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Penn Foster

2.7
206 Reviews
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Penn Foster Reviews:

Reports on my credit report

High School Diploma - October 11, 2019
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I went to this school for 2 months didn’t like it and it’s clearly pay as you go they hit my credit report saying I owe 1000 something odd dollars as if I got a loan from them couldn’t even file them on my taxes because of it being a pay as you you so no I don’t owe you guys !!!!!

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28 of 46 people found the following review helpful

Internship

Veterinary Technician - October 10, 2019
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Internship is dependent on the Vet hospital completing school requirements with the student. The hospitals are usually too busy The internship is Pass or Fail. You will not get partial credit.

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21 of 28 people found the following review helpful

waste of time and money

Computer Repair - May 16, 2019
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I finished the pc repair career diploma and would say the material at the time was up to date the only problem I found was on my interview for system support or system administrator most employers dont recognize penn foster one manager actually advised me to get my comp tia A+ and then more companies will hire me. Penn foster doesnot guarantee Job placement once you are finished you are on your own. Nationally accredited schools are not recognized by most employers. Your best bet is to see what field you want to go into and look for the proper certifications to get either from local school or proctor exams. Also I checked my local colleges to transfer whatever credits I had and the colleges would not accept them.

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35 of 44 people found the following review helpful

July 7 2018

Medical Billing & Coding - July 7, 2018
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I started a course in Billing and Coding in April. I have completed three modules or courses so far and haven't begun to get into the billing and coding part. It's been extremely tedious learning (by rote) about the legalities, ethics etc of not only billing and coding but other positions in a medical setting. I have never received any material in the mail as some have on here but I don't think they do that anymore. They have online texts and flash cards, which I haven't used since grade school. The tests that I have taken requires you to use wording exactly like that in the online texts instead of getting the right answer using your own words. I have medical experience as a medical lab technician assistant, hemodialysis technician, medical office and physician's assistant before you needed a degree in it. I took a medical transcription and medical billing course over 30 years ago and that was one night a week for three months. So, I do have some medical knowledge. I took this course because it was less expensive than other courses, but I am not sure I will be able to complete it, although I'll keep trying. I have been writing notes which consists of pretty much the whole of the texts to take the test otherwise you have to wait at least a month before you can take the tests again. So far, I have been very disappointed.

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64 of 75 people found the following review helpful

Listen to the BAD reviews! They are thieves NOT educators.

Law and Criminal Justice - Security - October 11, 2017
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These people are thieves. They took my money (PAID IN FILL) and refuse to let me restart my program. I started in 2014 and got extremely sick and am just now well enough to continue. It’s supposed to bet work at your own pace, totally false advertising. I called to restart my program and was told that all I needed to do was get a new student ID number. They gave me a new number and when I tried to login, it said I owed them ANOTHER $1400. They refuse to give me full credit for what I have already paid. DO NOT give them your money...go to a REAL school.

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31 of 52 people found the following review helpful

Good school so far and no complaints

Business Management - October 10, 2017
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I am going for my Associate's Degree in Retail Management and so far its very good. The lessons are informative and the exams are challenging. I like the support they give me and they let me change my program initially too with no problem. I was also able to transfer 15 credits, which is great, as its one less semester in total. I am happy with this school and I would recommend it to anyone. Don't read all the negative posts, those are probably just students who failed and gave up. Get your education here, and the price is right too. I am only paying 59 dollars per month, which is very affordable for me. Overall, good school and I have no complaints.

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47 of 53 people found the following review helpful

Ok, but don't expect any help from the school to further your kid.

High School Diploma - July 31, 2017
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So my son is finishing PennFoster, he has 3 classes. We chose this school because he was playing JR Hockey so we needed the access since we were always on the road. If your kid needs much help not the program for them if they do well I checked with our State board of regions they accepted them no problem. They like to change rules mid program, now if they did or the accredited body did I don't know. My son did great on his college placement exams, better then most of the local colleges students did. I can't say weather PennFoster classes helped that or my son smart enough on his own I know he does well. Here's where the problem is: No support to help the student to go further. My son wants to enroll concurrent with college this allows him to take two courses 6 credits of college a semester for free. I had to have an official transcript to the college. They won't send one till the program is paid so no problem we paid it and I will say they gave us an 25% off offer at the time if we paid by the end of the month. So we paid the day we received on the phone by credit card. So I jump on to order the transcript and I'm still showing a balance so I can't. I call them back and now I'm informed it takes 3 business days to drop off. So now we are screwed till the next week. I get up and check on Monday since that would be the 3 or forth business day depending on when they start counting and guess what its not cleared. I call back and now the magic number is 7 to 10 days, Maybe when that comes it will be 30 days. So completely screwing my son that's worked his ass off and now may not get to go to these classes. The next thing is we scan and email the concurrent enrollment paperwork that the college needs to allow them to go concurrent and all they need to do is sign it stating the expected graduation date is 4/3/2018 and have a principles signature and counselors. They refuse to sign because the anticipated grad date is that but they cant say it is an expected date and cant sign because there isn't a principle or counselor, this letter is typed up by the Director of the program who couldn't just sign the form and put director next to his name. To be honest my son has done the entire program in under a year minus the 3 classes he has left but we can't sign because there is not expected grad date only an anticipated and his title is director not principle, oh and we are still waiting for the payment to drop off even though they have the money so I can order transcripts. So here's what i get from them and to be completely honest, the diploma is good it is official it will be taken, The employees at the school don't care about you or your kid, you are a 2nd class citizen. I hope someone from the company reads this and corrects all these problems because regardless if this school is a for profit then should care about their customer (the kids) to fix the everyday operations so they can support the students. I'm retired at a young age and if I had run my businesses like they would all have been bankrupt.

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55 of 76 people found the following review helpful

Don't listen to the bad reviews!

High School Diploma - June 7, 2017
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I enrolled into this program originally 15yrs ago. At that time this was Thomas Education. Then I had children and put it on hold. My bad, but I'm glad I did. The accreditation is far much better. My son was bored in traditional high school his begigining Junior year at age 16. He found Penn Foster and I agreed to let him use their services. He is now a Student at Portland Community College. He was except by two tech schools but chose PCC. Yes, he had to take entrance exams but who doesn't anymore? After he was enrolled for a month or so, I started recognizing the logo and was like, "wow this is my old school"! I called them up and they found my transcripts and was willing to transfer credit. I will say the meterial is harder now. The exams are short but if your aim is to learn then study the material. The tests are not easy by any means. You really have to dig to find the answers. Some of them are worded in such a way that you have to know the material to answer correctly . But anyone can cheat on any online program, even k12, another my children have been on. Talking about lack of knowledge and correspondence from teachers. Extremely poor!!! Free$$$ to let your child fall and reach for peers.com or photo.math to cheat in a heartbeat. Only career minded and little bookworms can really get through k12 without falling behind and having to carry Last years work over to the next. Unless you can sit 8 hrs by their side to do the work. YES 5-8 HOURS AND DONT FORGET THE RESTRAINT OF CLASS CONNECTS! IIn high school k12 online your student will have 7-9 teachers. All needing at least 2 class connection live a week! That's 14-18, 1hr live sessions a week. Sounds easy enough but not when the also have 8hrs of work to do and life! Keep in mind you're their learning coach. Do you have that time? On top of house work, taking care of the family, a job, or other children to tend too. They're teenagers, their going to cheat the minute they can or just not do the work if you stop paying attention. Cheating with homeschool or any online school is possible. Even in class today kids are using their cellphones to cheat through class and homework only to find a failing grade on their test. The material is designed to teach yourself but you have to follow it. My teachers have always been there for support and walk me through any issues I may have. If you put your children on it be a coach and make them go through the steps. So what if it goes by fast. It's that much faster they can start on a college career. If still young yet like 17 or 18 to enter college, do another online course that will earn more credit while waiting for maturity to enter a sit down college. I'd never set my 17 year old daughter next to a 20 year old young man anyway. This program is amazing. You get a real diploma, accepted into most community colleges and all tech schools. I have three hours a day to do my work. I have 3 hours a day to watch over a student. We work together. I chose being a mother of my own education. Get it while your young it's hard raising a family and earning a diploma at the same time. Some do it but I chose to give my whole self to five children while I had young ones in the home for 20 years. It's my turn and Penn Foster has been there for me and my family!

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46 of 60 people found the following review helpful

You're better off going elsewhere

Accounting - April 28, 2017
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I am in my fourth semester of my Associates Degree in Accounting. The only good things I have experienced with PF is a couple of the instructors have recognized my exceptional grades. Both the Senior Instructor of Business Studies and his boss, a Chairman, accused me of plagiarizing in Intermediate Accounting I. They obviously do not comprehend the definition of plagiarism. When I spoke to them they both had different stories to tell me - one being I turned in the same answers as the solution manual and another being I turned in the same test answers as another student. ???? I tried to dispute this and the school would not allow me to. I ended up getting a B in the class but deserved the A I earned. A couple of my textbooks have fallen apart. I have been hung up on at least 10 times and disconnected for unknown reasons at least another 10. The representatives in Student Care are rude and uneducated. I am finishing my degree as my tuition has been paid in full and I believe in finishing what one starts, but am deeply sorry I chose to go here.

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32 of 38 people found the following review helpful

Certificate Program/Training is what YOU make of it

Accounting - March 25, 2017
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Received an accounting certificate in 2001. Was able to obtain a position in an accounting department as the accounts payable associate I. The material I received from Penn Foster helped me understand the accounting process and I was able to use the basic knowledge gained with the on the job training to complete my job. I am still in the accounting field doing payroll now for a government contractor in the DC area. Looking into getting in the Medical Coding & Billing field. Also, my best friend received her high school diploma from Penn Foster and graduated from University of Maryland. She is a RN for a large hospital in northern VA. She met this guy in hospital billing department at her job and asked him about how to get into Medical Billing because I was interested. It was interesting because he told her he took the online program at Penn Foster. Got his certificate and applied for several jobs less than 2 months he was hired for his current position. trained him on their system. He already had computer skills but the computer portion of the PF program was generic compared to what he use but was told by others he work with companies systems are different even though they maybe the same programs.

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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

my truth about peen foster

High School Diploma - March 13, 2017
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i read reviews on penn fosrter high school and was uneasy about if i should attend, so many bad reviews so if i was you reading this looking to know if i should pay for high school diploma which is not cheap i would do some research first. I looked in to two schools i was looking foward to going to two colleges here in texas, one Lone star college said they appected and two Houston Community College said they appected penn foster high scool diploma and that was a go a head for me seeing that the schools i wanted to attend appected it. So you do the same make calls see what colleges in your state appected the diploma and what colleges dont. As far as finihing the diploma I had tranfer credits from my high school 16 and only need 5 to graduate so that took me no time to finish I signed up in Jan 2017 and finished that feb 2017 and paid in full on 03/06/17 and will receive my dipolma my the end of this month they told me it tke 3 weeks to receive.(I have to write back to say if i recive diploma on time end this month or beginning of April.) As for getting in touch with them honest never had a bad experrience once,always easy to get intouch with i call they answer or call back in a timely matter email and got an answer never rude or had the rum around. I would tell any one to do their research before they invested into anything i have yet to see if this diploma will be receive by employees.

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36 of 47 people found the following review helpful

HORRID!

High School Diploma - March 6, 2017
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mysterious charges will be applied to your account with no explanation! if you have any issues you will not get assistance! very little materials provided! couldn't get any response from any instructor! ended up paying $2,175 for a sub par education that isn't as widely accredited as they claim! absolutely deplorable! WOULD NOT RECOMEND!!!

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26 of 41 people found the following review helpful

Penn Foster High School program

High School Diploma - February 18, 2017
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My granddaughter graduated from the High School Program in 2015. These other reviewers that say the High School program is not regionally accredited must be stupid. All you have to do is verify with the accrediting commission or agency. One reviewer said the community college told her the high school was not regionally accredited which is false, and they should know that. My granddaughter now has 15 college units with no problem getting into a local college!!! Do your homework, if a school says that Penn Foster High School is not regionally accredited, prove to them they are!!!

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44 of 51 people found the following review helpful

Amazing restructure of Program

Veterinary Technician - February 11, 2017
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Very well rounded program that includes some very demanding skill set practicums. Amazing on line delivery and amazing staff that really desire you to do your best! To complete this degree program you must be able to manage your time well and be prepared to commit yourself to studying daily and keeping on tract. Lots of resources within the student community portals, lots of videos to understand material and lots of support and very responsive instructors. Highly recommend this program.

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36 of 43 people found the following review helpful

Disappointed at the program.

Dressmaking and Design - January 26, 2017
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I was enrolled in PF's Dressmaking and Design program, I am a fashion designer with no formal fashion education and was looking for a program where I can continue my business, continue working and go to school at the same time. I had to stop taking the classes because of how Irrelevant the lessons were to present day fashion. The fashion terminology, techniques, methods were all very irrelevant to the present day fashion.

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11 of 15 people found the following review helpful

Sad and such a waste of money.

high school diploma - January 9, 2017
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First very few of the books are hard copy. My student has problems looking at a computer screen so I had to print all the study guides, which is what they call the books. You are only graded on a poorly written test. Example:How many calories does a 150lb person burn? My daughter just spent an entire chapter studying how men bun more calories and how calories vary depending on activity level, etc. This question is missing the details. It is almost like they pick one sentence from somewhere inside the entire lesson and make it a question, without any supporting details. They are constantly changing policies. Some of the new policy changes, I never would have signed up if they were in place when I enrolled my student. It seems like bait and switch. Just please save you money. The payment plans are nice, but they will only send you so many books if you go that route. I finally paid for the entire course and signed the waiver to receive the books and still haven't received. That was 6 months ago. Not sure what we will use this diploma for, but will be enrolling in classes elsewhere in the Fall of 2017. Please be wary!! If you just want a diploma and not concerned about the quality of education, this is what you will get.

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7 of 14 people found the following review helpful

ITS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT

Veterinary Technician - January 2, 2017
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I went to the school to be a Veterinary Assistant, and will be going back for my Vet Tech. I thought the school was affordable, didn't have to take out any school loans and when i was done with the program, i didn't owe the school any money. On top of all that, its self paced. It took me a little longer to get the certificate and they extended me for only 75 dollars, even work with me when I miss a couple of payments. I didn't need help on the course work so i cant tell you anything about the teachers. I LOVED going to penn foster. AND THEY ARE out of the 8 schools that offer online Vet tech degree, they are now fully accredited through the AVMA. When i had graduated they had just became accredited. If any Veterinary program is not listed on AVMA, DO NOT ENROLL in that school.

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69 of 72 people found the following review helpful

A waste of time

Medical Billing & Coding - October 6, 2016
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I started the medical billing and coding courses and I must say I was disappointed with the overall outcome. Several of the initial courses have little to do with medical coding or billing. Toward the end they have you do a program for data entry in medical billing setting appointments, inputting payment data and other office functions. The trouble is that their system is not really one that is used in the real world. Some kind of generic mostly like system that providers never use. In addition with this system being a generic knockoff the grading process was HORRIBLE!! On several of these projects completed I had to nag the instructors repeatedly to grade the projects. Had to call the school 6 times to get the final project graded to get my diploma. The biggest insult on this is don't expect to find work anytime real soon. I completed the courses and my certification with AAPC in April, and in Oct I am still looking for a job. Employers only want somebody with 2 or 3 years of experience. Not a rookie. Even though I have processed medical claims for 14 years (essentially doing the back end of medical coding)it does not mean a thing to employers. Plan to spend A LOT of time trying to find any work once you are done.

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27 of 32 people found the following review helpful

High School Diploma Program Substandard

High School Diploma - October 6, 2016
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I enrolled two children in the program ages 13 and 15. One was a 7th grader who moved to 9th grade in the Penn Foster program. The other daughter was in 10th grade. Both children ran through the courses (1 credit) at a rate of 2 per day. These classes were so simplified that they would never have laid a solid foundation for college. The younger of the two children who is college bound noted this herself and raised concerns. Please if you are not an adult learner completing your education for the purposes of job or promotion do not rely on this program to prepare you for college or life. This program is not suitable for children who have their whole life ahead of them. We switched to a K12 program it was free and better. Penn Foster is not for or about the child learner. Biggest parenting mistake that we will pay dearly for financially while our kids have to return to a more structured program feeling behind.

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16 of 22 people found the following review helpful

Terrible

Accounting - September 29, 2016
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I was offered a discount if I paid my account off by a certain date. I paid it in full 40 days ago and I'm still waiting for my refund of overpayment. I can never get a straight answer other than wait a bit longer. Also, I'm enrolled in 2 programs and don't feel like the curriculum or support is worth the money. I can learn more from the books they sent me than I can with the exams. This college in my opinion is for people that want the degree or certificate but don't really care that they won't learn anything. It's all about the money not the education. I will never use PennFoster again and will never recommend them to anyone.

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10 of 17 people found the following review helpful

A teachable moment?

High School Diploma - August 25, 2016
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I chose Penn Foster's high school diploma program for my son. I have since found that Penn Foster's support, while reasonably quick to respond, does not do well in following up on school issues. For example, they requested that I had to submit a high school enrollment application before they would mail texts. My son and I completed the application and faxed it. We waited 2 days for confirmation but received no word. I emailed support again and asked if they had received the fax. Support replied" "please give us a few days to look through our faxes for your son's application." It was a true "what the heck"? moment. Rather than risk further delay, we faxed the application again. I emailed support and informed them. That was 3 days ago. Still no word. This issue has delayed my son's studies for a week and counting. I find it simply absurd that an institution has difficulty finding at least ONE fax. It reeks of stupidity. My advice? Do not use Penn Foster for high school education.

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13 of 23 people found the following review helpful

Flexible and Affordable

Veterinary Technician - July 30, 2016
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Penn Foster was a clear choice for me when I started looking at programs. It is so much more affordable, with books included in the quoted price, and they allow me to make monthly payments rather than taking out a loan. For me, the biggest factor was flexibility. I work full time and I cannot lose any hours. Because the program is self-paced, I'm able to set my own goal for turning in projects and taking exams. I can slow down on class work during an especially busy work week, and pick the pace back up when work is more under control. Due to its online nature, PF is very much a program of "you get out what you put in". Can you fail in this program? Absolutely. You must have your own motivation to keep going - no is going to make you study! The material is tough because the field is tough. I am already working in this field, and to me, for anyone working in the field seeking to get certification, there is no other choice. If you enroll in the program and fully dedicate to it, you will succeed. It will not be easy; you will have to study and research. You have to attend lectures (often taught by Veterinary Technician Specialists!), watch recordings, and read the suggested supplemental material. You will need to visit the veterinary websites suggested by instructors. It is a very difficult course, but Penn Foster does provide what you need to get there. It is AVMA accredited, so you will be able to sit for the VTNE and obtain registration.

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45 of 49 people found the following review helpful

Pros vs Cons-- my eyes

Medical Billing & Coding - July 13, 2016
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This is my personal review-- Please read from start to finish if you really want to get a grasp on the pro's and con's from someone who has attended both regionally and nationally accredited schools. I heard of Penn Foster from a friend/ old co-worker in 2005. He was in his mid 30's and was in the process of graduating with his High School Diploma from PF- I will never forget his excitement! I guess for me this is what trigged my interest in this school. Although, I didn't have any plans on attending as I was naïve in thinking they only offered HS diplomas and was a student at a local community college. I still asked questions in conversations and he graduated and eventually became a master plumber-- as far as I am concerned this is not a career in which you need to have proof of a GED/ HS diploma ( training/ experience and passing the state exam is your real worry). Well, fast forward a couple years later... The year is 2008. I am working 60 hours x week in car sales, making great money within a declining economy. On top of my 60 hour work week, I was a full time college student and was wrapping up my freshman year in a Regionally accredited school. Life was hectic and to add to it, I found out I was pregnant with 3 years before getting a degree in a promising career. I knew that 60 hours a week wasn't going to cut it once my baby was born- I needed something with flexibility. Although I wasn't into medicine- I knew that the medical field was a field in which there would always be work. So I did my research and decided that I would take an online course in Medical Billing and Coding-- I picked Penn Foster. I was really excited at first as it was self-paced-- my plan was to do 2 hours of work each night and finish ASAP. The advisor I spoke to advised that I could finish as quickly as 3 months and my tuition payment was only $80.00. He told me all of my assignments would be completed online and that my books would be mailed to me. Everything sounded great even though I knew that they were Nationally accredited, it was ok. So far everything was all good. I received my first set of books which consisted of a hardcover Medical Terminology text book (with a CD-ROM) and 3 paper backed books that looked like they were printed from home and used legal sized glossy card stock as the cover. Yes. Plain old white books with green letters. I figured, Ok, next month I will probably get more REAL text books. Following month was the same. In my minds defense I thought- the program was inexpensive and as long as I was learning that is what mattered most- right?!?! Did I mention that this was a time when the economy was in the slums? You guessed it- the dealership I worked for was going out of business. I had completed 50% of my studies and had been on time with every single payment but still owed a hefty chunk of change. ****** UNTIL PAYMENT WAS MADE IN FULL I WOULD RECIEVE MY DEGREE************ Understood. I spoke to the advisor I had been working with all along, he was always eager to help in the beginning but then I soon realized when money became a factor he was then snooty. Money brings out the worst in people. ********* I never met, spoke, emailed and or received an instructor in the 2 months I studied with PF but still I obtained an 100% as all the exams were open book. My plan was to bring my cheat book to work and consider my self a professional! <--- Sarcasm. I stopped going and figured since I was already paying for it and was going to have a debt either way I might as well do some extra curricular reading should the time and money be available in the future. Now lets fast forward to the year 2016. I decide I want to go back to PF... I have 50% completion and over 50% paid. I called the school as I was still able to log onto my account. The advisor told me that I could not complete my Medical Billing and Coding course as it has been too long and that the medical field is always changing-- understood. Although, I am not a professional in the medical field nor an instructor, I would a assume an entry exam would be applicable in this situation... they don't offer that. All is owe is $264... they said pay that off and you can enroll in anything and pay full tuition. I completed over 10 courses for their general education pre req ( although admission rep said there would be none) Communications, customer service, patient interactions, etc. (NOTE: Medical Billing and Coding is a profession in which you are at the computer 100% .. software was not yet covered and neither was ergonomics......... No discounts- no transfer of internal credits- nada! The basics of customer service and/or communications are pretty transparent and include very subtle changes. I offered to pay the $264 towards my new course study but they refused and stated I would have to pay the $264 and there is also a down payment for the next course.... What this institution has at heart is finances not education. I have studied both regional and nationally courses and in each there is the ability to return and continue education. Penn Foster does not offer this. The material is low budget and even someone who can't read can pass. There is something for everyone and I don't knock any type of education as I believe our minds should always be stimulated. Please! Do your research on your field and ask several businesses across the nation if they would accept a diploma/degree from PF and/ or any other institution be it regionally or nationally. Time is more valuable than money- don't invest in hypocrisy. Your life, your future. GED Courses: Several states are now offering government GED courses in which you will walk away with a HS DIPLOMA!! Some facilities that host these classes are local High Schools, Libraries and churches. Some even offer an online option. If you have the courage to start something- do it right. I will start off using the rating system provided by onlinedegreereviews.org Technolo

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30 of 43 people found the following review helpful

AVOID- They will screw you

Business Management - June 24, 2016
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AVOID!!!! I recently had a major issue with the school and up until that point I was really pleased with them. I wanted two switch majors and made a call to them two months ago, in those two months I followed every thing I was advised to do to the T, then I make a call to get the ball rolling only to find out almost everything he advised me was incorrect to the point where I am out $772. That's a lot of money for me.... A LOT>. After more then two and a half hours on the phone with numerous people at the school (including two hang up from them!) they refused to fix THEIR MISTAKE! I repeat a representative from there school made several mistakes while advising a student and they are unwilling to work with said student. A student with a 4.0 GPA, who was always at least a week early for all due dates, and who PAID IN FULL!!! I did exactly what I was told to do and they screwed me over.

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10 of 15 people found the following review helpful

Very Good High School Program

High School Diploma - May 14, 2016
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I signed up for this program in 2014 wanted to further my education. I signed up for high school with early college classes. In order to get your diploma you have to take a total of 100 exams. You have to write essays the whole nine yards. They don't just hand you a diploma you have to work for it. At any rate, the school is regionally accredited for high school,(I checked). I have been accepted into community college with my diploma. Just because you have the diploma you still have to take a college entrance exam so study hard while attending.

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22 of 25 people found the following review helpful

Getting a job and fearing your diploma is not accepted!

High School Diploma - April 25, 2016
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I finished my diploma last year, this is my second time graduation high school. I finished my 4 years in my native country but right after I finished I moved back to the states. Now the school closed down and there was no way to get a copy of my transcripts as this is a 3rd world county and nothing is ever in order. I am now 35 yrs old and looking for a job has never been so demanding... I actually lost a really good job with a large institution where I could have moved forward in my education. Word of mouth was no suffice with no valid documents I was good as NADA!! This was back in 2012 which is when I saw the Penn Foster commercial and I was immediately hooked. I don't have time after work to go to a night class for a simple G.E.D... I feel like I was cheating myself. Well, thankfully I completed the program and I am very excited to even hang this sucker up, my only dilemma is would certain employers accept this diploma without any issues??!! This is my current situation at the moment. I moved to another state and literately everywhere I apply they want everything, Diploma certificate along with the original transcripts. I was able to do an income tax class with HR block and they did accept the diploma and I was able to become a tax agent. They said that in order for a person to qualify the IRS needs copies of the persons educational background. So lets see!! Im keeping my fingers crossed... So far the CC here does accept it which is a plus.

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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

Medical terminology

Medical Billing & Coding - April 3, 2016
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The worst educational decision I've ever made! Avoid avoid avoid penny foster!!!! Take online community college 2 credit medical language - it will be more beneficial. When I signed up I thought "self paced online course and I had a certain amount of time to complete the course" " cool right?" However, what they don't tell you is are going to write 250 words every week on a given topic such as lupus, opiate receptors, MS AND THEN REPLY 150 words to 3 different peers as long as you are in the class. So research takes time and then formatting your paper - so a lot of work for no credit hours or continuing education hours. Then you write s research paper. I had this class done within 4 weeks - I hated every minute - I wished I never enrolled - I tried dropping out but I already had two assignments done so it did not make money sense to drop out so I just kept on. Please do yourself a favor - RUN - do your research - and call your local community college! If I had known this I would have said no to penn foster. I took the medical terminology online class.

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13 of 27 people found the following review helpful

Vet Assistant Program

vet asst certificate - March 27, 2016
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I would not recommend this program. The fact that the externship does not go along with the written portion to gel the learning experience together is a big problem with clinics that have to "train" you as they state it taking time from their busy day. I have not found one they were supposedly contracted with willing to take me on as a student with their reasons being "too much paperwork" did not want to allow me to complete all skills which would lead me to find a second clinic at the same time to do this, the training involved because you forget what you learned from 9 months ago and in general the biggie was "I'm not getting paid for this and you'll leave me when your trained!"

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12 of 17 people found the following review helpful

Can't get into a South Dakota Collage.

High School Diploma - March 22, 2016
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When I enrolled into Penn Foster one of the first things I asked was, will I be able to use this degree to get into collage? The lady I talked to had told me that shouldn't be a problem.I tried enrolling in a community collage and was devastated when they denied me entry due to not having a high school diploma from a regionally accredited school. I did not know until then that Penn Foster was not regionally accredited. In a nut shell I was told to go get my G.E.D first and then reapply. I think Penn Foster is a good school, but this school did not live up to my needs. Basically I paid way to much for high school refresher courses.

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19 of 24 people found the following review helpful

Save yourself the frustration

Veterinary Technician - February 26, 2016
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Don't bother with this school. It is for-profit and it seems that is all they care about, keeping people enrolled and keeping people paying. The online format is convenient for a lot of people but the use of technology is confusing. Tuition they said was $1500 for the entire curriculum. You could pay in installments, but if you changed your mind, you end up paying $500 just to buy your way out. To keep you in, they will offer you the chance to transfer to another program. Please be careful to read the agreement carefully before signing. Their only concern is making money, save yourself the aggravation. Don't fall for it. It's not as easy and convenient as it sounds. You're better off at a non-profit community college or technical school.

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17 of 43 people found the following review helpful

Extremely frustrated

Medical Billing & Coding - February 18, 2016
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I have been in the Medical Billing and Coding program since Sept 2015. In January I decided to dedicate my time to the program on a full time basis. They claim this is a self paced program BUT you are at their mercy when it comes to receiving your materials. I have been waiting for two weeks to get my books which are on back order. They claim its because they are waiting on the new 2016 material but we are in February. I would almost understand if this was January but the fact that we are in mid February still waiting on books that should have been ordered in December is unacceptable! I wish I could give this school a negative rating! I have lost critical time waiting on these books. Penn Foster was the least expensive school I found so I guess you get what you pay for! The only advice I can give is DO YOUR RESEARCH!

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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

Penn Foster is What YOU Make of It

Veterinary Technician - January 6, 2016
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It is hard to get good critical reviews on Penn Foster. Penn Foster is what you make of it. If you read most of the negative reviews you will find that most are from people who find studying at their own pace and staying self-motivated a foreign concept. Most of their complaints are basically of their own making for not doing due diligence on subjects such as transfer credits, etc... Because of Penn Foster's low tuition cost they have many more participants than other colleges whose programs costs considerably more. Because of this statistical fact you are going to get more people who complain on issues that are not really legitimate problems, for instance: 1. All colleges and universities require complete payment before graduation (ALL OF THEM). Ever heard of student loans? Go to any college and try not paying your tuition in full and see what happens. 2. Not all credits are transferable from institution to institution, even among regionally accredited schools. This is the way it is and always has been. Heck I had a local community college not accept transfer credits from Notre Dame for certain subjects. If you are thinking about using Penn Foster as transfer credits then check ahead of time on transferability. 3. Although this should be self-evident, they are not going to hold your hand. They provide the basic needs to get your degree and certification. No frills. Penn Foster is not perfect, but having attended several different colleges they are by far not the worst either. They fulfill a certain niche in our society for military, working adults, etc... and are poorly served by recent high school graduates who expect to have their hands held and or those who cannot honestly engage in self-guided and motivated study. One final note, I contacted the AVMA and found out that Penn Foster fully meets their requirement for distance accreditation and that there are more expensive schools in the US that do not. Interestingly enough Penn Foster is not the highest school on their complaint roster, hmmmm. Again, it is what you make of it. It is too bad that many of the negative reviews, not all, are knee jerk reactions to problems that, truth be known, are of the author's making.

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133 of 142 people found the following review helpful

medical billing/coding

Medical Billing & Coding - December 31, 2015
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I've doing Penn Foster Medical Billing/Coding classes since June. Half of the stuff has nothing to do with billing/coding. I've had to wait for my books to be shipped. More than half of them have been back ordered. When I had a question for my instructor, I would write and it would be weeks before they got back to me. Then I after I do a project I have to write to the instructor to get my grade. One time they had wrote to experience works (that is who paid for my class), they had sent them a final grade on my final test. Which I had never taken and I had to call them to get it straightened out. I wish I had never started the classes.

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9 of 13 people found the following review helpful

Human Resources

Human Resources - November 20, 2015
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A heartfelt thank you, to all those who have made my dream a reality in achieving an Associate Degree in Human Resources, although I was faced with numerous challenges I was successful in the end. To the entire Penn Foster Team thank you without you I would not have made it. I am now ready to pursue further studies.

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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

Beware of accreditation claims made by this school

Veterinary Technician - November 12, 2015
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Beware of claims of accreditation. You will not be able to transfer credits to a real regionally accredited college (perhaps Excelsior in Albany). I called admissions as my daughter is interested in the vet tech program. Having a graduate degree in education and being familiar with accreditation standards and processes I am disappointed in the slick sales and poor standards this school represents. It does not take much to be honest to potential students. DEAC is worthless for post secondary (college), being ACE approved is not accreditation. If they are ripping off students as reviews indicate then a father's advice is to go elsewhere. If you want a real college degree go elsewhere. I applaud your motivation to improve your life and accomplish something important. If you are not interested in a college degree that is recognized or if you feel that this place has what you need then press on. But read everything (to include these reviews) and ask questions before you sign up. The bill collectors do not care if you did not do your homework prior to the debt. My daughter will go elsewhere and is already a vet assistant. Ciao.

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23 of 35 people found the following review helpful

Great School

Business Management - October 16, 2015
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I just want to say that I am glad I did not listen to all of the negative comments about this school. I am in my 5th semester of the Bs Business Management degree program. I have experienced nothing but great things. If your willing to put the time and effort in, you will reap the reward. I am in middle management for a well known company and in order to move up the corporate ladder, I must have a bachelors degree. By the way, they are reimbursing me my tuition and approved PF as an accredited program. My economics course I just finished was written by a Harvard professor, so I would say the content is very appropriate. Their credits are accepted by RA schools, I have already contacted a school and was assured my bachelors degree would be accepted and I would be able to complete my MBA afterwards. My communication skills have improved dramatically as a result of the courses I have completed. And by the way, my Senior VP has noticed a substantial difference in my contributions I make to the team as a result of this degree program. So go ahead and sign up and get the education you have always wanted. -Happy future executive

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36 of 38 people found the following review helpful

DON'T BOTHER

Veterinary Technician - October 2, 2015
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Don't waste your time. I'm at the end of semester 3 and I'm going to finish. But choice some place else, I wouldn't recommend this program. The instructors are horrible, the courses are ok.

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12 of 28 people found the following review helpful

Scam

Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education - September 29, 2015
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is "school" is a joke. the site is always down and having technical difficultys. way too much reading material and no hands on experience. in my line of work hands on is the only way to learn. i was basically doing this just to get a degree. if you really want to learn go to your local Boces . do not use this "school" Waste of time and money

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13 of 28 people found the following review helpful

Incredibly Bad Program

Veterinary Technician - August 29, 2015
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While the cost of this program is good, the quality of education and instructors is extremely poor. There are many technical errors in their curriculum. Many of the instructors are new to the field. The program director is basically a poster boy and has no real power in the program to help the students and defers to other faculty to make decisions. The skills that are required to be performed in the two practicums are AVMA required skills but the school requires pictures or videos. While videos actually show the skill being done. Still photography requires the technician student to stop and pose for each step which would not happen in a clinic scenario. The multiple amount of paperwork submissions required is ridiculous as well. If your supervising veterinarian signs you off on lab skills, it is redundant to have a PF faculty member sign off as well. In my opinion this is a poorly planned program. There is a reason they have 10,000 students register but only an 8% retention rate. While their VTNE pass rates are good, the only reason for this is the ones who actually finish the program are likely to take the VTNE seriously and pass it.

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24 of 28 people found the following review helpful

Vet assistant

veterinary assistant - August 22, 2015
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Did not get what I hoped I would from this course, I quit my job so I could put everything into this because I love animals and I actually thought I would go somewhere with this, I did the Pet Grooming course years ago when they were Harcourt Learning and I learned more then than I did with the Vet Assistant course. If you want to take care of animals you should not have to take bullshit courses like Math and English which is one of the first things they make you do. Then the Biology was stupid , it was human not animal. I wasted alot of time and money printing out everything and keeping it in notebooks. Very disappointed & I didn't even make it through the 1st semester and they are charging me close to $1500 for one semester, I told them I can't do this & all they care about is getting their $$$$. May have to get a lawyer.

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16 of 29 people found the following review helpful

I feel accomplished

High School Diploma - July 14, 2015
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First off I am a full time stay at home mom who recently got out the army after six years. One day I told my husband that I wanted to finish up my high school education. He asked me if I wanted my GED or my diploma? At first I said a GED would be ok I guess but then he said no you actually completed high school you just didn't pass the graduation exam. so you shouldn't cheat yourself by settling. I tell you what Im so glad he said that to me because I am now only 3 exams away from completing my diploma. although I only had to complete 5 courses it was still hard I was supposed to graduate in 2008 and its 2015 I haven't seen most of the work since then. I am here to say that with the dedication to stay up countless hours reading the course materials and making sure you complete at least two assignments a day you will be done sooner than you think. I know if I can do it anyone can after all I have the attention span of a child I'm so easily distracted. Once you turn your phones and the TVs off and staying off the deadly social media you will be surprised at what you can do. I have stayed up 4-5 hours after my family had gone to bed to get work done. You have to do what you have to be successful. your success is up to you!!!!

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27 of 33 people found the following review helpful

Waste of time

Automotive Technician - June 30, 2015
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This "school" is a joke. the site is always down and having technical difficultys. way too much reading material and no hands on experience. in my line of work hands on is the only way to learn. i was basically doing this just to get a degree. if you really want to learn go to your local Boces . do not use this "school" Waste of time and money

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8 of 19 people found the following review helpful

PHARMACY TECH

Pharmacy Technician - June 12, 2015
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I AM IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING THE PHARMACY TECHNICIAN PROGRAM! SO FAR EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL! I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS!

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16 of 20 people found the following review helpful

PENN FOSTER IS THE BEST!!!

High School Diploma - June 7, 2015
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GO FOR PENN FOSTER!!!!! IT TOOK ME A COUPLE YEARS AND FINALLY MADE IT. I GRADUATED THIS MONTH AND IM SO HAPPY TO KNOW I CAN FINALLY MOVE ON TO COLLEGE. :)

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20 of 23 people found the following review helpful

Veterans Affiliated Really?

High School Diploma - June 4, 2015
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They claim to be VA Accredited Which is right but not as a Full time student. The Va will only pay for a one !/4 of the bill because its no different than any online school. The school say's that you go at your own pace but if you graduate from the 8th grade to the 12th grade in 3 years you have completed 4 years of school. This is not part-time but you are lead to believe that the VA will pay you full time as a student. How wrong can you get. I cancelled the program when I called the VA but the VA Rep told me a different story so I am stuck with a 3000$ a year bill. The CO by the name is Frank F. Britt is a rip off. ZENEIDA DAVILA

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3 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Not a negative thing to say!! PF Proud!

Veterinary Technician - June 2, 2015
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I absolutely love Penn Foster College. It's impossible to come up with even one negative comment. They do offer online programs, so if you aren't a self-starter, or able to motivate yourself to keep going, it's probably not for you. I have taken many online courses through community colleges, and have had some bad luck. I was hesitant to pursue another online degree, but really wanted to take an accredited Veterinary Technology program in order to become licensed as a technician. Penn Foster was my only real option, as many brick and mortar schools do not offer night classes. Boy, am I ever thankful for Penn Foster!! The Vet Tech program is tough, but fair. It definitely enables students to learn everything they need to be knowledgeable in the field, and also to pass the Veterinary Technician National Exam. The director of the program, Jim Hurrell, is amazing and inspiring! He is active on the student community, and the Vet Tech Facebook page. He makes himself very available to students, and it's clear he has such a passion for education in the veterinary field! The other major bonus with Penn Foster programs is their amazing affordability!! I have quite a lot of debt because of past student loans, and thanks to Penn Foster, I will earn this degree, and owe the school no money at the end of it all!! They offer a VERY affordable payment plan, and their prices are a fraction of what some of my friends have paid for other schooling in the same field!! I truly believe that if you are able to motivate yourself to stay on track, Penn Foster is the best online school there is! I would recommend it to anyone!

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29 of 34 people found the following review helpful

finally did it

High School Diploma - May 30, 2015
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The school is good so far as being patient....although i do believe that you should get an e-mail. Stating that courses completed and graduation. Date plus anticipated date for diploma to arrive.I just graduated Yesterday!!!!I am so happy about it since it took me every bit of 3 years plus had to do 3 test retakes which costed $25 per course....nearlyv fainted when i saw how much money i had to pay to the school.I make waitress salary of $2.13 plus tips,i mean this school costs a lot......waiters need education too so i can progress to a better career but waitressing always comes in handy when customers actually show love for good service......I do pretty well,however doesn't. Hurt to change scenery.pennfoster is a lifesaver for me....,I finally graduated...at 34 years old !!!Don't. Goof off,come to pennfoster,you will be happy if you do.

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16 of 21 people found the following review helpful

PF PROUD!

Veterinary Technician - May 29, 2015
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I LOVE PENN FOSTER!! I have been enrolled since 2012. This school is amazing! I am currently enrolled in the Veterinary Technician program to earn my Associates of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology. This Program is nationally accredited by the AVMA and we have an amazing pass rate for the VTNE (veterinary technician national exam) When I decided to enroll with Penn Foster I was living in Oklahoma and the closet brick and motor school was 3 hours away from me. There was no way I would be able to work and go to school. So I found Penn Foster. Not only was it amazingly affordable but I knew it was nationally accredited which was another major plus when you are a Vet Tech Student. And the fact that I was able to move back home to Arizona and bring my school work with me and work full time was a huge blessing! I have never had a bad experience since enrolling. The staff is amazing and always extremely helpful! We have one of the most amazing Program Directors ever! He is always there on our vet tech facebook page and on the school community to help answer questions or serve as a mentor! We also have a amazing student ambassador program (I am one of the 2015 ambassador and was a 2014 ambassador as well!) The ambassador program has given me even more reasons to be proud of my school. It has made me a better person and a better student. I have also met some of the most amazing students who have become amazing friends from everywhere in the US and overseas! If you are looking to further your education whether it be in Veterinary medicine or one of the other amazing programs the school offers please go with Penn Foster! It has been one of the most amazing decisions i have made and i couldn't be prouder to call my self a Penn Foster Student! Amanda

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22 of 25 people found the following review helpful

A Great online school

Veterinary Technician - May 27, 2015
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I love Penn Foster School and would recommend it to anyone! This is my third program with Penn Foster, and I am in the Vet Tech Program now. The school is fully accredit, the program is wonderful, the Instructors are very helpful and the classes are fun and challenging. If you are looking for a program that is self-paced and payment plan friendly, then check out Penn Foster! Please note that if you are NOT a self-motivated person and need someone looking over everything you do you will not enjoy what you are learning! :)

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25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

Here's a positive review...

Veterinary Technician - May 21, 2015
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Penn Foster is not for everyone, but fortunately...it's the school for me. I'm enrolled in the Vet Tech program and love it! It's an online school, an online program, but it's not easy; it's still college. My top advice I can give to any perspective students is to do your research BEFORE enrolling. Doesn't matter what program it is, always make sure you know Penn Foster's policies, program-related requirements, your state requirements, and any further information that applies to your career. I see several students drop out of their program because they didn't realize what was required of them. For example, Externships and Practicums...some programs have them, some do not. In the Vet Tech program, the Externship is mandatory or else you will not graduate. It's the responsibility of the student, not Penn Foster, to find their own site location where they will perform their externship. Students that did not research before enrolling are usually the ones angry and leaving negative reviews because they didn't know they had to complete an externship, find a proctor or site location on their own, unable to find an externship site that has all the necessary equipment (i.e. film-based radiographs), and etc. On the primary Penn Foster website where you view all the programs to enroll in, you can read an overview of your program of interest. I highly recommend requesting info by mail; I love looking through the brochure and forms. Most questions can be answered there. If one wants to hear from current students, join the Student Community and post to the corresponding program space to get more attention and responses. I love Penn Foster oh so very much. The school has helped me grow. I get all my emails, questions, and concerns answered in a fair amount of time. I have never had issues with Student CARE/Services. There are many frequently asked questions to read from that can resolve issues without having to contact Student CARE. One of my favorite features is the Live Chat. It can be found in the Student Portal's Help Center. If you have a question for Student CARE, besides calling and emailing, you can immediately get it answered through Chat. You just have to access it during business hours. Penn Foster is always in the works of creating something new for their students. They came out with a Study Planner which is available on your student account and can be downloaded as an app on mobile devices. You can create a plan for yourself to keep you on track throughout your studies, plan your graduation date or date to complete your semester. They created meet-ups so that students can get together and express their thoughts about the school and get to know the staff better. Penn Foster rules! Penn Foster Pride!

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26 of 31 people found the following review helpful

Is It Right For You?

Business Management - May 19, 2015
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I started the Vet Tech program with Penn Foster a couple of years ago and didn't make it very far. Mostly because I was working and not motivated. When I decided it was time for me to go back to school, I came back to Penn Foster. I'm now enrolled in the bachelors business management degree. Why did I choose to come back to Penn Foster? It meets my personal needs. Penn Foster is nationally accredited, unlike your local community college or your state university which are most likely regionally accredited. It usually goes like this; regionally accredited school courses will transfer to nationally accredited schools but not all nationally accredited school courses will transfer to regionally accredited schools. Why? Because the regional accreditation requires a strict and rigorous course catalog, among other things. Schools like Penn Foster are usually career schools. The advantage is that they are able to change their courses as the real world changes and this keeps their students current. It would take a considerable amount of time and red tape to change the courses. If they had to go through all of the processes by the time they got approval for the change, there would be new information to add. So with that said, Penn Foster does have some courses that have been evaluated and are recommended for transfer by the ACE College Credit Recommendation Service. So if you plan on trying to transfer to a regionally accredited institution, keep in mind that only certain classes and credits will transfer. Also, If you plan to continue your education like I do, plan carefully. I want to get my masters and maybe even my doctorate someday. Not all Institutions will take my Penn Foster degree. Two more things that I like about this program...The tuition and the delivery system. Oh, and the self pace... sorry, three. Tuition is affordable and all study materials are included. They also have an online tutoring center. They offer affordable payment plans. I pay 60 a month right now, I think the lowest you can go is 49. The delivery system, all courses you can complete online, except. Except except except you may have proctored exams. But honestly that's not too big a deal. Go to your local library, the librarians are usually more than happy to help out. I also hear that in the vet tech program you can now be proctored through your webcam. Online, Affordable, SELF PACED. That's really the thing that gets me. Sometimes I get lazy, I don't want to be bothered with reading 80 pages by friday so I can attend class. I work, like the rest of the real world. I need time to tune out, pretend I don't exist. Then there are weeks where all I want to do is sit down and knock out three lessons. Those are things I can do with self paced courses. So, if you are considering Penn Foster make sure it meets your needs. As for faculty and staff, I've had nothing but good experiences with them so far. My questions are answered in a timely manner and they are always kind. But remember, they people not machines. people make mistakes, people get frustrated, people have bad days. No matter if its an online school, on campus, nationally or regionally accredited. They are trying to take care of a lot of people and if you can express your problems in a polite way they are going to try and help you. In conclusion you need to find out if Penn Foster meets your educational needs... It is your education, your life. Make an informed choice.

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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

So Far So Good

Business Management - May 17, 2015
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I am in my 40s and decided it was time to finish my degree. Since our income is too high for financial aid as well as working full time, this was both financially appealing and works around my schedule. The "classroom" setting is easy to maneuver, and there are quite a few resources that have proven helpful. (I am in my 1st semester) The Community (school social site) is glitchy and not my cup of tea - but there is nothing forcing me to participate in it. We used K12 to educate our children from home - one clear through 12th grade, and one through 8th grade. One is starting college in the fall, the other is an honors student with AP credits in a traditional high school setting now. We love online learning. I learned more with my children in our home classroom than I ever did through high school and 2 years of college. It's not for everyone of course, but if you are disciplined enough to set a schedule and meet your goals its fantastic! The study material so far has been wonderful; I'm enjoying it quite a bit. For those that are saying a brick and mortar school is the way to go; talk to me in 5 years when you are paying back student loans. The qualify of education you receive is in your hands with this school. Those that need a babysitter hanging over your shoulder hounding you to get your paper written should look elsewhere; everyone else, it's definitely worth looking into!

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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

High School Graduate

high school diploma - May 6, 2015
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This review is directed toward my youngest son's high school education. He always had difficulty in English with his spelling and reading. He did well throughout school, until mid high school. He left the local high school and attempted to attend the local "high school program" in a local college. This went off and on for about 1 1/2 yrs. The college was not aggressive with the consistency of their classes. I even asked them at one point, "Why is the classes, that he needs, not more consistent?"; "At this rate he will be 28 before he finishes". So I got mad and investigated another way for him to complete his studies, so he could obtain a high school diploma. After all no job today will look at you if you don't supply them one. And I wanted him to feel secure that all the difficult times the school systems gave him, would not leave a negative impact on him and his future. I found Penn Foster. We discussed the program to see if he would be interested in it. He choose to do it. We requested his transcripts to be sent to the school. All his previous class credits counted; so he only had to finish what he needed to, to obtain his diploma. He worked every day on his work, and 4 months later he graduated! What a happy time for both of us. They gave him a chance when all the others did not. And because of that he believed and believes in himself! So, I can not say it is a scam. You only get out of something, what you put in. The skies the limit, so fly!

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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

High School | I love it!

High School Diploma - April 11, 2015
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I am a military wife with a toddler. Moving around so much and raising my daughter that I had no time to sit in a classroom and finish my high school diploma. Penn foster has been nothing but amazing! The staff is always so helpful and there when you need them. The Student Community site they have is great! It is so nice to be able to communicate with other students and the teachers/staff. If you are considering Penn Foster you should do it! I have no regrets getting my education with them! -Courtney M.

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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Penn Foster High school... not impressed

High School Diploma - March 25, 2015
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If you are intelligent at all and plan on going to university do not go here. It is one of the worst programs I have ever been in and I am constantly worrying if I will get into the university of my choice in a few years. I went from all honors and AP classes freshmen and part of sophomore year to kindergarten education and I am MISERABLE. Please do not enroll here. I am looking forward to finishing high school my junior and senior years. I hope doing this school doesn't ruin my chances to get into University out of state. I hope all my credits transfer. I did online school to help my stress and anxiety levels and they are through the roof worrying that my education isn't good enough- and here it isn't. I am 16 and I hope this didn't ruin my chances in uni. This place is horrible.

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7 of 16 people found the following review helpful

bad customer service

High School Diploma - March 9, 2015
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Bad customer service experience. I would not recommend to anyone. My son could not attend college this semester because of lack of information customer service gives you. Is a hassle to deal with them

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Let Down

Computer Repair - February 11, 2015
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When I started the class I later learn the books and material were already out dated. It takes forever to get threw or talk too someone. They also claim you can cancel a membership within a certain time, but as usual you miss the time frame by that much.

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3 of 8 people found the following review helpful

PennFoster RVT - Upsides are Worth it for me

Veterinary Technician - January 16, 2015
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I'm almost done with my first semester in the PennFoster RVT program, so I know I can't say too much so far. UPSIDES: - I find the program extremely affordable. I don't have the time or money to go to a brick and mortar school. -I work full-time as a vet tech at a clinic that supports my goals and wants to help me with my practicums, etc. I think if I didn't work in the field I'd have a hard time with school. I can already apply things I learn at PennFoster to my job, and both my job and my education are benefitting each other. If you're not working as a tech or assistant, try to do some shadowing. -it's online, and I already do enough driving, I also study better alone at home - when I'm in class, I'm waiting for it to be over so I can go home and study. I'll generally read a chapter and make crap tons of flash cards on Quizlet, then I'll watch the lecture videos while I cook or take a bath, then instead of falling asleep playing solitaire, I fall asleep studying my Quizlet App on my iPhone. I've found a way to make it part of everything I do, and I'm actually motivated to do the studying, I crave the knowledge. That's how you know you want to be in this field I guess. I can listen to the lectures when my eyes need a break, I can play loud music while I'm reading the books, I can rotate the laundry on my day off while I study, etc., I can study when I'm stuck in traffic or on a break at work or can't fall asleep. This is ideal for me. -You can take most of the exams twice - even if I passed the first time, I always retake it and try to get 100%. -The website is easy enough to use. DOWNSIDES: -I AGREE with some of the reviewers that the tests are ridiculously easy. Like, stupid easy, like I can't believe they're giving degrees to the people who are just searching for the answers in their book. Literally they are 20 to 25 questions. If you wanted, you could finish this degree in minimal time. Since I don't want to cheat myself and I want this to be a lifelong passion and career (not to mention I get paid more at most places just having the RVT after my name) I want to understand everything I'm reading, otherwise I'd have been done with the first semester 2 months ago. So, it's your education. I recommend taking advantage of the resources while you have them -GOOD LUCK getting a human being on the phone to talk to. Enough said. -It's annoying waiting for the textbooks to ship, they're not overnighted - that can get old when you just finished a class and are feeling really motivated, but can't do anything until you get your book in the mail. -THE COMMUNITY - I'm always getting emails saying I haven't "updated my status" on the PennFoster community site. I didn't get into this program to be with classmates though, I've got a Bachelor's and never made any friends in classes; I've been in my fair share of them. That's annoying that they want you to be..."social"... which is not my thing. I don't even have a Facebook, so that part is really annoying, but I understand the participation part of your grade. Just suck it up and get it over with. If you have no money, no time, a full-time job, give this program a try. People can complain about the service and the online aspects, but in 10 years nobody will care where you got your degree or how you got it. They will see you've been an RVT for 10 years. I've already got the experience under my belt of being an assistant for so long, now I will have the knowledge and the degree. Besides, who said this program will teach us everything we'll ever need to know? This is a field where we will be learning until we leave it; new ways of doing treatments, new medications, new technologies, continuing education seminars, etc. If that doesn't excite you, maybe this isn't the field for you. In 2 years I could be an RVT, or I could still be trying to pay for a brick and mortar school. The choice is yours.

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37 of 40 people found the following review helpful

too much money for all the problems!!

Veterinary Technician - January 10, 2015
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Wow... i was so excited when I found this site. I have been wanting to write about pennfoster's online vet program since I left! Where to begin! Let's start with the people that work in the office. If you want a school where it takes FOREVER to get a human being on the phone, then choose this school. And then when you actually get someone, their phone lines are so awful that you can barely hear them! I finally had someone own up to it being the school's problem because she said, yeah we are working on FINALLY getting new phone lines. Seriously?! It was 2013 at that time, and I just thought and told her actually... I can't believe with all the money we shell out, they couldn't already have a better phone system. Oh and don't even TRY to call the administrative office. Throughout the span of 4 hours, in the morning I might add, I called about once or twice per hour. You would think SOMEONE would answer the phone right? Nope. Oh and my favorite part, is after having quit this school, I still have payments that I have to make, which was the ONLY good thing about this school, and it's funny how on the coupon books it gives you ways to make a payment. You wouldn't believe it, but one of those ways is to pay on the WEBSITE, that was SHUT DOWN, because you're no longer a student. Although, still keep your id, cause that's the ONLY way you'll get to speak to anyone or to make a payment. Next: the actual classes. Now I know it's a huge convenience having online classes, but that still shouldn't mean that no one should be introduced to each other or at least the teacher even. The online school I'm attending now actually has nicely set up discussion boards, where the teacher themselves are actually fostering an environment where they want their students to connect with one another. Wouldn't you believe it, that the students are showing signs they're thankful for that? So basically if you want a school where you have absolutely NO communication from the teacher, only when you have questions, and no communication from your fellow students... then this might be a good fit for you. Also, I gotta say, the tests they have set up are RIDICULOUS! I know it's online, but COME ON! Their exams would be 10-20 questions, when you've 4 chapters worth of reading! To be honest, I hate studying, but I'd at least want to be more challenged then that. How do they expect someone to pass a major vet exam, that would ultimately fully certify me, and they only ask me 10-20 questions! Here again, for the amount of money you're paying, you should expect more. At least more communication. The only good thing I'll say is that the books were definitely HARD CORE reading. One last thing. I know for some people online school for vet tech is a great fit. But to me, I honestly think that the best way to fully be immersed in this type of program is to physically be in a school. My learning style is hands on, so I learned real fast this wasn't the type of study for me, and at least in this field. (I just wished I would've found out sooner instead of now being stuck with a huge bill.) To be honest, for you pet lovers, would you really want someone working on your beloved pet, that only went to online school and then a few months of required shadowing with a professional? Just saying. You can't do in 2 years what it took those professionals YEARS to do.

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8 of 24 people found the following review helpful

Medical billing and coding online

Medical Billing & Coding - November 30, 2014
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I am doing billing for OBGYN doctor for more then a year, but i need the certificate, that's why i enrolled in billing and coding classes online.The total program has 51 lessons, almost half of it is not about billing and coding! Its a lot of unnecessary material, which is good for managers, or somebody else only not for billing and coding. I didn' even get to coding classes yet, and i passed already 25 classes. It was about laws and ethics, maths, basic pharmacology, words and excell, stupid projects, english writing, punctuation and a lot more bullshit. I'm not saying that its not good to know, but you sign up to get classes for medical billing and coding!!! The only usefull lessons were body systems and terminology , which actually you'll have to know when you get to do billing. In general the program could be much shorter and not give you all this unnecessary study material. You'll waste a lot of time before getting to what you need to know, so if you find another school with a program which doesn't have all this extra material which you dont need, go with that one, dont go with penn foster

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18 of 28 people found the following review helpful

WOW! no one accepts this...

Dog Grooming - October 3, 2014
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I took the pet grooming certificare course.. Went and applied at PetSmart go figure they don't accept my pet grooming certificate no one does in sask... such waste of money.. I took my hardest and practised everything for no reason!!!

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24 of 37 people found the following review helpful

Its bitter sweet,but not bad

High School Diploma - August 22, 2014
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I Really like pennfoster,it gave me another chance At something that i always knew was important. Something that i gave up on which was high school. My honest review is that I never had a major problém With the school.when i first started i was excited and Couldnt wait to finish.i did test after test while i worked A 12 hour shift with all the free time i had.so its really Is what you put in it..it seems the test that i really took The time to study for and read,i did excellent on them. But the ones i tried to scan through i didnt do so hot So i went back over it and did better.I think if you read And take notes right the first time,it can advoid alot Of time...i am almost done got one more assignment That is only because i tried to cheat and had to do it over But thats my mistakes not the school.Im done paying And havent had any issues.as far as instructors they always Was helpful and always email me back. I tecently called Because i was so excited to get my essay grade back So i can hurry up and complete the test i cheated on And the instructor said that they had alot of essays to grade So they havent got to it yet,but will get to it soon. I got Irrated and told the instructor im a just quit. The instructor Imform me that i have came to far and will be foolish To quit and she found somebody to grade my paper Within 24 hours,that meant alot to me at the time because It showed me that she understood my feelings and It wasent all about money.she wanted me to finish As bad as i wanted to finish...but its my 8th month only Because i took some time off to invest in my niece a sweet16 After that i came straight back to it...Because i need This for me and my future. I read millions of reviews But this is mines i enjoyed every moment and cant wait To attend COLLEGE!!!!this is my story try it for yourself :-)

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16 of 22 people found the following review helpful

Positive experience, but very basic

High School Diploma - August 18, 2014
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I graduated from Pennfoster high school in September 2011. Obviously it has been a while, but now that I have gone out in the real world I believe I'm better prepared to leave a review based on getting into college, and the like. First, I will say this program isn't for everyone. The reason I enrolled was because I was having personal issues in public school, and also believed that most of the work was not necessary for what I planned to do. At the time, my plan was to graduate, then attend beauty school to become a stylist. The requirements for beauty school were a high school diploma (or GED) and to be at least 16 years of age. I knew I could graduate faster with Pennfoster, therefore starting my career earlier. I enrolled in beauty school right after turning 17, graduated a year later, and have since then worked in retail and am now planning on going to college to pursue a career in education. Pennfoster is a great program for those who do not need all the "extra" stuff. If I hadn't realized that cosmetology was not for me and ended up continuing that path, the education from there would definitely be sufficient. One huge disadvantage is how basic it is. My math is horrible, and am going to need tutoring to pass the compass test to get into college. I wish I had stuck it out in public school looking back, because I really didn't learn more than I already knew. But on the other end, it is great because they are accredited. I've never had problems on that end. Also, my brother is currently enrolled in this program and I've been told there have been changes made. I'm not sure of any specifics, though, this is solely based on my personal experiences.

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8 of 12 people found the following review helpful

Locksmith certificate waste of money for me

general education - June 28, 2014
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I felt the program was , for me, a complete waste of time and money. Locksmithing is a hands on trade which, I feel, requires hands on training. I wondered how this might be accomplished through an online course and figured for the price it was worth a shot to find out. It turned out about how I thought it might. Minimal hands on and lots of reading. As far as I'm concerned the certificate I receive will be worthless because I have received very little experience with what I might work with in the real world. The instructors are available to you if you need help, but if you're like me and have trouble understanding from reading without the benefit of visual aids or the actual materials being discussed in front of you to practice on, this course is not for you. They do give you a few things in the beginning, but not as you advance. You get to work with a padlock, and learn to rekey door locks, but you get no practical experience in anything beyond that. No car locks, no electronic locks, nothing you would need to be familiar with if you were going to enter the trade. I would not recommend this class or any other hands on type class to anyone who is a visual learner. Save your money.

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13 of 21 people found the following review helpful

My balance continues to increase every time I call.

Business Management - June 25, 2014
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Penn Foster will randomly add on charges to your balance and there is nothing you can about it. Because if you decide to withdraw from the school, you will still have to pay and your balance will go to collections and be reported. I left Penn Foster for mistreatment from the Math department, they were very unprofessional and rude. I came back 9 months later after being promised they had a new tutoring system online. I was told my previous balance would be combined with my new balance and I could pay it off with extended payments. Not True!! The amounts were never combined. Penn Foster added on extra fees for the previous balance and I found out later that if I had paid the collection company, I would have saved $350. Penn Foster charged the full amount and the fees they paid the Collection company and added on 'other fees'. I came back to better my life and was willing to take responsibility for my debt, in doing so, Penn Foster continues to increase my old debt and refuses to work with me. I regret coming back to Penn Foster and if you can afford to go anywhere else, I would. You get what you pay for. Penn Foster is a cheap school, in more ways than one.

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11 of 19 people found the following review helpful

Penn Foster Bachelor Program is awesome also affordable.i wish i did not wait this long.

Law and Criminal Justice - Security - June 22, 2014
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i did graduate from Penn Foster.Real name is Rosyln Drake,see i do not have to hide who i am. I graduate 2x from here,and sad so many haters here who are indolent,and or just did not at all attempt to apply one's self,and now want to publicly blame penn foster.Shame on you.This criminal justice course and high school accelerated at that>is WELL WORTH IT. This is my story... Below,will be long because i am so very happy a LAW FIRM accept BOTH my degrees. ... From: Pennsylvania/NJ tri-state,graduate from penn foster. On facebook with BOTH my REAL degrees,from penn foster with my law firm,i work at,with the boss smiling by my degree, NOW THAT PROVE ALOT,for the haters who say otherwise,because PF is not a scam. I am so blessed for them. . High School Diploma regionally/nationally accredited,mid 2000's. NO COMPLAINTS,at all.Then i waited for years until i procure the bachelor in criminal justice program.I wish i did not let time go by,life is way too short.But i did later enroll,premise on field of work i am in now i did not require a AAS,A.S.in criminal justice etc. but rather at the firm i work at said,'get your B.S. and or B.A. online or at the local college(s).I chose again Bachelor Degree Criminal J program at Penn.i have no complaints.I was able to implement it with 1/2 of the time it take brick and mortar "students"four long yrs. and or five,even i hear.Not me.I procure it accelerated-studies,was finish pretty quickly premise on working in a law firm already,with my high school diploma since 2005! . The firm is teaching me already tons of things and now?Bachelor degree from PF has me entering,LAW SCHOOL.So happy i can burst!literally.I think about how much time i've waited.Personal family reasons,however i always work in law field,so this is perfect for me and the best part,i did it! . Within a fraction of the four years,'way under that"and i have ZERO-DEBT owed to this great college. . So all the hating,outlandish comments online about penn foster is a scam,i can verify it is not,and i am also on FB,twitter,showing off my 2 degrees from here,after leaving high school from pregnancy as a teen parent,1993,then to go back like this,in time to be hired by a TOP law firm,making 2 to 3x more now with mi BACHELOR DEGREE FROM PENN FOSTER. . Your going to have to remember everyone: 1.)College off line or on is NOT for everyone. . 2.)Whether brick and mortar or online university/career school,your DEGREE(s)are what YOUR putting into it so for me it works,premise on i m commencing,after 2 short years of law school,(cali is only 2 yrs online law)and or on campus.(also nj,ny,pa going for law bar exam there too)i am opening OWN sole law office,and I tell everyone,"our degree no matter from where we work HARD FOR IT,is what we make it,period... Did not matter at all to the firm i am with on is it"nationally/regionally"it was how much i APPLIED mi self i was told by lead-partner,who love also i had as a high school drop out since 90s,15 yrs LAW expertise studies,just had to procure quick within 2 yrs or less,Bachelor Degree. Could have went to brick and mortar,but my busy schedule,legal studies,daughter i raise at the time whose 18 this year,i had no time really,and i do not regret enrolling prior at PENN. . There are no "short cuts."I am proud to graduate "born in 1970s" to finally have my degree and now? I am officially going for Juris Doctor,(i love how this sounds!My law degree in 2 short years less lil under as of august 2014,thanks to PF.This might be long but i have to share with all who are still on her bad mouthing immaturely PF. I am with now a great firm who accepted gladly mi penn foster bachelor degree,even my PF H.S.Diploma when i was early 30 ish, in 2004-2005...(I WAS 30)GRADUATING P.F.High School,while $$$ making TOP PAY at incredible firm,who accepted,and fully-RESPECT my Bachelor Degree on my desk-wall area and at mi casa(at home)my daughters SEE WHAT MOM DID,after being out of school for decades,then high school mid 05,diploma,now Bachelor Degree in Crim.Justce.So very PROUD of WHAT PF has done for me,not a scam at all,and haters who say this,are clearly immature and or just obtuse,and hater-types,as i am proud how far P.F. has gotten me in life,and i will never forget penn foster.Life is way too short,to hate on a great school like here.But if your not into applying yourself,to do the hard work,and take time out of your busy life to procure a degree from penn foster,than do NOT blame the college premise on YOUR own shortcomings.This is a great school and i will keep on posting all over when i can about how much clearly penn foster bachelor degree and high school accelerated course,diploma and CJ bachelor's has advance my entire life,soon to be a lawyer after 24 or less short months to go.thank you PENN. Email for nay sayers,or those curious about more on PF criminal justice,reach me anytime i hope you do as well as i did,and NOT just listen to fake haters here,who have not even attempted to follow through.i am glad i did,and god speed to you all. Rosyln Rivera-Drake

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33 of 46 people found the following review helpful

not worth it.

Veterinary Technician - May 14, 2014
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I am a student in the vet tech program and I would never recommend Penn Foster College for anything. First off they are not regionally accredited so if you want to transfer Penn Foster College (PFC) credits to a real college/university you can not. PFC does not care that its credits are worthless, I have asked. They will hardly ever answer your questions and when they do its always a round about answer so your question about accreditation, credits, or any other important info will not be answered. If you are a person who smiles when fed crap, doesn't ask questions, and has no ambition to ever go to a real college than PFC is for you, for the rest of you.....GO TO A REAL COLLEGE.

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10 of 17 people found the following review helpful

Its ok

Private Investigation - May 2, 2014
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I am happy with this school overall. I just started and its going pretty good, however be warned that any certificate program or career diploma program you do, you will not receive credits for it. So lets say you do the Private Investigation diploma program like I am, know that if you decide to do the Associates of Criminal Justice with Pennfoster afterwards that there are no credits that will transfer because you simply do not earn any credits while doing certificates or career diploma programs. Unlike with regular community colleges for example most certificate programs are about 8-10 credits and diploma programs are anywhere from 19-23 credits , Pennfosters certificates and diplomas are although recognized (which causes them to say accredited) but do not gain you any actual credits.

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9 of 14 people found the following review helpful

High SChool with College

High School Diploma - April 19, 2014
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i took the high school problem with no problems. But in my English College course, problems began. First of all, the graders has little or no education. I rebutted all the graders comments. I had asked about the header when putting the essay in rtf format. They said Ok, that's how it is. Then, they took off points. The header was done according to format. They made unfounded comments. I asked for an explanation of the point reduction and they never answered my questions. I then asked for another grader to grade the paper. The English Department Head agreed to do this. I had asked for a grader that would be unbiased in their grading. The next grader used the same already graded paper, and did nothing but agree with the first grader. Some comments were different.Yet, when I also proved their comments wrong as stated within the essay, they act as if they cannot understand English. The original essay, as I found out had been graded twice by the grader. i guess someone found a problem with how the grader graded my essay. But, the English Dept head wants to resolve this issue while stating their would be no more reviews. Obviously the graders were he same person, or just agreed. None of my rebuttals about all their comments that were unjustified for the point reduction. The English head never once answered my questions. My essay was just fine for the high school English, but since it was only about 2 months difference, both essays were on he same level. I had to write essays in my private Christian school, too many. I have to wonder if they are against Christian students since that is about all the information they know about me. Insults were actually made, but the so called 2nd grader removed them. The first grader had removed my headings from pages 2-4 which was one of my complaints as they deducted points from the grade. The next grader added them back in proving they had knowledge of my complaints. The second grader also made some ludicrous statements.Obviously, they do blackball smarter students, as others have complained. Now I am concerned that if I contact the school if they will intentionally flunk me. This transcript will go with me as I have to now decide upon a different college. I will write again when I have more information.

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10 of 17 people found the following review helpful

great college

Law and Criminal Justice - Security - April 12, 2014
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penn foster college is a great place to study....be prepared to study and work hard,its not a walk in the park...past your exams and earn your degree and you all will not have write any bad review about any school..if you are not serious about educating your self...you will be writing reviews about every school you attend.

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

IGNORANT GRADERS

High School Diploma - April 11, 2014
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The graders are less than 4 ear degree students. The assignments are vague which helps the grader be more opinionated. Help is not at hand. Most questions they reply with something other than asked. They take 2 weeks to grade a paper, guess it takes them that long to read it. They actually have to search the internet for answers because they haven't enough knowledge. They do blackball smarter students as they are ignorant and jealous. Only some colleges accept their credits. These classes are made up of test out exams like dante's, excelsior and clep that cost under $100 each. So why pay $250 and still have to do a ton of work. It is designed to be hard so you feel like a real colleg. come on. I've been to real colleges, prestige, state, computer vocational, and even a religious college. All were regionally accredited except for the computer and penn foster. It is ridiculous at all the assignments they want a person to do. Testing out is a much easier and cheaper options.

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5 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Just because one does not like or it is hard or you are expected to put in work and effort does not mean the school is a scam.

Veterinary Technician - April 2, 2014
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First off, I will state that even though people may have some issues with Penn Foster, it is not a scam. Furthermore, while is was not in the distant past, the Veterinary Technician program is now one of the only few online program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) - they are fully accredited and was initially accredited in 2006. Here is the list of accredited online programs on the AVMA website: https://www.avma.org/ProfessionalDevelopment/Education/Accreditation/Programs/Pages/vettech_distance_learning.aspx. Since I have previously earned a diploma from Penn Foster in Dog Obedience and instruction and found them adequate and affordable, I am going to go through the Veterinary Technician program as well. Where I live, there are no brick and mortars VT programs, so this is a more viable option than moving to a city that has one (plus, there is the cost factor - most brick and mortar programs are at least $32,000, while Penn Foster, is a little over $5,000 for the whole program). As for issues with finding a vet to complete the practicums with, Penn Foster partners with both Banfield and VCA hospitals - the first hospital that I sent a request to, which is a Banfield hospital, agreed to let me complete my practicum there. It is helpful to let the office managers know that the Penn Foster program is AVMA accredited and to copy/paste the curriculum, as well as some of the practicum expectations and requirements. You must also carry your own medical insurance to complete the practicums. Most of the other online accredited programs follow a similar setup as Penn Foster - except they are on some type of semester system so it will take you a lot longer, especially for someone who can work at a faster pace. Also, most of the other programs will make you complete a practicum that forces you to care for laboratory animals - no thanks!

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36 of 38 people found the following review helpful

BEWARE:CREDIT SCAM

High School Diploma - March 16, 2014
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I was very excited about going back to school to get my high school diploma. The classes were fairly easy and materials came on time. I ran into some financial hardship and i was unable to pay for a couple of months, mind you when i enrolled in Penn Foster I never had any forms to fill out and had NO documents that required a signature.A couple months passed(3) and now I have received something in the mail stating I owe them 1,042.00. As far as I'm concerned I never finished,or signed my life away at any point for me to owe them. will be contacting attorney general's office to resolve this matter.

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12 of 25 people found the following review helpful

please

High School Diploma - February 24, 2014
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This school is great! Please use your own judgment. I drop out of high school in the 12grade peen foster help me obtain my high school diploma at 34. It was quick and easy you get what you put in to it. Several colleges I would like to attend accept this diploma. So please do your own research despite what others think. I look at all the negatives comments I was a afraid of wasting money and time. I was prove otherwise if your wanting to go back to school or have your child home school I think it's a excellent choice.

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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful

Be careful

Business Management - February 6, 2014
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I have been on a break from school and will soon be returning to complete a bachelor's degree. I spoke to the school I will be taking a masters at after graduation and was told they will accept transfer credits/degrees from nationally or regionally accredited schools. I decided to check into Penn Foster at this point and was very excited when the school I will attend was listed on their website for articulation agreements! I called customer service to ask a few questions and verify. They lady "wasn't aware" of the articulation agreement and didn't even know what one was!! She supposedly even asked her supervisor about this but he/she wasn't aware of it either? Seriously! They don't know what they are doing and I'd be very suspicious of attending a "college" that doesn't even know what an articulation agreement is... especially when they list it on their website.

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11 of 14 people found the following review helpful

Frustrating

Veterinary Technician - January 6, 2014
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I am enrolled in Penn Foster right now and I am working up to get my Associate Degree as a Veterinary Technician. Right now im already a full time Vet Tech at a local clinic and im just trying to finish my college education. When I first enrolled I really enjoyed the program but shortly after I realized how hard it was to keep up. I wish Penn Foster made it easier to understand what exactly we as students need to be learning. Its more like they throw a bunch of jumbled information at you and its your responsibility to know what to do with it. They need a more organized way of actually helping their students and giving them some real answers. I feel like i need more of an instructor to help me know what information I should be taking in exactly. They take weeks to ship your materials and you have to watch Webinars which no one shows you how or what to do. Im almost done with my first semester and I am overwhelmed. I learned more on the job experience than I have here. I recommend to spend your money elsewhere. When I first signed up i signed up for the veterinary certificate instead of the degree program so i called and it cost me $200 to switch over. All they are doing is stealing your money. Ive met people that have enrolled in Penn Foster but non actually ended up finishing it.

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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful

blackballing smart students

High School Diploma - January 1, 2014
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I already completed most of public high school here so the courses needed to graduate were minimum. But apparently if you bust your butt to get it done your in trouble. They make you take more exams that are not required by the bored to graduate. If you have all the time in the world to do a little bit of work them this is for you! They refuse to take the flag off and won't let me continue to college but expect me to pay them $700. I can never get in touch with an instructor and all they care about is money.

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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Will not prepare you for the field

Veterinary Technician - December 5, 2013
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I attended Penn Foster's vet tech associate's program for two semesters before leaving. I do not want to come off completely bashing this institution; it may lead to employment for some people. It just was not for me. There is really no classroom interaction and very little interaction with instructors. They basically just send you their proprietary textbooks, which are really more like cheap paperback pamphlets, then have you take multiple choice quizzes online to move forward in the course. The answers can be found (word for word actually) easily with a Google or Yahoo Answers search, making it obvious that many students cheat their way through the school's prefabricated lesson plans (or lack thereof). To be fair, I did receive a couple of decent "real" textbooks that I decided to keep, like a very complete medical dictionary and a great anatomy and physiology reference book. That was about it, though. Towards the end of my time at Penn Foster I started interning at a local animal rescue. It did not take me long to realize that the education I received during this course did not come close to preparing me to work an actual vet tech job. Some of the basics were covered at the school, but I was taught everything I learned at Penn Foster, plus some, in about two weeks of interning. The bottom line is if you are looking for a respected vet tech degree along with training that will prepare you for your state's exam, you may want to keep looking. Chances are you will learn WAY more during your required practicums for the course than you will during the actual course, but it may be a challenge finding a vet that will take you in.

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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

HIT Course

Health Information Technology - October 5, 2013
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It is terrible to note that after all this time spending attending school and paying your tuition on time because if you're late you will be charged a $7. late fee. I was misled into this course though I learned a lot especially the medical terminology. But I have to get to the bottom of this. Please people! please check thing out thoroughly before making a final decision. I did check and asked a friend to double and everything seemed perfect, but SURPRISE! SURPRISE! I was very skeptical about online courses, but this one fooled me big time.

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6 of 13 people found the following review helpful

Don't sign up for this program

Veterinary Technician - September 24, 2013
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I started this program in Feb of 2007. Due to them taking their time sending materials, not crediting me with time spent in online groups, not giving me info about my first practicum, I had to start the program all over at the end of my 3rd semester. Here it is 2013 and I'm still trying to graduate, never mind that I'm already licensed by my state and don't actually need to finish this program, but have to for me GI Bill. Getting straight answers from anyone there is next to impossible, and they certainly aren't service oriented. You'd be better off going somewhere else. I would never recommend this school to anyone.

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11 of 16 people found the following review helpful

Good enough but room for improvement

Legal Research - September 15, 2013
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I am currently taking a Penn Foster certificate course in Legal Research. I had questions at the beginning and it took them over a month to answer me. The materials are ok but not great. You basically have to do a lot of work on your own and yes the material is somewhat outdated. Overall, if you are a self-learner I would recommend taking a Penn Foster class. When I emailed my counselor who signed me up he never answered my questions. I had to call him and get him directly on the phone and everytime I asked him why he did not email me he told me he was either on vacation or too busy. Also I had to download a lot of the material and since I did not want to read a lot of material online I went to Staples to print it out which was an extra expense for me. I may, however, take another class with them depending on how I do well I do with this class.

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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

RUDE EDUCATION OFFICE

Veterinary Technician - August 23, 2013
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I have been trying for 2 months to find a clinic that will sign my agreement form to perform Practiums. I am active duty miltary, and work swing shifts, so it is very difficult to find a clinic that will work with my hours. I finally found an animal shelter that is open every day from 9am-6pm which is perfect! But they were having complications accepting me because of Penn Foster. I contacted the education office, specifically Diane Placidi, to see if she could work something out with the shelter, and oh boy. Was this lady DAMN rude. She was in the middle of "moving here desk," so she was really irritated and specifically told me that. I am active duty miltary. I work 12 hours shifts, I am trying to go to school, she had no sympathy for my issue at all. I am also about to deploy for possibly 6 months, and told her that I needed to get this practium done before I deployed, and agian she didn't care. I also stated I was very confused on how to submit the paper work. There is a video that shows a checklist, which we don't even recieve. It also just states that you can fax it or mail it, it doesn't exactly state the number or the address, or if we could even e-mail it or who to talk to. All I am saying is if you are able to go to a different school, do it. This school is EXTREMLY outdated. I will google search some homework assignments for better understanding of what the questions mean, and I find the questions on yahoo answers from as early as 2004. I am still giving hope to this school, praying that everything will work out.

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11 of 15 people found the following review helpful

Small Engine Repair Course - PennFoster

small engine repaire - August 12, 2013
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PennFoster's Small Engine Repair Course has a lot of good material, but some of it is outdated (outboard boat engines), and some of it doesn't go into the subject very far. The course itself was above average, but I enrolled under the GI Bill, and once PennFoster has your credit card number, it seems like they could care less about submitting any paperwork to the VA for your benefit. I'm currently paying out of my own pocket because PennFoster has yet to submit documents to the VA for payment. All I'm saying is, expect to pay for the course yourself, because it appears that they have no support staff.

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20 of 23 people found the following review helpful

Medical Coding and Billing

Medical Billing & Coding - July 2, 2013
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I enrolled in the Medical coding and Billing Program with Harcum College. Approximately one month later I was surprised when I was getting my coursework from Penn Foster. That was a big deception. I paid my tuition in full and was told that I could work at my own pace. The introduction to the course was very long and repetitive. I must admit that I was working slower than I should because of pain in my hands. However, nine months later I was told to pay a extension of seventy five dollars to continue the program. I did pay the amount. I did not get my books upfront even though I paid my full tuition. The books were shipped to me when I was locked out of the program which are of no use. I was not aware that all those materials were included in the course and they withheld the books and shipped them when Iwas locked out of the program. They just left me without even saying a word. This school is a scam, waste of time and money. People beware, I have learned my lesson. Do your research before getting scammed like I did. Penn Foster do not care about us. They are just there for the money. It is a shame. I should take my money and attend a reputable institution.

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13 of 20 people found the following review helpful

Boo hiss

Medical Billing & Coding - June 24, 2013
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Not what I hoped it would be. Graduated from Penn Foster. The diploma looks better in my scrapbook then it does on my wall. Does not push me through the employment doors. I have been unemployed for seven months after earning a piece of paper in medical coding and billing. Penn Foster does not tell you that you need to pay an extra 300.00 to sit for an exam and pay for extra books. Plus if you don't obtain a certification after test taking, your more than likely NOT to find a job!!!!!

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15 of 23 people found the following review helpful

This School Saved My LIFE

High School Diploma - June 10, 2013
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let me just start by saying I AM SO GLAD I herd about Penn Foster! They are affordable, helpful, and a life saver! Without this school, I would still be a high school drop out at 22! I see a lot of customers / students complaining about how their diploma / criedts were not accepted by the school of their choice. It is probably because they didn't do their homework first and asked the school's Admissions office if they recognize diplomas/ credits from this school before enrolling. And people, believe me when I tell you, this is NOT an uncommon problem. It is actually more common than you think. I completed PF Earlier this year after being forced to leave my old school the year before due to the fact I owed tuition. So, I basically had to begin a new with these guys. I was so surpriised at how well paced and simple the course were. And, I don't get the complaints with the shipments and stuff. You DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT have to wait for your books to get to your house in order to start your next course. Most of the material you need is already there [in PDF fouls] . All you need to do is pass all your unit exams to move on to the next course. Once you complete all your courses , you get final exams [just like you would in a normal accredited schools.] After you pass your exams, you recieve the credit for that course. I honestly had the best experience with this school. I got nothing less that a 90 on all my quizes and exams and graduated with a 4.0 ! The thing I love the most is, they REDUCE your tuition for students that graduate with an A average! You Honestly CAN NOT find a better deal with this school! Thank you Penn Foster! Hats Up to You Guys! Because of you guys, I will be starting Pensacola Christian College in the Fall on FULL SCHOLARSHIP! I owe EVERYTHING TO THIS SCHOOL.

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24 of 32 people found the following review helpful

Pennfoster

Business Management - May 5, 2013
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I love this school. The study materials are intense and compact and requires a lot of discipline to get good grades. I just wish the school offer the Business Management at the Master's Level. I also a student of another university and the work is quite similar; in fact, i find Pennfoster quite more difficult and challenging. The only problem, there should be funding available automatically to international students.

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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

Penn Foster is a Awesome school!

Veterinary Technician - April 23, 2013
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Penn Foster school is awesome, I would recommend it to anyone! This is a fully accredit school! I am in the Vet Tech program and it is wonderful, the Instuctors are very helpful and the classes are fun and challenging. If you are looking for a program that is self-paced and payment plan friendly, then check out Penn Foster! Please note that if you are NOT a self-motivated person and need someone looking over everything you do you will not enjoy this program or what you are learning! :)

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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

Very Good, The Price is Right, and customers service oustanding

Accounting - March 9, 2013
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I graduated from Penn Foster High School and went on to earn an Associate's Degree at a Catholic Liberal Arts College back in the mid-1990's. With the economic down turn and me no longer being able to work on my feet anymore and becoming disabled I know I needed an updating of my job skills in order to get an office job that I could eventually earn decent pay doing and that was in demand. Remembering my experience at Penn Foster I looked into their current line of programs and settled on an A.S. in accounting since I am good with numbers and had a lot of credits that would transfer in. The customer service at Penn Foster has been excellent and I have called several times about my account. They even ran a special I got in that was originally only offered to new students that said when you pay off your third semester the last one is free. I didn't even have to ask. They just extended it to the current students, even combining it with the special offers we came in under. The teachers have always answered my email questions within 24 hours and have always been helpful. The only problems I have had is when I have called in the late afternoon hours and my instructor wasn't there, but to be honest that was me being too lazy to write an email. Still though it would be nice if the instructors had late evening and Sat. hours. If they did that I think that would put them into an elite group of schools. The program is complete with everything you would need to know for a job, including studies in accounting software like Peachtree, Quickbooks, and Excel. Many times at brick and mortar schools this isn't included in an accounting program and you have to pay extra to take the classes separately and in today's world not knowing those three programs is not an option in the accounting field. My only caution about Penn Foster is to research your program and make sure it is what you want and need. For instance the Gunsmith program is too shallow to take and then open up shop as a gunsmith which is what you usually must do for a job since gunsmiths are one man operations usually. I know that because I looked into it since I know a lot about guns. The pharmacy technician program may be unnecessary because all the chain pharmacies around here send you to their own training program when you get hired and I was told they prefer to train their own people to their own system. That being said do your research; talk to workers in your chosen field and employers and you should be fine.

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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

Was Just the Ticket to My Future and I have Returned

High School Diploma - March 9, 2013
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I attended Penn Foster High School back when it was International Correspondence Schools and my diploma reads ICS/Newport Pacific High School, Scranton Pennsylvania. I had a 4.0 GPA and much to my surprise the diploma was received well enough to get me into one of the Mid-West's top Catholic Liberal Arts Colleges where I earned an Associates' of Arts degree in Liberal Arts. I graduated Penn Foster (then ICS) in 1996 before the advent of the internet and even then support and instruction was excellent. I liked it so well that since I need new marketable skills in the new economy I have returned to Penn Foster to get an Associates' of Science in Accounting. After I complete that I will transfer those credits to Thomas Edison State College in NJ for a Bachelor's so I can become a CPA, while working in the field of accounting as an accounting clerk. Some people are complaining that they don't get their diploma until their account is paid off. I honestly can't believe someone would be as stupid as to believe any school will issue a degree/diploma with a balance outstanding. If you think any will just go to any private high school or college and complete your program and leave owing money and see if you get a diploma/degree. At least with Penn Foster you can get a job if you owe a balance with your skills by paying the sum of $10.00 for a transcript to take job hunting. No other school I know will issue a transcript if you owe any money. Please get real.

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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

Can't find a job

Pharmacy Technician - February 16, 2013
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This school has NOT done anything to help me get an internship or a job. I COULD NOT even get a volunteering position at the hospital with their useless career diploma. Their booklets weren't even that helpful in preparing for the PTCB exam. I ended up buying other study guides off of amazon, passed the exam, and became certified. None of the pharmacies wanted to hire me because I attended an online program, with NO hands on training in a pharmacy! Hiring managers told me they considered my pharmacy technician education to be INCOMPLETE because my school provided no hands on training! I hope I get lucky and find a job soon. My advice: talk to a pharmacy technician recruiting agency FIRST before you choose a school! Get in contact with a recruiter, they know what employers want and will be able to advise you. Do your research!

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22 of 29 people found the following review helpful

Read The Enrollment Agreement; Do Some Research! Good Online Education!

Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education - February 14, 2013
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I'm really surprised at what I'm reading. I've been doing my homework with PF, calling in and clarifying the enrollment agreement/etc, and I already knew of all of your complaints and I'm not officially enrolled yet! PF has a list of colleges that accept their degree credits (it's located on their main website), but the colleges are mainly online institutes (what'd you expect from an ONLINE COLLEGE like PF?!) I'm excited to grab a low-cost associate's from PF, then transfer to a low-cost good college like APU Online (another college online that accepts PF credits). Yes, you can't receive your degree until you pay it off completely, but I don't see that being unreasonable. If they're practically going to hand you a degree for a fraction of the cost of your average degree these days, I don't mind! Good luck to everyone else, and keep it in mind for the future: RESEARCH before diving into life's opportunities! Don't give PF a chance if you aren't self-motivated, because online colleges are designed for people who can teach themselves the material and become their own teacher!

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39 of 42 people found the following review helpful

Not a bad school

Pharmacy Technician - January 9, 2013
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Hmmm I'm a little confused to on the negative reviews. I do agree shipments of the books is kind of slow but I guess it doesn't bother me as much because I do work full time. I haven't had to contact the school at all so not sure about customer service and I undeestand not shipping the diploma until its paid . I don't think it's a scam at all it's on you to read the books and complete the courses

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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful

penn foster is terrible

Veterinary Technician - January 8, 2013
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I am in the end of my second semester of the vet tech program with Penn Foster and would never recommend this school to anyone trying to obtain a degree in this field. I am going to be dropping the program in the next week and will be contacting someone about all this mistreatment. I am currently waiting to recieve my proctored exams that should take up to no more than two weeks to be sent to your proctor and it has now been almost a month. Within these past weeks I have been emailing, calling, posting, everything and anything to try to get some sort of response. At this point I would be happy with a blank email... anything to show the school still exists. No one will respond to anything at all and this isn't the first time it has happened although it is the forst time I have sent over 10 emails within two weeks regarding the same question with not so much as a "read your student handbook" response tha I typically get. I haven't even began to try asking why my practicum site is taking over a month to either be approved or disapproved since I can't get a response on my first dilemma. I was excited when they got rid of devil Dr. Margi and her crap staff, but sadly things have not changed for the better. So my recommendation is to go anywhere else except Penn Foster snd if you're already enrolled I would really consider getting your money back (as if that is even possible... I'm sure I'll get nothing back) and getting out ASAP. Keep in mind I've been told at many Vet practices they do not hire or teach (internships) to Penn Foster students because of how terrible the program is.

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14 of 18 people found the following review helpful

Do Your Research

High School Diploma - December 9, 2012
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I think Penn Foster High School is a great way for people who have dropped out of school to finish getting their high school diploma. My husband took this course...but before he enrolled, he called local community colleges that he was interested in going to in order to find out if they would accept a degree from the school. The studies are self paced. Although many of the exams are open book, you do have to study in order to pass the exams. It took him three months to finish his senior semester...he is now a junior in college. The only thing we disliked about the school is when we call in to ask questions about transcripts and grades, they are a little reluctant to give much help, if you have not paid all of your fines. Other than that, I think the school is awesome for working students.

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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

Penn Foster-NOT A SCAM!!

Dog Obedience Trainer / Instructor diploma - November 29, 2012
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I am currently enrolled in several of Penn Foster's programs and find them to be very informative and up to date. Penn Foster's Student Services is easy to contact and they will work with you to address any problems you may be having with the program. I am 1 module away from completion of the Dog Training/Obedience Instructor program and have enjoyed it immensely. I am also in semester 2 of the Associate Veterinary Technology Program which has FULL AVMA accreditation-and I will add that a non-legit "scam" program would never have qualified for this accreditation if it's program was sub-par, or if it's school's operations where below standard. That being said, this program, and most all of it's programs are not for everyone. They are designed for very self motivated people. If you need someone to tell you what to do, when to do it, and nearly wipe your butt for you-I urge you to forgo enrolling in an online correspondance course of any kind and seek a traditional education. You must be willing to apply yourself outside of your studies and get hands-on experience to be successful. Payments are easy, straight-forward, and fair. Cancelling your program is equally well situated-as I enrolled in and ended up cancelling the Medical Billing and Coding Program before. No hassel. Just pay us what you owe for the work you completed (I was 1/3 of the way through) and it's done. Think before you click and enroll, but not because Penn Foster is a bad school, or a scam, or a money-hungry institution or any of these other far-fetched negative titles that it has unjustly received. It's a matter of personal willingness and organization , as well as discipline. There are time limits, try to stay within them, if not accept you need more time and pay for an extension. You can't ignore your studies, half-heartily do a couple assignments every 3 months and expect to pass or finish.Also, keep in contact with the school when and if issues arise, don't just get pissed and do nothing-after all you're really online hurting yourself and furthering yourself from your own goals. Penn Foster is great and it gives students who for one reason or another cannot attend a traditional school a way to achieve their goals and get what they want out of life. I also plan on attending and finishing several other programs to meet my career needs, and I can't wait to start!

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44 of 47 people found the following review helpful

HORRIBLE school! They are CROOKS!

Dental Assisting - November 20, 2012
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After completing 18% of the Dental Assisting course at PennFoster, I was actually enjoying the course. Upon getting to a difficult lesson and needing some assistance, I contacted the Student Services department to get in touch with a professor. He was VERY unprofessional and was not helpful AT ALL. He told me I was looking in the wrong book and I needed to figure it out for myself. Frustrated with the entire school, I called and told them that I wanted to cancel my schooling because I was not getting adequate help. They informed me that it would be a $250 cancellation fee so I told them that I would pay it on Friday when I got paid. The man I talked to said "Oh, that's okay. We'll take care of it. Don't worry about it." I was so reluctant. That was July 2012. It is now November 2012 and I have been getting letters in the mail telling me I owe $1004. Harassing phone calls day and night from a COLLECTIONS agency. So I called and spoke to a really nice gentleman in which he told me that my state is a DO NOT SELL state for dental assisting and I would have WASTED MY TIME if I completed my course. Speaking with the collections agency a couple days later trying to get everything taken care of, she told me it was MY FAULT for not researching my state and I should have known it was going to take me no where. Shouldn't they have told me that when I signed up for the course?! Everyone at this school is VERY unprofessional, rude, and a bunch of CROOKS. All they care about is taking your money and DO NOT care if you get the proper education you need!!! STAY AWAY FROM PENNFOSTER!

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15 of 23 people found the following review helpful

Good Experience

High School Diploma - November 17, 2012
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My husband graduated from Penn Foster last year. The program worked great for him. He is now a Maintenance Engineer and attending college for his Associates in HVAC. I agree that the materials are slow in being shipped but that is a small price to pay for anyone who has difficulty in a traditional school setting. As far as not getting your diploma until tuition is paid off, that is understandable. You don't get the title to a car or the deed to a house until they are paid off. It is to ensure they are not scammed by students. All-in-all, a great experience.

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22 of 25 people found the following review helpful

Pretty Good

High School Diploma - October 20, 2012
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Great school so far. I recommend it! Tuition for the HS program was low for me since i completed 9th and 10th grade. The only problem i have is how slow they take to review transcripts and transfer credits. As well as how you have to wait for courses to ship out in order for lessons online to unlock. Besides that its a great school. I love having live chat around in case i ever have some direct payment or anything school related. You can call a teacher over the phone if you want but honestly i haven't called in so far.

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14 of 19 people found the following review helpful

don't attend this stupid home-school you rather go to public school

Dog Grooming - October 18, 2012
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I have called and talked and online chat to the Representative's at pennfoster today and they are the worst i have recorded the chat today's date is 10/18/2012 You are now chatting with 'Michael Gibson' Your Issue ID for this chat is LTK12129069663135X Michael Gibson: Thank you for contacting Student Services. How may I help you? maxim: hi i need a transcript from pennfoster maxim: what does a transcript contain maxim: does it show my credits maxim: or my grades from pennfoster Michael Gibson: Do you need an official transcript or just a grade report? maxim: i need the official transcript Michael Gibson: In order to obtain an official transcript. The balance must be paid in full since you have completed over 50% of the program. I can send you a grade report. Michael Gibson: Anything else I can assist you with? maxim: so what should i do to get the transcript Michael Gibson: Once the balance is paid in full, you can purchae an official transcript for $10.00. maxim: what is my balance Michael Gibson: Your balance is $304.00. maxim: so i need to pay $314 to get my transcript Michael Gibson: No. Your total balance is $304.00. Michael Gibson: Anything else I can assist you with? maxim: so to get my transcript i need to pay $304 plus $10 for the transcript maxim: 314 Michael Gibson: That is correct, but the $10.00 fee is separate. You can call 1-888-427-1000 to make the payments if you plan on paying them soon. maxim: can i pay the $10 now and get the transcript maxim: because i don't have $304 right now Michael Gibson: Unfortunately, it cannot be ordered until the balance is paid. maxim: i need the transcript maxim: Unfortunately i think it could be done somehow because i already paid over $1100 to pennfoster maxim: starting from 2010 September Michael Gibson: Unfortunately, the policy requires students to have the balance paid in full if they have completed over 50% of the lessons in order to eligible for the transcript. maxim: i have completed over 50% of the lessons Michael Gibson: That is correct. maxim: so i can buy the transcript maxim: do you take debit maxim: or a visa Michael Gibson: Once the balance is paid in full, you can purchase the transcript. Michael Gibson: You can pay with a debit card. maxim: i need the transcript and the proof that i study at pennfoster that is why i need the transcript right now for collage maxim: i am trying to apply Michael Gibson: I'm sorry, but at the moment you are not eligible for an official transcript. maxim: i am trying to study at pennfoster and at the same time start collage(i need the transcript to apply to collage), so i can be ahead and complete collage faster and be on my carrier and your not letting me do that and that is very important for my future Michael Gibson: I understand that, but as I explained, you are not eligible for an official transcript until you have paid the remaining balance in full. That is the policy. maxim: i don't have a job or any money right now that is why i want to apply to collage under financial aid to get a carrier faster i cant pay you right now Michael Gibson: We try to accommodate our students the best we can, but they still need to follow the school's policies. Michael Gibson: Again, you are not eligible for an official transcript. I am sorry. maxim: ok what if i want to transfer from pennfoster to a public school i still need the transcript to transfer because the other schools will need to know how much work and credits i have completed in my previous school, i decided will be transferring from your school ASAP, so i still need the transcript Michael Gibson: Again, you still owe the full balance before the transcript can be released. Since you have completed over 50% of the lessons you are liable for the remaining balance whether you continue or not. Michael Gibson: If there is nothing else I can assist you with at this, you can contact us at 1-888-427-1000 for more information. I am going to disconnect the chat since I have not heard back from you. Please understand that you must follow school policy to obtain an official transcript. maxim: the last lesson that was shipped from you is really confusing and weird i don't know how to complete it and i called you guys allot of time's and email you about the lesson and now one can help me with it and it's been over 9 months when i got that last lesson shipped i can barley learn anything from pennfoster , does this have to do anything with collection Chat session has been terminated by the site operator. You are not currently in a chat session.

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11 of 46 people found the following review helpful

Program works if you work towards it.

Veterinary Technician - October 14, 2012
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The program has changed. New Head Director. New instructors. Improved community (they will be changing it again fall 2012). Some things need to be improved in the community section, so I too kcharge and becoem a student leading students since I have already worked in the field 18 years. We need more like that. The program is not simple. It is easier for peopel already in the field lookign to complete the degree for state requirements. Yet I am an office manager of a clinic and will be glad to assist future students. The program can be really ruff. Yet here is the thing. Those long proctored exams atthe end of each semester. THose Practicums, will make the National Exam much easier. You will be used to sitting for long tests if you do it right.

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18 of 23 people found the following review helpful

Great school

High School Diploma - October 10, 2012
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January 2012 I completed my high school diploma course at the age of 29. This school allowed me to set a goal for myself finishing in just 6 months of starting the course at a 9th grade level. They kept the books coming and ensured that I would not run out of things to do.I rated the teachers low due to the fact I had very little contact with them. The only problem I had was at the end when the electives slowed me up you have to wait until all your tests with the elective are graded before you can move to the next on. It is now October 2012 and I plan on returning for Pharmacy Tech course. Thanks Penn Foster

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18 of 21 people found the following review helpful

Penn Foster Vet tech review.

Veterinary Technician - September 28, 2012
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Hi, I just wanted to get a bit more updated review about penn foster. I have been in this program for 4 months now. I am still in "semester"1, note semester are not regular school semesters they are "units of study", when you complete one you move on. I hear about Margi and how rude she was, I have never met her, but there is a new director of the program named JIm Hurrel, he is very nice and informative and he actually cares to teach. They haved started a "community" site which aloows for facebook/mysoace gathering of students and directors, even the president of the school is on there so that really make you feel a lot less "alone". The webinars can be really good, very informative. The p grades are easy to obtain just take as much classes as you can take and there is no issue. The book are very well written and have accurate information, and they really do make you "think common sense wise" about the subject being discussed. materials are very decent, just have to read them multiple times to get the full idea and point of view of the authors. Yes, the one thing that is indeed anoyying about the school is the praticiums and clinicals. It very frustrating, because you have 225 for each section you do after semester 2 and 4. Which is subjected to review and acceptance by , 1. the clinic where you did them , and 2. by the school. Getting both to cooperate with each other is nigh impossible. Putting it bluntly the Dr.'s may feel that they dont have time for such nonsense, but the programs wants a vet tech to train you in clinicals. Also there is indeed no help from school finding a place, there is wheree you have to have gumtion to get out there and apply yourself as a professional, and hit the pavement. Which I think is a good thing. However can be more time consuming to do this, and you are already 6 months into program , the program by the way takes only 8 months or so to complete if evreything in this world were perfect, so prepare to ask for extensions. Really as far as online vet school goes it really good, I am impressed and happy so far can't really complain. Also any issues i had , I had someone to call or email and they responded quickly and resolved issue and did it with a virtual smile on their face, so . I guess I am lucky. For all those that had unfornate experiences with margi or other personel I am sorry, I hope you find a school that makes you feel apprecaiated or give it another shot, it really is better now from what I have seen.

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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful

Diploma worked perfectly for us

High School Diploma - September 14, 2012
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My son complete high school with this program in about 2 years. The diploma was treated like a regular high school diploma at the state college (Georgia Highlands) he attended and his grades in high school got him the Georgia Hope scholarship which allowed him to attend college tuition-free. The course work was definitely on the easy side. If you want something rigorous, I would try something else. This program would be great for someone who is having trouble with high school academics or who needs to get a diploma quickly. I thought the cost was very low compred to other schools which give you an accredited high school diploma.

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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful

A true honest story and honest opinion from someone who is almost done!

High School Diploma - September 7, 2012
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Penn Foster has given me 3 years to complete my school work. Sadly, I fell behind because of dramas an other problems in life, now I have to complete what I have in a 1 months time, here's what I did. Good: We explained this to Penn Foster over the phone, the lady was very understanding and immediately sent out 4 lessons to me and I got them in 3 days. I progressed very fast and got all 4 done in about a week!(half way done) Bad:After that, I paid Penn Foster off what I owed, now I have no more payments to make. All of a sudden, my books have been taking over 3 weeks(not days) to get to my house! Which is outrageous when you only have a month to do your schooling! But, This does not bother me, since all of there books, once they are sent out to your house, become instantly available online to read and tests become available, so really, I don't have to wait for them dragging there feet. When I called asking for them to send my books again like the nicer lady did for me. THIS lady didn't want to, we signed a waver and everything to release the rest of my books. She said they will... 5 days later there JUST Preparing to be shipped and some are back ordered?... Outrageous, I don't have time for that! You think they would help me out a little if I have such little time left, but obviously not. I'm trying to get this done, but there always seems to be a loop hole I miss, which leads to me having to spend more money. If I can't get my school done this month, I can get a added 6 months for another $75, I really, really don't want to spend anymore money on this stuff, I just want to work hard to graduate. Clearly, It is a REAL highschool diploma program and weather it's treated like a GED or not, either way I just want to get it done but it's clearly a very money driven business(as anything)they does not care how you progress or get your work done as long as you pay them there money, even then they want a little extra. As far as the books go, they were very easy and you could learn on your own past with no black and white areas. Yet, American History was very much all over the place! I had 2 huge books I had to go over both of which contradicted each other, but they wanted answers from both of those books. It was very frustrating to me and my grades kinda sucked on that one...But atleast I got it done. OVER ALL: School is school and business will be business. It's as simple as that and nothing is perfect. But if your going to be home schooled and going with Penn Foster, I can't think of anything better as long as you stick to the 3 years they give you and not play around! If you stick to it you'll have plenty of breathing room for your studies and you won't end up having to be in a mad rush like me! Though I can't promise they we be quicker sending there books to you, they may take even more time if they have 3 years to kill! So, just do the books online and you'll truly be able to work at your own pace!

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12 of 16 people found the following review helpful

Rude staff , and unprofessional conduct.

Certified Wedding Planner - September 7, 2012
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I was recently considering purchasing online classes with Pennfoster, so naturally I requested more information on the program I was interested in. After waiting 3 business days i finally received an e-mail containing absolutely no information on the actual program, but urging me to sign up immediately and leaving me a number to call should I have any questions. Once I called, I was connected to a seemingly nice man who then proceeded to condescend me and cut me off whenever i attempted to ask a question or speak. I then thanked him for his time and told him I would call if I decided to enroll. The next day I received a call at 9:00 PM PST , from someone at pennfoster. I politely told them that was not an appropriate time to call me and that I could be reached between normal daytime hours. The very next day I received a call at the same time from what seemed to be the same woman. I asked them not to call me anymore and told them i was no longer interested because of the repetitive late night phone calls. I sincerely hope this company , school, whatever they consider themselves, learns how to properly conduct business and not harass potential students/customers.

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16 of 29 people found the following review helpful

= Unemployment

Associates in Paralegal Studies - August 15, 2012
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Haven't been able to work since... I quit my job and moved 3 states away to Dallas. I paid over one hundred bucks for a professional resume and submitted it to every law firm and legal staffing agency as well as everything from factory work to fast food. I haven't been able to find a job in the two years I've been a graduate. I believe the problem is the degree is laughable for the jobs I believe to be qualified for and intimidating to the managers who have been working the same jobs for 10+ years and are scared of the college experience... but I don't recommend trying to build a life around this degree! Its hard to find a place to transfer to which means this place is a joke. I hate myself for wasting a good career at a good company after graduating from this course. Huge regrets... If you could afford a degree from a real college I would suggest sinking the money into it and saving yourself years of embarrassment. This waste of time and money stole nearly 5 years of my life. I have quit placing the degree on my resume and buried my degree and transcripts in a box in the attic. I've been middle class my whole life and am sick of being taken advantage of by programs such as this and being denied loans for college due to my financial status.

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21 of 30 people found the following review helpful

High School Diploma

High School Diploma - August 14, 2012
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I took the high school course. I found the textbooks laid out in an orderly fashion. I was guided step-by-step how to proceed in my studies, was even given a timeline for when tests should be taken. Of course, life gets in the way sometimes and I didn't keep on the timeline they set up, but I did complete the course within the allotted time. I would recommend Penn Foster to anyone. I see what people are saying about how "easy" it is to "cheat" and get the answers from the text, but that comes down to each individual person. If they want to cheat and get the answers the easy way instead of doing the work, they are only cheating themselves and not getting a true and accurate depiction of what they have actually learned through their studies. Thank Penn Foster for allowing me to finally achieve my goal of getting my high school diploma. A 55-year-old woman who dropped out 2 months into the 12th grade in 1974

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31 of 33 people found the following review helpful

disappointed and annoyed

Medical Billing & Coding - July 31, 2012
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I was pleased with this course until about 11 months in (the course is 15 total.) Out of nowhere the school added eleven additional study units to my course without notifying me at all or extending my deadline. When I called student services to find out why students weren't being notified that their workload had been increased by 25%, the response I got was "they'd have to send emails all day long." SERIOUSLY? It's amazing that they can send out automatically generated emails telling me about my progress, but you can't notify me of changes to my program outline. In addition to this, when it came time for me to start the first coding section the materials were on backorder, so I lost almost a week of study time! Every time I contact student or education services I get very little help or information. I am four weeks away from completing my course and don't feel like I will be prepared for a career in this field AT ALL. Any future courses I decide to take will definitely be done through another institution - there is a reason my Penn Foster's tuition is so inexpensive compared to other schools; sometimes you get what you pay for.

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24 of 29 people found the following review helpful

Rip off's

Electrical Engineering - July 9, 2012
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I checked out an chose Penn Foster after they told me I would have phone service help with a qualified teacher.Ha Ha Ha .That was there biggest lie.I called and asked to speak to an instuctor around 15 times in 7 months and never was able to speak to one once.No help at all.No apology when I called to complain instead I was only told I would get a call back within 24 hours.That never happened either.After completing the course, I was told I would get a complete set of Craftsmans tools.That never happened. I received a cheap 'made in china' set and only half of what was promised in the tools.I would avoid these sharlitans if I was you.

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12 of 16 people found the following review helpful

Very Slow sending out material, not able to work at my own pace.

High School Diploma - July 7, 2012
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When I enroll I was under the assumption that I would be able to work at my own pace and had 3 years to complete, however; I could work as fast as I wanted. I now fully understand that the welcome letter they send you, the website and enrollment counselor are very much incorrect. I enroll thinking that I could finish within a couple of months as I ( for now) have the time to dedicate several hours a day to it, to my surprise and a sad one at that, I have to wait several days after I complete an exam for them to open up the next class and allow me to take the exams. VERY slow to send out material, and why do they bother the books are online, till this point all the materials I have use for my test have been on their website. Not happy, If you are in a hurry, do not enroll. You will be better just taking GED. Very Slow.

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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

Very Disappointed

Dog Obedience Trainer / Instructor diploma - July 1, 2012
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I have just finished the program and thought it was not very good. There's no one on one support and every email I have received from them has been computer generated. I finished the program in less than a month a thought it was not challenging at all. Reminded me of my middle school homework. The views were very conflicting. The material said to use positive reinforcement and never physical punishment., but in the DVD they provide for puppy training it shows to grab a pup by the scruff and shake it when it has an accident on the floor. There were numerous spelling and grammatical errors in the lessons. In the projects I had hand written and mailed in to be reviewed, they were sent back every time with "100% good job" written on my score cards. They never went any more in depth than that leading me to believe that who ever checked my work had no idea about dog training. Many of the questions on the exams were so basic I read them to my husband and he answered 80% of them correct. I have been a dog training fanatic since I was a child and have read many training books. I feel that you could learn everything Penn Foster has to offer by going to your local library and reading some books. I thought I could gain more dog knowledge through this program and I learned nothing and wasted $800+. Very disappointed

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30 of 36 people found the following review helpful

PennFoster High School

High School Diploma - June 14, 2012
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I took this course and it was a mistake! They say they are accepted by ALL accredited colleges, when truthfully, it is hard to find one that does! I am currently having to take my GED so that I can attend college! If you are a parent of a child who wants to attend college, I suggest you go through the school's homeschool system in your area. Going through your nearest highschool is MUCH easier and less expensive! I graduated last year and we are STILL paying off my tuition, and of course, you don't recieve your diploma until you pay it off. The only good part I found about this institution was the help. When you call with questions or concerns about homework, it usually doesn't long for them to help you. The tests are SUPER easy. However, they suggest that students use their study guides, which gives the answers! That is not learning! My parents were smart enough to take all my books away while I took my tests. When we called to complain about their false advertising, they told me there was nothing they could do! Their operators for complaints are very rude and unkind.

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15 of 20 people found the following review helpful

good programs

Pharmacy Technician - May 30, 2012
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Back in 1993 took the automotive tech diploma course and ended up having a nearly 20 year career because of the training I received at Penn foster. I was injured on the job and can no longer work in the field and so I returned to once again get career training at this school.

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21 of 25 people found the following review helpful

Love This Program!

Veterinary Technician - May 14, 2012
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I love this school. Have a 3.9 GPA. If you lack common sense, don't take this program (better yet-don't go to school). Since when have you ever heard someone say they love everything about their schooling experience? That is what I thought. Penn Foster is overall a 10 out of 10 school. They have been very helpful over the phone and via email. This program is challenging. Do not take it if you do not want to work hard. But in this day and age, everyone should be trying to work their hardest. I love this school and recommend to everyone.

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22 of 26 people found the following review helpful

Penn Foster VT program beware

Veterinary Technician - April 30, 2012
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I am a 3rd semester student in the VT program...because my credits don't transfer anywhere else (that I would want to go). I certainly would not take the VT course with this school. Looking at the other comments, it appears that most of the complaints about Penn Foster come from the vet tech students. It is true that Dr Sirois WAS very rude to most of the students. I still have her emails to prove it. My husband sat and listened in on her comments to students once and couldn't believe how unprofessional she acted. She is, however, no longer at Penn Foster, having suddenly resigned with no explanations given to the students. I am worried what will happen with the program's accreditation at this point. Those of you who are posting "rose colored glasses" remarks and are still in your first semester...beware. You haven't attempted your proctored exams yet! You better know every word and concept in your books before you take that test...because it is closed book, short answer/short essay only and you will have ten minutes to respond to each question. AND...the grading is so subjective all you can do is pray that you pass. I hold three different college degrees and WAS a 3.8 GPA student when I entered Penn Foster. Disagree with a question marked wrong on any test? Good luck getting a response from anyone in the education department. The online forum and the webinars are archaic in view of other online course presentations I've used, and the webinar conductor "Citrix" is a pain in the rear to work with when their system fails. But it is a pretty easy task to log on once a week for a couple minutes and log back out of the forum and sit through 2 hours of webinars per month to get that infamous "P" grade that everyone thinks is so hard and elusive to get. The two biggest pitfalls for students in the VT program are (1)finding a veterinary clinic that will allow you to do your "hands on" part of the program (Practicum 1 & 2) and (2)finding a clinic that still does film xrays, not digital. These are both required to complete the VT program...and Penn Foster will give you absolutely NO HELP with this. If you are already in the program, start looking now for clinics to work in.

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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful

Generic Education

High School Diploma - March 27, 2012
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We are a military family and I thought this was a great idea for my daughter since we were moving around a lot. I had a few family members who raved about Penn Foster and how great it was and how simple.. Yes.. How "simple" it was. I should have listened to those words more carefully. I have noticed that everyone on here who likes it all say how fast and EASY it is. This school may be good for the college courses but I can tell you from a parents stand point.. DO NOT ENROLL YOUR CHILD HERE! This is a generic education and so not worth the 3000 dollars we spent on it! I am sorry that we let our little girl down like that.

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27 of 39 people found the following review helpful

Love it!

Veterinary Technician - March 14, 2012
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I'm an Army Wife and mom of a three year old. I've always loved animals and have always wanted to work in the vet world. When I discovered what a Vet Tech IS, I decided to do some research on schools and found Penn Foster. It has everything I was looking for. Flexible schedule perfect for me. The only drawback I find is that you have to at least log on to the forums once a week, and get a "P" for your Participation. Which I thought was stupid since it's an online course. Individual studies... what's the point of participation? But it's not something out of this world. Just log on, you don't even need to start a topic or reply. So far I'm in the middle of my first semester and haven't had the need to contact and teachers. I love it because I feel I'm completely on my own school. "Janice University". I'm the boss of my time, I'm the boss of how long I take taking a test or studying. The books are super easy to understand too. I love it!

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36 of 41 people found the following review helpful

ECE AS Degree

Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education - March 11, 2012
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First of all, their accreditation is posted plainly on their website. Penn Foster is nationally accredited, but for Early Childhood Education, it would be incredibly difficult to reach regional accreditation from what I have read. I am enrolled in the AS program and I love it so far. I can go at my own pace, and the instructors are always helpful! I like that I can speak with actual instructors rather than having to wait for a call back from a 'tutor' which is what I experience at Ashworth. Overall, I am thrilled with my experience.

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22 of 26 people found the following review helpful

No attempt to help you receive hands on experience

Veterinary Technician - March 5, 2012
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I am aware this is an online institution....however...they do not even provide you with a list of participating organizations in which to obtain internships with. They kind of leave you on your own-to fend for yourselt. Penn Foster isn't a highly respected school, so some practices are weary of letting you train with them....THUMBS down!

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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful

Private Investigations

Physical Therapy Aide - February 29, 2012
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I love my new class! I complete it as I can, and can take as much time as I need so I actually KNOW the material. Instructors are amazing when I need help, and I can afford the payments even with two kids on one paycheck.

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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

Medical Billing & Coding Program

Medical Billing & Coding - February 23, 2012
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Penn Foster will allow you to receive shipment of all your text books at once, and this makes moving at your own pace more feasible. It took me two years to complete the program, taking 2-3 extensions, for which I paid $75 extra per each one. Having had previous healthcare experience, some of the initial courses were redundant, however, they are necessary for those with no experience. The courses on medical terminology, anatomy & physiology, medical law & the actual coding courses were all very good and quite extensive. I found that reaching the instructors by email was better than via phone & they were always helpful & accomodating. My only question with this school, as a recent graduate, is how its diplomas are received in the work force. This program is NOT listed on the AAPC website or AHIMA website under accredited programs, so I am concerned as to how much weight this diploma will bear. Overall-the educational experience was good & it was a very expansive program.

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43 of 47 people found the following review helpful

Medical Transcription through Penn Foster

Medical Transcription - February 21, 2012
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I have worked one year after completing my certificate for MT. Writing papers, the section on the legal system and general office procedures were a waste of time. Most, if not all, of the course should focus on medical terminology in all fields as well as hands-on typing of reports. I wish I could recommend this course but have actually steered several friends away from it. I did like the on-your-own pace.

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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful

RUDE and VERY UNPROFESSIONAL

Substance Abuse Counselor - February 18, 2012
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I was a potential student interested in the Substance Abuse Counselor program. I requested the materials, but after reading them I realized there really wasn't very much information in them. As a current surgical tech and vet tech, I had questions about the internship requirements since they gave practically no information about it, and I wanted to make sure I would be able to complete it as required having a full-time job. I sent an email to customer service, and the response I received back was unbelievably rude and insulting! All I had were a few questions, very simple, and I was polite and courteous, but this woman basically called me stupid. I then complained about her to PF, where I was told they would get back to me, but I never heard anything back. All I can say is if this is how they treat people when their goal is to try to get them to sign up, I can only imagine how they must be once you're locked in, and have a question about your class. Reading these reviews here, I am comforted to see that it wasn't just me, and I'm very very glad I had questions before signing up, or I may have made the mistake of becoming a student here.

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23 of 28 people found the following review helpful

Penn Foster is Better Than People Say. Check It Out For Yourself!

Veterinary Technician - February 8, 2012
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I am a military spouse currently enrolled in the Vet Tech program. I am extremely pleased with everything so far. If you take the first lesson seriously -(learning strategies) and actually take notes as you do your course work - outline your vocab - and review for a day or so before exams - you will do just fine. You do have to be dedicated and keep up with your work to succeed, but that's what you're paying to do! The people saying that this program is a scam don't know what they're talking about. Everyone learns differently, and obviously distance learning wasn't working for them. The program director can seem a little high strung - but you don't have to deal with her too terribly often, and I just don't pay her any mind. Check it out for yourself and make your own opinion. I did and am so glad to have enrolled!! I'm also an ARMY spouse - and enrolled for free using the MyCAA. The active military spouses enrollment advisors were wonderful and still help me out with questions regarding tuition fees to this day. A great experience overall!

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23 of 27 people found the following review helpful

Pennfoster High School Diploma

High School Diploma - February 2, 2012
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My sister and I are about to complete all high school courses. The program has improved greatly. You must study and learn before you can pass any of the lessons. It's very simple, you fail the lessons if you don't study, period. We love the flexibility of having our own schedule during the week. We work at our own pace. The learning material and text books are great, I miss nothing from going to a regular public high school.

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27 of 30 people found the following review helpful

High school dipolma

High School Diploma - February 1, 2012
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So slow to sent out materials, and why do I have to wait to finish my exam to sent out my book. I would like to finish this program asap but now I have to wait for those book to ship, I dont have to to sit on the computer all day to read online materials they have out there. will be better if they sent materials a heads so I can continue and go on what ever where ever and when ever I want.

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13 of 19 people found the following review helpful

AVOID PENN FOSTER

Pharmacy Technician - January 27, 2012
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Just wanted to WARN anybody even thinking about utilizing this "school"... Ensure that you DO NOT take ANYTHING that you are being told on the phone as the truth...Do your own research in this so-called "school".. Take note of how many complaints there are with the better business bureau -- AND THERE ARE ALOT !!!!! ... Research your state -- these clowns arent even recognized in ALOT of states ( even though they will tell you they are )--- What you are not told or lied to about might result in alot of wasted time and your money !!! BEWARE OF AND STEER AWAY FROM THIS "SCHOOL" --- There are alot of different legitimate schools that will serve you much better -- research the others and choose any school except these CROOKS !!!!!!

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25 of 35 people found the following review helpful

horrible for the military

veterinary assistant - January 20, 2012
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i enrolled into penn foster hoping to finish my degree in 2 years but that did not happen...im active duty and deployed on the border and rarely have access to a computer...since i have an iphone i thought i could sign on to the discussion boards using it with no problem..while half way into the year i noticed i was not getting graded on my participation and called...they advised me that using my phone, their system did not recognize it and i asked if there was any way to waive the grade since i had made comments but was told to spoke to the professor. the professor was uncaring to my solution and i had to start over...i was already on an extension due to this same problem because the person i enrolled with over the phone failed to explain the discussion board requirements and i tried to prevent the problem again by logging on my phone, they should not allow access on the phone if there system doesn't recognize it...horrible school do not go here!

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18 of 23 people found the following review helpful

PFC Vet Tech

Veterinary Technician - January 19, 2012
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I am in my first semester of the Vet Tech program. The class participation requirements are NOT horrible. You have to attend a minimum number of webinar hours per month, plus log into the discussion forum twice a week. That's it, not rocket science. You do have to be extremely disciplined about studying, but as long as you put the time in, you should do just fine. A good student will do well even in an average school.

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15 of 19 people found the following review helpful

Curriculum outdated and too easy

High School Diploma - January 8, 2012
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I just finished Penn Foster, it's unbelievably easy, and not in a good way. I was in regular, public high school for my freshman and sophomore years, and LITERALLY every single class in PF was a repeat of things I had previously learned. I did not learn one new thing. Luckily, this made it easy for me to graduate in 9 months. (could've done it in 4, but I worked and babysat.) I didn't study with the physical books once, just with the online PDF study guides, which are searchable and make it easy to cheat. Also, they've used the same tests for years and the questions//answers are just one internet search away. So if you're a parent and are thinking of putting your child in this program, don't do it. They'll end up behind. Try as hard as you can to find a home school program that's through a public school in your county. They exist, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

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12 of 17 people found the following review helpful

OUTDATED MATERIALS

Computer Repair - January 7, 2012
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I would not recommend this to anyone. I have not enrolled and don't plan on it. I read about what operating systems they teach you about (9x, ME, NT®, 2000, and XP) That is so outdated. What about Windows Vista & 7. ALSO WHERES LINUX??? They have pictures of computers disassembled and look closely to what they have(RIBBON CABLES=PATA) what about SATA and all the types of SATA. PATA is so slow and outdated. They say you will learn about Desktops, Laptops, and PDAs (PDA? Who uses that, the UPS guy? PDA has been replaced by Smart Phones). What about Tablets, Netbooks, & All in One PCs. I talked to Penn Foster and they said it hasn't been updated in awhile. I'd say. Save your $800. I have learned all my stuff from Books, Magazines, & Online Forums. I'm still trying to find a Computer Repair Course with Certificate. Hope this helps someone.

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10 of 17 people found the following review helpful

Medical Coding and Billing

Medical Billing & Coding - December 23, 2011
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I finish one exam and have to wait for quite a while before the next lessons arrive. I have also found that they elaborate about working in an office, what to wear, etc. I worked in an office for 15 years, therefore it was very redundant. When it comes to the materials, they are very out dated.

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16 of 21 people found the following review helpful

Harassment.

Graphic Design - November 30, 2011
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The school differs, depending who you speak to. I lost my job, so I was forced to quit school. The lady I spoke to, told me since I only owed a balance of 80 dollars, to pay what I can a month. Well, apparently not. I get 4 calls a day, harassing me to no end. I send money every month, yet they still call, fill up my mailbox, and call me all the dang time demanding their money. It's getting to the point of harassment, and I'm seriously close to reporting them to whoever I need to. Do NOT attend this school. One person will say one thing, yet another will say the complete opposite. Unless you want your phone blown up, and your mailbox stuffed with letters, even after sending a montly payment, then DO NOT ATTEND. I learned this the hard way.

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8 of 22 people found the following review helpful

Great Affordable school !!!!

Veterinary Technician - November 23, 2011
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I am a seccond year or third semestor student. I have been a vet tech and just wanted my dagree so I returned to school. They have an A.V.M.A. accredited program. It is difficult and you have to work hard!I went to pierce collage and was 6 credits shy of my dagree. Married a marine and moved. They supply all your books which saves you time and allot of money. The staff was always pleasent when I called with problems. I am shocked by the poor reviewes

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11 of 15 people found the following review helpful

Mixed Feeling

High School Diploma - October 18, 2011
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Ive been enrolled into this course for about 9 months a few weeks ago i got a letter saying i had to pay an extra 75.00 for a course extension. I thought this cant be because for one i havent even been in this course for a year and for 2 i read that i had 3 yrs to finish it. i contacted student services and they said they couldnt help me. but other than that i like the course and its fairly easy. i dont like that they dont send materials in a timely manor but i signed a wavier to have all my books sent to me so i can just keep working on it so i can get my diploma before i have my baby in feb. i also read that they flag students for completeing exams before their books have been shipped. i recently experienced this because they are so slow on sending them out that i just went ahead and did my exams with out reading the online things. now i cant even read them i had to wait for my books to arrive before i can continue. Choose wisely before signing up for penn foster. nothing but problems so far.

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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful

EXCELLENT SCHOOL!

Private Investigation - October 17, 2011
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All I have to say is that some of these reviews are fairy tale material in regards to Penn Foster. This is a top notch school who does care about you the student and provides support in any way possible to assist you during your learning journey! I am a military spouse and the Navy paid my cost to attend Penn Foster. Trust me NO GOVERNMENT AGENCY is going to pay big dollars as some of the reviewers stated a FAKE school. I just received my papers in the mail. I am finished and ready to go on my choosen career path. My daughter is also in her last semester and she will have her Degree as well. Give them a try I do not think you will be disappointed and the cost is reasonable.

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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful

no problems

Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education - September 29, 2011
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I have not had any problems with penn foster i am almost done i am in final class with 3 more tests to take passing with a 95 average.You don't need to go to a libary to do exams just buy a computer.

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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

This school is too easy

High School Diploma - September 26, 2011
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This school is too easy and my parents are thinking of changing me im still in high school.

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9 of 16 people found the following review helpful

Definetly Doable

Business Management - September 12, 2011
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I first started with Penn Foster on my Veterinary Technician degree. After two semesters, I ceased the program because the requirements in my state changed and there was no benefit to completing the course. The instructor I did have a problem with. I believe her name with Marge; she never responded to my e-mails in a polite manner even when my questions were genuine. It was like I was being belittled every time I got the response. On the other side though, the books were very informative and I did learn quite a bit. Financial services DID help me with payment arrangments when I was out of a job. After I caught my payments up; I enrolled in the Business Management (Bachelor) program because I was pleased with the content of the Vet Tech program and their ability to work with me on payments. I flew through my first semester in a couple of weeks and I enrolled in to the second semester. I didn't realize the payments would double, but I did it. They worked with me on the payments for that too. Only let down is that I'm stuck on my English Composition course mainly because I despise writing essays; but the instructor has been responding in a kind and timely manner. Hell, they are even trying to motivate me to get the assignments done. Overall, the books are good (despite a few discrepancies between the workbooks and texts). Most of the instructors are good. Customer service (financial services) has been extremely helpful. Just wish it wasn't as expensive as it is (Tech Schools over same degrees for same price, if not cheaper). Overall though, I've been pleased.

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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

Adequate Correspondece program

High School Diploma - September 11, 2011
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I found the High-School program to be helpful, and it improved my academic skills. However, I prefer, the former automated touch-tone system for grading examinations, and not the new online approach. They have really raised the roof...on the cost of this program. It was only $398.00, about 10-years ago. Can you say---price cut!

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Not the first choice

Business Management - August 28, 2011
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Overall the course could have been much better. At first glance the site seemed unprofessional as there were typos in the titles and tests. The study guides were mediocre at best; at least 5 times either a) the study guide contradicted the book or b) the answer provided in the book was *not* one of the answers in the study guide. Some of the books were extremely outdated though some were very good. I had two graded assignments to turn in and wait for a reply; both took almost a week to receive a grade. Overall the knowledge I gained was worth the time, but I certainly would not invest my money in another Penn Foster course - I would highly prefer something more professional with a better overall reputation.

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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Double Check

Pharmacy Technician - August 18, 2011
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MAKE SURE you check to see if Penn Foster is certified in your state! I almost signed up for it but found out that the certifications wouldn't mean a thing for me. Check with the board of Pharmacy for your home state before registering.

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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

I should be the poster boy for this course.

Computer Repair - August 12, 2011
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I completed the Computer Repair course and then put an ad in the newspaper offering in home computer repair. In 5 days I was able to quit my crappy telemarketing job. Withing 2 years I had built my business into a corporation. I went from $10 and hour to $150,000 after taking this course. To be fair, I was always good with computers as it does come natural for me. This course did give me the confidence to start a company. True story.

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40 of 46 people found the following review helpful

My son completed with credits transferred

High School Diploma - August 4, 2011
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My middle son attended PFHS, their credits transferred to California, where my son finished. Downward side we experienced was that the customer service was limited, at times we did not get an answer (follow thru) to a question, or something would not be processed (if sent directly to the school), but the regular every-day stuff, courses, testing... all good.

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12 of 15 people found the following review helpful

please if your are looking for a school after high school do not i mean do not enroll here

Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education - August 3, 2011
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This is the worst school i have ever been too, i wish i would have known better coming out of high school, i did not do my research or anything, so please do your research! this school is over priced, fake, ridiculous, you will learn nothing! you have to go to a library to take exams which many do not do anymore, you have to order over priced expensive books that no one will buy back, hello EBOOKS PENN FOSTER!!! you might as well sit in a class room this is by no means an online school, the people in the office were extremely rue, and it seemed like i was paying and paying but the price did not go down, no one would accept these credits i looked for over a year to find a school that would take these fake credits and i only found one school in my state, thank goodness, i switched immediately and they would not give me my transcript even though they did not want to give it to me that was fine but they had to give it to my new school, my new instructor said they were unprofessional, rude, and she had never heard of them, eventually i got it, and i have never been happoer the new school applied the credits to me getting a bachelors, because they said with all of the credits i had there i should have already had my associates, they said i was pretty much into the bachelors field with how many credits i had! they aid no associates program should take three years, there bachelors program is four years, well thank goodness they transferred my credits from them which was a headache,well ill be done with my bachelors in another year, and the classes are awesome and i currently have aa 4.0 and was invited to the golden key international society membership for having a high GPA,everyone recognizes my credits and i got a job teaching immediately. Do not go to penn foster they are not a real school, please young people do your research, i later go harassed for the remainder due which i understand, but i had made arraignments to pay they also do not offer financial aid, the school i went to did and i received the pell grant and many others which i had to use to pay penn foster off, i told her as long as i never hear from them again then just take the money, and they and the nerve to send me letters asking me to come back! i moved and changed my number and have not heard from them since

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7 of 22 people found the following review helpful

Small Engine Repair Penn Foster

small engine repaire - July 28, 2011
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This is an excellent program, allowed me to develop my skills in a new career that moves millions of dollars and I'm there to get my part, the materials were very well explained and very affordable price (here in PR the course costs about $ 8000) only I regret not having done it before. Definitely take other courses related to my new career, I could finally start my own repair shop and I have done very well, there are people who did not like the course but it all depends on your goals and you want to do in life and I already got it.

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19 of 25 people found the following review helpful

Awful program, and rude people....

Veterinary Technician - July 25, 2011
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The main instructor is very rude and extremely non-helpful... this program is run just as SHE likes it... She makes rules at her own pace - a friend of mine had a login name with VT in it because she was from Vermont and because the instructor didn't like her to write VT in her name, she made her change it - and blocked her account until she did! This program was overall very poor and I learned absolutely nothing from it...

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4 of 7 people found the following review helpful

NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE AND EASY

Pharmacy Technician - July 6, 2011
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One thing I will tell you is you have to read your materials. One more thing, I found out early on was the the self check at the end of the each chapter will not help you on the exam. Be diciplined stay off of facebook ect..READ YOUR BOOKS ! I just pass my state certification and I'm proud to say I'm a "CphT". The only people complaining are the ones that don't want to do the work. If you need someone to hold your hand go to the community college.

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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

Penn Foster is horrible!!!

Veterinary Technician - June 29, 2011
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Penn Foster is an awful school! They treat their students with disrespect and are rude and unprofessional at every turn. They mislead the students to believe that it is "go at your own pace". They tell you that you can finish the program in 14 months but then once you have signed up and they delay your progress again and again, they say that it takes at least 3.5 years to finish the program! They will not defer your student loans even though the person I spoke to before I signed up said that they would. The head of the program Dr. Margi is rude and unprofessional. Stay away from this school they are horrible people!

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6 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Less impressed each day

Medical Billing & Coding - June 21, 2011
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Work at your own pace isn't completely accurate. You can only work at the pace in which they VERY SLOWLY send your materials out to you. Yes, you have the option to stare at your computer screen to read a PDF version of each book, but I just had an experience that has taught me it isn't very wise. I just took an exam (online). Two of the twenty questions did not pertain to the material in the unit I had studied. The tests are open book, but I couldn't reference any of the other books in regards to those two odd questions. I would have had to back out of the exam to do so. And as I said, they don't send out the materials quick enough for me, so I am forced to use the online books. I have finished complete courses before my books for said course arrive. I contacted the school about my exam grade (because the only error I got on the exam was due to one of those two questions that didn't belong). She told me I was to reference some number that must pertain to another book. I don't have that number anywhere on my end of the website. How would I have known two questions from another book would be on the exam I studied furiously for? Why wasn't I told ahead of time to have previous books handy, or that previous subject matter would be sprinkled in an exam? Why wasn't that number I was supposed to reference given to me BEFORE I took the exam (and why don't I have that number anywhere)? It's not just this latest thing that bothers me. I have found quite a few errors in the books I am using - and that's just the errors I have found! I'm supposed to be learning from them and I wonder how much of what I'm learning is wrong. I'm getting extremely nervous that this diploma won't be worth half a belch when I try to get a job. They aren't extremely bad (yet), but I have decided against using them to get my Associate's Degree in Health Information Technology. It's a shame. All it would have taken is a little more care and review of the materials (something they urge their own students to do).

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12 of 17 people found the following review helpful

NOT worth it!

Dog Grooming - June 21, 2011
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Horrible, it's exactly what it sounds like taking a pet grooming course over the internet. WILL NOT WORK... You will walk away with just as much experience as this if you just go down to your local bookstore and pick up a book on Pet Grooming! Waste of money!

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17 of 22 people found the following review helpful

Course Experince

High School Diploma - June 18, 2011
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I completed the High School Course when Penn Foster was ICS and everything was OK. However, most employers in my area seem to think that my diploma is not good despite the fact that I am now better than those who graduated at our local schools. I also completed the Electronics Technician course when it was Education Direct so I am now capable of understanding and testing all electronic components in the field. Of course, in this field, I need to be constantly updating myself as technology advances/changes. This course gave me the foundation I needed as the starting point. Everything else depends on dedication.

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5 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Quality Online School

Veterinary Technician - June 4, 2011
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I read a lot of the previous posts. Be clear that if you are not completely self-motivated and competent in figuring things out on your own, you may want to listen to what the previous comments said. I am not a person that finds it particularly difficult to read and follow directions. I have not even had to ask a question of anyone yet. Everything is clearly outlined for you. If you are a self-sufficient learner, this is a perfect program for you. If you need someone over your shoulder directing you every step of the way, look somewhere else. The curriculum is comprehensive, the semester final exams are TOUGH, and there is almost 5 months worth of interning involved so the course is no walk in the park. Good education for a good price.

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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

Horrible School

Veterinary Technician - May 19, 2011
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Terrible Experience! Emailed instructor to ask a question and was referred to the FAQ page. I emailed back to tell her that I had already read the FAQs many times and they didn't answer my question. She told me 'I expect a more professional tone from you in the future' and then said that if I continued to email her she would report me to the student affairs and have me expelled. I am now trying to get the transcript from Penn Foster as I have enrolled in a REAL school with REAL teachers and I haven't gotten it yet. I first placed my request over a month ago. When I first called to order the trascript, the lady said that it was no problem and she took my money and said she was sending out. I called 2 weeks later because I hadn't gotten it yet, and the person I spoke with said that they couldn't mail it out until I had made a payment (why was I not informed of this 2 weeks ago) So I made the payment and had the request for a transcript re-submitted. I called the following week to see why I still didn't have it. The person I spoke with this time said that they didn't see where I had called and no order had been placed. Placed the order AGAIN. Called a week later (Still no transcript) and was told that it had been mailed out the previous Monday (I had called the Wednesday before, why it took 5 days to mail it out, I don't know) So basically, they stole $10 bucks from me for the transcript and wasted over a year of my time.

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3 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Good Program

Pharmacy Technician - May 6, 2011
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You don't have to be a genius to research what you want to do. Take some time and read through the program requirements and where your degree will be accepted BEFORE you enroll! I had a great experience here! My materials always shipped on time. They were full of useful information and I learned a lot. I got my certification just fine. If you are not a good independent learner or you don't RESEARCH YOUR PROGRAM then it's not for you. But I did research; I know what states my certification works in and I got more than I expected. Overall a great experience.

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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

AS in Criminal Justice

Business Management - April 22, 2011
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I graduate it from Penn Foster on 2008. My associate degree credits they all got transfer to a regionally accreditet institution. I finish my BS on 2010. Very good school, and the price is affordable.I'm enrolled again at Penn Foster, this time BA in Business Management.I RECOMMEND Penn Foster to everyone.

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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

Excellent school

Pharmacy Technician - April 13, 2011
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I'm a little puzzled as to how many people are saying this is a bad school because of this and that. Did you not read everything before signing up? Such complaints as I didn't know you had to be done by this date (they tell you this when you're signing up and it's on your course material every time you log in), it's not accredited US wide (it clearly states where it is accredited and you would need to research this regardless of the school you attend), you complain that your state won't take their program-this too is YOUR job to research. I guess we really do live in a society where you have to blame your ignorance on someone else. I have had no problems, why because I actually read before I signed. I kept the teacher and support ratings at 5 because I have not had to utilize them. This is a good school but you actually have to read the print that they clearly lay out for you to make a decision. The books are good and easily understood, the exams are easy to take once you read the books, and the workbooks are excellent too.

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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful

medical billing and coding

Medical Transcription - March 14, 2011
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I am 10 months into my medical billing & coding courses, and I find Penn Foster to be a great online school. I have a B.A. degree that I acquired several years ago at Idaho State U. so I know what it is to study in a high-quality school. Yes, it takes self-discipline to study on your own, but Penn Foster offers the materials and resourses to get the job done. Their texts are well written and accurate. I have several medical professional friends who have examined my materials, and they have found the content to be correct. I haven't had any payment issues with them because I paid the entire tuition at once. Overall, I would recommend this school.

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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

Penn Foster, they do NOTHING FOR STUDENTS!!

Business Management - March 4, 2011
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First off, it is very true that you need the books to complete the exams and the problem is, they take 2-3 weeks for *each* book shipment. There was a billing issue, the school's error, but I had the email saying my payment was accepted and there was no problem. It wasn't until my bank notified me of the situation that I was made aware. Penn Foster than billed me an additional $20, called me-no exaggeration- 7x or more daily and would not send any of my materials out for almost 5 weeks, despite my attempts to resolve the billing issue. The "student service" number is useless and rude, incompentent individuals work the phone lines and the school's director, she was the the rudest person I have dealt with! A simple apolgy & removal of the accidental $20 fee woudl have sufficed, but she chose to blame my bank for the error and refused to remove the late fee! I got billed 3x $20 late fee and was told that I had to send them a money order in full payment before my books would be sent. I had to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, I was so completly disgusted with the school. The situation was never fixed, I am still being harassed by phone & mail to pay fees that should have never been added. As far as the studies, you are 100% on your own, there is no teacher to call for help or online tools. I advise all considering this online school to please SAVE YOUR MONEY!!

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4 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Not so sure

Veterinary Technician - February 24, 2011
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