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Wickedlick
(Graduate) on May 22, 2012
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ZERO STUDENT SUPPORT-Grading BIAS!!!!!!!!!
The instructors are allowed to grade as they "feel". Each class is run and operated by the instructor, not the university. If you have an issue with an instructor or have a concern like question specific assignment criteria or grading practices. Tough luck! I was told by the dean, who refused to get involved. I maintained a 3.96 GPA until my last term. I took a lower level elective (200 series)and questioned the grades I was making, as I could not get above and 81. My capstone grade (upper level series 499) was a perfect 100. All of my grades had been 96+ in all other classes the year and a half that I attended.
Nothing happened when I reached out help in week 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6. When I emailed the teacher, repeatedly, she said I insulted her by questioning her and my grades then became worse. I called student advising 5 times for intervention and was told to work it out myself since the school has no influence over individual instructors and how they grade or communicate. My 3.96 GPA tanked my very last week because of this class and I even recieved an academic warning letter from the dean of another department for the "tone" of my emails with the teacher. All of this happened my last week of what was supposed to be a joyous time. The school never asked my side and didn't care that I tried to resolve the issue with their advisors prior to my "blowing" up in the last email with her. She was equally nasty but used a bettwe writing style to communictae it to me. The bottom line is that I tried to get help and was told tough, take the grade and move on with life, despite it's impact on my near perfect GPA. My graduation will always be shadowed by the disgust of this event and the university's unwillingness to help. DO NOT ENROLL HERE!! ONCE THEY HAVE YOUR MONEY, YOU ARE STUCK!! I had numerous problems with financial aid as well. Idiots!! I had to get an omndsbusman to review my account 3 time in 1.5 years there because the financial aid people screwed my account up. All 3 times, the omndsbudsman found accounting errors to my benefit. Getting help and anyone to listen to you is IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Kstatuto
(In Progress) on March 5, 2012
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Medical Office Management
I would like to put a different spin on all of Kaplan University reviews. I enrolled did well received excellent grades, no problems what so ever until it came to my last term three class one with an externship. I eagerly awaited this day to come to almost be done. Filled out all clincal placement paper work and submitted every document required in the time alloted. On 1/20/2012 was emailed where I would be completing my externship at and instructed to call and set up an interview with the site. I did as instructed and instead of getting an interview date I was asked to fax my resume. I did exactly that with a very nice cover letter, four days had passed and I had not heard from the proposed site, I called to make sure they had received my fax and was informed yes they did and they would be forwarding it to the doctor and if the doctor like my resume she would call me. Strange response I thought but I thanked the voice on the phone and she rudely hung up. Moving right along since time was moving closer to the new and final term to begin I email Kaplan letting them know that I had not heard from the site yet or even given an interview date, Kaplan informed me give them time and if I had not heard anything by 1/30/2012 let them know. Sure enough 1/30/2012 came and went and nothing from the proposed site, I informed Kaplan again I had not heard anything and was informed via email that the Kaplan staff would follow up. On 2/2/2012 I receive an email informing me of site termination, the email informed me that the site was no longer williing to host me and that I should not contact them, it also informed me that since I was terminated from the site or not excepted after an interview I would have to meet with the Assistant Dean and a Clincal Manager via phone conference to further discuss what led to this and was given two dates and times to pick for this conference call. Now let me state this baffle I was and confused I was so I picked the early date which was 2/9/2012 at 3:00 pm. The day came and guess what they emailed me the wrong time so the call never took place and how they apologized for making this error, and gave me the 2/10/2012 at 2:30 pm (anyone seeing a red flags yet because I was). During the conference call with the dean and a clincal manager I was informed that the site no longer wanted to host me because I made numerous phone calls to them and harassed them for an interview. Now remember I told you I called this site twice, once to introduce myself and two to follow up to make sure they had received the fax I sent them. When I informed the dean and the clincal manager of this then the story changed to well the doctor overheard a conversation with you and a staff member which made him uncomfortable and therefore he decide not to host you. When i pressed Kaplan what conversation did the doctor overhear because their was no conversation beside me asking did they receive the fax I sent and was told yes and if the doctor like it she will call you. (now Kaplan is saying he as the doctor and the site is saying she as the doctor not really sure who the doctor is but not really that important but another red flag I think.) Kaplan could not give me a particular answer to this conversation the doctor overheard, but contined to inform that since I have no site (remember never granted an interview with the site) I was going to automatically fail the Externship class and that I would have to do a remediation plan and discuss what I learned from this experience, and why they should grant me another site after I take a term off. (Remember this was suppose to be my last term.) Confused I was in tears I was and shocked all at the same time. I kept asking how could this be I am in my last term and I have no more money or funding I should say to come back to retake a class that I am going to fail because a site lied to you. I had the phone records to prove that I made two phone calls, did not matter, many emails later nobody cares that the site lied, I am being force to pay for a class that I will fail because Kaplan did not inform me in the email on 2/2/2012 without a site you will fail the class, which had I know at that time I could have dropped the class because according to their polciies you have 7 days to drop a class, and remember because they screwed up the time on the first phone call it pushed me past the seven day drop period. So I could not drop the class, have to pay for it and then take a term off and hope they approve the remediation plan which is a letter I have to draft telling them why I should be granted another site and figure out where the money will come from to pay for this one class which is only three credits so very little funding will be available for me. So what do I get out all of this a big fat nothing because without the externship class I do not get my degree. I put in two years and spend thousands of dollars for nothing and Kaplan will not admit or at least take credit for the fact that they did not notify me of certain issues in the very first email of the site termination which had I know at that point I was gong to fail the class without a site I would have dropped the class and saved the money for a future course. You can say it did not happen like this if you want but I have the emails the phone calls and everything documented and guess what I walk away 30,000 in debt with nothing. If I was was to paste the remediation plan here you guys would be like are they serious. I just wanted to share my story which is not good, I am so destroyed right now and I do not even know where to begin to fix this, but what I do know is KAPLAN UNIVERSITY DOES NOT CARE THAT THE SITE GROSSLY LIED TO THEM AND RUNINED MY NAME AND MY EDUCATION. Thank you if you read but if you have any suggestions how I can get this fixed please help because I do not think they will grant me another site because theres a part when I was told there are no guaratees, oh did I not mention that yeah no guaratees we will find you a site after you do the remediation plan and take a term off. HELP HELP, I know somebody must know how to help me fix this. Why do I think they will not becuase I have filed a grievance and everything and in the emails to me is do the remediation plan and as far as we are concerned this matter is closed. What a fine mess I am in now. To pay back all this money for what, I did not even get the worthless degree I was striving for and a site or should I say a person lied on me with no regards on how this would impact my life. The sited does exist because its around the corner from my home just know this it was not one of the twenty sites I chose when filling out my application for a site placement. No I swear I never went there or anything but I do wonder if they have pulled this stunt on somebody else. Please let me know anybody. I was never granted an interview. So lost right now.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on November 14, 2011
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Master of Science in Crimnal Justice
I completed my Masters in Criminal Justice degree in August 2011. Excellent professors, who are experienced in
the field and all the professors had their PhD.
If you want to be smart and know your stuff, this is
the school to go to. Besides, it is not set up like
a work week, Kaplan cares about their students. Papers
are due in the drop box on Tuesday night, so students
can have a life on the weekends go to church, etc.
It is great to have professors in who worked in the police
department, for the DOJ, PhD is education, criminology,
lawyers, it is a Great program, one of the best in the
top five. If you are a CJ major Kaplan is the best schools
to attend.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on October 18, 2011
(email verified)
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Stay Away
When I transferred to Kaplan, the admissions advisor made it sound like a great school and a great program. He was extremely helpful in getting me started and things seemed okay. I am sure these people are paid extra for recruiting - just keep that in mind - it is not all happy and rosy. My transcripts did not get evaluated until after I had started classes - if this had been done ahead of time, I never would have enrolled. Beware their transfer policy - it makes no sense and is quite idiotic. I started at Kaplan as a third year student and still have to take a "this is college, here's how you write a paper and manage your time" class. Dumb. As you progress support diminishes and you never speak to the same academic advisor or financial aid person twice, so no one knows who you are or what your situation is, you have to re-explain it every time. Their website is horrible and disorganized, very hard to find the right forms. If you owe money at the end of a quarter, it's not really posted anywhere. Every time I have to call academic or financial, my opinion of the school and staff lower. The classes are okay, but it depends on the teachers, some are good and some are worthless.
Ultimately, for the price you pay, this school is not worth it at all. I thought University of Phoenix was bad until I attended Kaplan.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on September 27, 2011
(email verified)
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Poor Service
This is my second year at Kaplan, and when I first started the staff was very helpful in seeing that everything went smooth, but the longer your in attendance the assistance and support reduces quickly. I have had major problem with the financial aid department, they are very slow to mail out your stipens, and at this point I have been unable to get a straight answer about the schools policies regarding financial aid, and I have requested information about how to contact their corporate offices, and no one seems to know anything. I am beginning to question if they even have a corporate office, and I am under the impression that they make up their own policies as they go along. This has been a very frustrating experience and one that I would not recommend.For a fact anyone interested in returning to school should first do a lot of research; contact the department of education in his/her state, speak with government officials about government funding, do in-depth research about the policies and regulations of several universities before making a decision, and contact the better business administration, in addition remember that this is your education and your money and if you experience problems that you can not get resolved do not hesitate to contact government officials and the media because everyone has a right to know.
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J.a.mec
(In Progress) on August 30, 2011
(email verified)
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They will try to suck as much money as possible out of you!
Ok.. I am so outraged I don't know where to begin. I am two weeks away from completing my Master's degree, and something strange happenes.. The professor will not accept my assignment which is worth alot of point, because I was just couple hours late from the deadline.. All the other semesters, they (including the academic advisors) told me that the professors should grade your work as long as you turn them in before the end of the semester, and that was the case for me. I always got As or Bs even when I turned some of my assignments a week or so late.
Now that I'm close to graduating, all the sudden they change the policy and are telling me they will F my work (which I put alot of effort in staying up many nights with couple hours of sleep) and there is a possibility that I might have to retake the course even though I did ALL of my god dam# assignment on time except this one. Seriously, something is shady here. why all the sudden they change their "flexible" policy to "strict" policy, now that I'm very close to completing my degree? One reason, they want more MONEY! they are trying to make me stay another semester with them so they can rip me off.
I warn you. These professors are unprofessional, and even the advisors will switch their stories to get money out of you. A fraud institution. Don't spend a penny on them they WILL rip you off.
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MyLifes180
(Graduate) on August 8, 2011
(email verified)
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Pay Close Attention
Like several students have posted before me; I had major communication issues w/ the Financial Aide and Student Acct depts. I think most of the confusion started when Kaplan restructured their depts (from personally assigned advisors, to team assignments). I enrolled at Kaplan in May of 2009 and graduated their undergradutae program in April 2011; so I've seen alot of changes in their level of service.
MY 2 CENTS:
1) I am pleased w/ their new website design, but I would advise them not to impliment major website updates IN THE MIDDLE OF A SEMESTER!! lol It caused mass confusion for both the professors and students. (ie. lost assignments, unable to post, missing grades, etc)
2) If you find an Advisor who is experienced and able to assist you with an issue, be sure to continue to follow up w/ him/her until the issue is resolved. If not - you'll be re-explaining the situation EVERYTIME a new individual assists you (comments should be added to your acct, but most of the time - they aren't).
3) Something that one of my Professors taught me; In college, there is no totally wrong or right answer - as long as you have supportive references. During my journey at Kaplan; I was faced w/ hidden Financial Balances that were "Overlooked" by Student's Accts, prerequisite courses that were added to my degree plan...after I had already completed the respective courses, and the case of the disappearing "Promisary Note" which caused me to be locked out of my classes and possibly not graduate on time. ALL of these issues were resolved because I maintained a paper trail and kept copies off all my communications & Kaplan documents. I also sent emails to my professors and the Director of my degree program, seeking assistance...when I was met w/ a brick wall. Even though Kaplan should be held accountable, we (the students) are ultimately responsible for making sure that everything meets OUR LEVEL OF SATISFACTION! Hold them accountable and fight back - if you feel you're being done unjustly. If not, you have no room to complain.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on July 28, 2011
(email verified)
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Total Frustation!!
I am a very patient person, normally, until I am continuously left sitting on hold to reach Financial Aid, Tech Support or anyone to give me a straight forward answer or EVEN return my call. Only response I get is a computer generated loop of how their on-line courses are so convenient where one doesn't have to stand in line or go to buildings. However, nothing is mentioned how long you have to sit on the phone waiting in que for a representative to talk "at" you. I have cleaned an entire house while waiting. Currently (5th call today) I have been on hold for a solid hour. Was told in the evenings how busy they are because people are getting home from work. So I called in the afternoon (2p.m. ET). Ok, an 1 1/2 later, did I call during their tea time? Come on!! When I finally do reach someone, their mood is "fluffy" and want to promise blue skies with the exception of Tech Support, who are completely rude and unwilling to help! Rep in Financial Aid read from a script and couldn't answer my questions directly. Was told I needed to ask this person or that person. In contacting 'this' person or 'that' person, was told I needed to talk with financial aid. REALLY?! I have wasted more time trying to get answers than trying to work on my education. Kudo's to those and teachers (wife & sister who attends --- all in who you know & able to tell them which doors to go through) with good experiences. But, based on my experiences, thus far, and what I have read and researched, 85% in complaints, compared to 15% high marks, I would say Kaplan is vastly gaining ground on losing any credibility and becoming a not so reputable school!
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Chamberofchills
(Graduate) on July 9, 2011
(email verified)
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Kaplan University Graduate
My last quarter prior to graduation I received confirmation from Kaplan’s financial aid department that financial aid was received, and my last quarter was paid in full by federal aid (grants and loans). Everything seemed to be going as planned. However, when the quarter ended, I received a statement with an itemized bill that I owed $2000 and could not receive my diploma until I paid the money. I called financial aid, and they explained that my financial aid (loans and grants) fell short by $2000, so Kaplan gave me a ‘loan’ (without my knowledge) of the $2000, and now I owe the college. I was shocked that I had spent all my Federal Aid ($50,000) when the military covered 2 years of my education - 100%, and every semester/quarter I went to college when I was not in the service, I had a Federal grant and loan. I asked why I was not informed about the loan and I wanted to see where I signed for the loan, but they could not provide a signature nor an answer for either. Since they could provide no signature, and never notified me of this, I felt they could not hold me responsible for this charge without my knowledge. They agreed that they failed to obtain to notify me and did not obtain a signature. Because of this, the supervisor of financial aid told me since they could not provide a signature they would not charge interest on the $2000, but are still charging me the amount of the loan, and withholding my diploma, and not releasing my transcripts. I have called the Department of Education and filed a complaint. This was back in 2007. Overall, I invested two-and-a-half years and over $30,000 of the governments money into Kaplan's degree program and they are still withholding the diploma and transcripts due to the dispute. Several months post graduation, I became disabled and am on disability. My college loans have since been “Forgiven” due to this reason. Regardless of this, Kaplan still will not release my degree diploma. I have no proof to show that I ever went to college or graduated with a 4-year degree. I worked extremely hard for this. I have been trying for 4 years now (since 2007) to get this taken care of. The Dept of Education can only help me if I have been discriminated against in which I have not. I desperately need help with this situation. There is now a class action lawsuit pending with the Economic Crime Division of Florida through the Attorney General’s office. I have filed repeated complaints with the Better Business Bureau of Florida and received the same rude refusals. I would love to post their (Kaplan's) responses to my requests of my transcripts and diploma for others to see before making a decision on a college. Being in the military, I had a chance to go to many different colleges since I moved around. A superb online college I found was Washington State University online. They are very organized and the education quality is superior. More and more campus colleges are offering classes on the internet. Check with your local college. *It is in my opinion that the best way to tell if a college is worth its degree in value is the way they treat their current students as well as their graduates/alumni.
MORE INFORMATION:
***The BBB had "748 complaints closed in the last 3 years | 306 closed in last 12 months". Go to the link below to read formal student complaints.
GO TO: http://www.bbb.org/south-east-florida/business-reviews/educational-consultants/kaplan-university-in-fort-lauderdale-fl-9636/complaints
***To share your story w/ the Higher learning commission, their complaint email is:
complaints@hlcommission.org
***If you are a victim of Kaplan's financial aid dept., pls contact the number below to share your story and fill out an affidavit for the Florida Attorney General's office. They will mail or email one to you:
Office of the Attorney General
Economic Crimes Division
110 Southeast 6th Street
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33301
Telephone: 954.712.4600
Thank You I hope this can help someone out there. . .
Laurie C.
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Wrcoffey
(Graduate) on July 1, 2011
(email verified)
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Great school!
I wrote a reveiw earlier about the Associate Degree program in IT with emphasis in programming. I loved the school so much, I came back. I wasn't disappointed! Basically, if you are having problems with this school, there are things you need to know about before starting to blame the school.
Financial Aid - I've seen many complaints about their Financial Aid department. I've had a couple of issues, but persistance is the key to dealing with their financial aid department. First, keep track of your financial aid documents. If you have something due, you need to send it in, or they will not process your financial aid. It's easy to keep track of. Second, keep track of expenses and award amount. Simple math will help you with this. Every semester, I was able to know to the exact penny how much was taken out, how much was left, and how much my stipened payment would be. The only thing you have to remember with stipened checks is this: Most of the time, the financial aid doesn't come in until your third week of the semester. They have 10 days after they receive it to apply it to your account. Then they usually dispurse the stipened about 10 days after all transactions are processed are applied to that semester in your accout. I usually received my checks about Week 5 of the semester.
Classes - Simply put, don't fall behind, and get ready to work hard for your grade. The books are usually to read and understand, the work is challenging, but fun, and the instructors they had in my program were knowlegeable, and were very helpful. The only book I had problems with reading was the Data Structures book; however, my professor was very good at explaining the book material to where I could understand it. If in doubt ask! Just know, procrastination and falling behind is what kills you. If you are falling behind, CONTACT your instructor before you get too far behind. They will help you get caught back up.
Discussions are simple - post by Saturday, and respond to 2 other classmates before Tuesday. That's it.
Just know that this school is great, but it's up to you to apply yourself and stay on top of all your school related affairs yourself. Be prepared to work for your grades, it's well worth it. Just for those who are skeptical, I graduated with an Associate Degree in IT for Programming with Summa Cum Laude honors, member of Alpha Beta Kappa Honor Society, member of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and a graduate of the Bachelor's in IT in Application Development with Summa Cum Laude honors. If I can do it, you can too!
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on May 24, 2011
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Unsatisfactory
I have been attending Kaplan online for almost three years now. I am enrolled in the Psychology program. When I first started they were rated #1 in the nation and had the cheapest prices of school. It was a good school at first until I started to review my account. I was told when I enrolled that I would recieve 93 transfer credits for having an associates degree and that my program was only 180 credits to copmplete. After the probationary period I looked up my degree plan and found out that I had to take 215 credits in order to complete. So three years goes by, I have had to take leave of absences and may grades have falied misserably. The fininancl aid department is a joke. It is worse than calling a telemarketer. I can never get a straight answer, I have requested to speak with a manager for over a year now and have been promissed several times that they would contact me and I am still waiting for a reply. The FA department promised that I was funded until my graduation date, I was supposed to be doen this month and when I finished my last class I recieved a call stating that I would have to pay them $7,000 plus in order to recieve my degree or transcripts. When I asked why they said that I ran out of Government funds. Come to find out they had sent back over $5,000 in government subsidized and unsubsidized loans without notifying me. I reviewed my account back to a year ago and they did unauthorized transactions on my account. They also failed to tell me that my program requirments changed a year after I had enrolled into school and I no longer needed to complete the 215 credit hours, so know I have 204 credits and still cannot graduate. I am very disappointed with this school. I owe over $60,000 for a bachelors degree, please explain how a bachelors degree costs that much money. I am looking into a lawyer at the present moment because theis school is seriously screwing people over. DO NOT ATTEND THIS SCHOOL, IF AT ALL MEANS, THEY ARE A RIP OFF. I have read through the other reviews and I can relate to the other people that have had the same issues as I have had. Thank you to all that have submitted the feedback for your assistance will help me in building a case against the school to sue them. Good luck to all of you out there in your degrees and professions.
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Brice.the.computer.guy
(In Progress) on May 10, 2011
(email verified)
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Financial Aid sucks - all help is based on prewritten scripts.
Do not have any problems and your experience will be fine. Unless the problem is Kaplan based, like a new IT infrastructure, then you will be screwed. As an Alumni of the Undergrad degrees, I thought Kaplan would be a great place to get my Masters Degree as well because I was familiar with the technology, the course layout, and the support team that was in play for the undergrad courses. Everything was going fine until such time as I had a dispute with a billing amount for a class that was dropped within the so called drop period.
Shortly after I had dropped out of a class, because of a technical issue with the IT infrastructure, I was hit with a bill that was over 50% of the class price. I could not access the classroom so I could not get my coursework done. When I tried to call Technical Support, I would wait for over 2 hours and still not get a hold of anyone, thus it went unregistered or recorded. I had to make a decision on what I was going to do. So I called the Academic Adviser and was offered little help other than to drop out....BIG MISTAKE! I have been disputing the bill ever since and still can not get anyone with a brain on the phone to listen to all the facts before making a decision. The support sucks, the financial aid team sucks, and no one will give you the information you need in order to get the right people on the phone or by email. They start billing you and expect payment even though the payment is in escalation.
I gave a 4 for overall based on the fact that the books and the teachers are pretty top notch. The Support plain and simply sucks. You have been warned.
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Jlcarlson92
(In Progress) on April 17, 2011
(email verified)
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Overworked Department Head, Blinded Deen, and robbers and Kaplan U
If you are reading this post before you attend kaplan, good job, because I wish i had read reviews too.
I started Kaplan in a Paralegal Associates Program. My Professors kept me awake in the early hours, but as i went on, Paralegal wasnt my thing. I went to go on the Criminal Justicice Program (Associates). I took an Intro course and I realy liked it,my professor was realy amazing. After that, my amazing professor was let go, so I was stuck with the department head of my facility for most of my classes. I felt that he was stealing my money right from under my nose. He spent most of the class talking about his experiences, that had nothing to do with the class. He rambled on about these experiences for hours. (Twice in a row because i had him back to back for different classes.) Than i took a risk, he had told us that he did not like to be videotaped, but i had permission from the dean, and a couple other people to do so. So i videotaped him. Not once did he ask us to open our book, or if we had any questions on the reading. I showed this to the deen and he claimed 'I will take care of it' but i have yet to see improvement fromt his professor. Yes granted this professor was the Department Head, taught many classes and was going after his masters. I think back to the perfect professor i had, and thought why in the heck did that perfect professor move to a different school. I think maybe he had enough shit from Kaplan, or maybe the DH let him go. In my opinion that perfect professor should have been moved up to DH. So in sum, I feel my money is being stolen right from under my nose, the DH is overworked and dosnt have the energy to teach, they fire the best professors, and they try to get more and more money out of you. They threaten to not let you graduate if you dont pay it, they freeze you so you cant continue with your education.
Thank you for listening to my little rant, and i hope you have benefited from this.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Lasawanda
(In Progress) on March 21, 2011
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Great School but financial aid is not together
I'm currently attending Kaplan, and I am in my last term for my Associate's Degree. I don't even know where to start talking about this school. I love the instructors at the school they are very knowledgeable about what they are teaching, at least the ones that I have had. The problem I have with Kaplan is that their Financial Aid Department is screwing students over with their funding. I'm now blocked out of class from them not receiving my signed promissory note. Ok, they tell me they see it in the computer but, it takes 72 hours to process it. Classes start in two days haven't been able to register, what a headache. I would tell anyone not to change to another program because they will screw your financial aid up. If a degree program cost the same amount how do you owe more for changing to that program. They cost the same. I was checking my account regularly and The amounts for the classes was changing from one amount to another and you already know it would be more money when I check again. All I know is if your degree program cost 33,590 dollars and you have 45,000 dollars that is to be paid to the school for two years. They have already received 32,000 dollars in funding and still waiting on your last term funding to come in. which is about 3,700 more dollars. do the math. that over 35,000 dollars. Now, If you take out the stipends they said that my loans didn't pay them but, they sent it to me anyway, and never informed me that the loan had to come from them until a year later. Long story short they say I owe them 3,500 dollars how in the world is that possible I never got a stipends my second, third or fourth term. I'm very aware that your loan company you choose is suppose to loan you money for stipends, and not Kaplan. I'am a Christian Woman and I believe God will handle the situation with these people taking money. It's sad that they are taking money from people who are trying to better themselves. I will not be pursuing a Bachelor's at this school because it's very clear that are keeping money from students. I will be leaving after I figure out How am I going to pay this 3,500 dollars. NO MORE KAPLAN FOR ME! THEY ARE KEEPING STUDENTS MONEY.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on March 17, 2011
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Teachers are GREAT Administration is TERRIBLE
I'm almost finished with an AAS in Business Admin; In my expereince Kaplan University Online's amdinistration is terrible and inefficient.
Some of the departments cannot be reached by the other departments, which means that if ever you have an issue, it's possible to think it's being resolved, but all that really happened is a notary on your account about it.
The financial department has made mistakes IN THE DOZENS on my account alone!
When I try to contact individuals (each student is assigned a representative from each department - I have about 6) I seldom get a call back unless I bug them over and over via both email and phone.
Even their phone service is inefficient. Randomly chosen, when you call, you're offered the opportunity to take a survey at the end to report your experience, but NOT once has it ever actually allowed me to - it just hangs up on me when I'm finished with the representative.
ON A POSITIVE NOTE: Every teacher I've had (7) so far has been VERY experienced, attentive, tuned in, and efficient! I wish they ran the school. haha
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on March 6, 2011
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useless degree
Attending Kaplan's on line degree program was a good experience,for the most part. As an employee, I only paid for tech fees, some software and books, and Kaplan picked up the tab for everything else. If I made the Dean's list or the President's list, I did not pay for any books in the next quarter, which saved me a lot of money, and good incentive to keep making those lists. Other than a couple of jerks, the instructors were knowledgeable and helpful. Some of them even went out of their way to keep in contact and to make sure I understood the course work. The materials and technology were up to date. The assignments were almost always challenging, and I feel I got a very good education.
Now, for the bad news. I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bahelor's of Science in Management, with a minor in Applied Management, however, the degree I signed up for us a BS in Businesss with a minor in Criminal Jusstice (I had already gotten a CJ diploma from Kaplan previously to this degree). When I called , I was told that the degree program had changed, though it was actually the same type of program. This happened in my third year, but I was never informed. Ok, fine, it's still basically the same degree, except for the minor part, which should have been CJ, but nothing I could do about it. Now, try to get a job with this degree. Most employers think it's a matchbook cover type of degree, and give no credence to it, even though it's fully accredited. Prospective employers really do not know anything about Kaplan. When I applied for several jobs, including a few within the Kaplan companies, I was not even given an interview, except for two. On the first interview I went to, the interviewee never showed up. I thought that was a bad sign, but to add salt to the wound, I was finally granted an interview with a Kaplan recruiter for one job I applied for,within my realm of experience. I was brushed off quickly. The recruiter spoke to me in a very condescending manner and had the nerve to tell me I was not good enough for the position and hung up. She didn't even want to see my transcripts. Well, if my degree isn't even goog enough for its creator, then it must not be worth the paper it's printed on. What a waste of time.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on February 10, 2011
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Lots of Personal Attention, Until You Enroll, Then Good Luck Getting Anyone to Listen to You!
This was a horrible experience that I am still paying for. The Guidance Councilor that I was assigned encouraged me to increase my course load without telling me that it would require an additional $4000 out of pocket expenses! From the way she originally explained it, I was under the impression that my financial aid package could be tailored to cover it. Nope, and I also had a Pell Grant reversal that no one told me about, what a great surprise! More money they decided that I had to pay IMMEDIATELY or I'd be locked out of my classes. Well, I couldn't do that and I wasn't comfortable taking out another personal loan, so now I can't get my transcripts to go elsewhere until I ransom them out. Beware of what they promise you, they are out to sell their product, and could care less once they have your signature.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Chelelee96
(In Progress) on February 5, 2011
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Kaplan University-Medical Assistant Program
I am now in my third term at Kaplan. I have had excellent instructors and massive support from my advisors and financial aid team. When starting Kaplan, they tell you that you may attend for your first three weeks but if you have lower than a 2.0, you will be dropped from the classes. Then the money is refundable. This is true, as I saw it happen to many of the first time students. They tell you that over and over, so those people who claim not to know why they were kicked out....enough said. My mother is an English Professor at a prestigious University(not Kaplan)I have attended many of her classes and learned a lot about college life. Kaplan is just as professional as any of the classes I have seen. It is worth it to me to pay the extra money because it includes everything: books, clinicals, scrubs, and nursing equipment. And everything arrives on time. Their text books are outstanding and included Cd-Rom games and interactive quizzes. I also received a Mosby's Medical Dictionary along with my med term. text and flashcards. That was just for one class, and I haven't even mentioned the MP3 downloads to study with. I love attending school at Kaplan. There is one thing to consider, though, do not attend if you don't expect to finish your degree at Kaplan. The credits are hard if not impossible to transfer, but that is true for any online college. I would recommend this school to anyone. I will be pursuing my bachelor's degree and furthering my education at another college to become a Physician's Assistant. I could never have had the time for this, had it not been for Kaplan. I have 4 children and a disabled husband and father in law to care for. Thanks to Kaplan, I have a renewed sense of hope for my future. I wish everyone could experience it.
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Dpenderg
(In Progress) on January 18, 2011
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Education Program Just Ok, University Admin...A Disaster
I read the poor reviews of Kaplan's financial aid department and student accounts department in the online review websites. I thought to myself, "these must be written by people who can't follow instructions". Boy was I wrong. Instead of financing my education, I paid in full prior to the term start date. Even though I owed nothing, I received calls and emails several times each month requesting a payment and threatening to lock me out of the online portal if a payment was not sent. After numerous calls to Student Accounts, I appealed to the president of the university. He quickly assigned a member of his staff to investigate and assist. After a call from his staff, it appeared things had been handled to my satisfaction. My assessment was incorrect! Now here we are at the end of the second term for this academic year and the calls for a payment have started again, EVEN THOUGH THE ACCOUNT IS PAID IN ADVANCE THRU THE END OF THE NEXT (third) TERM. The administration and financial practices of Kaplan University appear to be unorganized and chaotic. I do not recommend Kaplan because Financial Aid, Student Accounts, and University Administration are inept. Based on my experience, you will spend nearly as much time on the phone trying to get your account straight as you spend in the classroom/online. STAY AWAY!!
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Lisagarraway
(In Progress) on December 26, 2010
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Kaplan University served me well!
I chose Kaplan because I have 3 children, 2 of whom are under 5. I also work full time and I change shifts often, not of my own doing. My employer does not allow us to take time off for school unless you take a non-paid educational leave. So that wasn't an option. My only viable option was to take online classes. Now, I must admit that the Academics Advisor that I dealt with was very persistent. He called and emailed so many times, I started to just ignore him. Once I decided that I did in fact want to pursue school, I reached out to him. I was pleasantly surprised that it was easy to navigate through the system. Once I got out of the preliminary classes, it was very challenging. The math class made me almost cry every night. If anyone thinks that they can just breeze through and it's a "diploma mill" I don't know what classes they took. I had essays due every week for two classes. I put a lot of effort into my own schooling and learning because I wanted to gain the most out of what my employer was paying for. I really dedicated myself to the program and have graduated with honors.
As far as the human errors and people saying that they got the run around with financial aid or academics advisors; I did have a couple issues that were promptly resolved. I am the type of person that I call, email and call again till I get an answer. I kept the name of one FA rep who had helped me before and sent an email directly to him. But overall, I had no real issues. My employer pays my tuition, so I don't know if that had something to do with it. However, I feel like we are all adults and you have to be responsible enough to see an issue to completion instead of saying "they didn't call back."
I now have an A.A.S in Global Travel and Hospitality and keeping my options open on going for my bachelors. It was very worthwhile and I would recommend Kaplan ONLY if a person is prepared to work for what they want out of their education. I wanted to graduate with honors and I put the work in to do so.
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Dan_into
(In Progress) on December 21, 2010
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My experience has been great
I am a current Kaplan student working towards a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. I am also active duty military, a family man, and have completed an Associate's in Music Technology in 2005 from a "real" school.
Overall, Kaplan University is exactly like the brick and mortar school I attended for my Associate's degree: it has it's issues but in the end, you get out of it what you're willing to put in.
It is important that a Kaplan student be self-motivated. If you're one of those people who like to put in the minimum amount of effort required to slide by then you might want to look elsewhere. The workload per class can be challenging, especially if you're juggling a career, family or both while going to school.
Kaplan has great professors. All of my instructors have been absolute experts in the field they teach. This is more than I can say for the brick and mortar school I attended. Kaplan has also been great about solving any issues I have had. There was a financial problem that occurred during my second term. One phone call to my advisor and it was resolved the next day.
The courses vary in difficulty. The quizzes are a joke (you can take them as many times as you want) but the papers, powerpoint presentations, group assignments, and exams are anything but. Be prepared to put alot of time and effort into your homework if you hope to earn good grades.
Given my situation, attending a traditional campus is out of the question. Kaplan offered a reduced tuition, books included at no extra cost, and accepted most of my transfer credits. If it weren't for this value, I would be attending a cheaper school. But since the opportunity is there and the price is right, why not?
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Six325i
(Graduate) on December 20, 2010
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Serious School for IT - Horrible student accounts department
The Good –
Online courses through Kaplan are nothing to joke about. I've heard many people "putting down" online degrees, but after attending Kaplan University Online, I stand up for online schools. Kaplan has a solid set of instructors, Professors, and Doctors, to teach you what you need to know about IT. Compared with the various numbers of state colleges I've attended, Kaplan U deserves: 10 out of 10.
As for the subject matter, it's very pertinent to your field of study. Everything I've learned from Kaplan has lead me in the right direction in my career. The courses can be difficult, as with any college, but the key is to have enough free time to read, study, and understand the concepts and theory you're learning. This isn’t a 2-4 hour a week study program… it’s a full force program designed to make you work your butt off to receive an A. So, make sure you have the free time to attend classes and complete the work load.
The Bad –
Kaplan’s tuition rates are pretty high. For some reason, they need more and more money by the end of every quarter. You will receive an e-mail that tuition has gone up a certain amount (which hopefully your financial aid can cover.)
The Ugly –
The only downfall of Kaplan (that I've run into) is their student accounts apartment. Paper billing is not really an option for them at this current point in time. If you need to make a payment, it must be done online or over the phone. Either option is fairly uncomfortable I think. Especially, if you’re speaking with a representative; just because a website or an e-mail listed their number, doesn’t mean it’s the actual place you’re calling. If you’ve dropped, or are no longer a student of Kaplan, your accounts are closed and you can no longer login online to make a payment, so you must call to make the payment.
If you owe money on your account due to a lapse in your financial aid, they will automatically take a loan out in your name (without your consent) and call you stating that the balance on your account is overdue. Most of the representatives are pushy and ruthless, and do not care about your financial matters at hand. I may also add that they're ignorant and annoying (calling you multiple times a day regardless of your states creditor laws.)
The Conclusion –
As long as you do not drop from Kaplan, you should have nothing to worry about. Kaplan offers a solid educational background in IT, plus the ease of accessing your studies online from your own home or office. Remember: This is not an “easy” college; it’s a “serious school of thought”.
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Crazycatlady5055
(In Progress) on December 13, 2010
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The 411 on Kaplan University
For those of you that are seeking a degree and feel that an online degree is your best option, Kaplan is an excellent choice IF you are self-motivated and do not require constant supervision. I am currently in my 4th term at Kaplan, and am pursuing an associates degree in Business Administration so all my comments regarding curriculum will be limited to the Kaplan School of Business. The value of the material taught in my courses is outstanding. After reading some of these reviews that state that the curriculum taught to them was severely outdated I was a little confused. Kaplan offers a very up to date and appropriate curriculum in their business classes. Lean Six Sigma and Globality are both high profile, cutting edge business practices utilized by international companies and are both included in Kaplan curriculum, and as a matter of fact, most of my text books are BRAND NEW. For those individuals that found classes to be too easy, I believe this might be the case because they have been working for several years in the same field in which they are attempting to obtain a degree and therefore have a much higher professional knowledge of the material then someone just graduating from highschool. Those that complain about feeling as though they are teaching themselves by reading the book and then completing the required coursework with minimal instructor supervision I just want to say this. First of all, when you attend an online college, the personalism offered by brick and mortar schools is impossible. It is obvious that you will not be coming into contact with your instructor or classmates in the same manner as you would in a traditional university. I too was concerned about this, but with the tutoring services such as the writing center and math center there to help you, I have NEVER gone without assistance when I needed it. Secondly, note that when you attend online, it is called distance learning, or by correspondence. If you are unable to stay on track without constant supervision, then don't go to ANY online school because that will be the case with all of them. As far as financial aid, I have to say that I receive GI Bill benefits as well as tuition reimbursement from my employer and have not had any problems other than having to make the occasional phone call to ensure the college sends my enrollment verification to the VA in a timely manner. With regard to cost, Kaplan's fees and tuition are clearly posted on their website. Do the math and determine what the total cost will be. Those who say Kaplan is expensive apparently did not go online to look at the cost. Also, a college education IS NOT FREE. If your aid doesn't cover it all, don't be upset if you have to pay a bit out of pocket. A lot of people have to pay ALL of it out of pocket. Additionally, PAY ATTENTION to your account. I check mine on a weekly basis, and if something is amis, I call. Be PROACTIVE, not REACTIVE. As far as the people who complained about Kaplan holding their degree or transcripts hostage until their final balance is paid, ALL PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES DO THAT. Once they give you your degree, or an offical copy of your transcripts, there is no motivation for you to pay your debt. My daughter went to a private Christian school when she was in the 2nd grade and when I decided to transfer her to public school, they would not release her transcripts to me until I paid off my balance. That is just how it works. If you call and can't get the person you are trying to reach, often there is someone else that can help you. The people that work in these student support departments are just like us. They take vacations, get sick, go to meetings and also deal with hundreds of other students. They can be quite pleasant and accomodating if you treat them the way you want to be treated. My first term academic adviser, Debra Barrett was absolutely AWESOME! She was my advisor through my first term, but still e-mails and calls me to check up on me and give me words of encouragement. Also, as far as Kaplan's accreditation is concerned, they are regionally accredited and your degree is valid. The person that posted earlier about their human resources department throwing resumes in the trash of people who have Kaplan degrees does not realize that they are violating laws regarding equal employment opportunity. I currently work for the Marine Corps and not only do they accept my Kaplan transcripts towards career advancement, but they also pay my Kaplan tuition reimbursement. My advise is if you are looking to go to an online school, and you are interested in Kaplan, do your research, not just by reading these reviews, but by thoroughly researching Kaplan's website, as well as that from other online schools. Know what you are getting into and what you want to get out of your education. Good luck to all of you.
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on November 24, 2010
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No problems whatsoever
I began my collegiate career at Kaplan University in the summer of 2008 while deployed to Afghanistan. Being an active duty Soldier, I had the GI Bill and used Army tuition assistance so the issues that others had with financial aid didn't apply to me. As far as transfer credits go, ALL but one class transferred. I attended Central Texas College and the University of Maryland. I addition to that, I used my AARTS transcripts from my active duty service as well. The total amount of transfer credits allowed me to transfer my entire lower division requirements. Even with those credits, I still had to attend for 2 years. I never had an issue with any of my professors as far as communication goes. In fact, they were very cordial and went out of their way to help with any issues I had with class. As far as seminars go, the students weren't chatting away, because my instructors didn't allow it, period. Since I work full time (Army), time management is the key to any online education. Some who have written their reviews have experienced horrible problems with Kaplan, but I thankfully, have not.
Overall, I can only provide favorable feedback regarding my time at Kaplan.
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Chamberofchills
(Graduate) on November 13, 2010
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Graduated without a diploma
I graduated with my BS in Criminal Justice w/ a concentration in Forensic Psych. I loved everything about it. I had went to a regular university college campus for 3 years, and wanted to try something challenging and more innovative, and this was definitely it. Overall, Kaplan’s instructors for this degree choice were very informative and I actually found the work to be more challenging than campus classes. This was 3 years ago. I had a great academic advisor (C. Multrie). However, it seems that Kaplan has a persistent issue with the financial aid department. It has happened to many students that attend and needs to be addressed by the Dept of Education. My last quarter, I was so happy to be graduating, and had my classes schedule. I received confirmation that my financial aid was received and everything seemed to be going as planned. However, when the quarter ended, I received a notice with an itemized statement that I owed $2000 and could not receive my diploma until I paid the money. I called financial aid, and they explained that my financial aid (loans and grants) were short by $2000, so Kaplan gave me a ‘loan’ of the $2000, and now I owe the college. I asked to see where I signed for the loan, but they could not provide a signature. Since they could provide no signature, and never notified me of this, I felt they could not hold me responsible. They told me since they could not provide a signature they would not charge interest, but are still charging me the money, withholding my diploma, and not releasing my transcripts. I have called the Department of Education and filed a complaint. Overall, I invested two-and- a-half years and over $30,000 into the degree program, and they are still withholding the diploma and transcripts it due to the dispute. All I can say is “be very weary of the financial aid department”.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on November 4, 2010
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worst financial aid ever
I am almost through my bachelors program in Information technology, and have only had one term that financial aid did what they said they would. In my opinion, if you are paying your own way it is a great school, if you need aid, go somewhere else. I am in the process of getting evicted from my apartment with my 2 young boys because I had surgery and lost my job, applied for expense check, they said it would be here, it's not, they actually received the money several weeks ago, I don't have outstanding documents or anything, and they just say "it should've been handled, it'll be processed soon" and "there isn't a supervisor you can talk to" and, oh, looks like something happened that we did, and we might not be able to process it for another month. The term is over that the check is for. Yet they refuse to cut me a check for money they have received and is earning them interest. Fraudulent is what I would call it. Overall, DON'T BELIEVE THEIR FINANCIAL AID DEPARTMENT, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!
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Ldyraina
(Graduate) on November 2, 2010
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Kaplan University: Worst School Ever! STAY AWAY!!
I graduated from Kaplan University in October, 2009 with an AA in Medical Assisting. Most of the reviews that I have seen here about any of the Health Care programs have been prodominately negative. As for FA I did not have any problems there. I graduated with a 3.51 GPA, the only one in my group of graduating MA's to graduate with honors. About half of the instuctors in the required medical courses were lacking in educational experience to teach those classes at the college/university level. There were complaints filed against the instrutors and they were let go by kaplan only to be replaced by another unqualified instructor. As for Career Services assistance, there is none! The advertisements that I am sure we all have seen on television, they are all false and misleading. I have tried to contact CS on multiple occasions to get help and leads on employment and have gotten nothing from them. All interviews that I have gotten I have gotten on my own. I am also Certified as a Medical Assistant as of February, 2010. You would think that by now I would have obtained employment as a Certified Medical Assistant, right? Think again! I have found that anyone who graduated from Kaplan U in any of their health related studies programs is passed over for jobs and laughed at behind their backs. Most graduates come out expecting to take boards for cerification or licensing and can not pass the boards.
I have tried to give Kaplan the benefit of the doubt for quite some time now, but I now realize they do not deserve it. They are only out to make money no matter what the cost to unsuspecting individuals like myself who just want to inprove their lives by get a better education. We all seem to want the same thing here. That is to improve our lives and family finacial situations. It is imposible to do that with the cracker jack degrees that Kaplan gives us. When we are still stuck working for minimum wage and having student loans to pay back for degrees that do you no good, how can one ever expect to improve their financal situation? Kaplan does not give a rats a*% how much farther in debt their students end up after going to their schools.
If you are shopping around for a good school to go to, stay away from Kaplan. If you want to pay through the nose for the joke of what they call an education that they will give you then go ahead and enroll. I can tell you now though,
that you will get better results by throughing you money into the wind or burning it then you will by giving it to Kaplan.
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Caweiss.carl
(In Progress) on October 14, 2010
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Kaplan University rip-off!!! Vetrans Beware!!!
I attended Kaplan U. for a whole year, and then out of the blue, they had all sorts of issues at Fin Aid. This department is a total failure. I had been told by enrollment that I had qualified for aid to accomplish an Associates in CJ. I had exactly 1/2 my credits towards that degree, when I was locked-out of classes, and no matter how many e-mails I sent (total of 130), they never could find the information. I was in contact with @ 10-15 different people at Fin Aid, and they did not even know eachother. Finally, when I threatend to go to the Department of Education with a formal complaint, I was told by the "Asst. Director of Student Relations", that all would be set straight. It is now 10 months since, I am already paying back my student loans for an education that is totally useless, and Kaplan keeps sending bills for all sorts of different amounts. One month its $500, the next its $1200, etc. I have told them that I am no longer enrolled, but they continue to call and harrass. STAY AWAY FROM THIS INSTITUTION. IT IS A FRAUD.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on October 12, 2010
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So far, so good
I read reviews about Kaplan for hours on end. They were horrible but I decided to attend anyway. So far, Kaplan has exceeded my expectations. I attended an HBCU ( brick and mortar) for my undergrad and I experienced PLENTY of problems with FA dept. The school's accreditation was also threatened because of embezzlement, fraud, and a host of other things, but I was persistent and eventually graduated. What I am saying is that Kaplan isn't any worse than other schools. Students have to be more persistent in every aspect of life, including persistent phone calls to make sure all items have been received ( e.g., transcripts, verfication info, FA documents, etc). My first term support contacted me because I had failed to turn in assignment (that I had no idea I'd missed) in one of my classes. Because of their concern for my academics, I was able to turn in the assignment and get the full grade. *shrugs shoulders* Kaplan has been wonderful and I would recommend any PERSISTENT person to apply.
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Phukphasbuk
(Graduate) on October 5, 2010
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Tired of reading bad reviews?
I am Kaplan University graduate. I put in the time, work, effort and did what was expected of me and then some. I graduated from Kaplan with a 4.0 GPA. I am self motivated and made my education a priority in my life and the entire process was easy and I have not one single complaint.
Kaplan University is one of the most advertised online universities in existence. Their TV ads mostly appear during daytime and late night TV programming that slackers will watch. For example, during exploitative talk shows (Maury, Jerry Springer), court shows (Judge Judy, Eye for an Eye) and other reality programs (COPS and Cheaters.) Having said that, who will most likely respond to these ads? Slackers. Now, I ask you to take a look at the the majority of the negative reviews about Kaplan. Did the person withdraw, quit, or fail? Next, Proofread their posts. Can they write a paragraph using complete sentences, proper grammar, and without punctuation errors? Is the negative review mostly about their difficulties with the financial aid department? Honestly, most of the people writing the negative reviews do not have what it takes to make it at Kaplan or any other university for that matter. Most of Financial Aid problems arise when the person has not submitted the proper paper work or have not completed it correctly.
From admission to graduation is a very simple process. Everything that is expected from you is clearly outlined. Support for any issue that may arise throughout the process and beyond is abundant. I would absolutely recommend Kaplan University to anyone I know that is self motivated and has made getting an education a priority.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on October 4, 2010
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Worth the Effort
Overall, my experience has been very good. I have, like a lot of other students at various brick and mortar as well as online campuses, had trouble with financial aid. Nothing big, but it was a little more complicated then I would have liked. The course materials really start out very simple, and I had my doubts because of it. I realized after the first couple of terms that the program starts out as more of a refresher course to get you back in learning gear. A lot of students at Kaplan have not been to school in a long time and this really is beneficial. I am now in my 3rd year and the course material is very in depth, fast pace and demanding. This is not a course that allows you to just show up and get an A. You actually have to do the work and the work load is not small. I have learned a lot and am confident that once I have completed the full 4 years, my education will be very valuable to me. My instructors all have real world experience. In all of my legal classes, the professors are all experienced lawyers or judges with multiple years of teaching experience. My main complaint, is that the majority of the books are ebooks. I really like having a paper copy of my books and printing them is just not an option for me. I have seen a lot of complaints about financial aid, poor academic adviser assistance, hard to transfer and Kaplan not being recognized as a good school. Let me just say that when I initially considered Kaplan, I did a lot of investigating. Online distance learning is new, but is really growing and becoming more acceptable. Each year, more and more colleges are offering online or distance learning. Kaplan is accredited with the exact same accreditation as the University of Iowa and they also offer campus courses as well. Transferring the credits to another "brick and mortar" college is possible. I found some colleges that accepted some, but not all of the classes. If you have ever tried to transfer credits, this is similar to a lot of other colleges in that not everything will transfer. As for getting into a good law school with a BS from Kaplan, it is possible! I have seen it done. Are you going to get into Harvard? Probably not, but lets be reasonable when making arguments and complaints.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on September 22, 2010
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Eh... not much more to say
Overall, I can say Kaplan is a decent school (not much more and not much less). They have many different classes to choose from when completing electives and I liked having these options. I do wish that Kaplan challenged me a bit more than it has. Yes, there were a few classes that I really had to concentrate; but I believe this more had to do with the teachers conducting the class. The course work was mediocre and I could usually get a paper done within 1 1/2hr and still get at least 95%.
The other big issue I have with Kaplan is the use of quarter credits, instead of semester credits. For those of you that don't know the difference, don't me embarrassed because I didn't either. Basically, 5 quarter credit hours is equal to 3 semester credit hours (the majority of universities use semester credit hours). Kaplan charges $371/quarter credit, so each class costs MUCH more than any other school. University of Phoenix charges $365/credit and they use semester credits, which makes it much cheaper than Kaplan.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend going to Kaplan. Either take your time at an actual brick and mortar school, or invest in another online school. My two year degree is not worth as much as it is costing me at Kaplan.
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G_tatum
(In Progress) on September 18, 2010
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What are you all crying about?
Wow. It seems to me there's a lot of whining going on here. First, let's address the reason each and every one of us use online education. It is for convenience. Others just couldn't cut the mustard in a non-profit setting. Their primary education was not up-to-par. Second, be smart enough to read. Stop blaming the University for YOUR inability to look out for yourself when YOU didn't take the time to read your Master Promissary Note, Financial Aid Statement, or any of the other information provided by Kaplan when you enrolled. Now you whiners want to claim they sold you a lemon. Yes, the tuition is higher because you are paying for convenience. The convenience to roll you lazy butts out of bed and go to school. Or for those of you that have jobs and a family, you have the convenience to go to school on your time left available and not have to sit in one class for hours at a time. When you go to a convenience store, you pay extra. You could have driven further to a grocery store, but that is the price you pay at the convenience store to save YOU time.
I have attended non-profit universities on campus and for profit universities on line. Kaplan University gives me just what I need, convenience. Yes, there are times of hold for Financial Aid. That is because YOU are not the only student enrolled. It's not like you can just walk in and have your issues addressed. Stop whining and get the education YOU need to get on with your life.
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Millertyme223
(In Progress) on August 25, 2010
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Biggest Mistake Ever!!!!
I decided to go back to school and finish my degree in Accounting. At first I went to university of phoenix, and while I enjoyed I decided to transfer to kaplan because I enjoyed to idea of online seminars. That was the only good thing about the school.
I went to Kaplan for a little over a year and about half way through I found out that is college is a mistake. I was not learning anything and I decided that I would have to attend a university to get that the eduaction that I was lacking from Kaplan. I upset that I had not learned anything, and basically bs'ed my way through the course to earn a 3.2 gpa.
Things got worse when I recieved a bill from kaplan for $495. They said that it was because financial aide, and student loans did not cover everything. I was confused by this because in the almost 2 years of online classes I had paid a thing because I was covered. When I tried to call the financial aide department I would sit on hold for 30-40 mins at a time and still no one would answer. I would send email to my advisor or whom ever I could think of to get this bill explained, and no one could do it.
Recently I enrolled into DeVry University to finish what I started and Kaplan has refused to release my Transcripts to see what classes will transfer because of this bill, that still has not been explained to me. I have filed a chapter 13 because I was laid off from construction, and this new job has not allowed me to catch up on the bills. I put the 495 kaplan bill into the BK, and was assured that my transcripts would be released, so we shall see. The thing 20 mins ago I recieved a collection call from Kaplan saying that I know owe them $4150. How my bill is 10 times what it was I do not know.
To sum it up Kaplan is a horrible college, they do not teach nor help their students. That is why they have less than an 18% graduation rate. This college cost to much and if you do not pay they will hold transcripts hostage until you do.
To ANYONE wanting to go Kaplan University PLEASE PLEASE do your research. You will see that it is a mistake to go here.
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Killahsmile18
(In Progress) on August 21, 2010
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CHOOSING KAPLAN IS A MISTAKE!!
I was told the whole time that it will only take 18 months to 2 years to finish my BSN. So I started my 1st term right away coz I did not want to waste any more time. They made us do this PLAN OF STUDY assignment, and that's when I realized that it will take us FOUR FREAKING YEARS to finish the BSN program since 1 class is 10 weeks long! Now, if you want to finish within 2 years, you'll have to take 2-3 classes per term! I think people go to online schools because we barely have enough time to divide between work, family and personal time. ANd who wants to read two different books and write different papers every week while working fulltime and has a spouse and kids??! I guess if the admission staff had been honest to me that it will take FOUR YEARS to finish UNLESS I DOUBLE UP MY LOAD, then maybe this is not going to be a big deal. But lying to students and giving us FALSE information is just not right. This is more difficult because we do not see the people we are talking to, and all they do when you call is put you on hold and transfer you to different department!
also, BEWARE OF THEIR FINANCIAL AID!! I am a military spouse and was supposed to get a military discount, but that discount never showed up on my financial statement. I followed up of course, and I was told that it shows on their records and that i just do not see it on mine! So when I was about to withdraw from the school, this stup** lady told me that I AM NOT AN ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY - DOES NOT MATTER THAT I AM A MILITARY SPOUSE - SO THEREFORE I AM NOT ENTITLED TO A MILITARY DISCOUNT. She even told me that it was never on my record that I'm supposed to get any discount! It was frustrating that one people tell you this, and the next time you call, the other person tell you that...
Kaplan is too expensive and is definitely not worth your time and money. Yes they only charge $371 per credit hour compared to $450 of phoenix! but kaplan's one class is worth 6 credits, while phoenix and other universities only do 3! So do the math!
Everybody was so nice and supportive when they were trying to get me into their school- and at least on the first week of class because they want to make sure you don't drop on the first week coz you can still get a FULL REFUND ON THE FIRST WEEK. but after that - it's HELL!
I do not have any complain with the teacher --- every teacher from every school has different attitudes and teaching styles!
But why spend 4 years and about $35,000 to get your BSN if you can get it in 2 years and $15,000 in a different school?? We work hard for our money, and time is gold. Both we do not want to just waste!
So I suggest, you check with Phoenix or Walden, or any other online schools before you go to Kaplan. Kaplan's nclex review is good! They are only meant for review courses --- not a whole degree program!
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Mathisalisha
(Graduate) on August 18, 2010
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We reap what we sow
I must say that I have heard some very bad reviews about online colleges. I attended a community college which was okay, but I could not find the time to get to classes, as I am a mother of two. I signed up with the University of Phoenix and recieved my associated degree in Criminal justice and then transferred to Kaplan University to obtain my bachelor's degree. I must say that no matter where you go there will be problems with financial aide, academic advisors, and some professors. College is what you make it, and if you are not willing to work hard for the degree; don't blame anyone but yourselves. I have worked very hard and will let no one tell me that my degree is not worth the next students, neither should anyone else. As for getting scammed, if you don't have enough credits at the end of each quarter, your pell grant money will not be released, no matter how much you complain. I hear students say they have dropped classes, stopped going, or failed, but they still expect to recieve funds, why? If you are not working hard, learning ,and getting good grades-you don't need the money. For all those students who are working hard, keep up the good work!
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Diana3girls
(Graduate) on August 3, 2010
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YOUR EXPERIENCE AT KAPLAN IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT
Okay, I have spent the last hour or so reading these comments. I just completed my Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies with over a 3.0 CGPA, and my overall experience was great.
My biggest problem was that most of my classes were full of idiots who didn't appear to have even completed the 6th grade, let alone high school. Doesn't anyone know how to spell, use correct punctuation, correct grammar, etc.?
Sure I had a few professors who weren't quite on top of their game all the time, but I had way more who were, and who really challenged me to do my very best.
As for the financial part of it, I owed absolutely no balance when I finished my last term, and althought I had to occasionally fax/email documents to the FA Dept. that I knew they already had, so what? My grants and loans were through FAFSA (Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, CitiBank), and although I will have to start paying them back in a few months, I was never told that I owed more than what was disbursed to the school.
I think a lot of you complainers were thinking that because the classes are online, that they would be easy, and that you would be handed 4.0s and a diploma at the end of your classes. I have 3 children (one of whom is autistic), a husband and a house to take care of, and although it was hard work, I was able to complete my degree with no problems.
Like I said, my major issue with Kaplan is the caliber of students that were admitted to the school. I would say that over 50% of each of my classes were people who couldn't put a sentence together, didn't read instructions for assigments, didn't know where to find basic, simple information, and who spent the entire time trying to spout off crap they thought made them sound smart, but which actually made them look like idiots. I swear, I was really embarrassed for a lot of them. I couldn't believe some of the things that people would post on discussion boards, and God only knows what their written assignments were like. I feel bad for the instructors who had to grade some of those papers.
I am not trying to say that I am a know-it-all genius or anything, but most of the people I had classes with presented themselves as if they were young teenagers who got bad grades in middle school. I mean, I am talking about very basic stuff here. It was absolutely MADDENING to be in Seminars with them, and trying to converse on the Discussion Boards without insulting them took every ounce of my willpower.
So, I don't understand what all you complainers are talking about, because my time at Kaplan was productive and (for the most part) problem-free.
I intend to re-enroll next year for my Bachelors, and I would recommend Kaplan to anyone.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on July 26, 2010
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The worst experience
I wanted to be able to study from home and was contacted by Kaplan. It sounded promising and seemed to be the ideal solution for my situation...that is, until I actually started classes. From day one I had problems from financial aid. They seemed overwhelmingly incompetent. I filled out and faxed the same paperwork 5 times, I even refaxed the same paper, called the financial aid office to ask if they had received it, they informed me they had, but I was still locked out of classes. I received 4 e-mails regarding that same paperwork, I called again the next morning, and they said that they had not received it. I was so angry and frustrated and I had already missed almost 3 weeks of classes. I immediately requested that I be unenrolled, that took another 2 weeks. I received a letter from Sallie Mae informing me that my financial aid had gone through and payment had been received by the university, and even today, I got a letter from a collection agency stating that I owed $2400 to Kaplan. 2 semesters, one of which I couldn't complete because of the incompetence of financial aid and the second semester which I was locked out of for 3 weeks.
This "university" is nothing more than a scam, no better than spam e-mails, no better than the door-to-door scam artists.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on July 10, 2010
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I do not trust Kaplan
I did a lot of research before I decided where to attend. Kaplan is For-Profit, Private school. Their main goal is to make money. The ads for teaching jobs are all over Craigslist, which makes me skeptical about their educational quality. If you like your "home page" I just want to let you know that every online college has a "cool home page". As for recognition of the diploma, I must say that a lot of people had trouble finding jobs, as you can find numerous posts online. Unless your prospective employer attended Kaplan, no one else recognizes that school. Additionally, just because Kaplan is currently accredited it does not mean that it will be when you graduate, and then what??? With all these posts, complains, and issues going on I would be quite nervous to put my money into it.
ADVICE: Look into a long good standing brick and mortar school and then research their online option. Also focus on Not-for-profit or Public which have lower credit rates, tuition, and fees. Once you find one, type the name of your chosen school with keyword "review", "rip-off", "complain" and read what others have to say. Then if you still think it is a good idea-I say-Go for it!!!
I found my school after a lot of research and frustration but I know I made a great educational decision.
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Gnewton2
(Graduate) on July 10, 2010
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My time at KU
Finished my MS Education in 09. I thought the academic program was great. The professors & format was great! Much better than UoP and others I've seen. What was generally not so great was FA, but as someone already said, that's the norm in colleges. On graduation, they called & 3-way'd with my Stafford lender to make sure I understood everything. That was good, as Stafford is rather confusing.
Accreditation? Of course, look it up in www.chea.org. Regional, the best you can get. They even have a law school and produce lawyers, so go figure!
Location? Who cares? The online program is actually located in Ft Lauderdale FL. The actual degree doesn't mention a city. The transcripts are from Chicago IL, where the registrar's office is.
Oh yeah, Gen Colon Powell was my commencement speaker at the Jan 2010 graduation in Miami. Too cool. Classy.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on July 8, 2010
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Kaplan
I just finished my first term at Kaplan. I have almost a 4.0 average. I loved it. I was so excited to start my second term. However, they blocked me from logging in, my academic advisor will not call me back, and its the first day of the 2nd term. Kaplan lost my transcripts from my other school to transfer. They harassed me with phone calls 4 times a day before I started to enroll, but once your in there they start sending you bills, and locking you out. It was not my fault they lost my transcripts but now I have to hurry up and get my transcripts send again and hope they get there and I dont fail, and now I have to cram if they even let me in classes. If they let me start with unofficial transcripts to get you in, they should let you continue since its there fault. No one would help, all the woman reps were rude and basically told me I had a whole term to get my transcripts in. I told them I had a cancelled check from my previous school and that they had been sent 10 weeks prior but they would not help. I have never had an issue like this with any school, they need to get there system in order and quit treating students this way.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on June 27, 2010
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Financial Aid 'Assistance' ruins experience
In one sentence, great experience - except for Financial Aid.
Enrollment period was great, a lot of assistance. I was luck to start with an EXCELLENT academic counselor - she was amazing with both proactive and follow-up communications. My current AA is okay, follows up most of the time, but schedules my classes so I can't complain.
After my first full year I have had to deal with the FA office. I receive both employer assistance as well as loans, they apparently had a hard time calculating the correct amounts. At this time I am hoping the situation is resolved, but we'll see once this academic year is over. I had previously attended another online college and also had issues with the FA office. I have a feeling these are 'entry' level positions with a lot of turnover.
I have not had issues with any of my teachers. Some definitely put in more effort than others. I've had some professors teach via YouTube videos, some participate more than others in the Discussion boards, some provide better feedback on papers than others. It concerns me that some students have had experiences turning in blank papers and getting an "A".
As for technology - I wish I could access both classes & email via my Blackberry but was told by the Support department that their systems do not allow that right now. I also changed names between terms and there were some issues on the backend. In some places my name was changed and not in others, which was a bit confusing to the professors but that seemed to get resolved pretty quickly.
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Chadlemons3
(In Progress) on May 28, 2010
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as a militarty soldier,father,husband, and student
I serve active in the Army and am a father of 5 children all under the age of 7. Not only that, I take all my coarses online as well. Support is great, the instructors are approachable, and even the people that assist me with my classes to take that obtain to my degree are in my interest, not just theirs. I highly reccommend this to others, for this is my first degree program with them, but my second over all. And if you do have a another degree heres the kicker, they are in your favor of getting more credit hours transferred over, which means less classes down the road.
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Xbabyboopx
(In Progress) on May 27, 2010
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Read this before you go or while you are going NOW
Kaplan University IS NOT the school you want to go to or keep attending. I am a straight A student at every school I have been to. I went to Kaplan because I couln't go to school physically because I got married and had a child. Everything was good until Financial Aid messed up something with my package and I started getting calls (from a private number) at anytime of the day asking me for their money or they will drop me. I told them I qualified for more, so just to get more loans on my behalf and have the banks pay them. BUT THEY WANTED IT FROM ME! After going there for 3 semesters I decided to start calling the law schools in my area. NOONE KNOWS ABOUT THE SCHOOL, NO LAW SCHOOL (A GOOD LAW SCHOOL) WILL EVER ever! ACCEPT YOU WITH A DEGREE FROM KAPLAN. Lets face it, is not the same as the State University that everyone had to get up early to make it to class. Employers and higher degree schools do not see u like you worked as hard EVEN IF YOU DID! Then I decided to go to school in person (which is where I am right now) and called Kaplan to let them know"thank you but I want to withdraw" automatically the person's mood changed and started being SOOO RUDE to the point that I sais "r u allowed to talk to me like that" and he said "I get paid to tell you thinks how it is" I hung up and called back, and magically the same guy picked up. They automatically transfer your call to the person you spoke to before EVEN AFTER I TOLD THEM NOT TO. Then he started being rude to me again, and I hung up. This time he called me back and said "since you hung up on me, I decided to call you back" IT WAS CRAZY!!!!! From the beginning I should have known, but I made the mistake, and I dont want noone else to make it, is a waste of your time, and not only that they are only out there for the money, as soon as you want to get out, they treat you like ****. Anyways If you have gone through the same and you feel like they harrassed you to a very stressful point, please join me in a class action, and lets see if they will change their ways or not. email to xbabyboopx@aol.com
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Taraleemwood
(Graduate) on May 2, 2010
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Cracker-Jack University, SCAM, FA Dept rips u off
I attended Kaplan for 4 years. I spent four years calling and emailing the Financial Aid Dept to get no responses. They over awarded me too much in aid and now I am unable to go back for my masters at any school. They put me over the aggregate limit and now they wont even do anything to fix it. The professors are a joke, they never answer emails, or even read assignments, they just give you an A. I submitted several assignments that were blank documents because the instructor never emailed me back when I had questions. When the grades were posted they responded with "an excellent research paper, very well written and right on topic." what a joke to say that about a blank paper. I got my Bachelors Degree but in my opinion, it might as well say Cracker-Jack University instead of Kaplan University. If you want a real education, do not attend Kaplan. If you want to get a degree without doing any work and have time to spend on the phone with the Fin Aid Dept, then Kaplan is the school for you.
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Hipnotikhue
(Graduate) on April 29, 2010
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Not Recommended
Support upon entering Kaplan is excellent; but once you are enrolled, that support stops. I too had life to happen which caused me to fall behind in classes. I received a letter that I was being put on probation, which caused me to sort out my personal issues and concentrate on school. Completed four classes with an A and was dismissed from school while in the 5th class. Unbeknownest to me, no matter how well I did in my classes, due to some scoring system, I would not have been able to continue at Kaplan. When I asked why was I allowed to continue at Kaplan, my advisor told me that he had too many students and it was not his job to inform me of what would happen. I appealed the decision and the entire appeals process was a big joke. First, no one seemed to know who was handling my appeal, then when found, I was told that due to the holidays it would be viewed later. And finally after 3 months of calling and following up, I gave up and enrolled in another school; at which time I received an email that my appeal had been denied. I would not recommend Kaplan at all.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on April 28, 2010
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I love Kaplan, but FA does suck
I am currently about a year away from finishing my BS in Psychology - Applied Behavioral Analysis - with a minor in criminal justice. I love Kaplan. The classes are challenging, but easy to keep up with as long as you put in the work. All of my professors have been knowledgable about the field, and my psychology professors all have their Masters at a minimum, most either were working on their PhD or already had it. I have learned a lot about the field of psychology and I think that I will be ready to take my GRE so that I can go to grad school soon.
I will admit, financial aid leaves something to be desired. My financial aid advisor is useless at best, and idiot at worst. Regardless, she now refuses to return my calls after sending $4,700 back to my lender, Wells Fargo, which was supposed to cover my tuition for the year. I have been trying to iron the problem out for months, but so far it hasnt been resolved. On the bright side, they have not locked me out of my classes yet. They have been good about understanding the issues I'm having with FA and allowing me to continue in my education.
I have to laugh at the negative comments I've read about Kaplan. I think the main problem people have with it is you have to be really self motivated. The professors aren't going to hold your hand and remind you that you have work due, or coddle you, or make you feel good. If you want that, enroll in kindergarden. I even read one person who was mad that Kaplan makes it too easy to cheat, so they didnt learn anything because the tests were openbook and they just copied the discussion posts of their classmates. If you are so lazy that you cant resist the urge to cheat, that isnt Kaplan's fault. A person should be in school because they WANT to learn, and doing the work yourself is part of that. If you want a teacher to hold your hand and make sure you arent cheating, well, kindergarden again. For anyone else, if you want to learn, and have the motivation to do the work, Kaplan is great.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on April 20, 2010
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I'm at Kaplan, and it aint bad.....!
I have had no problems with my Academic Advisor-every complaint I ever emailed her about, or called about, she has always reasponded professionally. And I admit-I can be quite terrible to deal with when I am frustrated. In fact, she surprised me by not taking my insults personally and maintaining a pleasant personality-as well as solving my conflicts. So franly, don't listen to the bad reviews about poor advisors-you can always request to change who your Academic Advisor is! It is simple to do. All of the phone calls are recorded, so it is easy to track.
Another thing-the school prices are high. Not as high as other private colleges, but definately not as cheap as a community college. I am taking 2 classes per semester (3 classes a semester is considered full time student.)
I did have trouble in my first semester, getting the required text book shipped to my house-but this problem was mostly due to the fact that the guy driving my UPS route was on the verge of quitting his job and thus, delivering terrible services and skipping houses on his route. Since then, I've had no trouble getting my books in time for class.
The good thing about this school is the fact that all of the necessary text books are available in pdf format online (digital textbook) so there really is no excuse not to have the proper text book.
My number one complaint about this school is the fact that most of the students are dumb as bricks...I feel offended knowing that I am in class with morons...and thusly, graduating with a bunch of idiots who may slip through the cracks, and bring shame upon my hard earned degree from this school.
Other than that, school is good. The work is somewhat time consuming and moderately difficult. There are live seminars so that I can address all of my concerns and questions directly with the teacher, and I can also email them or contact on AIM. However, email takes too long for a response from SOME teachers (others are prompt and chatty!I love those teachers best)...
One problem I do have is that some of the teachers are biased-my teacher removed 2.8 points off of a discussion board post that only had 3 components to grade and was only worth 30 points total. Just give me my 30 points-why take off 2.8 just because you are mad that I pointed out another students multiple spelling and grammatical errors. WTF?
Whatever.
Bottom line-this school is ok, just do the work and you'll be alright. Also, I had no problem getting a loan from anywhere-I went through bank of america the first time, and citi bank the second time. Just make sure you sign and return your master promisary note, and make sure you pass your classes-which is relatively easy since the website is extremely easy to navigate, and you have every opportunity to ask the instructor to clarify the material if you aren't able to understand it.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on April 16, 2010
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Kaplan Man
I have been a student with Kaplan since 2007 and preparing to graduate in the winter. I contribute my academic success to the seminars, communication with fellow students and instructors/professors. I have read a number of reviews on this site, I agree with some and others I do not. Financial aid has not been a problem for me because I am a retired senior noncommissioned officer of the USAF, so I cannot comment on those issues. Quite a number of the instructors/professors have PHD's something that is not given away, but earned over a period of 4 to 5 years and most are experienced in their areas of responsibly. If we lived in a perfect world then I would understand many of the complaints; however, that is not the case. All of us had/have a choice about what university we want to attend, the only advice I am offering is accomplish your research before you jump into something you cannot handle. I am not a lover of math; however, my professors have ensured that my end results were successful. Those of you who like Kaplan, I am with you, those who do not, I recommend you find a university that meets your expectations…I’m a Kaplan Man!
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on April 14, 2010
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KAPLAN SUCKS
I have never gone to school at Kaplan but You should understand about what I learned during the hiring process!!! I have a graduate degree in business which led me to pursue a position as a program chair for their IT program at the W. Des Moines Iowa campus. After a month of interviews and run arounds, and a powerpoint presentation, I received a voice message on my answering machine (by an assistant)telling me they were going in a different direction. How professional is that? I'm not overly concerned I didn't get the position, what I do have a problem with however is the lack of communication with me about the position status, and their overall professionalism. Some of the things they asked me in the interviews was how I would keep students in school because they are losing a high percentage of them in the IT program? I replied that it depended on the situation and the student. They replied that instead of trying to understand the situation, I needed to sell, sell, sell the program to the student and refuse their wishes (I later discovered that program chairs are fired for not meeting student enrollment quotas. Not graduation quotas. If you have 25 in a class, you are in danger of being terminated if more than 3 drop).This struck me as funny but I didn't think of it any further. Now I realize the kind of atmosphere I would have been working in (after doing more research on Kaplan) had I been hired. It seems they are more concerned with bringing in the money, and less about the students well-being. I'm also happy I didn't make the choice of ever going to school there. I'm not sure the degree would mean anything in the long run and I'd probably be deep in debt. I feel extremely sorry for the students that are going to enroll, and the students that are in the middle of the program. I hope anyone thinking of going to school at Kaplan or pursuing employment with them will read this message before they make a decision.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on April 6, 2010
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Just so you know.
Just so you know:
Tuition cost: I am a veteran. I qualified for no veterans benefits from the government because I have been off of active duty for more than ten years. However, Kaplan reduced my tuition to $230 per credit hour, which INCLUDES all textbooks, ebooks, and software, et...
My required electives are open. I spoke with my advisor and arranged enough of the electives to satisfy the requirements for completing a 'minor' in conjunction with my 'major.
I will have soon invested 30 months of my life in MYSELF, and will walk away from here with a major and a minor. I have 13... THIRTEEN... employment offers before me now starting at 49K, ranging to 55K starting salary... with benefits... four of those offers are government jobs.
I am 43 years old. I left High School in 1983 to join the Army. I did not received my GED until 1998. I have been a truck driver for the last 12 years.
In less than six months, I will have my major in Forensics Accounting, with a minor in Criminal Justice.
This is your choice. You choose how well you will do.
10) If you want to succeed you will.
Good luck and pull the trigger. Kaplan will change your life for the better.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on April 2, 2010
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Did not offer all the classes I needed
I attended Kaplan for 4 semesters before I found out that I was not going to have enough credits to take the CPA exam after I graduated. When I spoke to my academic advisor about this problem, she said that she would see what she could do to help me. After waiting 6 weeks for an answer she told me that there was nothing that she could do for me, as they did not offer the ethics courses that was a requirement, as well as they would not remove transfer credits that had nothing to do with my degree, so that I could accommidate the additional classes that I needed. I was so made that I called the local university and found out that many of my credits would transfer, and I withdrew from Kaplan effective immediately. I spent in the time that I was there $16,000, still had a year to go, and was not going to be able to use my degree for what I had set out accomplish. For anyone that is interested in Kaplan, make sure that you are getting what you are paying for, a COMPLETE EDUCATION!! Also make sure that you keep an eye on your financial aid or they will make mistakes. I had a few issues here, but was able to get them taken care of quickly.
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Wack4mydaddyo
(In Progress) on March 20, 2010
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Don't waste your money
I went to Kaplan because getting to an on site college was becoming problematic. But I wish I had never went at all.
The two community colleges I had attended before I went to Kaplan was one hundred percent better and far less expensive. I learned from those schools and learned nothing worth while from Kaplan except not to go there again.
I have 3k in student loans for the two years I spent at a state community college and 10k in student loans that I spent six months at Kaplan.
Not only did I have to pay that much money, but I also had to pay 80 dollars to enroll.
After that, I kept getting calls three times every hour about missing documents that where submitted over and over, multiple faxes back to back. Once, I waited on a naval base while I watched them fax the documents over while being on the phone with Kaplan and they still told me that the faxes where not going through. We had the correct number, and still it wasn't going through. We even tried e-mailing and it wasn't going through.
Eventually, I called my academic adviser and fax the documents over to her and she had to fax it into the finical aid department for me.
But while all of the mess about missing documents was going on, they blocked me from class for two weeks, making me two weeks behind.
In the last semester I took at Kaplan, I couldn't do my math work because I was never sent my math book. I kept calling and they said that they had sent it out to the wrong address and was sending it out again. By the third phone call they finally sent it out, by that time I was extremely behind.
The message boards where also annoying because you didn't even have to try to come up with something creative, you could just repeat what everyone else was saying and get all points.
Farther more, all quizzes and exams where open booked that you didn't even have to read the chapters, and if you knew how to work Adobe, all you had to do was copy and paste the question and get the answer. There was no learning that took place with Kaplan.
They also claim to be a flexible school able to work around your hours, but they only offer evening classes. They do not have any morning classes at all!
I now have to pay 115 dollars a month in student loans for an education that I did not receive.
I would not waste your time with Kaplan, go some where else.
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A55madison
(In Progress) on March 3, 2010
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Do not go to Kaplan
First class was ok, but after the first class, things went down quickly. Not only no textbook for the class, when doing discussion board (blog), the instructor's common limited in "good job.", "goo post.", and "I enjoy your post." Honestly, I didn't even know what I was writing and guess what, I got the full point.
This is a school for people don't want to learn anything to go to, if you just need a degree without knowledge, Kaplan is the right school for you!!
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on February 13, 2010
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The choice is, yours.......
If you owe, they want it yesterday. If they owe, You will get it when + turns to -. By law they are supposed to mail out any balance 14 days after disbursement. Kaplan online sucks, if you can attend a campus. With people and offices you can see and go to. They are much more accountable.
Kaplan Inc. recently agreed to settle a class action lawsuit that had been brought against BAR/BRI and Kaplan. Among the allegations in the suit, which charged that BAR/BRI had overcharged students, was an allegation of antitrust violation claiming that Kaplan had agreed not to compete in the bar review business while BAR/BRI agreed it would not compete in the LSAT business. Both West Publishing Company (parent of BAR/BRI), and Kaplan, Inc., denied the allegations and the matter was resolved without any findings of wrongdoing.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on February 10, 2010
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I {WORK} AT KAPLAN
I suppose it's best to comment since I WORK in the Graduate Admissions Department and know the inner dealings far better than anyone that has posted anything that I've read.
For start, I've heard about issues with FA, but I know that steps have been made to improve that process, including switching to Direct Loans less than 2 months ago. If you're upset because you graduated and owe money, that was YOUR choice to get a loan - RIGHT? Did you think you were getting a free Masters? I mean, get real.
Concerning your Academic Advisors, if they don't get back to you in a timely manner, get back with your Admissions Advisor. We are the ones who told you about the University and made the promises, so let us know that you are not getting the service that we promised you and we will mediate it.
As far as COMMISSION is concerned, that person is obviously misinformed. There is NO COMMISSION in this job, but the salary is based on performance. True, there are some making 35K and others making over 100K.
Concerning the cars in our parking lot - that is trivial and childish. I own a 2009 BMW X5 ... and I owned it before I even began working at Kaplan. Secondly, anyone who lives in S. Florida knows that this area is riddled with luxury cars, so that point has a mute purpose.
And concerning a script that we follow? LOL!! The only people who have a script are the new hires, and that is to train them to ask the right questions. No successful senior advisor used a script. Can't have much of a CONVERSATION when reading from a script can you?
Graduate Admissions Advisors MUST talk to you about your career to ensure we are putting you in the best program to help you get where you need to go. Other Universities will enroll you and THEN let you worry about your own future. We also tell you all that you need to know UPFRONT while other Universities will hit you with surprizes after they enroll you. We do not even enroll you if you give us an indication that you will not graduate - yes, we have the right to reject you as a student and have rejected students.
You people who complain; seriously, Kaplan is probably not the right school for you. I have no problems with any of my students, and its policiy that Admissions Advisors stay in contact with their new students for at least the first 2 months now, AND we even travel to the graduations to meet our special students. How is that for support?
Again, I work there. Do you REALLY think I would send my wife through the MSA program and my sister through the MSP and get another Masters myself (MBA) if the school sucked? Wow.
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on January 28, 2010
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Financial aid department sucks
Several courses had online lectures that appeared to be provided by either a grad student or a temp worker. They consisted of cut and paste discussion questions from the "teacher" and then cut and paste answers. Many professors did not respond to online questions giving me the feeling that no one was actually there, just someone cutting and pasting the lecture.
Kaplan provides you with the textbooks for free, but they print them themselves and are largely unreadable and unusable. It felt as if the textbooks had been written in a foreign language and then translated badly into English. I had to go online and to the library to get a real textbook for many courses.
My tuition bill changed nearly every month. I could never tell what I was supposed to pay, resulting in large over payments. I am a budget manager and was studying accounting and I could not follow the bogus, non standard and possibly fraudulent accounting practices of Kaplan. They are right up there with Enron and Bernie Madoff.
My positive balances between terms were not passed over to the next term. My tuition over payments disappeared from my account. This resulted in collection phone calls every day at home, at work, at all times of the day. If you are lonely and want many, many harassing phone calls, this is the college for you.
Also a large financial aid balance from a previous fiscal year was not passed to the next year, refunded to me or sent back to the loan institution. As I have finished the program, when I examine my financial accounts, I see three different numbers for what I owe ranging from $2200 to $600. My calculations show they still owe me around $650.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on January 25, 2010
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Beyond Frustrated
I have to agree with many of the previous reviews, when it comes to financial and and student accounts, I've never worked with anyone worse.
I originally enrolled a year ago, and went for 7 months with no issues. I had no balances due and everything was just fine. I started to get daily phone calls from student accounts saying the I had a "past due balance" and what was I going to do about it. Since I was told all along that I would have no out of pocket expenses, that financial aid would cover my tuition in it's entirety, I questioned the fact that I had a balance due.
This is where the adventure begins. Over the next several months the amount changed drastically. First it was $200 then it was nothing, then it was $700. All in all, at different times I was told anything from nothing due to $1200. During this entire time, I was getting daily calls from student accounts treating me like a deadbeat who was trying to avoid paying my obligations.
The last e-mail that I received sent me through the roof, when my financial aid advisor told me that I would need to take out a loan. A loan? Really? Nobody has ever been able to satisfactorily answer my questions. I can only say, walk, don't run away from this University.
If I knew then what I know now. If I wasn't so close to graduation I would transfer.
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Cement_shoes
(In Progress) on December 6, 2009
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Never had a problem w/ Kaplan
I admit, I was hesitant in the beginning and almost didn't continue with enrollment. Now, half way into my 1st year, I'm VERY happy that I continued with Kaplan.
The staff and the instructors are AWESOME. My academic advisor always returns my emails, sometimes she'll even call me instead. My instructors have all been extremely helpful, respond to every email I send and encouraging us (students) to do our best.
The work isn't easy, you really have to put forth the effort and not be a procrastinator.
If you think an online school is easier than a traditional school, you are wrong - you will overwhelm yourself or flunk out in no time. Also, having been to both traditional college and now online, traditional is no better than online.
I have learned more at Kaplan than I did at the traditional college. Kaplan has more weekly assignments than they had at the traditional college. Also, no dealing with immature teens who are loud and disruptive in the classroom. I think the people here complaining will complain no matter where they go to school.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on November 1, 2009
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Excited about Kaplan
Did you know that advisors at Kaplan have to go thru a 33 page script to get you enrolled? They make you talk about your goals, and dreams and their job is to sell you a dream. They make you think of the outcome, but they leave out the debt that you will have.
Did you know that as long as you approve your funding, which is very deceiving, you are "recommended"? There is no criteria to get into Kaplan, except to have a HS or GED diploma. They say its not an open enrollment school, but they enroll anyone that has the "tuition deposit", which is just $70 right now. If you have prior college, you are in! If you don't, then you take a "common sense" quiz. If you fail it, you can take it again. So much for having quality students.
Admissions reps have to enroll anywhere from 3-8 students per month. It doesn't sound like a lot, but when you have 2500 reps fighting for the same business, you are talking a lot of students. And they have 14 different enrollment dates per year.
This is definitely a GREAT for profit university- Great for the people that run it. At $63,000 for a Bachelor's degree:
If we just use the lower goal of 3 enrollments per term, for each enrolled student that graduates Kaplan makes per term $472,500,000. Multiply that by 14 terms in a year...
You should go to the parking lot at their Fort Lauderdale location...BMW's, Mercedes, Porches..you name it. And the advisors walk around with Gucci purses, belts etc. And all this money comes from the government! and you get to pay it back. How do you like that now?
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Timothy.r.berman
(In Progress) on October 30, 2009
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My own experience
Kaplan is really good. It is like any school that you are looking into. The only advice I will give is this:
Check out your options, find out what you are willing to personally commit to. Any school you attend, there are going to be challenges with enrollment, challenges with Financial Aid, challenges with the course work, etc.
Stay on top of things.
My own personal experience is with the Financial Aid department. I recently got hit with a $1,338.81 bill 1 week before the end of my term. This is because I had taken on a third additional class.
Here is what is important and what I did.
1) Whenever you talk with someone, write down their name, extension, the date and time you called. Keep a log of every time you speak with someone because of a need that they contacted you about, and a need that you have to call them about.
2) Make sure you understand exactly what they are saying. Ask specific questions, if they are not wanting to help you, ask to speak with a supervisor, you have that right.
3) If you have to escalate, remain as professional and respectful as you possibly can.
Now, regarding my situation - I had a significant change between my 2007 and 2008 tax year. I made more money in 2008 than I had in 2007. Therefore, I legitimately did not receive any federal pell grant. Had I qualified for the Federal Pell grant, I would have not had any issue. After this was explained to me, and I understood, my issue was not in the reason why I owed the money, but the way a Financial Aid representative communicated to me that there were enough funds available for me to take on the third additional class. There was no discussion as to any possible changes, any possible aspect that my verification had not gone through yet and that his decision was based on information he had and that if something changes, I may be held financially responsible.
After speaking with my financial aid advisor, academic advisor and my admissions advisor, this issue was escalated. End result, Kaplan paid the amount I owed because of what was initially communicated with me. All involved understood where I was coming from, and took the time to listen to my concerns.
Outside of this, I have some good classes, classmates, the instructors are very good (and for those who do not know, some instructors actually teach at real universities as well and have some good education backing them up).
Again, check out all your options, make sure you are very clear on what you want to do, what it is going to cost and get all your information and questions specifically resolved and in order.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on October 14, 2009
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Kaplan University
I am in my fourth term at Kaplan for a Bachelors of Science in IT. I have a pretty good average, about a 3.7 right now. Sometimes I wonder if the teachers are just giving me good grades, but I've always been rather smart. I find the material challenging sometimes, but some of it throws me off. However, I think it is perfect for Computer Programming. I don't think I would be able to teach myself this type of material, as I have tried when learning HTML from W3C. Also, speaking with anyone is always a challenge, but I think you will have that anywhere. It is expensive, but when I think about the fact that my local community college only offers an associates, it seems like a good option.
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BashersGirl
(In Progress) on October 13, 2009
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I do not recommend this university!
I do not attend Kaplan, and I can firmly say that I will not! Upon considering attending this school I clicked onto one of the live chat session things to ask a simple question, "how do I go about finding out if I qualify for any type of student grant?" The guy I spoke to called himself Steve Ukazim and he was really unprofessional and at times borderline offensive. He did not answer my question at first, he just kept referring to loans. He misspelled words, and his grammar was horrible. He even abbreviated 'please' as "plz!" I'm sorry, but I do not feel comfortable discussing my future with people who are not professional! He also implied ignorance on my part by telling me he didn't see how I could expect to attend college without loans and when I said I didn't know whether or not I could afford to pay off the loans he said "well Kaplan isn't full of rich kids and college isn't for everybody... I know of 60,000 students here who do it..." Are you kidding me? When I told him that he was coming off offensively and 'implied ignorance' he said he "never impaled anything" and didn't want to "waist" my time... IMPALED? WAIST? This guy seriously didn't know what he was talking about, first of all he never stabbed me with anything, so no he didn't i-m-p-a-l-e me and he meant waste not W-A-I-S-T!!! The way I see it, if I cannot trust this university to put the time and effort into educating their employees on how to serve potential students I CANNOT trust them to take my education and future seriously either.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on September 1, 2009
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I Would Go Elsewhere
This school is about 1 thing and 1 thing ONLY. Money. That's all they're interested in and that's quite clear from how hard they try to get your grant, loan, or personal money. I requested information about two career studies programs, medical assisting and medical transcription. After speaking to an advisor 3 times for over 3 hours total, and filling out a FAFSA to see what I might qualify for, I found out the med. trans. course is over $11,000 for the first year. I would have to take on a school loan debt of $8,000 to pay for that. I declined to enroll and they've been trying ever since to get me to agree to enroll. Once you turn them down and tell them that you can not take on that kind of personal debt, they will send you to supervisors who will try to buffalo and snow you into enrolling by using such hogwash as "low monthly payments for 10 years to pay off the loans". They'll tell you about their own school loans and how easy they were to pay off, etc. They'll call you house repeatedly after you've said that you're not interested, all in attempt to try to get you to enroll even though you have bad feelings about putting yourself in that kind of debt. School can't take no for an answer and have an OBVIOUS quota to fill. I'll pass, and will take Career Step or MTEC. I'd advise anyone reading this to do the same.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on August 28, 2009
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Problems keep escaltaing with Kaplan Online
Ive been a student since Dec 08 with the Kaplan online. things have been 'ok' until just recently. I received a called starting last week that escatlated to this week about my account, to verify it. Few days ago i get a statement stating i owe money, first its 323, then up to 508. Supposedly someone in the 'financial aide' dept gave me to much money , now i owe it. I find this to be no my probelm and have tried talking to several people at Kaplan regarding this, as other getting no response. I was on hold the other day for 4 HOURS!!!! before i finally spoke to someone. Well i though my FA was fixed on Monday, Wednesday i get a call from someone saying if i dont pay , im not getting my living expense chack and they will block my classes. I researched the reviews online and found several of hundreds of very bad reviews, and a complaint number, which i called and was connected to the Dept of Ed, Federal Student Aide(on accident). The are recieving complaints and are looking into it now. today im told i dont owe anything, but my LE check will be 325, down from 878. Im maked on all my grants and loans for the year, and am to the point of transfering schools. this sounds like a huge scam , a high end dipolma mill. i ahve all my paperwork now and have so many numbers im going crazy with this. Im am suppose to be getting a call fromt eh VP of kaplan, but am still waiting. Im sick of being on the phone and hearing 'im sorry' Im not the one who messed up , but I have to pay for their mistakes. does any one know what to do now?? i need help with this.
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Jlittelma
(Graduate) on July 17, 2009
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Kaplan - Decent School for the Self-Motivated
Positives:
-Online classes are convenient
-Excellent faculty
-Excellent website
-Excellent technology
-Good choice of classes relevant to my field
-Audio seminars
-Textbooks are included in tuition
Negatives:
-Terrible financial aid
-Easy classes for the most part
On the plus side, Kaplan has excellent faculty. Each professor has either a PHD or a Master's degree in their field with many years of experience. You have weekly seminars with the professors where you can ask questions and they lecture just like an in-person class. The seminars now also feature audio which is far superior to the old chat method. Their web site is well designed and makes turning in assignments easy. Also, you can take the classes on your own terms. You can do the assignments and post to the discussions when it is convenient for you. Working full time and being hours away from a traditional university made this form of education the best choice for me.
One difficulty that I faced with Kaplan was their financial aid department. I did not experience the horror stories that some others have had, but I can confirm that they did not have their act together. I would receive calls stating that my payments were late and my classes could be suspended if a payment was not made. I would have to call them and explain to them that my student loans are paid in something called disbursements and they would get the check from the bank in a couple weeks sent directly to them. I have also received calls recently that my next semester classes were going to be put on hold because they did not receive a FAFSA for 2010. I had to explain to them that I was graduating in a week and was not going to be attending classes the next school year. This would not be so bad, but you have to sit on hold for 30-60 minutes before getting through to their FA department.
The only other complaint that I do have is that with some of their classes, the grading standards were very laxed. In my Project Managemnt class, I was pressed for time once and knowingly turned in a rushed paper that I felt deserved a "C" at best. I was surprised the next week to get a grade of 100% for the paper! This seems to be true with many of their classes. However, I did have two classes, Discrete Math and Data Structures where this was not the case. The classes were rough and you had to work hard to get an "A".
Overall, I am happy with Kaplan. I would recommend it to anyone seeking a degree without the means to attend a traditional university. Keep in mind that you must be highly motivated. You are not required to be in a classroom at any particular time. It is entirely up to you to do the reading, do the assignments and get them turned in on time. If you require someone to hold your hand and walk you step by step through your degree, Kaplan is not for you. If you are a self-starter and highly self-motivated, give Kaplan a try. You won't regret it.
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on July 12, 2009
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Great School
I have attended Kaplan for four years now. Graduating July 21, 2009. I found Kaplan to be an excellent school, and not that much different from any other brick and mortar college I have attended. The work is hard, and there is a lot of it (at least in the legal studies program) However, if you are a disciplined adult who does not need a lot of hand holding, you will do very well.
If you require hand holding, and cannot make a few phone calls when financial aid and academic advising calls, then don't bother attending. If you lack patience with being put on hold when you make phone calls, then do not attend.
If you are an adult...with patience, and have the ability to discipline yourself, you will do amazing at Kaplan. I enjoyed my time at Kaplan so much, that I'm considering completeing my Masters degree here also.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on April 6, 2009
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DO NOT ATTEND THIS UNIVERSITY!
When I first enrolled at Kaplan I neglected to research the school. This was the worst decision of my LIFE! At first I loved the flexibility of working on my courses when I had the time between working 2 jobs, and taking care of an newborn. Most of my instructors were wonderful, however there were many who did not provide any feedback or answer any questions I had.
Once I reached my 400 level courses I felt completely on my own. All the instructors did was grade assignments with no guidance, feedback, or any form of interaction with the students.
My financial aide advisor and academic advisor were changed so frequently I never knew who I needed to contact. When I did find out the name of the different indivual (almost every 6 weeks) I never received return phone calls or emails.
I requested to take 2 terms off due to serious health problems I had and a death in the family. Instead of granting my request my advisor registered me for courses without my knowledge. So when I believed I did not have to attend courses due to my request for for two terms off due to extenuiating circumstances, I really failed courses. Placing me on academic dismissal, raising my out of pocket expense by 4 grand, and the university returned all of my grant money all the way back from 2006 to the government.
I am currently fighting with the school, becuase they are now saying I owe them over 30,000 out of pccket because the retunred every single one of my grants, when I was a 4.0 student. They have no explaination to why they moneys were returned and will not help me find who needs to be contacted.
This school is a rip off. Plus when I while researching graduate schools, none of them consider my degree credible enough to allow me to be considered for admission. If you plan on continue beyond a BS and expect grants and loans to help pay for you tuition DO NOT ATTEND KAPLAN.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on February 25, 2009
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Good education, horrible to deal with
I started Kaplan's MBA program in August 2007.
The curriculum itself I've found to be appropriately challenging. I feel I've learned a great deal through the course discussions. Most professors I've found to be fair, but I have had one or two that I feel were not appropriately administering Kaplan's policies. I don't feel any class has been a waste of time and have definitely picked up lots of good information that I apply daily in my job.
My major complaint, and its big enough I struggle with recommending Kaplan to friends, is dealing with different personnel from the school. My academic advisor is absent about 95% of the time. Ignorning phone calls and emails. Randomly she'll send a "good luck this term" email or leave a similar message. But she never responds to my requests to her.
Worse than that, is dealing with the Student Accounts department. My company is reimbursing me for most costs associated with my program. When I started at Kaplan I was told I could be billed per term,rather than by month - and that I could have my tuition deferred until the end of each term so that the time between making my payment and receiving the reimbursement from my company was very small. Well, my billing kept getting switched to monthly (against my request/wishes and without my knowledge) and the tuition deferment kept disappearing off my account. This leads to 2-6 calls a day from Kaplan with a recorded message about "fulfilling my educational committment". When I answer and "stay on the line" to speak to an agent I always get disconnected. When I try to CALL the student accounts numbers direct, I rarely get a live person. On the rare occasion I DO get a live person - the minute I explain that I need to be billed per term because it makes it easier for me to file my reimbursement request - I get transfered to someone in business affairs who never returns my call. So, I normally spend 2-3 weeks of every month sending repeated emails to student accounts to correct their weird billing errors. And to be clear - I'm not a deadbeat. I long gave up on the tuition deferment attempts. Within 1-2 days of each terms charges being applied to my account - I make the payment. However - those amounts differ from whatever imaginary payment plan student accounts has me on - so they continue to cite me as past due even though my account balance is $0 for all but about 2 days of every term. The only person who ever DOES respond to my calls and emails is the financial aid officer assigned to me - which I don't understand since I don't USE financial aid - who tells me she has tried to change my account to per term billing numerous times and someone in student accounts always changes it back. I'm currently in my second to last class and can't WAIT to finish just so I don't have to deal with these ridiculous billing problems any longer.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on February 23, 2009
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You get what you put into it...
I have been a student at Kaplan since 2007. The first two terms were not very difficult. However, the work picks up after that short duration. I wouldn't encourage anyone to attend Kaplan if they are not capable of learning effectively on their own. It does take a lot discipline and can be just as stressful as a "land" university. I have had excellent professors. I truly cannot complain about that aspect. Many of my professors have been interesting, understanding, and appropriately challenging. I think they are far more interesting than the professors at my local university. This is due to their various backgrounds and locations. Some require a lot more work than others. I would not recommend this school for someone who dislikes writing since most of the course work consists of massive papers and active participation. Overall, the classroom experience has been excellent.
I've only had one academic advisor throughout my time at Kaplan and she has been great. We communicate very well together and she returns my phone calls abruptly. However, the financial advisors are pretty awful. I have had a hard time with their team. The communication is poor and if you want something done, you really have to be on top of them. Honestly, I think their poor service is due to case overload. The technical services have been wonderful. I've had very little technical difficulties.
In regards to the complaints that I have read, I have never received a phone call at an inappropriate time. Many people have complained about the tuition, but it is actually the same as many of the land universities that I had looked at. The only difference was that Kaplan includes book costs. I am actually saving money. Some say that Kaplan is a scam, but honestly, most colleges are. Receiving an education is expensive no matter what.
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Maria.rider
(In Progress) on February 10, 2009
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Kaplan Rocks
Here is the thing with any online college, we are all supposed to be adults now and as most adults already know, you don't sign or commit to anything that you don't fully understand. All of the people griping about them taking your money, DUH! That's what colleges do. They take your money and you don't have to try to support a family of 4 on McDonalds wages. Your financial problems are with the bank, not Kaplan. I am not into my 7th term and couldn't be happier. I have learned more at Kaplan than I did in 2 years at a normal college. Of course, with online college, you have to be very self disciplined so you don't fall behind, but isn't that everywhere. My academic and financial aid advisors have been wonderful. I haven't had to do anything as far as that goes. My financial aid advisor prepares my statements, I read them and go from there. He even got it down so I only pay roughly $100 a month out of pocket. My projected loan payments after graduation are about $100 a month for both loans combined. I can't complain about anything and I have never received a call from them at an inappropriate time on a weekend unless I called them first. If you are a big boy or girl and can handle taking responsibility for your course in life, then Kaplan is definitely the route for you. I couldn't be happier.
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Kristabiffle
(In Progress) on December 5, 2008
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Kaplan is terrific!
After reading all of the reviews, I am amused at all of the negativity from past and present students. First, let me start off my saying that with an online school (any online school) -- you have the added challenge of not being able to interact face to face with your advisors, be it academic or financial aid. I am in my 3rd term with Kaplan and have had the same academic advisor. She is terrific. If you are having problems with your advisor, ask to be reassigned!If you aren't getting answers from financial aid, your academic advisor can help you get in touch with the right people. I will agree that the response time from the financial aid office leaves a lot to be desired and they do not do a terrific job at informing people of their total tuition costs. You do have to do a lot of your own homework to figure out what your financial aid awards will cover. Keep in mind that while their tuition my seem very high as compared to other schools -- all of your materials are included in your tuition. Add the cost of books to tuition at other schools and you will see it may be very comparable to Kaplan. The instructors are terrific and they are professionals working in the field who bring real world experience into our seminars. Granted, due to the non existent admissions criteria, you will have a lot of people that impact your experience with irrelevant questions or conversations during seminar. This does get better as you proceed into your higher level classes as most of those people have dropped out by then. In the end, you get what you pay for. Kaplan is a fully accredited school so people who have posted that it is not or is only recognized in certain states should reveiw what that actually means. Kaplan is not for everyone, but for me I know I made the right choice.
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K_thornburg
(Graduate) on December 4, 2008
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Beware of tuition costs!
The classes, the work, and the teachers were all wonderful. I did not have any problems whatsoever with that aspect of Kaplan. I did the 2+2 program, where I obtained my Associates in Criminal Justice first, then they applied those courses to my Bachelor's in Criminal Justice. It took me 4 years total to finish. Basically, it is an accelerated course, because you don't really get any sugstantial time off. I was told I couldn't 'take a break' because it would set me back in regards to financial aid and my status as a student! But I moved through it. When I first started, we had 4 quarters, basically, with about 2 weeks in between each quarter. Toward the end, it went to mini sessions and only a week in between! I was definitely BURNED OUT when i finished, but I was glad that I finally accomplished something in my life.
While attending, I was awarded full financial aid. My first mistake was not looking into the actual tuition costs. I didn't compare it with regular colleges or universities, so I didn't think anything until a year after I graduated and my forbearance/deferments were up and I had to start paying back...OH MY GOSH! My total bill was $48K, and with interest, by the time I'm done paying that back, i will have paid over $90K!!!! AND, even though I consolidated all the different loans, the lowest I could get my monthly payments is $259! I was paying $317 a month, but recently called and got on the graduated payment, and although it went down, i really cannot believe I am paying $259 a month! My brother went to a full on state university for 5 years, obtained his bachelor's degree and had half the tuition i had, and his graduated payments started at $50 a month, and now he pays about $100. I KNOW and am fully aware that I have to pay this back, and I am, but honestly, had i known what the cost was going to be, i would NOT have obtained my degree through Kaplan. It simply is not worth it. and now, i am seriously struggling to get by because of the size of my student loan payment! I have a great job with pretty good pay, but this is just eating my lunch...literally!
ALL IN ALL, do your homework on the tuition. I do not think it will be worth it in the long run, and I'm sure there are other online, fully accredited schools that cost way less.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on November 25, 2008
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Wonderfully challenging!
I've been attending Kaplan since June 2007 and I absolutely love it! I'm going for my BS in Business with an emphasis in Accounting. They are an open enrollment school which means they do not turn anyone away as long as they have a high school diploma or GED and that was probably the most annoying thing about the school to me at first. In the beginning I was taking classes with some complete morons who probably should not have even graduated high school. As time went on and my classes became more challenging I found that the morons are weeded out (I imagine they are the ones who end up dropping out and come here giving Kaplan negative reviews!) and now I have no complaints at all. The financial aid office is very helpful if you give them a chance - if you're confused or unclear on something you just have to speak up and tell them and they will explain it. I absolutely love my admissions advisor - she still calls me and checks up on me! I have been through several academic advisors but it's fine because, as someone else mentioned, I only need them to enroll me in classes. I am in complete control of which classes I take as long as I meet the prerequisites. The reading material, whether actual text book or ebook, are completely free (included in tuition). It does not at all bother me when a class I take has an ebook instead of a text book because I know I am getting updated information. It takes a lot of time and money to publish a text book - in some cases by the time a text book is published and distributed the material could be outdated. I love the APA citation style that the University follows. I had a lot of instruction and reference material available on how to properly format in APA so the person who said that nobody teaches that obviously did not even bother finding out. The professors are very valuable to me. They are specialized in the field they teach in. For example, in my marketing class the professor was an actual marketing executive so he was able to not only instruct by the book but also by life experience. I value my education at Kaplan so much. I earn every grade I am given. Some of the classes have been somewhat easy because of my prior education and work experience but I still worked very hard at completing the assignments and posting to the discussion boards. Some of the classes have been quite challenging. I had to read an average of 85 pages a week for one class I took, in addition to assignments, essays, tests and discussion board posts. If you're looking for an intellectually stimulating, technologically advanced online learning environment, look no further than Kaplan University.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on November 21, 2008
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Please Listen to Negative Reviews!!
Please listen to all of the negative reviews out there and beware before you make a mistake!
Here is my story...
I would like to become a Registered Dietitian and have done quite a bit of research into the profession. Believing that a degree in Nutrition Science would be beneficial to me, I began looking into online programs to help me acheive my goal. At first, I believed Kaplan University to be a good choice. In addition to being a stay-at-home mother that would need a flexible schedule, I am also a US Army Veteran wanting to use my GI Bill benefits. Kaplan offered reasonable rates and a good discount for vets -- all in all, my GI Bill would completely cover the cost of this degree. I spoke with an Academic Advisor and told her of my desire to become a Registered Dietitian. She said I had made a great choice and then proceeded to tell me that she was a Dietitian herself -- she even detailed the work she had done before being employed by Kaplan. Great! It seemed as if I had made a good, sound choice so I decided to go ahead with enrollment. I paid my enrollment fee and registered for classes. However, soon after I registered for my classes, I receive an email from a DIFFERENT Advisor stating that Kaplan's Nutrition Science program is not CADE-approved and that I would not be eligible for the requisite 900-hour internship and certification test upon completion of my degree. In effect, the Nutrition Science degree I was going to earn was useless to me. I would have to re-take most of my courses from a CADE-approved school. I immediately canceled my classes and requested that my enrollment also be canceled. While stating my reasons for cancellation, I was told that I had never made my career intentions clear, otherwise my Advisor would have immediately informed me that the school was not CADE-approved. This was a complete and utter LIE!!! My Advisor and I spoke at length about this profession -- during three seperate 1.5 hour phone calls -- as well as going over documentation I had to sign stating my understanding of the 900-hour internship (which, by the way, made no mention of the lack of CADE approval). WHY would have had to sign this document if I never intended to become a Registered Dietitian? I was compeltely misled and deliberately deceived. I understand and accept that it was ultimately my responsibility to ensure the school I attended was CADE-approved and to seek a different school should it lack approval, but I also believe it to be the duty of the school (and especially the advising staff) to inform its prospective students that the program they will attend does not contain the proper certifications/approvals necessary to reach their career goals. Kaplan failed at this duty -- miserably -- and I caution anyone trying to get their degree: LOOK ELSEWHERE! As I have since found out, there are many other online universities that will be able to help you.
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on October 25, 2008
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Positive
I wanted to let whoever comes here know that Kaplan is the real deal. It is regionally accredited, there is federal financial aid. I did my courses from November 8, 2006 through February 19, 2008 and got my BS in Paralegal Studies. I had an associates, so I had 90 credit standing immeadiatly. I submitted my transcripts quickly and I got credit for some of my other school work.
I will admit that the financial aid office needs major improvement. I had to track down people just to get my voucher credit applied to my account before i graduated. The books are FREE with your tuition and if you can you can get a Citibank Tuition Assistance Loan if you really need to make it through even if you have 550-600 credit.
However the professors I had, all but 2 were great to talk to and taught me a lot. From writing a first paper to doing an appellate brief ive been to a regular on campus school and let me tell you this was WAY harder. So if you think online school isnt hard, try taking a few 400 classes at Kaplan and see how well you do. They are FAR from easy and will challenge your mind. The 100 level classes are easy because they are introductory. I finished with a 3.1, but I also took heavy workloads of 24 quarter credit hrs.
I am currently 3 classes into the new MSLS they introduced in March and I have a 4.0. My 2nd class required a 20 page thesis paper on a business legal based ethical question just to give you an example. The Masters is regionally accredited as well. Trust me Kaplan is NOT AN EASY SCHOOL. If you are a good independent student enroll. Might be costly but what in life isnt?
As for Concord they are right its not ABA approved. However since it merged with Kaplan it is Regionally accredited and Federal Aid can be given. Therefore it is the only JD I know of that is regionally accredited and done online exclusively.
I am very tempted to do it, as ABA schools often treat you like your not worth it. Do I want an ABA school? Who doesn't. Can we afford it, not likely.
Thank you Kaplan. Your degrees do mean something. As far as your masters work, it is very challenging. I hope Concord is truly as demanding as my masters thesis work is.
Thanks...
Richie
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on October 8, 2008
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Great School, but worried about degree recognition
So far Kaplan has fit my needs for school. It is flexible and lets me work independently which is my preference. I have not had any issues with financial aid, billing, etc, everything in that area was just as expected and outlined prior to enrolling.
As for support my Academic Advisor calls all the time, too often for my liking to follow up and make sure everything is going well. There is a lot of support from the administration.
My only concern is whether or not my BS in Legal Studies will be recognized and accepted for my entrance to law school. I am in my 3rd term and that fact has yet to be determined. I hope I am not wasting my time as law school is my ultimate goal. I also learned that Concord Law School an affiliate of Kapplan is NOT accredited or recognized by the American Bar Association and is therefor a waste of time and money. I don't know how they can even be allowed to operate due to that fact. When I initially enrolled at Kaplan my plan was to do go here then transfer to Concord, and was told that Concord was an accredited law school by the dean, so I was flat out lied to which makes me nervous about Kaplan as well.
Other than that, the classes are great, the professors are the same as any other school, some are awesome, some are terrible, and most are somewhere in between. The material/curriculum is really easy to follow and understand though it is very much a self taught environment, so if you are not disciplined enough to stay on track then Kaplan may not be the best choice for you.
I will post a follow up once I get my answer about the degree recognized to enter law school. "Cross your fingers" :) Hope this helps, have a great day!
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Luther.long
(In Progress) on October 8, 2008
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Is it You or the School?: Think About It
My name is Luther and I'm a student currently attending Kaplan University in the Criminal Justice BS program. First and foremost, anyone who does not want to learn nor have the ambition and motivation to drive themselves to complete his studies should stay away from online schools. These types of schools are for the self-motivating person. A bad experience is usually associated with students not doing their job, which is learning.
The materials are FREE; it is included with the tuition. Can't say that about many schools. The vast amounts of information which the university utilizes to ASSIST me, the student, with my learning is substantial. More than enough information is provided for me to be successful in my studies. If I fail, it is because I didn't apply myself. After all, this is COLLEGE, not high school. No one is going to make sure I do my work, but Kaplan does provide frequent reviews of my progress.
The amount of knowledge that the instructors have is great. Every single instructor that has taught my assigned classes had a masters in his respected field AND was working in the field at the time the class was being taught. When I need information on a topic that I am having trouble, the instructor is there help me out. Don't be confused about this, though. I am taking online courses. There is a timeframe for contacting the instructors, as is every educational institute I've attended,and it's usually online. So if online communication is a problem, don't attend online college courses.
The institution has everything that is needed for a student to succeed. Writing labs and math labs are available to all who wish to attend, and it's all free. Kaplan's tutoring is among the very best in the nation. Don't believe, then look into this url: http://www.kaptest.com. This school is renown for tutoring students of all ages and school levels. Once again, anyone who does not want to learn nor have the ambition and motivation to drive themselves to complete his studies should stay away from online schools. Chances are the failure would have been met in a traditional learning environment.
I have been to three different universites and have experience all three colleges' online program. I have to admit that Kaplan University has the best user friendly interface. I never lost myself on their platform. If there was ever a technical issue, it was quickly corrected.
Overall, the materials are great, the teachers are an asset, and the institution is one of the best I've experienced. Since this is an online school, there is no need physical need to go to the class. Although, seminars, online, real-time class meetings, are incorporated into almost every week of every class. The ratings which the students give seem to be a direct reflection of how motivated the person was in his studies. You get what you put into it. Give crap, get crap. Give best, the sky's the limit.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on October 7, 2008
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DO NOT pay anything before getting your answers
Well, I was just applying for an undergraduate course and this is what I got:
- After getting the total tuition and fees, ASK FOR HIDDEN FEES!! Believe me, you will increase the price in at least $200.
- My admissions advisor (SC) is very nice on his emails and phone calls, but I do not get the answers I REALLY need and regardless my satisfaction with the answers, SC keeps asking for me to sign the agreement and start paying the fees so he can "reserve" my position in the class.
- I am not an American citizen and I realized that admission advisors are not of the documents necessary for international applications. First I was said TOEFL and University transcripts (evaluated by a NACES member) were enough. At this point I refused to pay any fees before making sure Kaplan had officially received all mandatory documents. Then, after 2 weeks asking for money, SC emails me saying that in addition to the University transcripts, now he needs the High School transcripts. My answer to SC was: "Due the new documents you asked (high school transcripts) we just delayed the application in at least 45 days. I am glad I haven’t paid any fees until this moment".
- I asked SC to email me a web link where I could check the professors' profiles, resumes and their articles/books, however SC’s answer was: "I would love to accommodate you with your request. Unfortunately I have no way of knowing who the instructing professors will be. Once enrolled, this should be a question for your academic advisor, who at this time I am also unable to share with you exactly who that will be." Maybe it is just me, but it seems very odd that such accredited University refuses to show its professors' profiles, and if noticed the "ONCE ENROLLED" on SC answer you will realize that he is still asking for my money before giving me the answers!!!
Conclusion: I do not feel comfortable with Kaplan and I will cancel my application because I do not trust the advisors and I hate when I feel their priority is to get my money instead of providing good service. I am sure their learning material is great, the use of technology is very good and I have nothing to say about the professors because SC refused to tell me who they are.
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HOVIK4876
(In Progress) on April 21, 2008
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JUST KEEPS GETTING WORSE!!
BEING A NONTRADITIONAL STUDENT LOOKING TO FINISH A BACHELORS DEGREE WHILE WORKING FULL TIME, I THOUGHT ONLINE SCHOOL WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS TO ME. THE GENTELMAN IN ADMISSIONS THAT I WORKED WITH, DEREK SCOTT, WAS NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING. I WAS NEVER REALLY MADE CLEAR HOW MUCH THE SCHOOL COSTS...ITS UNGODLY EXPENSIVE! THEY AUTOMATICALLY ENROLLED ME FOR 10 CREDITS WHICH TURNS OUT TO BE NOT FULL TIME, SO NOW I HAVE TO BATTLE TO GET HEALTH INSURANCE. I PAID **$500+** EACH MO, AND GOT A CALL THAT I WAS $1500 BEHIND! I ASKED WHY THEY MADE MY MONTHLY PAYMENTS AS SUCH IF IT DIDNT COVER EVERYTHING, THEY TOLD ME THAT I WAS TO FIGURE IT OUT MYSELF. YOU CALL AND CALL AND GET VIRTUALLY NOWHERE. YOU DO NOT GET PROMPT RESPONSE FROM ANYONE. THE ONLINE CLASSES WERE SET UP NICELY AND WERE QUITE CONVENIENT, BUT IT IS SOOO NOT WORTH THE PRICE AND DIFFICULTIES I HAVE SINCE EXPERIENCED. I DECIDED AFTER 3 TERMS TO LEAVE THE SCHOOL...2 TERMS LATER, THEY STILL HAVE ME ENROLLED BECAUSE THE "HEAD ADVISOR" KEEPS SCHEDULING MY EXIT INTERVIEW, THEN NEVER CALLS!! I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO EXPRESS MY REGRET FOR CHOOSING THIS SCHOOL. I AM WRITING A REVIEW IN HOPES THAT OTHERS DO NOT FALL INTO THE TRAP THAT I DID. DO A LOT OF RESEARCH!! THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT SCHOOL FOR MANY MANY PEOPLE!!
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on April 20, 2008
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So Far...So Good...
I am currently enrolled in Kaplan and coming to the end of my first term. I decided to look online to see what others have to say. I notice that a lot of the complaints are regarding the customer service reps who handle admissions. While I too found them to be annoying, uninformed, and sometimes unaccessible, I have also had the same experience with brick and mortar schools as well. Bottom line, I did what I needed to do to complete my enrollment, and now I'm enjoying the process of learning. My instructors are wonderful, and while some people do tend to yap during seminar about personal things, for the most part, we get the information needed. I agree with the person who stated that some folks just like to complain.
As for those who feel "ashamed" to have attended Kaplan, I don't know what to say. I would never feel ashamed for trying to better myself. The classes that I've taken so far have been challenging, and as with any learning experience, you get out of it what you put in.
I have no qualms about being able to further my career once I graduate, because my degree from Kaplan will just be a piece of the puzzle. Also, FYI, I've inquired with admission reps at some of the universities in my city (DePaul, Northwestern, U of C) and all have assured me that as long as my grades and classes meet their criteria, attending Kaplan will not prevent me from attending grad school at their institutions.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on March 29, 2008
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Kaplan-So-So
This is my first term at kaplan. I have never done online classes before, so I have nothing to compare to. But so far, I am not real happy with one of my professors, I don't even know if they are real professors. The seminars I attend are more like a bull session than a class. We hardly ever discuss the weeks chapter. I find no point in them, really. I don't care that student A is not feeling well, or student B is haveing car trouble, I have enough troubles of my own. I don't bring them to the seminar. The financial Aid office leaves something to be desired. I keep getting calls from them, and when I try to call back, no answer. I received student loans from citibank, first disbursement was supposed to be 3/17, then it was changed to 3/ 27, still no disbursement. Don't understand what is going on there. If I knew it was going to be this uneducating, I would have continued with brick and mortar.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on March 16, 2008
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Your Kaplan experience is determined by YOU!!
As a Kaplan student myself, I found the diversity of reviews on Kaplan rather interesting. Let's face it people, Kaplan is not the only educational insitution that has had or will have complaints. I just think that is life in general - full of complainers! Kaplan could give it away for free, do all of the homework, guarantee you an A+ and a six figure salary once completed... but you'd still have people that complain. Give it a break all ready!!
First, yes, the online book thing can be a pain (especially for those that like to highlight and make notes while reading). Like anything else, there is a solution! Print the book or buy it used online (like I did).
I find the work very challenging (despite what others say). It's time consuming and very writing intense, but in the real world, your writing skills are essential. I have learned better time managment skills as a result of my KU online experience.
For those of you that complain at the cost of your degree -- I ask you this.... CAN YOU PUT A PRICETAG ON YOUR EDUCATION?? I think the cost of not having an education is worse in the end. If you want a "free ride", go to a community college or continue to live off of the state and those that work to pay your bills.
If you go into this with negative thoughts, you will get negative results. You are where you are as a result of your own thoughts and actions. Keep your negative comments to yourself and do not bash a good school for your failures in life!
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Pringle.brian
(In Progress) on February 14, 2008
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Great Experience So Far
I am in my first term with Kaplan and have recently left University of Phoenix. I was completely aggravated at UOP and I almost let that stop me from attending any online college! Kaplan pulled through for me so far. Although I have to admit I was a 4.0 student at UOP, not so at Kaplan, they have a lot more challenging classes. Without a challenge one doesn’t learn much. I have a couple small glitches along the way, but they were straightened out immediately and I am off to earn my degree. This school is a little less expensive than UOP was, and a lot more inexpensive than a local brick and mortar college, so I do not understand the whole price argument thing that I am reading here. Before I left UOP I did my homework and researched around 15 colleges, 10 of which were online colleges. I nick picked and bothered the poor enrollment people to death, but was adamant that I was not going through another experience like what I was wanting out of. I seen where people said Kaplan dose not supply real books, One of the reasons I chose Kaplan was the fact that they do send you out real books. For the people here that said they could not navigate around the classes and the web site never worked, get a life, I bet you’re the same people that cannot get an email to work either! I just picture someone setting there with an old HP 75mhz, 64 meg ram with dial up and wondering why nothing ever works….lol..So far I feel a person would have to go a long way to find a better online college! Good luck everyone!
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Upsidedowntictac
(In Progress) on January 14, 2008
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Difficult when studying IT
I started Kaplan in April of 2007. The first few courses were okay. I had a few writing classes and academic strategies classes. I thought this was a good thing, since it had been ten years since I had been in an academic environment. I have managed to hold down a 4.0 for almost the entire first year. In the last two semesters, however, I have started taking the core claases that are supposed be directly related to my degree. When studying something like network administration, it is really difficult to read two to three chapters a week, with no hands on learning. The seminars are one hour long, and there is a lot of info to cover. Most of the time there is so much info and students have so many questions, that the class is spent before all of the material is reviewed. Some of the instructors would be better off not teaching. I have had instructors that do not respond to questions, emails, etc. I also recieved a notice saying that they were sorry that I had decided to drop out of Kaplan when I had not. They said it was a mistake, but how does domething like that happen. In a nutshell, I don't know about other areas of study, but for IT, online education is a bad idea.
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on January 2, 2008
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I'm well on my way!
I decided to go school online when I started working full time, I elected to go to Kaplan because they are accredited and my fiance had a great experience with them studying for his MCAT to get into Medical School. I finished my Associates in Applied Science in Criminal Justice and am working on Bachelors Degree, I've been a student at Kaplan for 8 terms now and have not had a problem. I saw someone posted that they got Ebooks? I have always gotten text books in the mail and also they are real books used by local colleges and universities as well so I was able to sell them afterwards for a good buck. I've also had an awesome academic adviser who always gave me a call back, I did have an issue with financial aid when I first started it but they straightened it out right away. The class room is easy to read and respond in, it's very similar to a forum format but way easier to read and has tabs on the side for easy navigation and Seminar is set up like a chat room, so it's easy. I've had a great experience thus far with teachers, they are challenging but help you if you need it, they also constantly update methods to give the students more information regarding topics. I have to say that Kaplan is a great school, I'm also part of the American Criminal Justice Association/ Lambda Alpha Epsilon, Kappa Alpha Phi Chapter through Kaplan and am a member of Alpha Beta Kappa national academic honor society through Kaplan as well. I guess your experience depends on whether you want to learn and earn your good grades and have a career or you want to have an easy A and not put for any effort.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on December 7, 2007
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Almost the biggest mistake of my life
I dont even know how Kaplan expects anyone to trust them with Online Education. One day I received a phone call and one of the Kaplan admission advisors began to tell me how well known and admired Kaplan University is...how great the school is and gauranteed accredidation...Since I lived in NC i was curious as to how this would all work out as smoothly as he promised, but everytime i was assured it was no problem for they had one of the best Online Education programs in the country. He left out that it was A LIE...The advisor himself seemed very honest and eager to help me with my education and building a better future...tho he wanted me to start the following week with classes! I have been in college a couple times before and know first hand it takes at least three months to get everything squared away etc...but i was willing to hear what he had to say. I was very concerned however, when the enrollment process came along since their website was malfunctioning! "Hmm, thats weird, let me ask someone." said the Head of Admissions! The site did not work for three more days...and after that it was still very squeeky...Then, everytime my advisor called me and i was busy, it was like he didn't care...and he practically forced me to stay on the phone with him. I hated the whole process! Finally, he asked how i wanted to handle the $95 up front fee. I informed him that i didnt have that extra money at the time and he said "Oh, well you can write an essay...etc...but it doesnt have to be that good, i've never seen on rejected." I was floored. If you can write an essay and it doesnt have to be good, who wouldnt do that?? AND the cost of tuition is outrageous!!! It seemed all they wanted me to do was get a few loans. Like it was no big deal. I felt they were leaving out some important information since ive gotten grants in the past with no problem. But the thing that really made up my mind was reading the reviews. Who reading this can honestly say youd spend over $20,000 on a school that leaves out info that benefits you, has poor technology, and not one positive reivew? Thanks for the reviews! I might have made one of the worst mistakes of my life.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on October 10, 2007
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My Advice: Keep Clear
I started Kaplan in the Fall of 2006, taking the paralegal course designed to provide a B.S. degree. Most of the professors were easy to communicate with, however one in particular never returned e-mails. One of the most distressing things I found was not being able to take a break from the course study. I also eventually found that Kaplan, although they claim they are accredited, is not accredited with the American Bar Assoc., causing worry over the value of the course. The school insists on using Microsoft Word, when in the legal profession Microsoft Word is not able to properly format a legal document. However the school sells Microsoft software (conflict of interest?).
As with a previous post, I found myself needing to take an emergency leave. I had contracted chicken pox and as an adult it lasted 2 weeks and had side-effect infections. Rather than giving me the rest of the semester off, the school disenrolled me. My grades had been a straight 4.0 through all but one semester (3.5), and I didn't want my grades to fall over the illness.
My last completed paralegal course (Litigation I), I found I did a good deal of the teaching, as the course study did not address nor mention Rules of Civil Procedure but asked students to "guess" at what sanctions a court would award in discovery disputes. I have been in civil courts (federal district, 9th Circuit, state district, and state supreme court) and knew the answers were in the rules of the court that had jurisdiction of the case. Litigation I used a poor example of a civil case, which was followed through the court system. I felt relieved to get into Litigation II, only to find the same case being used again.
As with others, I found, and still find, problems with the administration of the school. My academic advisor placed me in a class where I needed Microsoft Word 2003 without asking me if I had the software. I didn't, and didn't have the funds to purchase it, even though I was offered the software at a reduced price from the school. I have had student financial advisors refuse to call me, after I left messages. Recently I had a telephone conversation with a financial advisor over the school's negligence in not having a student loan paper and them allowing that to continue for two semesters. The 3rd of October, the date of the converstation concerning that paperwork, was also the date of a threatening letter sent by Kaplan claiming they would effect my credit if I didn't immediately call them. I called the same day (Oct 9, 2007) to get a recording that the financial advisor would be away until next Monday.
In my last semester, the school sent out the wrong books, and it was very confusing.
I wish there were enough students dissatified, and who felt deceived, to do a class action case.
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Lizanne4
(In Progress) on August 2, 2007
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A lot of problems with Kaplan
I started my education with Kaplan Feb. 2006 and was really happy with them the first term. Loved the online classes and my professors were really wonderful..... But, then they called me one day that I was behind on my payments and that I needed to pay over $1000. I was stunned, since I had been paying my $197 every 15th of the month and stated when I entered the school. I found out that they had changed something and forgot to tell me, so suddenly I had to come up with an additional $500 a month for two month to I could start my classes next term. That was just the beginning. Later on they wanted some additional information regarding my FASFA application. I filled it out and faxed my entire 1040 back to my Financial Aid officer. The next day I received a call from a company in Canada saying that they had received my fax and that I needed to tell Kaplan that they needed to get their fax numbers straight, since this was not the first time. I was freaking out. My social security number and my husband’s number ended up in some company in Canada. Long story short, I told my Financial Aid officer and she just said, "OK, here is the correct number". I was furious. Then earlier this year I look a leave of absence, so I could spend the summer with my kids and I filled out the correct form and my Academic Advisor said that it had been approved and I just had to sign up for classes for the August term, which I did. A couple weeks after I received a email saying that Kaplan was sorry that I had left the University and that they needed to have a exit interview with me!!!! I found out that they had messed up my status and had dropped me from the University. I have been trying to get this fixed for over 2 months now and I am about to start my classes her Aug. 22nd and it has still not been fixed. I work full time and have a family and this is the last thing I want to worry about. It is stressful enough trying to juggle it all, but that they keep messing things up, does not help my stress level. I have to say, that I really like the classes, and that the professors have been very helpful and good, but somehow all these problems I have had with the regular staff, is just putting a black cloud over everything.
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