes it seemed like the other students (and other times the professors) were computerized (like those AIM robots). I distinctly remember my husband noting this, also. But I was getting good grades, turning in my work and I was finally going to do something with my life (yea for me)!

In the middle of the second quarter I received an e-mail from Kaplan's financial aid department regarding my fafsa. I was selected for review from them. I turned in the forms that they asked for (after much debate because I did not have a fax machine or scanner, so the forms had to be snail mailed) and went about business as usual. I remember going into my student account and checking my financial plan and seeing that my costs were covered by FA and the loan I had received from Chase Bank (stupid me should have printed that out) and in fact there was some left over for what I assumed was living expenses.

more

A Gray June 25, 2009 at 3:26 p.m.

hat is when the collection calls started. I told them I couldn't afford to pay the $95 so what made them think I could pay a quarterly cost. I told them I was told there wouldn't be any out-of-pocket expense until after I had graduated and it would all be covered by FA and Chase Bank (apparently, I was told wrong). It seems awful fishy to me that all of the bills that I have received are for different amounts ($745, $2105, $430, $616, $624 and on and on).

Now they sent the bill to Pinnacle Financial Group. So I'm getting two calls a day. So I asked someone to send me a dispute form. I filled it out and sent it back to Kaplan. The lady I spoke with on the phone is saying I don't have a valid dispute..... I'm so frustrated! All I wanted to do was further my education for my children's sake. All I got out of Kaplan was a huge headache and many tears and many sleepless nights.

If anybody can help with my situation feel free to contact me (don't bother e-mailing to "yell" at me) at dillwithit124@aol.com (no pun intended and yes I know how to spell deal).

On a side note:
*For the hired basher: If you are hired to bash other companies what makes you think someone hasn't been hired to give praise to them? It is funny how some of the posts praising Kaplan sound so similar.
*Brittany I'm in the same boat. My credit is now (shocker) gone to hell and I am now worse off! Seeing how I owe Chase Bank $6,000!

For those who it did work out for AWESOME! I wish it would have worked out for me.

Very Unhappy - 1 July 2, 2009 at 1:07 p.m.

I did quite a bit of research about this school before I actually enrolled. I wanted a school that was military friendly, and offered classes completely online, and was in the state of Iowa. So when I first found Kaplan I asked my enrollment advisor every question I could think of, no matter how trivial the matter. Things were going along fine, all set to start, I had and still have the numerous emails between myself and every person I spoke with at Kaplan. I had asked if everything was all set with my Tuition Assistance and my GI Bill, which I was told I was. I also had a student loan and had gotten an email from the Financial Aid department stating that I still hadn't filled out some paperwork for my school to get the loan. I asked the enrollment officer on multiple occasions what this meant, and he told me I was fine everything was taken care of and that I had nothing to worry about. So I believed him. After I was enrolled completely and went to register for classes I was told that I needed to fill out the loan form from my new academic advisor. Who I have to say was the best person I'd ever talked to there. Unfortunately halfway through my first term she quit. What had happened is my enrollment advisor had decided I was getting a loan from x company, even though I'd told him about 5 times I was getting a loan from y company. And all that was needed was a quick fix in the system which my academic advisor helped with. Then I found out nothing had been reported to the VA about my GI Bill, and the same with my TA. It took about a month, but I got everything worked out and things were fine. The academics were really good at this school. The classroom style is very good. You actually have to try to get a good grade, you don't just take a test and pass the class.

@ Confused (aka very confused & going crazy) July 3, 2009 at 5:59 p.m.

Here is some very good advice. I am not pro or con on Kaplan. I judge schools by the actual reviews; not the message board. The reviews or written by people who have gone through the degree programs, either completely or partially. They have real insight into the university. As for this school, I am afraid that the average of 5.72 puts it near the bottom. Going strictly by the reviews and the numbers, I wouldn't go here.

Eric July 4, 2009 at 7:37 p.m.

After reading so many negative posts I decided to post. I am a student at Kaplan. I'm going on my second year.

First let me explain to you about the financial problems these people are posting about. There are criteria that need to be met in order for someone to receive student loans and grants. The first year or two someone may meet those criteria, then their situation changes, either job or home situation and they don't meet the criteria anymore. That's all, you can't blame Kaplan if you don't meet the lending criteria! You have to file EVERY year for student aid and if you don't meet the criteria anymore, you don't qualify for lending. The 95 or so dollar fee is REQUIRED in order to be eligible for funding by most organizations, including the student load organizations here in Florida run by the state.

About the school being a joke or considered sub standard, this is just opinion. The school has fairly strict participation policies and the text books are top quality. They give you everything you need to learn, they provide you with an awesome online platform, great learning materials such as books and course content, great professors, and guidelines that you must meet, to help insure that you are putting in the effort to learn. YOU have to do the work and want to learn.

My academic adviser is great, very helpful, I never call her, she calls me.

I don't discredit what these people have said, I just know that your degree will be taken seriously if you graduate from Kaplan. If you wonder about the credibility of Kaplan, or whether their degrees will be taken seriously, you can visit their accreditation page here.

****online.kaplanuniversity.edu/Pages/KU_Accreditation

@ Eric July 5, 2009 at 6:08 p.m.

Thank you for sharing your experiences. My point was simply that actual reviews are what an individual should predominantly look at in trying to make a decision to go to Kaplan or not since they carry more weight. The reviews are written by individuals that have finished degree programs or are in the midst of a degree program. These individuals' opinions are more valid since they are involved with the school. A significant number of individuals that post on the comment board have no experience with Kaplan, and therefore, their opinion is less valid. The overall average for Kaplan is 5.72. That is extremely low! That puts Kaplan most likely in the bottom five or ten on this site (for universities with at least eight to ten reviews). This school has 115 reviews listed, which is statistically a very good sample when compared to most of the schools listed on this site. That, in my view, is very significant. It has to be taken into consideration when trying to decide whether or not to attend Kaplan. Based on the numbers, I would say that this would certainly not be the school for me. I understand that you have had a great experience with Kaplan and I am happy for you. However, there are many, many, many dissatisfied individuals out there that are attending Kaplan (or have graduated) that would beg to differ with you.

Current 5th Year Kaplan Student July 7, 2009 at 2:07 a.m.

I have attended Kaplan University for almost 5 years now. I am currently working towards my MBA. My experience with Kaplan has not always been perfect but it has not been anything worth dropping out of school for. I researched many schools before returning to Kaplan for my MBA. Kaplan was the only school I found to be imformative and helpful enough for me to want to attend. When I first starting researching schools prior to my A/S, I first applied to University of Phoenix. They sent me to Kaplan because I did not have any college credits. I start my second term for my MBA program Wednesday and am very excited about working my way through another degree.

Please do not give up on Kaplan because of other's complaints. Kaplan is a great school that does care for its students. You just have to be willing to take the time and spend the effort needed to get the grade you want.

James July 8, 2009 at 3:27 a.m.

I have my undergrad at Phoenix, and I am currently enrolled at Kaplan earning my MBA. The bottom line is, almost every school has an online division. Before I decided to go to Kaplan, I looked at Dukes online program, and University of Michigan's online program, and Penn State's online program, and the only difference is the names of the school. If a schools offers 100% online, and they are accredited, then thats it. If you are not attending an Ivy league school, then look at the cost before you consider another choice. Kaplan is great, and I have no problems with them. I have gotten several jobs after obtaining my degree from the accredited UoP, and I am sure I will get even more jobs once I receive my MBA from Kaplan. Oh, and people, dont forget, degrees dont get you jobs, experience does. Having a degree without the experience means nothnig to a lot of companies. Therefore, instead of asking other students if they have gotten jobs, why dont you ask employers if they would hire someone with an online degree. That tends to make more sense.

Monique July 16, 2009 at 12:41 a.m.

Rosaline-

Make sure Kaplan's curriculum aligns with the curriculum guidelines established by the Society for Human Resource Management for HR Programs.

LASHAWN July 19, 2009 at 12:51 a.m.

I JUST ENROLLED IN KAPLAN FOR MY BACHELORS IN ACCOUNTING I SEE THE REVIEWS I DO I TAKE IN THE GOOD AND THE BAD BUT I LOOK AT IT LIKE THIS. THE WHOLE WORLD IS BROKE HOW YOU GONE GET MONEY OUT OF PEOPLE WHO DONT HAVE IT AND NEITHER DOES THE BANKS THESE DAYS HOW MANY WENT BANKRUPT IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS!IM WITH BANK OF AMERICA FOR MY STUDENT LOAN I LIKE THE INSURANCE POLICY AND TO BE HONEST THATS THE ONLY BANK I TRUST I WOULDNT DO CITI BANK BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS BEFORE I HAD WITH THEM BUT MY LOAN IS GRAT I JUST GRADUATED LAST YEAR FROM EVEREST COLLEGE FOR MT AND NOW THIS YEAR I DECIDED TO GO FURTHER!I DONT HAVE TIME TO COMPLAIN OR BAD MOUTH NOTHING OUR SOME OF OUR LIFES ARE JUST AS FULL OF CRAP AS IT IS WITH THE GOVERMENT ITS BEEN THIS WAY SINCE THE DAY WE WERE BORN NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN THIS WORLD IT JUST GETS WORSE. SO NO MATTER WHO YOU GO TO FOR SCHOOL EXPECT SOMETHING TO BE WRONG ALL THE REVIEWS FOR EVERY SCHOOL I LOOKED UP HAS BEEN THE SAME EVERY ONE IS TALKING THE MONEY ISSUE AS LONG AS YOUR HUMAN YOUR GONNA HAVE A MONEY PROBLEM SOME OF US HAS BEEN IN THE NO MONEY STAGE FOR A LONG TIME AND STILL COMPLAINING WHEN THEY CREDIT WAS ALREADY JACKED UP! ALL I CAN SAY IS PRAY ABOUT IT TRUST THAT GOD WILL BRING YOU THRU ALL THE BULL THE GOVERMENT IS PULLING EITHER WAY ALL THIS WONT MATTER WHEN YOUR DEAD ANYWAY SO MAKE THE BEST OF YOUR LIFE WHILE YOUR LIVING ABD BREATHING KEEP GOD FIRST LET HIM DIRECT YOU AND THINGS WILL COME UP FOR YOU GOOD AND BAD YOU HAVE TO GO THRU HELL IN ORDER TO GET TO HEAVEN WHO SAID LIFE WAS EASY AND IF SOMEONE DID TELL YOU THAT YOU NEED TO BRING THE IDIOT TO REALITY OR IGNORE HIS DUMB BUTT BUT MOVE ON PEOPLE COMPLAING WILL NOT HELP JUST KEEP GOING FOR MORE DONT LET THE BS GET YOU DOWN AND DONT LET OTHERS THINK FOR YOU WHAT IS YOUR LIFE IF YOU CANT LIVE IT ON YOUR OWN!THINK FOR YOURSELF AND DONT LET OTHERS DO IT FOR YOU!

Stats Part II July 20, 2009 at 7:28 p.m.

This forum is intended for individuals who are trying to make a decision to attend a particular university or not. In this case, we are discussing Kaplan University. On the discussion board, individuals are supposed to express their experiences and opinions about the school (based on some factual analysis or possibly having attended the school). Additionally, individuals who have either graduated from or are currently attending Kaplan may write a review. You will hear both the good and the bad (more bad if the university is ‘not good’). That is what is done in a discussion forum of this type. My personal belief is that the reviews carry more weight since they frequently are based on real experiences with the university.
I am a numbers oriented person. Therefore, if I were considering Kaplan (and I am not) I would look strictly at the statistics and read the reviews. There are two facts that jump out at me;
1. The overall average for the school based on the reviews is a mere 5.72 (meeting the 8 review minimum). This means that Kaplan has one of the lowest overall averages of any of the hundreds of colleges and universities listed on this site.
2. Approximately 54 of the 118 reviews, a full 45.7% rated Kaplan a 1 or 2-2.5 (5 being best).
In making a hypothetical decision about this school, there are two huge red flags that would cause me a great deal of concern. What is particularly troubling is the fact that 54 people took the time and put forth the effort to express their negative experiences. Now, if you choose Kaplan that is your choice. Given the data that I have outlined, I would not make the same choice. .

@ Anonymous July 22, 2009 at 10:58 p.m.

This forum is intended for individuals who are trying to make a decision to attend a particular university or not. In this case, we are discussing Kaplan University. On the discussion board, individuals are supposed to express their experiences and opinions about the school (based on some factual analysis or possibly having attended the school). Additionally, individuals who have either graduated from or are currently attending Kaplan may write a review. You will hear both the good and the bad (more bad if the university is ‘not good’). That is what is done in a discussion forum of this type. My personal belief is that the reviews carry more weight since they frequently are based on real experiences with the university.
I am a numbers oriented person. Therefore, if I were considering Kaplan (and I am not) I would look strictly at the statistics and read the reviews. There are two facts that jump out at me;
1. The overall average for the school based on the reviews is a mere 5.72 (meeting the 8 review minimum). This means that Kaplan has one of the lowest overall averages of any of the hundreds of colleges and universities listed on this site.
2. Approximately 54 of the 118 reviews, a full 45.7% rated Kaplan a 1 or 2-2.5 (5 being best).
In making a hypothetical decision about this school, there are two huge red flags that would cause me a great deal of concern. What is particularly troubling is the fact that 54 people took the time and put forth the effort to express their negative experiences. Now, if you choose Kaplan that is your choice. Given the data that I have outlined, I would not make the same choice.

Terri July 23, 2009 at 7:37 p.m.

Well, I graduated from Kaplan in Dec 2008 with a Bachelors in Criminal Justice. Yes, their financial aid department is horrible to work with, and yes, their admissions advisors can be pushy, but once you are enrolled and can get your financial aide straightened out, the academic portion is really good. I worked full-time and went to school full-time. (no, I didn't have a life...) The instructors were good and I learned a lot. What I find most interesting is that you could reach your instructor just about any time. I have went to traditional schools and have found that on-line schools can be just as good if not better, if you do your research.

@undecided July 27, 2009 at 11:12 p.m.

If you are going to do your homework start with the number 5.6; that is this school's average when talking about the reviews from students who attended or graduated from there. Forget most of the comments made on the discussion board. They are made by people with no experience at the school. Look at the reviews! This school has one of the lowest averages (5.6) of any on this website. If that doesn't put up a giant sign that says "Don't Go Here", I don't know what does!!!!!

Jon July 29, 2009 at 8:12 p.m.

So far I am mixed in my feelings about Kaplan. The set up is great, the instructors I have had so far have been outstanding. However, I seem to be having the complete opposite problem than most of you. I never could get my Admissions Advisor to return a phone call and had her replaced after the 12th call within a two week period. Now I am battling back and forth between Kaplan FinAid Dept and Federal Direct Loans. For 3weeks Kaplan has told me that there is a "Mass Delay" in all Kaplan Students Direct Loan processing. For those same 3 weeks FDL and the US Dept of Education (offices in Texas and Washington) have been telling me that this statement is a bold face lie. The 4th week someone from Kaplan told me that it had nothing to do with a hold up on FDL's end, but that it was taking some time for the Verification Process on Kaplan's end (which to me was completely understandable) Now, the end of that same week, Kaplan is telling me that there IS a Mass Delay in FDL's processing of our loans, BUT that it is an issue between FDL and Kaplan that is business related and no further information can be divulged. All I want is to know the truth, for Kaplan to get the rest of the tuition owed to them, and for my Educational Expense check to be sent out so that I can have some peace of mind and a tiny bit more of a sense of financial stability and to continue on with my education and further my career increasing my knowledge ..... ADVICE WELCOMED

Mr.Mr.Me August 1, 2009 at 12:37 a.m.

My sister just graduated from Kaplan online. Two years of her life well spent. She has had ZERO problems with them. She receives her degree in a week and as for it holding up to the equivalent of toilet paper, It seems to do just fine for her. Also for some of the people I work with (military). The post I am at recommends Kaplan Online to 3/4 of all soldiers asking about school.

to the @guy August 1, 2009 at 9:39 p.m.

Are you bashing the people who are giving reviews of good exp at kaplan? It seems you have nothing to say when some says something bad about kaplan but when anyone give an example of a good exp you bring back the 46%. Its a for profit school. Of course it sucks. But it has still opened doors for 50% of the people who attended. Yes I am Mr.mr.Me and I'm not bashing you I'm seriously curious. Please don't think I'm trying to troll or start flames. I will post more shortly when I get on my laptop and get off this damn blackberry. Also at the @guy. You do bring up a very good point in your arugment of 46% and everyone reading this should take that into consideration

Mr.Mr.Me August 1, 2009 at 11:58 p.m.

1: Money: Yeah in all honesty Kaplan did seem to screw about 25% of that 45% on money. I dont know what to tell you other than get it all in writing.
2:Professors: Anyware you go to school at you will have bad professors, unless its the top three. I think very few people actually commented about the professors though. Take that gripe with a grain of salt as well. No one is perfect.
3:Class was to easy: At first classes are supposed to be easy. As you move up in the degree plan they will get harder. Its part of school. Who here started 1st grade learning calculus? However, I will say that there are bound to be classes that are a complete waste of your time and money. Test out or suffer. Every school is bound to have bad classes. Its not entirely the schools fault. The instructor creates a lesson plan and if its crap its crap, sorry.
4:Grammar: I have read about 3 post in my skimming this forum that judge a school on the grammar being used. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Some people are professional all the time, yes. Most of us use forms as a means of basic communication. LOL ROFL OMG! That isn't considered "smart" so if your looking for a school based on how the people in that school type in a casual environment then your screwed. As I said earlier, I'm as dumb as a box of walnut's and know my grammar sucks.
5:Low standards: Yes that's true. All you need to get in Kaplan is a loan, or some means of money, and a placement exam. Its a for cash school. You cant hold it to the standards of MSU or Yale.
For those thinking about Kaplan, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF SLICED BREAD DO YOUR RESEARCH! For you Associates or BA this school, providing the money thing doesn't come back to bite you, will be good for you. ON CERTAIN LEVELS! Kaplan does not offer many certs for some programs. Keep this in mind. Research what you want to go for and if there are any type of special exams or certs in the end of the BA. I my self am taking IT with Network Admin. No certs for my BA needed so I am in the clear. After I obtain the BA I can knock out all my outside cert's. Which employers look at more than your BA in this field due to the fact it shows you have some type of hands on knowledge.
If you are thinking about a Masters or above through Kaplan you seriously need to rethink that move before it is to late. Research what needs to be done to obtain a masters (It's usually not JUST schooling) and see if Kaplan offers this. Even if it does, you have made the choice to obtain a Masters in __________ which means you are serious about your education. Go to a traditional collage! You AS/BA is fine and dandy through Kaplan but a Masters or above.......there is FAR to much competition on that level to have a diploma that states Kaplan when the guy in front of you holds a degree that says MSU. The best advice I can give here is call to schools in your area and see if you credits transfer and use the time you spent at Kaplan as a stepping stone.

@ Mr. Mr. Me August 2, 2009 at 6:35 p.m.

I agree with you completely! Kaplan has opened the door for over 50% of its satisfied students. They do serve an important function namely they allow individuals to finish their degrees that normally would not have a chance to.

My point was simply, if I were reading this forum as a prospective student I would see that 46% were very dissatisfied with Kaplan and that would raise a very large red flag. In conclusion, I would make another choice. That is all.

Very UNHAPPY stay at home mom August 4, 2009 at 2:45 a.m.

Another thing is they won't stop calling at all hours of the day. It is 10pm here and they just called again. My kids are sleeping and I am about to get to bed myself. Next time I think I will let my husband answer it or better yet forward their call to the police department and file harassment charges on their bottoms. TRY THAT KAPLAN>>>>>

@ the @ guy August 5, 2009 at 2:07 a.m.

You'r right. Im wrong. Left kaplan 0 problems on my end. Sorry.

tiffany August 6, 2009 at 2:53 p.m.

I just want to say that I am so glad I did noy choose Kaplan University. I almost did,and Phoenix University contacted me first and I am so thankful!!! It is a credited school and it is wonderful! For thgose of you second guessing Kaplan do so and go to UOP. You will not regret it like some of those on here are. The main reason I did not want to choose Kaplan was because I read in fine print on their site that you had to pay out of pocket and I needed finaical aid.If those of you who are thinking of tranferring do so get out if it is too much,UOPwill let you transfer your credits,it is a real college and is about your education not your wallets!

lisa August 13, 2009 at 6:47 p.m.

i agree financial aid at kaplan sucks damn thieves...they dont ever answer thier phone and they cannot do simple math..i hate kaplan and am transfering schools

Lorita Tucker August 14, 2009 at 8:23 p.m.

I am considering atttending Kaplan and wanted to be somewhat asssured that this institution is not a scam! If this higher learning school is real, I'm ready to dive in. My major is Business Administration by the way...

Frank From Michigan August 22, 2009 at 9:37 p.m.

ALL ONLINE SCHOOLS ARE A JOKE. PERIOD. END OF CONVERSATION. PLEASE PEOPLE, WAKE UP.

@ Franky from Michigan August 27, 2009 at 3:30 p.m.

I'm afraid that you are confused. There are schools which are exclusively (or almost exclusively) online and there are Traditional B & M schools that have great online programs. I attended a teacher credential program online at UCLA (a top 25 university!). So if you think that all online programs are a 'joke' as you said, you are SADLY WRONG and obviously know nothing about online education.

LK August 28, 2009 at 2:21 p.m.

…Cont.

…Now, coming back to the disgraceful bashing at the result of Own Incompetence, I have only one thing to say: It is your own fault you have not strived for what you hoped for, and your mistakes, uneventful interviews, months of joblessness, and the money spent is all because you have made such a choice.

Thus, I bid you, please stray away from ignorant bashing and offer advice that others can follow…at that, in a RESPECTFUL manner.

Online and on-campus universities will make same promises: you will prosper and find a fulfilling job. What they do not say and what they Do Not have to say is that You have to do all the work. This is obvious, and this is what gets you above all the others who think that paying for education is enough to bring them wonders and fill their lives with all that is gold.

Do you not think that what you learn is not expressed without flashing that fancy diploma in other people's faces? Your diploma may imply you have something to offer, but your presence is what supports it. Thus, saying that Kaplan or any other piece of the academia is ********* and *********, because you did not land that dream job you were promised is a bit of an exaggeration.

By the way, as far as accreditation goes and the diploma being recognized, I have been making phone calls to on-campus universities (e.g. University of Colorado – as I plan on obtaining my MA degree through traditional means), and because Kaplan is regionally accredited, I will have no problems with transferring credits and having the degree accepted. Depending, of course, on the courses I will take in the mean time.

And if anyone is still fearful for not having their Kaplan degree accepted, you can simply get your BA online and then complete your MA through a traditional college.

…OH, and the comparisons made between Kaplan and UoP is just absurd. Both are for profit, both are well known, both have the same accreditation, and to me both are run in the same interest…their names are just different.

Erik September 10, 2009 at 8:16 p.m.

I have been in the tech field for 8 years and wanted the piece of paper to go with and have a little more stability. I am currently a year into a 3 year Bachelors degree for Network Administration. I'm happy with Kaplan, the financial aid office, courses. It is challenging, no doubt about it. You have to do the work. Some people think it's easy because it's online, nothing could be further from the truth. Online works for me because sometimes I work on the road and live in hotels. If you really want to get a degree, Kaplan is a great school, but like I said, it will not be easy.
Good luck and I hope this was a helpful review.

Anonymous again September 14, 2009 at 6:30 a.m.

I just had to add this, I am by no means an employee at Kaplan, I have better things to do then lie to you people, but its just the pure ignorance of people that tell themselves not to go to a school just cause someone else said its bad. Well guess what folks, if 100 people told me not to join Kaplan right to my face, Id still check it out for myself. If you are on this site telling yourself that you don't want to join because of what others are saying then your ignorant. First off you need to know what degrees these people who are bashing Kaplan were enrolled in. Second, the average person who myspaces, goes to the mall, drinks and parties is like a cumulative percentage of 80% of all kids aged 13-24. I think Ill take my own personal experiences for one as a Christian, two as a dedicated person whos following his passion and dream, and three, someone who left public school cause the public education system in this country is OUTRAGEOUS!

Not only am I clueless to know why people complain about the financial aid at Kaplan, my Financial Aid adviser has been wonderful with all responses, has helped me through everything I asked, and shows no sign of stopping.

I am truly saying this with all honesty, Kaplan is amazing, why you ask? Because Im making it amazing. I get on the online campus at least 20 times a day just to see if I have any messages or to check if any assignments have been graded. Your assignments are given to you at 12:00 A.M. Wed. and are due the next Tues. by 11:59 P.M., and I get all my work done by thursday night at the latest, and I have a 4.0 GPA. Its not hard to succeed in school, and trust me, online school is if anything much harder then public, your on your own in terms of commitment, and for those who complain they were kicked out Im sorry to here that, but you knew the rules and you should have kept your commitment to school exactly where you had it. And thats a bull face lie you were just kicked off. You have to not be signed on for 20 days to be immediately terminated, but if you contact them and tell them of your absence then you are fine.

Ignorance is bliss everyone, and it seems to many people enjoy these days.

I really wish you all the best with your college choices no matter what they are and hope that where ever you end up going that you will make the best of it.

God bless all you guys and girls that are troubled on where to go to school, I really mean that! I feel I am the "go 2 guy" at Kaplan right now in my classes cause if anyone needs help on something, or just chat about something thats bothering them, Im there to help, and thats the way the college experience should be. Ill pray for this thread tonight and that those who are lost find where they want to go, and that those who had a bad experience at Kaplan will do the right thing and not blame the school. "Your life is what you make it."

Jeff September 24, 2009 at 5:18 p.m.

Honestly,

The people saying they don't work for Kaplan are most likely liars. Who the heck writes several paragraphs, in depth, spell checked, etc. etc. Unless they had something to gain?

Look if the University is satisfying your educational needs then you shouldn't need anyone else's two cents especially from this forum crawling with individuals who are getting commission from enrolling students.

D.H. September 28, 2009 at 1:08 p.m.

I just want to say as many have said before, every school has a problem in one area. When it comes to financial aid at Kaplan, it's usually not their fault that the student qualify for more grants or loans than what was expected. If you make a lot of money chances are you will have to pay out of pocket. If you don't make a lot of money and still have to pay out of pocket, you might have done something wrong in the process. Next time handle as much of the FA process yourself. That way you only have yourself to blame if something goes wrong. I am in my third year at Kaplan and haven't had any issues with FA or my classes. They are just as difficult, if not more, than a traditional school, and I don't think that's a bad thing.
The problem at Kaplan is the availability of the academic advisors and lack of support. The system they have in place now is horrible. Everything is okay for the first few semesters, but towards the end when you really need to get in touch with your advisor they're never available, no matter what time or day you try to contact them.
The point I'm trying to make is that an online degree is what you make at the school you make it. I know some people that complain about UOP and Walden. Not every school is perfect and Kaplan is included. If you want a convenient education with books included in the tuition, choose Kaplan. If you want more of a traditional school feel but online, go somewhere else. Kaplan just needs to get their student support skills up and they would almost be perfect. Almost.

Kemp October 7, 2009 at 3:38 p.m.

Just gotta say I have had the worst experience with Kaplan. I would not recommend Kaplan to anyone. I am in my 4th term and I am transferring once it's done. Kaplan is full nothing but snobbish rude staff & faculty.

jacie October 22, 2009 at 12:52 p.m.

I was really considering choosing Kaplan... I know a few people that are attending this school and don't have any bad things to say about it. Well a few weeks ago I was speaking with a male there.. I was just asking about tuition and he kept asking all these very unrelated questions,(guess he was just trying to get to "know" me). I literally had one question because I had already read up about the school and programs and they don't list anything on their website about the cost or financial aid. So I had to waste 30 minutes of my time speaking with him about well I don't know, nothing. I didn't want to be rude so I just answered the questions. I tried to get off the phone with him and he insisted I call him back the next night. Well as I was contacting all schools I decided Keiser was best for me. They were not pushy at all and really answered my questions. I checked them out and made sure they are accredited. Well after doing my financial aid and all that, I was talking it over with family, and the program all together was very high compared to other accredited schools.. but their monthly payments were low. In the mean time I was caught up with work, health issues, and a family member in the hospital in ICU. I finally had free time so I called the guy back at Kaplan, he didn't answer so I left a message apologizing for not being able to call him back. Well he calls me back, I told him I had things come up and I apologized, well he literally flipped out on me. He said I "disappeared" and blah blah & how he likes to keep in very frequent contact with his "students". Okay first off he is not a teacher... 2nd.. if he really wants his money he makes off of me, he will not treat me that way.
The sad thing is, I was excited about starting school and this guy ruined it for me. When I speak with someone about their school, they are representing their school... so if I had decided to take my chances with Kaplan, who knows, they all would have been rude to me!!! I don't want to be miserable at a school. The guy literally acted like we were dating and I hadn't called him in a few weeks!!!! So...When I have a question or an issue, and you are making money off of me, don't be RUDE!!!

So to all Kaplan employees: learn to treat your "students" with respect. If you want your money, be nice. You are representing your school so one bad representative can turn thousands away because of his incompetence and mental issues.

I have finally found a school that treats me with respect and is very knowledgable about their school AND to top it off, their tuition is the cheapest I have found!

Brittany October 26, 2009 at 6:23 a.m.

I've been enrolled in Kaplan University since May of 2008 and I am currently completing my seventh term. Aesthetically, my experience with Kaplan has been great. The staff, in my experience, has been relatively easy to work with (although Academic Advising can be slow to respond to requests for help), most of my professors have been helpful when problems arise, and Kaplan's platform for online learning is easy to navigate.

However, I have to say that I am concerned about the quality of education provided by Kaplan. I have a 4.0 GPA and don't feel as if I am being challenged. I attended the University of Illinois before I transferred to Kaplan, but I had to withdraw to help my ill mom at home. Not wanting to be left behind, I enrolled in Kaplan with the hope that I would still be receiving a good education even if it was online. Although I never expected Kaplan's courses to be quite as challenging as U of I's, it turned out that they are nowhere near as challenging for me. The work load is similar, but I hardly ever feel that what is being asked of me in the assignments are on a college level. In addition, the professors haven't been valuable in my learning experience and I resent that their only use to me has been to grade my work. They have all been adequately qualified in their fields and seem very knowledgeable, but the online platform makes it difficult for them to have an important role, in my experience.

I'm looking into going back to a traditional university because as much as I love having a 4.0 without much effort, I genuinely want to learn and need to be prepared for graduate school; doing Kaplan work just won't cut it, especially considering the relatively high tuition. However, I believe KU can be good for people who can only go to school online. Just be very aware of your career plans and whether or not your particular program/courses are accredited because not all of them are, which means that some graduate schools may not accept your degree and you may have trouble getting the job you want in your field. Put simply, do your research before enrolling.

MS GUCCI October 31, 2009 at 2:31 a.m.

I was really interested in attending Kaplan for the BS in Legal studies but,it seems to me 80% of you all don't even have average grammar skills or don't know how to use proper sentence structure. With that being said how did you even get accepted? I certainly don't want to attend a school with incompetent, ignorant, whining morons. Everybody is saying oh it costs too much...there are problems with fin. aid...whats the accreditation...I can't find a job/career in my field...the professors suck, etc. I'm not taking up for Kaplan or anybody else but, before you sign any papers do your RESEARCH!!! I don't care what school it is. Kaplan, Capella, Drexel, Western Governers, Keiser, etc. When making a college decision you MUST weigh out all options, give it some time, analyze key facts, and call potential employers about education profiles so you can have an idea what to look for and/or expect. I am so sorry that things didn't work out as planned but, that doesn't mean give up on your life dreams and goals. Instead dust yourself off and get back in the game. BTW the tuition is extremely EXPENSIVE and they also want extra credits thats another factor why its costly. For the price of their education I would rather find an old white man and suck his dick for money to attend Harvard. If your gonna go into debt make sure it's worth it!
P.S. Im going with Drexel,Herzing University, or Ball State Online.

4.0 student November 1, 2009 at 4:41 a.m.

Hello,

I enrolled at Kaplan as I was unemployed and didn't know waht my work schedule would be like.
Now, in my second (and last) term there, I have a 4.0GPA and I haven't even opened a book. Nope, I am not super smart, I am a construction worker. You are paying $3530 every 10 weeks to learn nothing.

At first, I thought, maybe its the first term that they make it easy. But now, finishing my 2nd term, how can I learn anything if all answers are given to you, or by the fact that you can retake a test until you get them all correct?

Also, they hire convicted criminals as admissions advisors, who are looking at your personal information. It is a call center, more like 5 of them, where admissions advisors have enrollment goals to hit, and if they don't , they get written up and later fired. They go thru a lot of people, just hiring and firing. And if you hit your goals and exceeed them, then you are eliglble to become a manager. How about that.

A.S.A. November 4, 2009 at 1:20 a.m.

I just recently enrolled with Kaplan for Medical Assisting, and I see alot of bad yet good review on here. Its kind of making me nervous here. Has anyone gone thru the M.A. course and what is your honest opinion of it?

Rayfeeo November 13, 2009 at 8:57 p.m.

I'm currently being courted by one of Kaplans admissions advisors who seems to be a pretty nice guy. So far' he's not too pushy and seems genuinely concerned. However, he's obviously looking to get a commission out of me signing up. I am returning to school in my late 40's. I have an associates degree in film production from Miami Dade Community College that I received about 10 years ago. I'm unemployed right now so I figured that returning to school for my BA could help my chances of finding a good job and help me in a business venture I'm currently involved in. Today KU's financial aid dept ran through my application and told me that I wont have any out of pocket expenses. They say that grants and loans will fully cover my education. I was feeling pretty excited about the school, but, after reading the mixed reviews here I'm now having second thoughts. I'm glad I found this thread and will continue to research before making a decision. Does anyone here know if it's true that Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are on the school's board of directors?

girl November 17, 2009 at 9:48 p.m.

Kaplan University is SUCH an awful school to attend. First financial aid officers are awful they don't care, they never answer voice mails and they take 7 days to read emails, they are doing this ON PURPOSE so that you can have 21 days of no school which WILL dismiss you from classes. You can only re-enter classes if you pay over 1-2,000 dollars out of your own pocket. Each term I was placed on 'lock' which didn't allow me to get into classes this is because out of NO WHERE I had to pay 2,000 dollars even though I did all my loans correctly. then I was doing loans and my financial aid officer said I was declined on each loan then would ignore my calls and emails and when I would call it would ALWAYS say she wasn't available even though I would call on her hours. In every way I know for a fact they dont answer their calls and emails so that there is a chance you can be dismissed from class and NEED to pay 1-2,000 to reenter. I have to pay this money even If I don't decide to attend kaplan anymore. So just because my crappy financial aid officer ( which I complained about and asked repeated for a new aid ) never answered my emails or calls on time I have a fine now.