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Another Money Hungry Online School...

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on July 15, 2011

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Walden University
I am currently attending Walden University. After leaving the University of Phoenix, Walden was a breath of fresh air…well I thought it was. I am currently enrolled in a B.S. Information Systems – Self Design. The enrollment process was a breeze and the enrollment staff was extremely helpful. This online college seemed very different than the previous institution I was enrolled in. Well, a few months pass and once again I am faced with poor communications from Walden advisors and staff. Many Walden advisors and instructors take more than 3 days to respond to e-mails and frequently do not answer their phone calls. The quality of education seems very easy and not challenging. The cost of each class is through the roof and you also have to purchase your own materials on top of it but, I knew this going into this institution. I feel that Walden is more organized than my previous online school but, I still feel that this institution’s number one goal is profit. There is so much potential when it comes to online schooling but, many “for-profit” online schools are creating a terrible name for online schooling across the board. Steer clear of schools such as this and do a ton of research before pouring money into the degree of your choice.

Yes - its Bad if you're not just after a piece of paper.

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on July 13, 2011

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First, the interface is goofy and overabundant; there is a syllabus 1, 2, course instructions, calendar and application. All of which have different specifics on how the work is to be done, but you also have the instructors putting out their own rubrics.

The teachers are not bright, they encourage groupthink, do not grade by the syllabus, and are educational in their approach with the students. It's more like a social gathering in the discussions and, in several instances, I've had to correct the instructors on items they had wrong. It is very clear that the instructors are not very educated themselves and are not familiar with theories that are taught.

The books are expensive, and they require multiple editions to be order. For example, one class was three books, but we only need about 1/4 of it to complete the course. The rest of the course, we never talk about anything out of the other books, which cost well over $150 dollar for three, but that's because I bought at discount prices. If you purchase at full price, well, goodluck. They said "oh yeah," you can download the books for less, but that's not true. The downloads are the same price as regular books.

They told me that I could take classes where I would work alone, but that's not true. My very first class, I am stuck in groups with mandatory weekly meetings that I could not attend.

Anyway, it's just been an awful, awful experience. I am in my second class, but I will be leaving as soon as it's done.

Walden University - Accreditation

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on February 16, 2011

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I'm writing to inform any one who is considering Walden to obtain a degree in Public Health:  None of its programs are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Employers recognize CEPH accreditation and will expect that your degree comes from a program that his this professional accreditation. Walden did submit an application a couple of years ago but withdrew and has not resubmitted.  

Walden does have regional accreditation but not professional.  These are distinct types of accreditation and offer different benefits.

In addition, it boasts of having a faculty who has terminal degrees and are experts in the field of public health, these purported experts are not required to actually lecture.  This is a self-taught environment; you are on your own.  Finally, the residencies are a rip off in that they are an additional cost to attend and students also incur travel and lodging expenses.  The residencies do not focu on public health issues rather they are social gatherings at your expense and another way for Walden to screw you.

BSBA

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on February 2, 2011

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After starting with another online university, I chose to enroll with Walden University based on recommendations from collegues and my employer.  I have not been disappointed.  Class tuition is not inexpensive but I have been very pleased with BSBS program overall.  The courses are challenging and most professors expect quality work.  Online courses are not for everyone so please ensure you are a good fit for schools of this type.

PhD Education K-12 Leadership

By: william.molnar (In Progress) on January 12, 2011

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My experience with Walden University has been nothing but great. My first contact with Walden was with a representative who was extremely knowledgeable and very understanding of my needs and goals. After steering me in the right direction, I was accepted to the school of Education and given a mentor. I could not have asked for a better person!! He is available to me at all times. I can contact him by phone when necessary and if I e-mail him, he respons within 24 hours. Every class I have taken has been very helpful to my career. I have found myself applying a lot of what I have learned from my courses at Walden to my job. I think the classes can be challenging but one only gets out of it what one puts into it. Many students feel the courses are too easy and professors do not care but I find the complete opposite. The professors are very good in their fields and every tiime they respond to my discussions, they always leave me with something to think about that helps me in my occupation. I find the materials to be very helpful. I always purchase the suggested texts for reference and use them frequently when working on various class projects. With regards to the library, I have had nothing but wonderful experiences. If I need help, I can always reach someone on the phone and if I leave a message, they always call back. If I e-mail them, they always e-mail back within 24 hours. My only concern is the finances. I do feel $20,000 a year is steep. I am $65,000 in the hole as of now and I expect it to reach $100,000. I must keep in mind that this PhD is going to advance me in my career and allow me to follow my dreams which would be impossible without the degree.

The worst mistake I've ever made

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on December 19, 2010

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I began the PhD in Sepcial Education program at Walden in the Fall of 2006. Since that time, Walden has changed several aspects of the program, adding to the length of time for me to complete my degree (so far, 3 quarters have been added at a cost of approximately $4200.00 per quarter). Even though I was Accepted under the 2005/2006 catelogue, Walden did not "Grandfather" myself or other students when these changes were made. I am too close to finishing, so now I am stuck with ever changing and conflicting rules. My current personal favorite is that after completing and accpetance of my proposal, and subsequent data collect, the Univeristy Research Reviewer has changed her mind about my proposal and now wants signifcant portions of the proposal re-written along with the research questions. This is totally inapropriate, vilotas Walden's stated policy, yet I have been told to "jump through the hoop" (yes, that is an exact quote).

I urge you to save yourself time, money, frustration and aggravation. Do not go to Walden. FYI, I currently have a 4.0 GPA and have never missed a deadline. The delays are on Walden's part. Work is reviewed by their staff on a consecutive time frame instead of concurrent; on other words, if 3 people need to review your writing, they each take a turn, one after the other. 

Run, don't waste your time like I have.

Signed,
Stuck at ABD

PhD Bait and Switch

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on August 3, 2010

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Walden fails to deliver on promises. They assure you of one thing to get you enrolled (bait), and once you are involved in the program, they tell you it cannot be done (switch).    
   When speaking with the enrollment advisor at the outset, I specifically said that I wanted a PhD in Creative Writing. he assured me that I could do that at Walden. During my first online course, my instructor brusquely told me that "This is not a creative writing course. Go take a class somewhere else." I contacted an advisor who called me, went over my goals in great detail, assured me that I could get my PhD in Creative Writing through the Education Department. The advisor even found a mentor for me who was a published author and working in the same venue as I.  He has been great! However, he as well as my second course instructor warned me that Walden may not honor the creative writing degree that I had been assured of. And, in fact, when I went to residency and met with the Dean of the Education Dept, his response was "Absolutely not."
   I was put in the Education: Self-Design program, but there was nothing self-designed about it. The required courses were the same as any other education PhD degree.
   I kept pursuing the idea, trying to get clarification. I was a retired teacher of thirty years so knew what I wanted. My goals were clearly stated from the outset--a PhD in creative writing. In the meantime, I maintained a 4.0 in the education courses.
   I will say that the technical support and library support were very good. Most instructors were responsive, and my mentor was great. If I had been a teacher in midst of my career, I may have found the program worthwhile. But I am now in debt to the tune of just under $30,000 for one year, and I am not getting what I wanted nor what I was promised. I do feel the process was a bait and switch. I was promised one thing, given assurances, and once in the program, was told "No way." I have withdrawn from the university, filed a petition for return of at least part of my tuition, and have had to contact an Ombudsperson in order to even get a response from the Dean of Education. My petition has been denied. Walden is not taking any responsibility for having promised something they had no intention of delivering.

Beware

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on June 8, 2010

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I was enrolled in Walden's PhD Clinical Psychology program, everything was going fine, got A's in two classes including a very tough statistics class.  I found that when I had questions the teachers would only answere one question and when I wanted more clarification there was none.  Then there was an instructor in History and Systems who was horrible. Stated that I did not follow APA (she was wrong) and wanted documentation of the original ideas I came up with.  Many students I met at the residency also complained of this instructor.  Out of the 15 people I met at residency all have left Walden's PhD program to go to brick and mortar schools.  If you're going for licensure in psychology Walden is not for you.  Too much money and not a good reputation in the psychology world.

Walden is great!

By: ssmith (In Progress) on May 25, 2010

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Walden is not for the unmotivated individual!  You have to work hard for your accomplishments.  The key is finding a chair who is supportive, helpful, and available.  I have one, and my experience has been amazing.  I am in the final stage of getting my dissertation approved.  It's all about being motivated and doing what is asked of you.  The analysis of my work was critical, and that's what I expected.  You will get out of Walden's doctoral program what you put into it, and that includes the length of time that it takes you to complete.

Recruitment: harassing phone calls only follow-up

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on May 2, 2010

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Attended a lovely presentation and dinner regarding Walden University and spoke with some very nice staff and alumni who spoke favorably of the University.  However, the follow-up has been a nightmare. I made the mistake I guess, by giving them my cell phone#. The only approach they seem to use is a barrage of telephone calls at anytime night and day.  One night was after 9:00pm and was already in bed asleep so did not answer.  A number of other calls came from out of state when I was not available with no messages so assumed several may have been from Walden staff.  The one call I did receive a young woman was on the line and identified herself from Walden and came to my cell phone while I was driving and had some urgency to take care of at the hospital.  I requested she phone me back later in the week or preferably by mail and she just barreled through totally disregarding my urgent situation.  She wanted to know which of the two programs, I had indicated interest, was the one I wanted to know about.  I told her both and requested if any materials could be mailed to me about the two programs and told her I had to go as was not a time for me to be on the phone given my urgent situation.  She kept going on that I needed to just choose one program and I finally had to just hang up on her given my own urgent situation and driving while on the cell phone. 

Several weeks have passed and I have never received any written materials describing the two programs of my interest but still just more phone calls at times I could not answer the phone with often no messages left. 

You would think that they would consider contacting prospective students by respectful methods of either Email or Postal Mail rather than a barrage of calls anytime day or night that amounts to harassment.  Times when I was up on the ladder pruning trees, driving in the car, Friday or Saturday evenings, Sunday dinner time, etc. 

Their recruiting staff's contact strategies of only using the phone call method at any time of day or night or even on Sundays, disrespecting anyone's time or schedule, etc has given me a negative impression of their program.... and am now leary that they are only interested in their money/profit making potential.   

NOTE: I appreciate the opportunity for this review posting site as a last contact and feedback resort: When I tried to locate a Customer Service site there was no where to email nor telephone anyone to let them know of my desire to receive further program information by either postal mail or Email, and my displeasure with their harassing "telephone only" recruiting tactics.

MS in Educational Leadership

By: Anonymous (Graduate) on June 12, 2009

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I just completed the MS in Educational Leadership and found the program very challenging. It does take self disipline to stay current on the reading, assignments, and projects and is not for someone whom likes to wait till the last hour to do their work. Online education is fast approaching as most public and private schools are offering online courses even to students attending a brick and mortar location.

Its not that bad!

By: carmencita100 (In Progress) on February 24, 2009

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I am going into my 3rd quarter at Walden, Ph.D. in Health Psychology. So far I have had excellent responses from financial aid and advising, less than 48 hour wait. 

After attending Capella for 2 years, Walden is a breath of fresh air. Amazingly, I prefer to work on my own and have teacher feedback. Capella had this constant discussion element that forced me to read terrible posts with serious intellectual deficits. So far at Walden I have found my colleagues to be well read and professional.

As many of you have stated, you get what you give and I have been lazy to an extent getting B's so far, thus, no A's are given away. At Capella I got A's for doing next to nothing. At Walden I feel like the material is relevant and challenging.

So like any institution Walden has its good and its not so good but I do not feel like its a diploma mill and customer service with me has been great. Faculty input is limited but I gauge my progress by grades. Obviously, C's or D's would indicate I am not keeping up. The B's I have tell me I could do better.

Everyone has a unique experience in their educational life. I recall as an undergraduate and graduate in B&M schools, students would complain about everything too. As with any venture one undertakes, effort and disposition make all the difference.

There is a tendency for people to be critical of online programs. There certainly are diploma mills out there and shoddy programs, but there are good ones as well. Just to be sure I called the Board of Regents of Ohio to verify if a Walden degree would be recognized and this was the response:

"Walden is accredited by NCA (North Central Association)
Walden is fine by this board".

That cemented my decision to attend.

Carmen

You choose

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on February 15, 2009

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If you are looking for a fairly simple, easy and straight forward program for getting a degree, Walden may be for you. If, however, you are looking for quality instruction, and consistency from one instructor to the next, I would suggest that you look elsewhere.

My experiences with Walden

By: Anonymous (Graduate) on January 4, 2009

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I am currently ABD in Educational Psychology from Walden. I received my MS from them as well in general psych. I have two undergraduate degrees from traditional schools. Before entering my master's program I had the same concerns as everyone else.

Online education is facing a crossroads. On the one hand, the move to online education is growing rapidly with new programs being implemented by online schools and traditional schools offering more online courses. On the other hand, there is still a general consensus by the public that online education is a cake-walk, and surely commercials stressing the ability to take classes in your pj's doesn't help that image. 

Consulting literature, however, there is a growing number of studies being done supporting online education for several reasons. Cognitively, adults learn better through application. Following the constructivist theory, one can identify several benefits to online education: it requires personal accountability for learning, it provides the opportunity for personal control over their learning, and it requires one to use critical thinking to apply learning to useful and desired skills. 

With any university you are looking at, there will be pros and cons with all of them, traditional or online, so it is best to know what you want out of your education, recognize your situation, then make the right choice FOR YOU. Second, after attending traditional universities, I can say that Walden has been much more challenging in it's requirements and therefore, more benficial...IF YOU USE IT! Walden will provide you with the tools but you have to apply yourself. Walden is NOT a cake-walk university or a diploma mill! 

I can say that I feel Walden has given me a far superior opportunity for critical understanding of my education topics as opposed to the basic retention I got from traditional universities. Now, for those of you considering a liscensing specialization in psychology, while Walden is an accredited university, it does not have an APA approved program in psychology (no strictly online school does). Make sure you know your state's requirements.  I know though that Walden graduates are being licensed so do what is right for you.

Just because a school is traditional doesn't make them good. Likewise, just because a school is online doesn't make it bad. Think about what you need, what you want, and examine both online and traditional schools. Find the one that works best for you. The degrees from Walden are legit, not from a diploma mill. You have to work hard to get it, and a lot don't make it. YOU make the degree. YOU set the value on it through your own hard work and what you take from it. YOU have to sell yourself, your talent, your skills, and your dedication to employers regardless of where you got the degree. Finally, no matter what you read here follow your own instinct. You know what's best for you, not us!
Good luck!

Stay away from Walden!

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on December 13, 2008

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I am presently in Walden's PhD program.  I am so sorry to say that Walden does not live up to its claims.  Faculty mentoring mentoring is extremely poor and uninvovled.  If you are absolutely sure that you want to spend loads of money for a solo-education, go ahead.  But don't be fooled by Walden's claims.  If I hadn't spent so much money already, I'd be in anothe program.

Walden PhD Student

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on June 17, 2008

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Walden is not Harvard or Princeton, but can be in the future and there is a good chance for it to become an on-line Harvard. I’ve seen a lot of positive changes in Walden, and enjoy using the on-line library provided by Walden.

Walden University is a Degree Mill

By: Anonymous (Graduate) on March 25, 2008

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I received my Masters from Walden University and can tell you first hand that they are a diploma mill. I just paid my money, did little to no work (most of the test and homework are pirated online and never change), and got my degree in about a year. The University is a joke and I have no idea how in the hell they are accredited.

Keep looking, you can do better

By: Anonymous (Graduate) on March 13, 2008

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The classes are all canned, the teachers just moonlight from other schools, and the degree is laughed at by almost all employers. My Masters from Walden is worthless. All potential employers do is ask if the school is A) accredited or B) a real school. It's hard to take any school seriously when their main source of advertising is spam email messages and junk snail mail. Keep looking, you can do better than Walden University

Hindsight is 20/20

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on March 13, 2008

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 Walden University has afforded me the opportunity to complete all coursework for the MS Psychology Degree, finishing all but the thesis with a 3.8 GPA. I began the course of study in 2003 taking one course at a time. A few quarters I was not able to attend, but because I had such poor advising no notice was given that a four year time line would cut me short of graduation. An extension was granted until Spring 08 to complete the thesis, however the Chair selection process is a gamble that in my case resulted in a poor choice. Letters to the Advising Group were met with responses asking me to discuss with my mentor(Chair). The poor responses from the Chair and the Dean created time delays that pushed my thesis to the point that it can not successfully meet the time line. 
 Walden University is a money sham which should be investigated for fraud. I have 30k dollars in student loans to repay, no degree, and contempt for Walden University.

 Buyer beware- Online schools are not for everybody. If you want poor feedback, high costs, and a general lack of respect for student's, Walden is the place to waste your time and money.
This post is one student's opinion and does not reflect the qaulity of other Online schools, nor other departments at Walden. The school of Psychology is specifically where my experience is drawn from.
For the working professional, Walden School of Psychology, is a poor choice for a quality education. What does one do with the faceless, relationless, entity that is the online educational venue for Walden?
I am sick over the whole experience! Without the degree my work with adolescent addicts will remain as a volunteer rather than as a paid counselor. Shame on me for being naive about Walden, shame on Walden for caring so little about it's student's pleas for assistance.

AC

Very Rigorous Education

By: forevergloria (Graduate) on February 7, 2008

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At first I was skeptical about Walden U. But I soon saw that the professors and administration meant business. They all set a very high standard and expected each student to meet that standard. Sad to say, many in my cohort did not make it out as hoped. But I believe that they were not cut out for it anyway. Distance learning is definitely NOT for everyone!

Walden University has pushed me forward in so many ways. The residencies were extremely rewarding and I met some very valuable people. I now have a full time, tenured position at a state university that is 135 years old! I highly recommend Walden to anyone who id self-determined!

Not the whole truth

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on February 1, 2008

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I was enrolled in Walden's  clinical psychology PhD program. First of all the so called admissions advisors constantly call you to get you to enroll. They casually tell you that you have three residencies to attend within a 13 month span.(That is if you are going for licensure.  What they fail to mention is that these three residencies are two weeks long.  That means you have to take of 6 weeks in a year, in addition to that you must attend two conferences that are at least 3-4 days in length.  Like Northcentral University the instructors rarely get back to you if you have a question.  Though they have a grading system like anyother school it can be arbitrary.  I left Walden because a teacher wanted me to have citations after everyother sentence, giving me a very low grade.  We tried to resolve the issue but I felt it was useless.  I felt is was basically busy work and though I received all A's in my courses I felt as if I wasn't learning anything.  What is most time consuming are the posts.  In some classes you have to post papers, projects 2-3 times in a week.  The interaction with the other students in the online classroom was interesting, yet I felt it didn't offer anything extra.

I am hearing varios comments and concerns from many people concerning online education. Hopefully, when people write more of these reviews the colleges will get the message and try to change.

A Very Pleasant Experience

By: lowkeygent (In Progress) on January 18, 2008

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I am a working adult and have been in my Ph.D. program for about 2 years. The program has been great and the faculty has been extremely supportive. I have had the opportunity to meet so many people as well as broaden my professional and academic network.

Walden University is a great place to be. Residencies are great! Administration is great! The only major difference is that there is not hierarchy to break through like at B & M schools. 

The educational delivery is excellent. And because of my rewarding experience, four of my friends have since begun their doctoral programs at Walden.

PhD Health Sciences

By: Anonymous (Graduate) on January 15, 2008

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Walden's KAM-based PhD programs put the responsibility on the student to obtain the texts and resource materials pertinent to the area of study. Of course, these materials must be approved by the faculty mentor, but I was able to choose key texts and resource materials that were available from the medical center where I worked and local (major) universities. A Walden degree is only worth what the individual has put into it. I had to select 5 major textbooks and 10 contemporary peer-reviewed articles per module component. That means I read 15 major textbooks and 30 peer-reviewed articles for each completed quarter. In addition, I was required to submit 3 research papers based on the texts and readings for each quarter. 2 of those papers were 50 pages in length and the third was at least 30. One quarter's worth of work more than equated to the thesis requirement for my 2nd Master's degree.

The key to a successful Walden experience is to find a faculty mentor with whom you can build a strong relationship.

Bachelors Program

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on January 8, 2008

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Anyone who is looking for a bachelors degree in business needs to look no further!!!  Don't be fooled by the other online schools and their BSBA programs!  Once I spoke with a counselor at Walden they really helped me understand the online process.  Group work is minimal and you will not be penalized if someone in your group does not do what they are suppose to do.  I love Walden so far!  Its a great program with great instructors and it is a very easy system to use.  I was at UoP for a couple classes and this system here is way more user friendly!  The bachelors program is great!  I highly recommend it to anyone!!!!

Watch OUT!

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on October 16, 2007

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 I have been attending Walden University since 2004, and the reason I have not graduated is because the degree for MPH is not accredited. I have spoken with CEPH, and APHS, and Walden has no affliation with them. Here in the state of Florida accreditation from a Masters and a PHD should have their own accreditation which supports the program.

I have found out that at the beginning, in 2004, the school told many students that they were accredited, but failed to mention that some of their programs were not individually recognized by organizations such as Council of Public Health Education, and Association of Public Health Schools. For this reason over 500 students have left the institution to seek programs that are accredited outside of this university
Numerous complaints have been filed. I had a hard time reaching the school and at the beginning of the year I lost 2 internship sites, due to no telephone calls returned or emails responses, that lasted over 6weeks. I could not fund anyone at the school. I reached viocemails for that length of time. I received communication once I complained to the DOE in Minnesota.
I am now working with the Vice President, the Dean, and the academic advisor to find an internship in my area. Unfortunately I am subjected to conference calls  that have 4 plus people on the line. The four plus people are all Walden Staff, and then myself. I am not allowed to talk to any of these individuals without the presence of the other 3 or 4 people on the line. 
In all they are still seeking an internship in the area I live in. 4 months and 4 conference calls later I am no where near graduating as I was in January 2007. Agencies here are concern with program accreditation, and online education issues. I cannot change this. 
Please do the research for the school, Make sure that you can use the degree within your state. Unfortunately I may never graduate but I will have the student loans to remind me that not all school have your best interest. 
I wish many of you luck, and I hope that I can graduate someday and use this degree.

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