<p>Unfortunately, I have some classmates/friends are considering to go to schools like The Art Institute, University of Phoenix, and Full Sail. Some of you might not agree with this, but these schools are not for young people. They are more for older people that already went to the world of work. I told him that any public college in the state (I am from Louisiana) would be better than these schools. Can anyone teach me how to explain that they are not very great for them?</p>
<p><a href=“Harkin Report Condemns For-Profit Colleges - The New York Times”>Harkin Report Condemns For-Profit Colleges - The New York Times;
[For-Profit</a> Colleges: Predators in the Ivory Tower - Page 1 - News - San Francisco - SF Weekly](<a href=“http://www.sfweekly.com/2012-08-01/news/for-profit-colleges-higher-education-government-cons-university-of-phoenix/]For-Profit”>http://www.sfweekly.com/2012-08-01/news/for-profit-colleges-higher-education-government-cons-university-of-phoenix/)</p>
<p>Idk the other “schools” but I know for sure that Full Sail is bad news. Just have them spend like 5 minutes googling the horror stories of Full Sail and that should make them not want to go. Most of these types of schools try to sound better then they are but usually a little research is enough to change minds. I don’t think any company takes Full Sail grads seriously too.</p>
<p>Everyone has different experiences, but there are a lot of websites with complaints about for-profit college grads saddled with huge debts and not able to get a job because the degree is not taken seriously by employers. </p>
<p>Search for these student reviews online.</p>
<p>The Reel Thing:</p>
<p>One of my friend is dreaming to attend The Art Institute and I tried to convince him not to go there. He told me that they keep on mailing all kinds of stuffs to him (including a birthday card [or whatever card it is]) and he thinks it is very sweet. I told him that they have a [bad] reputation that gives out questionable degrees and he doesn’t care and still feels okay about it. There’s beaucoup (a lot of) colleges in Louisiana that is LEGIT. There’s Loyola, LSU, Tulane, Nicholls, UNO, etc. While a good student in Louisiana can gets TOPS to go to public colleges for free, many are dreaming to go out of state and think they are great while they are not.
It’s just that some people don’t listen to what others says when they are supposed to.
So I am asking in here.</p>
<p>I googled it and these might be helpful:
[The</a> Art Institute is a bad school. Should I leave it? - Yahoo! Answers](<a href=“Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos”>Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos)
[Is</a> Full Sail University actually that bad? - Yahoo! Answers](<a href=“Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos”>Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos)</p>
<p>ucbalumnus:
I kinda googled about it and I got the same link too.
That 's why I am very afraid of these schools. They said that they are just tools to make money and a lot of times don’t even give out degrees. Even they do, they are questionable. </p>
<p>One of my other friend received a mail from Neumont University and he fell in love with that school. I tried my best to told him what they really are and he changed his mind [and felt stupid] and now planning on going to UNO. Anyway, I am still scared of these schools because they are liars and the fact that many people are ignorant about these for-profits. There are bad people everywhere.</p>
<p>UCBChemEGrad:</p>
<h1>I saw it. Thanks for telling.</h1>
<p>WARNING:
If there’s anyone in this thread trying to say anything good (unless it is a fact proved by third-party organizations) about any for-profits colleges, I will report it immediately because they are advertisements. Do not play me and try to fool me.</p>
<p>In some rare cases a for profit institution may be the best choice for a student. However, when a HS student says “I am in love with X” that is not a good sign. The students best positioned to take full advantage of a for-profit institution are those who are absolutely clear-eyed about the expense, time required for their degree program, and hiring practices in the professional field they are headed into. They also are fully aware of the controversies surrounding fir-profits, and they know absolutely for dead certain that this particular degree from this particular institution will get them the job the want.</p>
<p>The number of HS students who would fall into that group of people in any given year is minuscule. You are absolutely correct that it is unlikely that any of your friends would be among them.</p>
<p>Since your friends think they want to go out of state, have them run the Net Price Calculators at the websites of several places they are interested in. Have them use the loan repayment calculators at [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) to get a notion of what that would be like, and point them to the tab labeled “voices” at [Project</a> on Student Debt: Home](<a href=“http://www.projectonstudentdebt.org%5DProject”>http://www.projectonstudentdebt.org)</p>
<p>Your friends don’t know how lucky they are to have you in their corner.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>
<p>If they are good students, let them know about the <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-17.html#post15743177[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-17.html#post15743177</a> that are available.</p>
<p>Maybe this might help:
[Attorney</a> General Martha Coakley investigating more than 12 for-profit schools in Massachusetts - Business - The Boston Globe](<a href=“Martha Coakley widens probe of for-profit schools - The Boston Globe”>Martha Coakley widens probe of for-profit schools - The Boston Globe)</p>
<p>UCBalumnus, from my experience, the for profits only recruited in classes where most students were going to the local CC (because of poor grades) or not going to college at all. The students interested in the for-profits would NOT have qualified for a full ride or anywhere near it. </p>
<p>Justin, assuming the community college system in Louisiana is similar to that of California, point out that for far less money, the students can get a better quality art or technical education at the community college. I know plenty of people, who upon graduating from high school, got a job in a different part of the state and then went to a non local community college. </p>
<p>As Happymom pointed out, the people best served by for profits are almost always NOT high school students.</p>
<p>For Profits are really for people in their 30s who need a credential (degree) to move up in position.</p>
<p>Do their parents know what they want to do? Sometimes parents can see how bad for-profits are and can convince the student. Just like those annoying schools that email you, the harder they try to get you (when they have no idea who you are) to go to their school, the worse the school is. If they weren’t so expensive then it might be worth it as a last resort, but since you’re going to graduate with tons of debt it’s more worth it to CC or take a gap year to expand your application. Tell them to think about the future and post-graduation, they’re going to be in heavy debt and with no job because nobody takes a degree from there seriously. Idk how good the curriculum is but it’s probably made to look easy to make them stay longer (=pay more).</p>
<p>ucbalumnus:
There’s already TOPS (Taylor Opportunity Programs for Students)for us. Even he has to pay full price, the debt he would have would not that severe if he attended one of the public colleges in Louisiana.</p>
<p>TheReelThing:
He acts like his parents allows him to go anywhere. He wants to go to Texas or Florida. I told him all of the good schools in Texas (because I had done some researches for that), such as TCU, SMU, UT Dallas/Austin…, A&M, Baylor, etc. They are real schools. A few weeks ago he told me that there’s an Art Institute in Houston and he is very happy about that they are everywhere and feel like it is a family. That’s pathetic!</p>
<p>whenhen:
Ikr. If he wants to go to a career college, the k-12 school system has a career college offered to 11th and 12th graders, which includes culinary arts, photography, graphic arts, computer maintenance, barber, etc. Or, if he wants to go to a decent school that’s economical, there’s UNO, LSU, or Southeastern. If he has trouble paying these schools, there’s Delgado and Baton Rouge Community College.
He told me that he wants to study graphic design. He googles it (I forgot what word did he googled). He finds out Devry, Phoenix (and he points out the campus department because he thinks it would be good), and Art Institute. He told me after I fuzzed at him, “Yeah, it’s okay. I just want to go out of state.” I kinda understand what he feels, especially that he is being bullied a lot of times, because at one point I want to go out of state too to have a better life, but not at the expense of going to a bad school like Phoenix.</p>
<p>What I think I would do is to show this page to him.</p>
<p>happymomof1:
One of my teachers is already 50 years old, and still have no money left in her bank account because part of her large expenses is student loans, and she attended a private college. Come on man! His debt is going to be much “deeper” if he attended Art Institute, and I doubt that he would find a job anyway.
He is still very na</p>
<p>TheReelThing:
Well, you might be correct. However, I saw a page about that only 10% of Full Sail students graduate with a degree within 6 years.</p>
<p>It is difficult to assess design and performance programs by 6 year graduation rates as a certain number of the students get jobs (or performance gigs) and leave temporarily (or permanently). For students interested in FullSail, that would be one question to ask very specifically: How many of these “missing students” are currently employed full-time in their field?</p>
<p>Did the page say anything about the reasons they left? There are many young students like your friends going to the college because it’s cool or w/e and later realize the mistake they’ve made and just decide to quit while they still have some money. </p>
<p>If you go to a for-profit school for six years, that’s gonna be a boat load of money :(. And also have them look into housing (don’t think Full Sail has it) because then they’re gonna need to find somewhere else to live on top of tuition.</p>
<p>I think one of the biggest arguments you can make is that it’s not accredited. Well it’s “accredited” but nothing will transfer to the legitimate colleges. And plus, they say their instructors have real industry experience, but have you ever heard of Full Sail instructors? They don’t even list their accomplishments online.</p>
<p>Actually, many of the for-profit schools are nationally accredited, and a few are regionally accredited (regional accreditation is generally the more reputable type of accreditation for the school as a whole, although it is not necessarily that high a bar to pass). However, in many cases, such majors as business are not accredited by the usual major-specific accrediting bodies (e.g. AACSB for business).</p>
<p>As far as some of the named schools like Full Sail and Art Institutes go, could it be that your fellow students are attracted to them because they offer the faddish video game design majors? Some reputable non-profit universities do offer such majors, although it is likely better to go for a computer science degree with appropriate electives at a reputable university, since it is likely that computer science majors can more easily get jobs in the game industry than video game design majors can get jobs in the rest of the computer industry (and the game industry is not the most stable place to work).</p>
<p>happymomof1:
Ikr. They will be end up homeless (unless someone gives him/her a job or work for his/her family).</p>
<p>TheReelThing and ucbalumnus:
Some people think going to such schools are cool because…look at these websites:
[Computer</a> Science (B.S.) | University of New Orleans](<a href=“http://uno.edu/Academics/ComputerScienceBS.aspx]Computer”>http://uno.edu/Academics/ComputerScienceBS.aspx)
[Computer</a> Science at LSU](<a href=“http://www.csc.lsu.edu/]Computer”>http://www.csc.lsu.edu/)
*UNO and LSU’s Engineering programs (include Computer Science) are ABET accredited.
[LSU</a> College of Art + Design](<a href=“http://design.lsu.edu/]LSU”>http://design.lsu.edu/)
I have no idea about art schools, but LSU is a reputable school.
Compare to these for-profits:
[Neumont</a> University - Neumont University](<a href=“http://www.neumont.edu//]Neumont”>http://www.neumont.edu//)
[Art</a>, Fashion Design, Culinary Arts Schools - The Art Institutes](<a href=“The Art Institutes | Art School & Programs”>http://new.artinstitutes.edu/)
[Full</a> Sail University: Campus and Online Degrees](<a href=“http://www.fullsail.edu/]Full”>http://www.fullsail.edu/)
If nobody tells me anything, I might wind up with one of the for-profits too. I am sorry but UNO and LSU’s site are ugly, but their program has a certain quality.</p>
<p>If the school really wants him to be there, they should pay for 90% of his tuition. For instance, I get a almost full scholarship to go to a NON-PROFIT private school that’s pretty reputable. Today, he is still struggling finding a scholarship.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to laugh at him, but I remember one day he was about to send a letter to Mary Landrieu (Louisiana Senator) because my teacher told everybody that they can send letters to politicians to see if they are going to get a scholarship. You never know. But unlikely. Even my neighbor that’s planning on going to Tulane only gets scholarship from the school itself. He needs to be realistic. In other words, he needs to see what the world really looks like.</p>
<p>I read an article and it says that many instructors in Full Sail does NOT have any connection to industries. A business lies so they can make more money. The most miserable part is that there’s not so many regulations against activities of for-profit schools because they are run by the 1% and/or politicians!</p>
<p>bump up for visibility</p>
<p>Maybe you could point him in the direction of vocational schools or community colleges in the area? They’re not as expensive, and (like for-profit schools) they aren’t the typical “college.” You could also tell him that any college that needs a commercial probably isn’t the best choice for an 18 year old going to undergrad. school.</p>