Kaplan University - Law and Criminal Justice::Paralegal

My Advice: Keep Clear

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on October 10, 2007

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Review:

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.