The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division

Courtney July 3, 2008 at 2:27 a.m.

I am looking at this school along with the academy of art online (Calif) and also westwood college online. i want to get my bachelors degree online in interior design. which school is the best one? is this school any good? Are there other schools online for interior design that i should look into?

Matthew May 28, 2009 at 7:14 p.m.

Do not get lured into attending this school. I got tricked, and I am now fighting with the school, after they messed up my student account once again. Because of this I had no other choice to withdraw,b/c of there tactics and they are trying to charge me half a term tuition. I am now in the process of trying to take legal action against this school, for there faulty business practices and at that outrageous tuition, with poor quality classes.

Katherine September 13, 2009 at 9:16 p.m.

Ditto on the fees, I am in a battle with them as they lost the parent student loan application; even though they were sent 5 X's. It wasn't until I'd completed my last class (I'd decided before that that due to the lack of communciation I would go somewhere else) I now have a school bill that, through no fault of my own, I am told I am responsilbe for.....
Tel#'s are incorrect, so-called staff members names are mis-spelled (I wonder if these are just students working for money), wrong x-tensions or the fax numbers have been admitted to be wrong (& that's from the volumous standard letters that are sent in place of answering questions. They do not return calls, confirm (when asked) that they have received paperwork, etc. I strongly consider that you not go here. Maybe tehy won't lose the certified letter that I sent to the "new" President of the college; we'll see...

katelyn October 6, 2009 at 5:39 a.m.

I started to attend AI online, and I like it, but now I am feeling unsure of the decision that I made. I hope that I made a good one. Has anyone here got their loan money, and a degree??

jan October 23, 2009 at 5:32 p.m.

wow i just completed the online app maybe I better reconsider? any ideas of good on line int design schools?

J.S. November 5, 2009 at 6:11 p.m.

I withdrew from AIOP recently due to changes in my employers school tuition program.

After that, they started e-mailing/calling/billing me for the classes I had been assured were already paid for.

Seems that they spontaneously lost the payment voucher I had scanned and e-mailed to several departments, several times. They're telling me that the "outstanding" bill (that they told me had already been paid before I withdrew) is accruing interest and that I will be responsible for that interest.

I'm also being charged for books/software that I bought on my own...not sure how this works.

Not happy with these folks, not at all.

Matt November 14, 2009 at 7:38 p.m.

I was also considerign this school, along with IADT, if this school isnt right which one is??????

DT November 20, 2009 at 2:05 a.m.

Wow. I am in the enrollment process right now and have submitted information for financial aid too. I only have one step left to do in order to complete it all. I have to accept the loans which I havent done that yet now I am afraid.

Joshua November 28, 2009 at 6:46 p.m.

I Attended AIP after graduating with an Associates Degree in Multimedia from ITT Technical Institute of Monroeville Pa. I applied for the Game art design program. They asked me to submit a portfolio which I did including concept art, freehand portrait work, Samples of my 3D art, as well as a Letter of recommendation from my former teacher at ITT who graduated AIP with a bachelors in Animation. I was informed that I would be starting my freshmen year in Game Art. When I arrived there opening day. I was not in the Game Art major. They put me in Graphic Design. I fought with this school for 3 quarters after that over the lies they used to get me to attend their school. After the 3rd quarter and turning down other schools who were willing to jump through hoops to get me to attend. I wound up having to switch majors to Digital Media Production. Needless to say I left the school before graduation because they kept charging me for classes stating they could not find the payment we had sent them no more than a few days ago. I also know well over 20 former Students who left that school early because AIP had done similar things to them. I would never recommend this school to anyone. Their average tuition alone costs over $60,000 only to have you pay more near the end. I currently have a friend still attending this school trying to finish the Game Art program which by the way he never had to jump through the hoops I had to not even a portfolio. Since he started there he has started getting gray hair panic attacks and the start of potential ulcers all from the stress they put on this person. The worst part of all is he is only 23 years old.

Elizabeth Mancil December 10, 2009 at 5:34 a.m.

As you have probably guessed, I was lied to yet again and now have a balance well over $300.00 that i have to pay back. This had long since ruined my trust of the school and my willingness to attempt readmission. I have sent an email to the vice president let's just hope i get a reply to resolve this current issue.

On another note, anyone who plans to take action against the school or who has had similar or any issues with AIP please send me an email. I will need as much proof as I can get if I plan to take the school on. wolframkyo@gmail.com. Thank you.

Brandi December 29, 2009 at 6:16 a.m.

I love this school...they are always willing to work with you and they have the attitude if you do not get it right...do it until you do..they also have 88 percent of students who get a job after six months after graduation. You also have a place where you can submit your portfolio for future employers.. If I used one word to describe it. It would be SUPERB!

cynthia dimaria January 10, 2010 at 10:13 p.m.

i refused there aid packs ....told them noway...i will file with the atty generals office if they try and pull anything...the money is way to high...forget it...i have already put a letter to sallie mae and pell through fasa...not to give them a dime

K January 18, 2010 at 7:59 p.m.

I attended AIO in 1997-1998 & had to withdraw for a short period of time for personal reasons. Long story short, I was misinformed by the "counselor" about information in withdrawing from the school. After NUMEROUS emails and phone calls back & forth to AIO, I am now paying off $1900.00 because this "counselor" miscommunicated information to me. To administration at AIO: there's no sense having counselors if you arent going to train them CORRECTLY. The turnover rate WITHIN AIO (administrative-wise) is VERY high. I've dealt with several different people only to have to start over again and reexplain the situation. I gave up the fight cuz I wasn't getting anywhere & they ended up sending me to collection. I am now paying $1900 simply for withdrawing early in ONE class. This cost doesn't even include the costs of previous classes with AIO that I am paying off through Sallie Mae. I'm paying all this money, was misguided, have no degree, and I absolutely REFUSE to go back to AIO unless I hit the lottery and pay the tuition off with cash so I don't need to deal with any of the knucklehead accounting depts there at AIO.

lolk January 20, 2010 at 4:48 a.m.

im applying to and there taking me through 10 thousand steps to complete my finacial i been faxing papers for 3weeks and im still told that i need to fax more iam mad being that i dont have a fax machine or printer it is not convient as you think

Darlene January 22, 2010 at 1:20 p.m.

I fully support all of the negative comments here. I ONLY opted for AIOnline because I work full-time and could not attempt to attend another AI school nearby and any other school that offered Interior Design just wasn't up to par. I had to withdraw a couple years ago due to work conflicts but when I looked over a transcript I got (and had to FIGHT to get), I realized I have only 15 credits to complete my degree. So...I've been trying to find out do I really just have 15 credits or do I have more. It has been 3 weeks and I've sent countless emails and have gotten replies that don't correlate to my questions. I re-sent my initial email and still have yet to receive my transcript and list of classes I need to take to graduate. I told the admissions person I am extremely busy, been booked in meetings and prefer to correspond via email ... and he has yet to send me the info I asked for. If you have a choice of schools, DO NOT ATTEND AIONLINE! Also if you look at their career placement #s for the degree you're interested in, be leery. With unemployment at/above 10%, their #s are NOT realistic.

Mark Dudley February 23, 2010 at 5:03 a.m.

I just recently started at AIPO. So far it seems decent, but I am only going part time. I am a professional illustrator and I am really just looking to this school to give me some more polish and give me some 3d, game design and animation experience.

I will keep an eye on what I see here though. To many negative reviews not too.

If I happen to come up on any of the issues you guys are discussing, I will keep you posted.

Pearl February 26, 2010 at 5:58 p.m.

"Matt November 14, 2009 at 7:38 p.m.

I was also considerign this school, along with IADT, if this school isnt right which one is??????"

Matt don't go to IADT that school is bad and SUPER SHADY. I was there for 2 years got 92 credits and they F-ed me over. they say you cant come back to the school if you go below a 1.0 and i was above a 2.0 and they didnt let me come back. Plus they dont care about the students, all they care about is bringing more students in so they can bring in more money for themselves.

Stuff breaks down sometimes and isnt fixed in a timely manner and the students often wonder where all thier money is going or what its contributing to. They could use it to bring in more computers and the needed software or anything else having to do with buying materials that the students need. But no, I never saw that there, I would originally see the staff driving bucket cars then see them a few terms later with brand new super expensive cars. You know what else they do with our money, they go on rediculously expensive vacation destinations to exotic places just to have meetings. I know this since one of the staffers told me that she had an all expense paid trip to meet with other members of IADT to talk numbers and business some where in the caribbean.

In thier staff meetings all they talk about is raising the numbers since all the students are looked at as $$. Let me tell you about those "advisors" that give you the tours, they say they keep intouch, but you never see them again in your school career, your looked as a $ to them and if they get you hooked in, thats more commission coming to them. All they do is give tours and convince you to come to the school, have you sign the necessary papers, they get your money from you and you never see them again. Or if you wonder most times like i did, of what happened to your "advisor" most times they dissapear due to them not having high enough numbers not bringing in enough $$$=students.

I cant tell you how disorganized they are. A staff member lost a students important info and with the staffs carelessness some other staff member in a dif state was able to hack into that students files and do some shady stuff with her personal info that included finance and ss#. Teachers often dissapear and good ones too and then they are replaced with unqualified people. I've always find myself doing the same project over and over again in each class. lol the projects never change your just doing the same thing just in a different class with maybe a slight change in the project but maining your just repeating the same projects in all the classes from my experience.

I'm glad i'm not at that school anymore I look at it as a blessing because i'm now at a better school. IADT is $hit, dont go there, your degree is meaningless there, they always change up the programs, the classes arent challenging and your better off going else where.

josh March 10, 2010 at 5:01 p.m.

I am currently a student with the Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online and I absolutely love it. My admissions advisor is amazing. My academic advisor is amazing and I am really enjoying this. I was reading the reviews on how negative everyone is. But where are all the good reviews. oh wait they are probably too busy being successfull and not worrying about complaining about the school. I talked to my Academic counselor today about all these reviews and asked her several questions. she gave me honest and truthful answers and gave me alot of feedback. Look at the Art institute career services that should speak for itself. If you are serious about going back to school i would strongly recommend this school. don't let all these negative feedbacks change your mind. I am in my second class and im still loving it. I learn something new everyday. I am kind of getting sick with all these negative reviews. my admissions advisor still emails me all the time!!!!! His dedication to my success is why i am going to school right now. Yes i was a little hesitant at first too. But i need a kick in the ass. i was working at wendy's a dead end job. and now i am going to school and i actually enjoy it. like i said this school is great. im going to contact the other students in my classes to read these and see what they say. You can always email me with any questions. footballrulz37@yahoo.com

hell on wheels March 25, 2010 at 4:31 a.m.

do you really think someone is going to take you seriously getting an online degree in INTERIOR DESIGN? people are looking for hands on experience. they want to see results...REAL results. how would you get that purely over a computer? don't be silly. make it work and go to some REAL LIVE classes- this online college stuff is a scam and a joke. stop wasting your time and money. do it the old fashioned way, get out of your bedroom, off that computer, and get out there and WORK for it. obama generation..psh.

DO YOUR RESEARCH! March 26, 2010 at 10:29 p.m.

Before you commit to AI of Pitt Online, LOOK into other Online Art and Design Schools. I ended up enrolling at the INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY ONLINE six months ago and I am extremely happy! Based on the comments that I have seen on this site and several others, it look like I made the right decision. IADT online has live class sessions where I can make comments and ask questions. They have walked me through every step of the process from the application to turning in my assignments. They also came up with my own personalized financial package that included ALL of the BOOKS and SOFTWARE that I need! I don't have to worry or stress about finding a way to come for $100 every term for my books because they were included in my financial aid package. IADT online is only $350 per credit hour compared to AI of Pitt. $448 per credit hour. Plus they not only had an application fee, but they also had an enrollment fee and lab fee as well. They online FEE that IADTO had was the $50 application fee. TRUST ME!!! IT IS WELL WORTH 10 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME TO CONTACT IADT ONLINE TO COMPARE DEGREE PROGRAMS AND COST. Do your research before you commit to a college... Normally you do not go out and buy the first car that you look at...college is just as big of a decision. Compare your options and then make and educated decision as to which school is the best fit for YOU and YOUR CURRENT SITUATION!!!!

tickedoff March 28, 2010 at 11:44 p.m.

So i too fell into the hole they provide. I have filled everything out-but get this they have a new way of manipulating into this school-they make it sound like the tuition is half of what it really is until you have already agreed and have signed with your mpn-they are only money hungry and i was actually excited-now i'm sick to my stomach hoping i can get out of this :(

Shelly March 29, 2010 at 4:14 a.m.

@Anyone Interested In Attending AiPOD

Are you looking for a way to spend thousands of dollars on an education that won’t land you a job and will get you laughed out of any interview? Then come to The Art Institute, where making a profit is our number one goal! Call our toll free number and in no time at all you will speak with one of our top assistant directors of admissions; who will confuse you with false information, lose a majority of your paper work and lull you into a false sense of security! From there, you will be passed on to one of our financial aid officers who will complete your financial paperwork, go over your financial aid with you, and then make all of the thousands of dollars in loans you will have to take out, sound like a romp with fluffy kittens!

As soon as all of your information is completed and signed, you will then be ready to start classes. Your professor, or as we like to call them, a homeless man we bribed with a shot of whiskey and a cheeseburger, will guide you onto your path of success. Should you have any academic/financial questions or concerns with your education at The Art Institute; please don’t hesitate to contact an advisor who will get back to you whenever they feel like it, provide you with more false information, and then quit their job only to be replaced with someone who will confuse you even more. So what are you waiting for – a degree that we printed at the local Kinko’s is waiting for you!

richard37461 April 9, 2010 at 6:51 p.m.

aipod is a ploy to part you of your moneys. they pushed me through a complicated system of loopholes so they could put their grubby hands on my financial aid; they used to be a sallie mae corp, remember their sister company fannie mae? i guess they had to improve their image so they changed their loan system to a master promisary note (don't expect any help from ***richie rasmussen*** because he's a pompous ass that will refuse your calls and never return a message.) when i became ill, lost all my grants, became personally responsible for overpriced classes. don't be pushed into a degree program that's wrong, because they will; just to get you enrolled. i was supposed to be going into game art and design but they decided for me that i'd be better off designing websites; overall i feel that this education will lead me to nothing but a poorly paid telemarketing job. speaking of websites, the overall impression i got of their software was some what appalling; using active-x controls to sabotage your system and make the job easier for their technical support which is an epic failure. i was asked to contact microsoft or reformat my computer on several occassion (24-72 hours of downtime if it happens on the weekend.) the instructors delete your assigments or put them into thier personal research portfolios for any reason they can personally substantiate with themselves; many of them fail to show any consideration for your plight when in need. do you want to pave the way to a Ph.D for some socio-pathic instructor that can't even reply honestly or in a relativistically sound period of time to your contention with the class material (ref. ***angie sullivan*** -- speech instructor for aipod,) come on wtf am i going to do with an answer that comes 36 hours too late. in my opinion she's just farming the students for her doctorate. i'm not a great artist (apparently that's all they care about -- can you draw the way we want you to?) but i have major computer skills and already studied at the community college for 2 years, but that doesn't really matter to them; they don't care about you. all they want is the money and if you attend any online courses expect any questions you have to put you so far behind schedule that you won't be able to catch up. any jack-mormons out there that attend. i don't do school work on sunday but 90% of the assignments happen to fall during the weekend when your supposed to be practicing some sort of relaxation method to help you cope with the stress; i'm not perfect but i know the truth. if you think your going to have an easier route with the online, think again. i'm looking at a lawsuit pending against this scam job institution. they billed me for every thing they possibly could and i didn't get anything in return. the bookstore even ships out the software late so you won't be prepared for class. the day after i dropped out, they had the audacity to call me an ask if i wanted to re-enroll. out of space lol.

jesscah_taylor April 10, 2010 at 3:48 a.m.

I'd be really careful, per I had my loans consolidated, and received a "Paid In Full" letter from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, then when I went to enroll in a school pr want more than an art degree under my belt, they held back my transcripts pr I owed an additional 1,700$ they failed to consolidate. Oh and over time pr so expensive to attend there I owe nearly 60,000 for a degree. I work at Victoria's Secret and am still be held back by AIP pr will not give me real transcripts.

Sunschyne2 April 19, 2010 at 7:02 p.m.

(In addition) Another smart move on my part...
I SAVED ANY AND ALL COMMUNICATIONS between the school and myself!!! I have every freakin' email, showing how I repeatedly tried to get help and how I repeatedly got the run-around! (YAY ME!) I have my case!

Karen April 24, 2010 at 2:54 a.m.

i just put in the application with the art institute of pittsburg for the online division for interior design. I paid 50 that i dont have but my advisor was the coolest guy ever and hes in school too, (so he says) i really hope its not a scam, but im having my advisor give me some imformation and im gonna run it by my dad monday. i hate to see all of this bad stuff about the school being said. I want to make the right decision. i cant be wasteing money, no one can. My dad is weary of this school thats why im running things by him first before i sign up for anything.

ER May 13, 2010 at 2:17 p.m.

I just looked up the Art Institute of Pitssburgh and EDMC on the Better Business Bureau site because I read various comments above and recently enrolled in their program. 1) The Art Institute Of Pittsburgh has a B- rating NOT a D- as someone stated above. 2) EDMC has absolutely no rating because they are not listed with the Better Business Bureau. 3) Any college is what a person makes of it, including debt as the result of student loans. What college doesn't try to make $$$$ out of people getting an education??? That's why tuition hikes have taken place at state universities, community colleges, and private instutions of higher learning.

kinkaid May 26, 2010 at 7:22 p.m.

Guys, quit wining.
just because you had bad experiences AND are able to get a court case out of doesn't mean AIP, AIPOD, or any of the art insititutes are that bad. aren't you out there trying to get a degree to get a job to get money too?
but fir surs, quit trying to make this serious business and calm down. AIP isn't such a bad school. i'm in my 4th quarter and I can honestly admit that in my first 4 weeks of attending school there i had learned more than i had in 4 years of high school. i'm doing great and it looks like they've cleaned up their act. online is not the way to go. get up off yer arse and go to the school.

Michelle S June 8, 2010 at 10:11 p.m.

Don't tell people to stop whining. Hey, if you're stupid enough to pay almost $100,000 for a 2 year degree from this school, then don't worry about the rest of us.

I had the same issues with AIO taking advantage of me. I was told all my entry fees would be waived, and that I could get everything covered by student aid. One class came to around $3000. I figured out that with all the classes to take, books, software, etc I would be out almost $100,000 for a 2 year degree. The local schools cost about $6000 a year (x4 =$24,000)

Then they didn't charge everything to me before I withdrew from the second class and they had to send the money back, so they started collections against me.

Never mind that the teacher told me he didn't know why I was taking his class, since I knew more about the subject then he did.

AIO is a huge scam, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I actually found this page because I was looking for a class action lawsuit I could join.

Amber June 12, 2010 at 7:05 a.m.

After reading all these reviews about AiO I am like whoa I had no idea, but I am in my second year with them and so far everything is fine. At first when I was thinking about enrolling with them they seemed rushed to get me signed up, but they were still nice and seemed very professional. They waived my $50 app fee but later on it turns out that they didn't. Yes they do charge a $100 lab fee per class (which I really don't understand why) and they do give a book voucher per semester, but that barely covers the cost of books. I had signed up for 3 classes per sem which are 5 1/2 weeks long and each class required 2 books each, and after the voucher I still had to cover $200 myself. Which wouldn't been as bad, cus with 'real' schools I am sure I would have to pay around the same price, the worst part about buying the books is that I barely even used them. Two of the classes that I had taken I hadn't even broke the plastic on them. And the software that I needed for class came in time, and I didn’t have to pay out of pocket for it. The instructors are ok, some are great and some are crappy. The classes are good, I almost never have to do assignments on weekends and most instructors are pretty lenient on the due dates, if you are late and you have a very good reason they let it slide or if you didn’t get your books/software in time they will give you the readings that are necessary. The only negative things that I would have to say about AiO is that I am on my second Student Advisor, I had no idea what happened to her but my new one said that quote ‘the powers to be’ had replaced her. My financial aid officer does not return my calls hardly ever, but she does ok on returning emails, oh and she is the second fin aid officer since I’ve been there. The prices are kind of high for this kind of school, but hell now days everything costs too much. Oh and I looked up the BBB rating for Aio and it says N/A but the physical school has a B-. Well that is about all I can think of, I will bookmark this site in case I need to come back. I am sorry to hear that so many people has had really bad experiences with AiO, so far mine is ok. I just thought I would write this to let people know the good and bad of this school. Like I said I am on my 2nd year here for my Bachelors in Photography and so far I hadn’t been scammed. But I'll let ya'll know how it goes.

Zeusproto June 15, 2010 at 8:24 p.m.

Any private paid or (TRADE SCHOOLS) , can get a Accreditation from a lower standard G.A.A.P. accepted grantor.

ACICS is a lower standard accreditation that is recognized, by the C.H.E.A. However, they are considered ((National Accredited)) and (LOWER STANDARD)

And most Colleges and universities will not accept the majority of these lower credits. These credits, un like Regionally Accredited Colleges, that are noted in the educational the field, as (HIGHER STANDARD CREDITS) or (STANDARD CREDITS)

Argo, meaning that the degree from the Art Institutes, are without legal argument, lower standard credits, and non- transferable to the majority of higher colleges or universities. (THUS, MEANING THAT YOU PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR NOTHING!)

Kristen June 25, 2010 at 2:46 a.m.

Wow Michelle that was pretty harsh and horrible speaking manners for a person that works for this school and is standing up for them.

I am a student, have been for 2 1/2 years, but I'm leaving AIPO because of the mandatory Digital Bookshelf fee. I'm already paying more then what it would cost me to attend Penn State here in State College PA, now they want to add more and for E-Books that I'd rather not use. I prefer paperback and hardback books so I have them to reference back to in the future if needed. Not to have a limited license for how long I can access them.

So, my complaint here is not the education that I get, or dealing with the staff, or loans, but it's the school not giving us the option of how we'd like to read our texts.

We all learn on different levels and I think we really touched base on that our first couple classes in the beginning of starting. Now we are being made on how we read. I don't understand this.

Janine July 1, 2010 at 12:25 a.m.

I am so confused. I just got done with the application process,I was really excited about doing something for myself, I am A stay at home mom of 5 kids, so online was my only option. But now Im not so sure about this.By the way why are people saying get off your butt and go to the school?? some people don't have that luxary!! shouldn't they be praised for trying to better themselves?

YN July 2, 2010 at 12:16 p.m.

I was considering taking the online courses at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh to complete BS in Interior Design.
There is an another online school that I was looking at. But I was discouraged by the negative reviews by students and news medias, similar to the AI Pittsburgh's.
Now, I am cautious.
I've been practicing interior design for over 16 years with an Associates degree of interior design from The Art Institute of Philadelphia.
I was hoping to transfer previous school credits many as possible as well as my career experiences to be considered as academic credits.
For me, the most important thing is to get the degree quickly.
I am hoping I can get all done within one year by taking online courses.
Are there anyone who has an experience transferring credits to AI Pittsburgh?
Anyone graduated from AI Pittsburgh? Do you proud of holding a degree from AI Pittsburgh?

jess in a mess July 12, 2010 at 11:52 p.m.

I enrolled in the AI but on campus. I was interested becuase they assured me they could work with my work schedule saying the had morning, evening, nights and weekend classes. Turns out the majority of classes are a one time morning classes. They lied to me to lure me in and I took the bait. Now they say I must have misunderstood because the Advisors are well aware and would never say such a thing, ja. However, I know a handful of people there who can say they were told the same. I have attempted finding a job compatible with these hours and that also pay the bills but am having no luck. I must now choose between school or a roof over my head. Mmm, tough choice. Now I'm worried I'll have to pay them all there money back and that just adds to my worries. Don't let them fool you.

Karen July 27, 2010 at 2:15 a.m.

Well, I am rereading the same problem I am having all the way down this list. You get baited then things switch. They are not just screwing the student they are screwing FAFSA, telling them they are giving a student 6 credit hours, actually charging for it then only giving one class. Billing me for software I never purchased. Then the counselors, well u may have erin one day then sara the next so someone please tell me where any consistancy is here. How can someone know your file or case when they don't have you for more than a couple weeks. Then trying to call them lol thats a joke. You get voice mail, 3 days later u get a return call and if you miss it , hey we are back to voice mail again. So I have emailed everyone up the chain of command hoping someone will reply. But if this fafsa scam isnt fixed then I am going to have to follow through with the federal track.It's no longer a point of I am getting screwed as the point that they are getting away with this and somehow I cannot believe the federal government can be that stupid. lol hmmm? So anyone have any federal leads let me know at stormi295@yahoo.com .

Danny August 6, 2010 at 6:35 a.m.

I am currently in my 3rd quarter (5th class so far) of my 1st year at AIO. So far I'm really loving it. I'm sorry that so many people have had issues, but from reading it sounds like a lot of a) Not listening to/fully understanding what is being communicated by the school or b) expecting the school to do things FOR you that are YOUR responsibility (that every other college on the planet will also expect of you). Examples: When my aid package was discussed (PS, it IS totally up to the gov't what you get, NOT the school), if I was unsure of something, or something wasn't clear, I'd ask. And if I still didn't get it, I'd keep asking til I understood. Also, I have everything in writing. As far as people leaving because the school didn't get them their books, software, etc....that is YOUR, let me repeat, Y-O-U-R responsibility. Always. At any school. Don't be ridiculous. I really cannot believe that breathing, concious, adult people would even think for a second that any school would literally do everything for them. I can only believe that these dilusional individuals had never attended college of any sort prior to AIO. I went to community college before this and that school cared a LOT less about waht I "needed". Oh, and all those community college credits transferred :) For anyone still unsure, let me put it to you straight: online school, regardless of the curriculum, is NOT for everyone. You have to be extrememly focused and disciplined for this because nobody is there to police you and you have no formal class times. If you are lazy, irresponsible or immature, you WILL fail in any online school. Please PLEASE do not listen to these embittered, self-righteous people who only have bad things to say. People with positive experiences rarely post on forums, its a fact. Please remember that. There are trials and tribulations with any type of higher education, its not easy or free otherwise EVERYONE would do it. If anyone has legit questions, concerns, whatever, please feel free to email me, I will share all the info I have with you. Everyone has to make their own choices, I'd read some of this negative drivel before I enrolled but I did it anyway and I'm so happy that I did. Don't let sad, pathetic strangers who couldn't cut it hold you back from greatness!
ladyhjordis@gmail.com

Joe August 9, 2010 at 9:31 p.m.

Courtney:
I'm looking at this one and Academy of Art as well. I also looked at Westwood, but I don't think you want to go there for interior design because they are not CIDA accredited. Academy of Art and Art institute of Pittsburgh are the only online interior design programs accredited by CIDA at this time (the Art Institute just recently became accredited).

Anthony Deyo August 12, 2010 at 7:44 p.m.

I have been attending AIO for almost two years now, and after reading so much negative feedback, I thought I should write about how my experience with the school has been excellent so far.
My teachers have all been very qualified and I have learned a ton of new information from them, and from the other students through active class discussions. There are a lot of reviews that say the school is bad because the tuition is too high. First of all, you should know how much the school costs before you enroll. Also, the "legal tender" that you pay the tuition and loans with is worthless electronic bits of data, created out of nothing...is that more valuable than your education?
One thing that I have noticed is that you do have to be self-motivated. You have to get out there and find your own answers. This approach to learning doesn't bother me because I think it's progressive, and I prefer that method of learning. I could see how unmotivated people could confuse this type of learning with poor education.
If there was one area of improvement for the school, I think it would be admissions. I would like to see them make it tougher to get into the art/design programs by requiring a portfolio review. I have been in class with some people that are in the graphic design program and were creating really terrible work. There are many students who are really talented too, but always a couple that probably shouldn't be there.
The best part of my experience is that, without the flexibility of schedule offered at AIO, I would not be able to attend art school. There are no good art schools around me for fifty miles. I also work full time, and have a family. For that reason I am very grateful for the opportunity to work towards an accredited bachelor of science degree in graphic design.

Eric August 16, 2010 at 2:38 p.m.

I began as a student at AIO a few years ago in their Graphic Design Bachelor's Program. Initially, I was enjoying the experience. I took some time off when I joined the military and decided to come back to continue my education. The second time around, I decided that I wanted to enroll in their Animation and Media Arts Program. They were very helpful in assisting me back and treated me like I never left to begin with.

After studying under their Animation program, I quickly began to realize that things had changed. There were some instructors that I was happy with, but they were few and spread apart.

What really opened my eyes to seek my education elsewhere was the fact that I was seeing many of the same students in several of my classes. What's worse was that I saw very few of them making any progress in their skills and talents.

I know that art is subjective and everyone has their own unique set of skills and capabilities. At the same time, however, the Animation industry is pretty competitive and you have to be able to market yourself with a competent portfolio.

I know this sounds mean to say but there were too many students who probably would've been more successful in med school. That's not to say that I considered myself to be the best of the best. On the contrary, as I continued my education with AIO, I began to doubt my own abilities as an artist. Sure, I had a 4.0 GPA, but so did everyone else. What I saw, time and time again were students, with mediocre talent, constantly being herded through the system. I began to think that, perhaps, my talents weren't any better and I was simply passing to keep paying tuition.

I finally quit AIO when I had to leave for a military deployment overseas but I'm back in the states now and since my return, I've enrolled with the Art Academy University of San Francisco. A lot of their alumni are hired by professional animation studios such as Pixar, ILM, and Dream Works.

ash August 19, 2010 at 11:41 a.m.

am drafting up the lawsuit in the next few days, contact me, asearchers@yahoo.com

ash August 21, 2010 at 5:52 p.m.

james hoyer dot com

JJ August 26, 2010 at 5:18 a.m.

I attended the college for four years.At the San Bernardino Campus.It was a big mistake. The people are shady,they embezzle money,harass students as well as faculty,they dont tell you anything about your financial aid.They kept sending me back and forth saying that my financial aid was fine then they would call me in the office half the time and tell me I needed all these papers and then they would stress me out.my school time was being interrupted by them calling me into the office.they would go into the classes and take people out of them just to do fasfa.They are as well holding my transcripts because i owe them money for housing that was suppose to be covered by my financial aid.I left the school. and I am only planning on paying 5 dollars a month cause its all I can afford they want me to pay 1,000 dollars a month.They are evil and they embezzle money. Please Save yourself do not go to Art Institute Of San Bernardino.At the end of the day your education is what you make it and the people in that office only care about thier big checks thats coming from your money.The money that the goverment is suppose to supporting you is going to them not you.!!!

Krystal August 31, 2010 at 4:43 p.m.

I was looking into the AIO for a bachelor's degree in photography. A couple of years ago I took interior design through Westwood College Online and only lasted about 5 months due to the same issues everyone seems to be having w/ this school. I am really glad I decided to really look into others experiences w/ this school .-sure it's a degree, but a lot of headache and a LOT of money!! After getting an email from an admissions counselor I found out it would cost roughly $112,000 for me to get my bachelor's degree in photography through this school!!!!!THAT'S CRAZY!!

Does anyone have any suggestions of a GOOD school that offers an online bachelor's degree for photography? really, because this school is the only one I can find and I am NOT going here!!!