Oregon State University

I'm a current student at Oregon State. The general meme is not always geared toward adult student interaction and instructors can be challenging if you expect open, honest and mature communication (example: don't question or offer anything other than high praise for an instructor's favored author). Instrutors can assume the same attitude used with kids fresh out of high school, which is proving not to be such a condusive learning environment for people much beyond their 20's.

Has anyone out there done the certificate in Phytophthora?

OSU makes you jump through quite a few hoops just in their admissions process.  You actually have to fill out a resume explaining your finest qualities and what you want to do with your life.  This is all fine and dandy for some salivating teenager who has just graduated high school, but I'm returning to school after more than 20 years and I doubt any of their faculty has accomplished what I have.  Their website says that a counselor will contact you to help you plan your courses. 2 Months, and it's me contacting them to verify student aid and to see if they've gotten my transcripts. Not to mention it's phone ping pong if you don't have the the exact phone number of the department your trying to reach. The admissions department told me I needed a 3.0 gpa to be admitted something they don't tell you on the website. Now since I played around quite a bit in high school, and don't have the gpa. I'm just waiting for a rejection letter. This is not a school for returning adult students. It's just a big bureaucratic mess like all the large schools are. It's no wonder smaller schools do so well. I have to chase them around to take my money??  I don't think so.. There are too many other accredited takers, and with faculty that have worked in the field I've chosen. I'm sure I'll hear from one of their counselors about my second year at another school.

"No Bucks, No Buck Rogers!"