ECPI University review: rip off! 68

misery LOVES company. For all of the people on here complaining...count your blessings that you were CHOSEN to be able to attend ECPI. This school does not accept just any random persons in it. If you were allowed the opportunity to attend, but blew it...YOU are the one to blame. It's easy to point the finger and blame others for our own misfortune. However, if you actually take the time to look in the mirrow and point at yourself, you might learn something profound. Stand up, dust your shoulders off, stop complaining, and mend. Heal yourself and make a brighter future for YOURSELF. Nobody is going to hand you anything for free. Time, patience, perserverance, etc...IT'S UP TO YOU! Be blessed and prosper. Peace

Does anyone know the testing they use at ecpi medical careers institute? can't find it online, need to retake a test & want to know what they use so I can pass the science portion of the pre-entrance tests.
Thanks.

10/7/2010 Anyone who lives in North Carolina, South Carolina, or Virginia that has teenagers ready for college... Please do not send them to ECPI college of Technology / MCI Medical Career Institute. They are the same college with different names. The college is a private college that is a scam business. These guys are scam artist. Please research ECPI Ripoff before attending, To go to this school to become an LPN, the cost is $33, 000.00. They are overpriced. You will do much better going to your closest community college. ECPI Charlotte, NC will manipulate grades for some students and will not do it for other students. The instructors will label each student with bad comments, which will be passed on to the next instructor. There is no student-instructor confidentality-meaning the instructors will tell all of your business to other students and faculty members. Instructors will believe all gossip/rumors without investigating them and will pass on to the next set of instructors. They will also set up the test for you to automatically fail. You will have an instructor, who will tell the whole class that you will not pass my first test - and believe me they will set the whole class up to fail the first test. If you fail out of the nursing program the first time, it will take you months to get back in with an exception if they decide to let you back into the program. You are not guranteed to get back into the program- if this is the case- they have collected your $33, 000.00 at this time. Once they have collected all your money from finacial aid and loans, they have the right to not let you return to the program. This college is a hustler school... it is more about business and money than it is about education. Therefore they do not have to let you back in. There clinical sites are a joke. They take you to clinical sites where no one hires LPN's anymore. You constantly do more CNA work than you do LPN work. Some instructors have such a bad attitude, that certain ones can't attend to certain clinical sites because the clinical sites no longer want those instructors at that facilty. Save your money and go to your local community colleges. You will have a better chance to be all you can be at your local community colleges than attending to ECPI/MCI.

I somewhat disagree and somewhat agree. The biggest problem I see with ECPI/MCI is lack of organization. However, that being said, I have been to a community college in the past, and a University... and while these institutions had better organization, there were some professors that were excellent and others that were terrible. This is the same at ECPI/MCI. This is how it will be in the workforce... there will be some you like and who are good at what they do, and others who you don't like and suck at what they do. I am currently in the RN program, have never failed a class, have learned A LOT of useful information. I haven't liked everything about the program, but what they do offer for their extremely high price is an associates in 15 months. With a degree from MCI, you are still able to take your NCLEX and get the same types of jobs that other RN's have. I have noticed that those that have failed out of the course, didn't read the chapters and adequately prepare for the exams. They blamed the teachers, because they want to be spoonfed, hand-held through the program. IT IS A VERY FAST PACED AND DIFFICULT SCHOOL, but it is acheivable with EFFORT. THe tuition is high, but includes ALL THE BOOKS, ( and nursing books are expensive) the basic tools needed such as a stethoscope, flashlight, tape-measure, and scrubs. It is a private school, and ALL private schools are expensive; very comparable to ECPI/MCI. I think the biggest problem students have is studying huge ammounts of information in a short period of time. It takes a lot of dedication and it is difficult to balance with a job and children if the effort is put forth. I know, that is what I have had to do. Yes, the instructors dislike certain students that are RUDE, and constantly want to blame everyone else for their short comings. The majority of negative ads in here are probably from students, like certain classmates that I have, that don't care about LEARNING, and just want to barely pass the tests to have a degree. THIS DOES YOU ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD WHATSOEVER! the degree doesn't mean a whole lot without the knowlege. THe other thing to note is that ECPI/MCI offers unlimitted tutoring by your instructors if you chose to take advantage of it. I have seen classmates that have private tutoring around 10 hours a week if there wasn't something they were understanding, or if they were falling behind, and are still in the program. Others that wanted to leave early, showed up late, didn't complete assignments, and opted NOT to take the extra help offered for FREE because they didn't want to be there. They are no longer in the program. Success is a choice!

you cant even transfer your credits to a REAL [censor]ing college try to take them over to community college for that matter ECPI is a [censor] hole run by crooks 20000 later im working in renovations not the computer science field i got my degree in its a [censor]ing joke save your money very pissed and in debt but guess who found a loop hole get 20000 from me LMAO bankruptcy here i come

WOW. Lots of negative comments. Im glad I visited this website, really helps me make a descision. DEFINITLEY NOT FOR ME!

Wow... Same here, kokolol ! In fact, I just visited ECPI this afternoon. I am seriously considering saying, "Thanks but, no thanks" to them.

I AGREE, ECPI IS A SCAM. I ATTENDED IN 06-07 MY FATHER TOOK OUT A BANK LOAN AND THEY TOLD US IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH. SO HE AGREED TO THE MONTHLY PAYMENTS THEN 3MONTHS LATER THEY TOLD ME THAT THE BANK LOAN WENT THROUGH. IT SEEMED AS IF EVERY OTHER MONTH THEY WOULD CALL ME TO COME TO THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE TELLING ME MY MONTHLY PAYMENTS WERE'NT BEING PAID. I ASKED WELL IF THE BANK TOOK CARE OF THE TUITION ITSELF WHY ARE YOU GUYS STILL HASSLING ME ABOUT MONTHLY PAYMENTS. SHE DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER! I TOOK MY LAB CLASSES ONLY THREE OF THEM AROUND FEB-JUNE (WHICH MY 3RD CLASSES WAS IN A REGULAR ROOM..NO LAB EQUIPMENTS!). THEN THEY SIGNED ME UP FOR ONLINE CLASSES WHICH WAS ONE CLASS PER MONTH WHICH PUT ME WAY BEHIND. MEDICAL ASSISTANTS HAD TO TAKE 4 LAB CLASSES. BY THE TIME I GOT DONE WITH ONLINE CLASSES IT WAS WAS AUGUST AND EVERYBODY WHO STARTED WITH ME WE'RE GOING ON THEIR EXTERNSHIP. AFTERWARDS I REALIZED I HAVEN'T TOOK MY 4TH LAB CLASS AND KNEW I HAD TO STUDY ALL OVER AGAIN DUE TO THEM PUTTING MY CLASSES OUT OF ORDER. I FILED A COMPLAINT AND THE "DEAN" TOLD ME THEY HAD ME DOWN FOR AN "A" FOR MY 4TH LAB. I HAD TO CORRECT HIM BY TELLING HIM I NEVER TOOK THAT CLASS AND ALL HE SAID WAS "OH I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT HAPPENED." SO NOW NOT BEING ABLE TO GRADUATE IN DECEMBER. I HAD 2 MORE CLASSES TO TAKE RATHER THAN 1. WHEN I TOOK IT MY TEACHER ALSO REALIZED IT WAS A WHILE SINCE I TOOK HER CLASS AND IT WAS ANNOYING. SHE KEPT QUESTIONING ME ABOUT EVERY OBSERVANCE. SHE WOULD ASK ME QUESTIONS IN FRONT OF EVERY ONE LIKE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING (SHE WAS BEING A SMART [censor]). SO DURING THAT CLASS THEY POSTED OUR NEW SCHEDULE LIKE OTHERS SAID THE TEACHER WAS "TBD" WHICH WAS LATER CANCELLED PERMANENTLY. WITH ALL OF THIS CONFUSION I HAD TO GET 2 JOBS DUE TO PERSONAL REASONS. SO I TALKED TO THE STUDENT GUIDANCE MRS. GLADING AND SHE TOLD ME IT WAS FINE. TO TAKE 2 MONTHS OFF. IN FEB 08 SHE KEPT CALLING ME IN THE MORNING WHILE I WAS AT MY FIRST JOB. I TOLD HER THE BEST TIME TO CALL WAS IN THE AFTERNOON DUE TO MY 2ND JOB NOT BEING AS HETIC AS THE FIRST. SHE AGREED. THEN SHE STOPPED CALLING. I HAD TO CALL HER AND I LEFT NUMEROUS MESSAGES TO THE POINT HER INBOX WAS FULL. I WENT UP TO ECPI (CHARLOTTE) AND THEY KEPT TELLING ME SHE WASN'T IN. SO I LEFT IT ALONE IN 2009 I GOT 2 LETTERS FROM LOAN AGENCIES STATING THAT I OWED $15, 000 DUE TO LATE FEES FROM [protected]. NOW IT'S 2011 AND EACH MONTH THE BILLS GO UP AND DOWN IT WAS $15, 000, THEN $25, 000 THEN $13, 000. I CAN'T AND WON'T PAY THIS OFF BECAUSE IT'S ALL ONE BIG MESS!

Not only do the credits not transfer, if you get your Associates from them and decide you want to go for the Bachelor's... they won't even accept their OWN credits! My Associates degree is in IT/Networking & Security Mgmt.

I will admit that I did get a job offer six months before graduation. I made around 38k before the economy tanked for a bit working in a call center (still no degree at that point). I learned that I didn't want to work in a call center ever again and started to work on certifications so that I would have more job options. The instructors at the campus I attended were knowledgeable and willing to stay after to help if needed. Many people didn't take advantage of that and unfortunately didn't make the grades to get a decent job after graduation.

There were some people in the data department with no college education and it made me wish that I had considered applying for the job before attending this school. I'm 32k in debt now and most of what I know, I knew before attending the school. Yet I know that it doesn't hurt having ECPI on my resume, it helps get me in the door for interviews.

My only complaint is about the college credits not transferring (and being lied to about that). Everything else was great, they even set me up with a work-study job on campus to earn a little extra cash while I attended the school. Maybe the complaint is different campus to campus but I know there are those with a lawsuit against the campus I attended so something must not have been right at one point. I can only speak for my experience.

I Am currently attending the charleston0 campus at Ecpi and I have to say some of the commentsI am reading are just scary. I thought I could read some of the students comments and it would make me feel better about my investment in my education but so far it seems like maybe this is not what i thought. So far I like the campus. My only issue is that I do feel that it's a little too expensive and i am sort of having second thoughts on the choice I made with getting my medical assisting degree. I trying to figue out how i can go further with it and that's where a problem is comming.

Well I attend ECPI University (no longer college of technology). In fact, this is my second program there. I completed the Medical Assisting Program and now I'm doing the Practical Nursing program. All of the teachers are competent in their field of study. When you first enroll you receive a list of every teacher along with their degree/school information. You aren't dealing with any drop shots I guarantee that. I did my intership and was hired on immediately after. Many jobs hire ECPI students over other colleges. The classes are fast pace but can be done. If you graduated from there you definitely earned it. I will complete my second program in July 2012.

I am a graduate from ECPI University and I went online for my Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. I will agree that you have your good and bad teachers, but that is every college. My experience was great and I do not feel they are overpriced. I checked a lot of other schools and the overall cost is less especially since they include books and everything else you need for classes in the tuition price. Career services really helped me in finding a great job when I was done...

As I am reading some of these comments about people wanting to mack on people, can't make my monthly payments, my head wasn't in the right place, it leads me to believe mayeb you all weren't doing what you needed to do? I had none of those issues. The only hassle I had with ECPI was verification but that isn't really ECPI's fault.

My credits are transferrable and maybe your grades or the length of time in between schools is what is holding you back. I've already looked into a MBA program. ECPI has been around for like 50 years now, they have to be doing something right.

I had a great experience!

Unfortunately, schools can put any price they want on their school and no one can intervene. Any degree offered by ECPI is work well over $25, 000 which you could probably receive the same education, but so much cheaper (and longer classes to actually make sure you get the material) for probably no less than $15, 000 at your local community college / public university. It's really up to the person to decide if they want to pay for that school. And with all the false promises ECPI is willing to offer (I.E. career placement), it's hard to turn away (especially if you're in a challenging situation like I was).

For anyone considering ECPI, please do not go and commit to a promise of paying for an over-priced "college." I was a student and I graduated with honors, I now have a job in my chosen career, but when I was told that all of my co-workers with the same degree making the same money paid less than atleast $10, 000 than I am for their degree, I highly regretted my decision. My suggestion is to your local library, pick up a book on subjects that help you find money/scholarships for your school, and study! It'll be so much more worth it than ridiculously over-priced ECPI.

I work in the communications industry and recently did a detailed valuation of ECPI to include student interviews at various campuses, administrative board reviews, financial reviews and impact studies based on the market, etc.. Just wanted to say in my opinion ECPI ranks at the top of the tech schools (ie: ITT, Southeastern Institute, Keiser, etc..) What we found was ECPI does not accept everyone, they use a more structured, targeted approach to student recruitment, and provide the support needed to see a student through from onboarding (admissions) to post-graduate employment placement assistance. ITT appeared very disorganized, somewhat chaotic in their schooling approach but not so much so as the lesser known institutes. Our bottom line findings supported a conclusion that the students who applied themselves, focused on weekly goal attainment regarding classroom and testing performance, asked for help when needed and followed through on placing the responsibilities of completing a given program squarely on their own shoulders... these students have a high post-graduation hire rate in competitive fields with very competitive pay structures. And that was regardless of market... meaning the success rate seems to appear across all campuses where ECPI has market presence (ie: Charleston, Columbia, Raleigh, Charlotte, Va Beach, etc..) On a personal note, after the smoke cleared, and having a little girl who will soon be heading to college, I can say that I would not hesitate to support her should she want to inquire about getting a degree at ECPI. I instill in her that there is work involved, many institutions today bend over backwards to hold a student's hand. That does --not-- promote a healthy educational environment. You may graduate but in the real world you will sink fast because the corporate workplace is not in the business of hand-holding. I see universities like ECPI nationwide that do not hold hands, they DO expect you to be responsible for your actions. Ultimately wherever you choose to get your degree, remember one thing: Do the work, make the grades, apply yourself, have confidence in yourself... and success will come. Hope this tidbit helps.

I'm considering ECPI/Greensboro. I notice in the comments and on the TV commercial that speak of a "Bachelor" degree. Is it a Bachelor Degree in Arts or in Science? I would think to be credible it has to be one or the other like any other college, right? I have to admit that the comments are scary and I appreciate those with an opinion.

I am having the same problem with the Manassas campus. Back in August of last year (2011) they decided to start a Dental Assisting program. Now, almost a year later, they still do not have the lab built and are suggesting that I (the only student as far along in the program as they should be i.e. have not failed classes, etc.) relocate for 5-10 weeks to either the Richmond campus or Newport News so that I can complete my program on time. I do not pay tuition for them to send me elsewhere, I pay tuition to go to the campus that I have already taken so many classes at. I have two more lab classes plus two rounds of clinical rotations. The lab classes are what the Manassas campus is suggesting I go to Richmond or Newport News for. Why should I have to suffer because the school isn't capable of planning accordingly?
ECPI Manassas should never have recruited people for the DA program if they weren't prepared for it. Nobody is taking responsibility for the lack of structure at this school and the administration has been incredibly unprofessional. The only reason I have chosen to stay is because of the promised degree.
I have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and am considering filing one with the Virginia Department of Education. This school is a joke and definitely not worth your money, your time or anything else. I wish I'd done more research before deciding to attend!

I'm surprised anyone would attend ECPI or University of Phoenix. The company I work for doesn't recognize degrees from either institution. The stance my employer takes is if your degree comes from a "for profit" school then they don't waste their time reading over applications/resumes. Stick with community colleges and public universities where you know your college credits count, will transfer, and recognized in the workforce. Once you graduate you will have significantly less student loan debt than these "for profit" ripoff schools.

I think the biggest reason for these complaints is false expectations that people have when enrolling in this school. The school is a TECH school primarily, and the majority of students that go there are former military or reserve military or working adults. One of the major reasons that all these people go to this school is precisely the pace and the convenience of getting a Bachelor's degree in two and a half years. Also, if you are in VA, particularly the Newport News campus, majority of your instructors are former/retired military. Consequently, the pace and tempo of this school resembles the military. You are there to study. You are not there to "hit on cute Black girls" or live the idiotic fraternity lifestyle or listen to your damn ipod for two years every day in class and expect to magically get good grades or magically get picked up for an awesome high-paying job upon graduation. When you were enrolling, you were given a tour of the campus, were you not? Did you see gyms or a gigantic campus with a quad or whatever-the-hell you might have imagined? No. Were you presented with a sheet of paper that explained in detail the price of ECPI education? Yes. Did you sign it before enrolling in classes? Yes. SO QUIT ###! ECPI is not a sham school. You shouldn't expect any higher learning institution to be. Oh, and by the way, out of my 78 state school credits (USU), only 6 transferred to ECPI, so it is not because ECPI is a bad school, it is because each college has a different transfer credit requirements...

Yes, tuition is expensive, but you are saving a year and a half time-wise. Like I said, majority of students use their GI Bill or military tuition assistance, so the high tuition cost is not too big of a problem, unless you have to do loans. Yes, this school could use some lab equipment, but they make up for it in theory and virtual labs. Also, this school focuses less on general studies and more on core classes, which get progressively more challenging towards the end of your Bachelor's. Yes, there are some useless and unprofessional instructors, but there aren't many. Majority of the instructors actually do care about the material, the students and students understanding the material. Most of the instructors will put in a lot of extra time to help a student if he needs help. The school is very military-friendly. They will also work with you if you work full-time. As long as you actually try to learn and actually apply some effort, the school will work with you.

So, this school is not for everyone. If you are not comfortable with the price, and have no financial option other than financial aid, you would probably benefit much more from a community college or a state school. If you are straight out of high school and you are not serious about learning things and applying yourself, you will waste your (dad's) money. If you want to learn more humanities or are considering transferring out somewhere, it is not for you either. But if you want to get a degree or two quickly and really learn, then this is not a bad school.
Finally, for all of you people that keep failing and making up excuses for it, I attend ECPI full-time, have a wife, who doesn't work, work full-time, am in the military reserves and have been maintaining a 3.78 GPA for the past two years. I literally work all day, go home, study and go to bed. I don't sleep or have days off. It sucks, but I want to get my education complete, and that is what's driving me. If you don't do half of what I do and are failing, you need to get yourself in check or maybe transfer to a more liberal school, after completing which (hopefully), you'll have a piece of paper degree and a blank, clueless stare. You have no excuse. Stop whining.

For profit schools should be avoided in favor of traditional schools. Spend your money at the local community college and transfer to a university that an employer or school will recognize as a valid (in their eyes) academic institution. Also, credits from ECPI will NOT transfer! See for yourself. I'm glad I caught on before classes started (I signed up with ECPI and backed out at the last minute). What made me change my mind was when I contacted NC State to determine which credits might transfer... out of like 60 credit hours, maybe one class...

Yes, ECPI is regionally accredited, and it's SACS accredited, I get it... but... just because a school offers a bachelors degree doesn't mean the degree is worth anything to an employer. A bachelors from Harvard is more appealing to an employer than the same bachelors from NC State. Both, however, are way more attractive than one from ECPI or University of Phoenix.

And... please don't buy in to the whole "i'm a working adult and it fits in with my schedule" schtick. I'm a vet (nine years active duty) with a family and I work full time; I find plenty of ways each semester to attend school full-time - whether its through classes online or on campus in the evenings. Being a former soldier, I understand the whole methodology behind cramming in as much knowledge as possible in the shortest amount of time (BS in 2 and 1/2 years). This approach can be very effective for simple, low-skilled jobs, but the education provided cannot compete with thorough, comprehensive coursework.

Listen to what the previous poster said about his job... many places will scoff at your resume if it has ECPI as your education.

I don't believe ECPI is a rip-off. I don't believe it's a scam either. It's just not a good idea!

(redbeard8two@gmail.com)

I disagree with Jerms82 allot of university's lack hands on education versus a technical route and I think you missing the point allot of negative comments on here are due to people either given up and not giving it there all or failing so they are pointing the fingers at the school hey guess what there's all lot of good and bad teachers at every school hell I had the all time worst English teacher at a community college what did I do? Yes I complained and kept it moving!.Thats life I did not blame the school, Ecpi is not a regular college they do a much better job then allot of big university's its all about experience not just a big name degree from harvard. It is up to you to get certificates and other ways to improve your appearance on landing the perfect job at any college. I went to regular community colleges and big university's, to me Ecpi focuses on providing skills to land a job the right way versus the traditional route. 5 weeks 2 classes for each week 4 hours in a class yea I see why there's allot of complaints lol. Lazy people will never achieve there goals as soon as they fail and not give it there all they blame others. Many of my friends graduated from ECpi and landed a job IN THERE FILED right after because of the hands on education that many tradition school indeed lack, I challenge anybody who is reading this to go to a regular community college or university and tell me if you get hands on experiences other then one internship later on if you lucky to get that. That is one of the major problems with college in this county allot of degrees with no experiences or skills what so ever think about that when you choose the right school. Ecpi is regional credited like vcu and others Not ABET accredited which is no big deal because most of the big universities don't have that accreditation only like 5 major colleges vcu, vstate, norfolk, uniion and I forgot the last one which is really geared towards engineering degrees. Now electronic engineering at ecpi is not abet accredited but like I said research ABET and u will find that its not that important if the majority of colleges in America including ivy leagues such as HARVARD do not even have that. Remember ecpi is a tech college with hands on and 30000 is allot but guess what go to other university's they have around the same price and that do not include books like Ecpi. Now I would stay away from itt tech and devry and other for profit because they seem to not provide that same hands on and work ethic as Ecpi even though Ecpi is also for profit but if you think about it is every school making a profit off of you?;)

ECPI is a rip off. I was pregnant and had asked the school about maternity leave. They were ok with me going on leave for when I had my baby. When the time came I informed them of my baby being born . They e-mailed me and said for me to let them know when I am ready to start back. So I had my baby Nov 6, 2012 and decided to return to school for the January 28th term. I filled out all of the necessary paperwork for returning. I was also told of a return scholership that they would give me. Sometime in January they did call me to inform me that there are some papers that still needed to be filled out. So I went up to the school and spoke with student window to see where I had to go for the paper work. I was told to go to financial aide. I go to financial aide and am informed by them that it was a misunderstanding that all of my paperwork had been taking care of and that there was nothing else to do except have them give me a schedule. I go back to student window to tell them what was told to me and was told by them that they will go ahead and send out an e-mail to the proper person to get me my class schedule. By the time January 28th came by I had gotten no schedule. I go back up to the school to find out what had happened. So back the student window I go. They tell me to go to finiancial aide to finish the paper work. Once again I go speak with finacial aide and they tell me the same thing again that all is fine nothing needed to be done that I am good to go for the next term. I explained this to student window once again. I am told again an e-mail will be sent out to get my classes set up. Yet again another term missed because student window claims papers needed to be signed, which have already been signed. I try again to speak with finacial aide, who at this point is getting a little irritated with me. Yet another term missed. I'm angry at this point. I go back up there to complain and inform the student window that I am not happy. The woman says to me "let me pull up my notes..." My notes say that we contacted you several times by phone to inform you that papers needed to be filled out and you never responded." This is the same lady I have been dealing with back and forth with the finacial aide department. She told me it's my fault and that my return scholarship will have to be paid by me out of my pocket. I explained to her that I did infact make several attempts to respond and solve the issue to only be told many times by finacial aide that everything is good to go and nothing needed to be done. She explained to me once again that they had made several tempts to contact me with no response at all. I was getting pretty angry but managed to keep my cool. So I told her again I have made several attempts to resolve the issue by showing up in person but only got the exact same answer over and over again that nothing needed to be done and I was good to go. I told her I am getting to the point that I will not return to their school due to them screwing up and giving me a run around. Finally she got up and said lets go to finacial aide. She goes into a room in front of me and stands in the corner with the guy that has been working with me and whispers to him. They both are whispering back and forth. She then realizes that I had already signed everything back in January. Here it is after March. She screwed up and is now trying to cover her back. She schedules me for a return in April and said she will ask about if I can keep my scholarship and have forgiveness as if it were my f*%&ing fault. She told me she would call me the next day, but never did. I gave her a couple of days to call and she never did. I called and asked what was going on and was informed that more than likely I can not return until I pay that scholarship up front. This is bull. Why are they going to charge me for a return scholarship for not returning ontime when it was their fault. She basically kepts telling me "My notes say..!" You know what lady screw your f*&%ing notes. I see that you are trying to get me to pay more than what I signed for. I was told there would be no problems with returning. I asked several times in advanced if there would be any problems to be told there would be no problems. Here I sit trying to resolve issues the school made only to be charged for their mistake. I am a very angry individual. So I warn you who consider going to this school to please go somewhere else and save your money. It's a scam.

Attended ECPI twice... first for a diploma in Computer Science and again 11 years later for Network Security.

Attended G-boro campus in 1994 (CS diploma) and have no complaints. Back then, the instructors had industry experience with the subjects they taught; They would teach from the book (as required) then toss it in the trash and give students the low-down on what it'd be like in the real world. Classes were 8 hours a day, 5 days a week (40 hours/week)... approx. $10K for tuition. Funny thing is... I landed what, at the time, I considered an awesome job without ever mentioning ECPI (only my military experience... but that's neither here nor there).

11 years later...

Attended G-boro campus again (2005/Net-Sec)... due to the fact that, like most people, I wanted to earn more. My employer wouldn't promote me... I was “unqualified” due to educational requirements for the positions that interested me. Other employers (various positions) wouldn't hire me for the same reason... lack of education. My experience was worthless (that's how it felt anyway). One interviewer said she was reluctant to hire me for a position similar to that held with my current employer because I wouldn't be happy with the job or the pay and would likely quit (she was probably correct).

Anyhow...

The first thing that should've given me pause about attending again was the fact that classroom time had been cut back to 5 hours a day, 4 days a week (20 hours/week)... but, the tuition was doubled >>> half the instruction for twice the price.

I was interested in an Associate's program... but, at the time of my enrollment, the G-boro campus didn't offer one. I was told by the admissions rep that they were currently working toward setting up an AS program and that it would be implemented in approx. 6 months... about halfway through my attendance. She said, when it was made available, all I had to do was transfer from one program to the other... more classes would be scheduled and the extra tuition would simply get tacked on... I wouldn't skip a beat.

Here's how it went down...

They did start the AS program, as promised, and again I expressed my interest in transferring. However, I was informed that most of the classes I had already completed (with stellar marks, BTW... 4.0 GPA/consistent 99 and 100 test scores... and perfect attendance to boot) could not be applied as credit toward an Associate's degree...

...because...

In order for a student to gain class credit toward a degree, the class's instructor has to have an education two levels above that which the student is working toward (ie: The instructor has to have a Master's in order for the student to earn credit toward an Associate's). Most of the instructors of my completed classes didn't have a Master's.

They gave me two options...

Take all the classes in question again... and pay for them, again...

...or...

Test out of each class and accept a “passing score” regardless of how well I did (IOW >>> a score of 100 would be recorded the same as just barely squeaking by).

I'm reading many complaints pertaining to the fact that other schools will not accept ECPI credits... and that sucks for you people wanting to transfer to another school. Imagine my chagrin upon learning that ECPI wouldn't accept their own credits!

A couple more points and I'll wrap this up.

They were hiring instructors with Master's degrees... they had to in order to offer an AS program. But, think about it >>> Someone with a Master's that's worth two craps in a bucket ain't gonna teach at a place where they don't get their summers off, have to work day and night, don't get to perform their own research, receive relatively lousy compensation, etc. A person like that will teach at a reputable institution. With one exception (while I was there) the people ECPI was hiring didn't really care about working. They showed up late, lectured for 30 minutes, issued an assignment or two, and disappeared. They weren't seen again for two days or til the next week. We were literally teaching ourselves.

And last...

While interested in the AS program, every feasible avenue was explored in effort to get the tuition costs down as much as possible. Three of my classes from 1994 were indeed taught by instructors WITH Master's degrees. I personally contacted each one to find out, as ECPI provided no information or help in that regard. I was scheduled to take those classes again. ECPI finally folded and agreed to grant me credit for those three classes (academically and financially). Then I came to my senses and decided to not pursue a degree from ECPI; I'd just finish the diploma program... minus the three classes mentioned above... or so it was thought.

I did graduate... but, the question that was never answered to my satisfaction is...

If I didn't have to retake those classes for credit toward an Associate's degree, why then was I required to retake them for a diploma?

You good folks can figure that one out. (Hint: $$$$$$$$$).

I'm finished here.

Thx for reading.

PS: My recommendation >>> Choose a different school. ECPI isn't what it used to be.

Attended Newport News campus. Deans list, perfect attendance. Graduated Oct 2012 with Bachelors of Science in Electronics Engineering Technology. My internship was a lame in house that didn't provide me with any valuable experience. Half of the equipment in the Labs didn't work and more than one of the instructors had me wondering about their credentials.
Job placement assistance is compromised of receiving lead emails from Career Services. 99% of these jobs require a minimum of 1 year experience. I haven't received a single "entry level", no experience needed, lead yet.
Mid August 2013, still no job. If its not my grades, and its not my personality, I'm a pretty easy to get along with person. could it possibly be the school?

Tired of the the ECPI 'placements' in here. IT IS a sham school. Good for you that your working your tail off to get your degree. Good for you that you think that ECPI is some great place to have the privilage of putting on your resume once complete. I have first-hand experience that having ECPI on your resume does get a blank, clueless stare; from a potential employer! I left my home two cities over, sold my truck, and yes walked to school everday. YEs. I did. Once established, I got a full time job while attending. My GPA was 4.0 throughout, until I made the mistake of adding too many classes nearing the end of the term. Then my GPA fell to 3.85. Finally, I 'graduate' with 3.89 and a full time job with a great company. No thanks to the school I already got the job while attending yes, but it was thru a friend I met at the school, an instructor who informed me of the position AND informed me, best not to put ECPI on the resume. He told me ONLY put that I had completed certification exams thru ETA. Why? Why not put ECPI on my resume. I am in debt up to my eyeballs?! Well, ECPI was and YES they were, forging the grades of certain students to maintain w/e deal they had with certain companies in the area. A GPA rate, and passing rate...I DO NOT know all the specifics. I DO however know they forged the books. It pisses me off that I worked my tail off to 'graduate' with honors only to see several many gold tassels hanging from caps that in NO WAY could have got the grade. No, I am not judging the people who could not have got it, I SAW their grades! In every class. The same people squeaked by with a 2.8 - 3.25 but somehow escaped with a 3.8? How is this possible?!

I graduated from ECPI University this month and now working in a great company in as an entry level computer technician. The best advice I would give anyone who is pursuing an I.T. Degree at ECPI is DO NOT WORRY ABOUT GRADES. Everyone will get good grades through cheating or good attendance. The courses are made to be easy to pass. Make sure you understand the content of every course because job interviews will gauge you on your basic knowledge. The courses will give you everything you need to become a good I.T. Professional, you must go the extra mile and read those textbooks within a span of 5 weeks. I also recommend taking advantage of getting certifications asap before you graduate. A+ is the most sought after cert for entry level techs. Sec + and Net + would be next. I enjoyed my time at ECPI and the staff were knowledgeable and well known in their field.

I don't get these comments. I started the LPN program in April 2010. I graduated in June 2011. My first job OUT OF THE GATE I was making 21.00 an hour. I am now making much more than that and bring HOME 1500 a week! I would go back to ECPI tomorrow! I STILL have friends waiting to get into the nursing program at local community colleges around here from 3 years ago! 14 months and I make more money than I need to live comfortably! ECPI's staff also help you AT ANY TIME if you need assistance with ANYTHING literally! LOVE THIS SCHOOL. I found in my class that the "picky" people who basically wanted everything handed to them had a lot of issues, however, as for me and my graduating class we are ALL employed & loving it. My father has actually just enrolled for fun (he's been retired since 2006) to do nursing lol.

Be wary of any for-profit school. The credits don't transfer generally, many/most of these schools have at one time been on, or are currently on probation/have lost accreditation, and it is more along the lines of technical training rather than traditional education. You are unlikely to gain any great experience from it, despite it's impressively opulent interior and glamorous commercials. That's not to say that the instructors are not good themselves; most are great, however you should remember that to get those jobs, they had to complete at minimum a Bachelors from an accredited traditional university and an most cases, a Masters in their field from a traditional university. Technical schools will offer them a job in teaching that your traditional university will not offer someone until they have 2-5+ years of experience, so many take it with the plans to leave as soon as they have acquired enough experience to move on to an actual university.

I know this first hand from friends who have taken positions at these for-profit schools to get teaching experience so that they can qualify for better paying and more prestigious teaching positions in hospitals with nursing programs, traditional universities or even community colleges, which have higher standards. 85-90% of professors at my community college hold a PhD and go by Dr. .

Unfortunately our educational system is very broken from the bottom up, and just about anyone can open a school nowadays, to take your money. Education has turned into a business instead of being an academically-driven goal with a national curriculum.
Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I did attend a traditional four-year university and am now at a community college with a 2-and-2 deal to get another degree. However, I did consider ECPI very seriously prior to this and I do have the great pleasure of working there for a school-related job. I love the instructors. The general admin employees are by and large rubbish, though. There were two good people who actually helped out of 10 I spoke with.

I did not choose to go because the price was prohibitively expensive for what you are getting, and it was sketchy then. I am personally very glad I chose to go the traditional route. I can tell you that my community college is held in much higher regards than any technical school is, in regards to internships and jobs.

That said, no matter where you go, it is absolutely true what others have posted. You must keep your grades up, be involved on campus and seek out any opportunity to get into your field through internships or the like. If you don't work hard and prioritize your education, you will not succeed and get a job. I am sure that some folks have succeeded at ECPI due to that hard work, so no discredit to them. I am only cautioning you to look at all your options. Also, never become entrenched in the timeline or the success that commercials give. No matter what your business is, you are only going to highlight the successes, right? You're not going to make readily available the stats on how many fails you had.

And to keep this real for people looking at their options, you can POTENTIALLY finish any degree anywhere in 2 - 2.5 years IF you can be a full time student ONLY (i.e. no job, no children, no partner, no other obligations in general), the classes are offered and you don't mind taking 17+ credits at a time, you took a crap-ton of AP classes in HS and basically started as a junior in college, and/or you don't fail any class. However, the odds of you needing >2 years is far greater because those are nearly impossible conditions to meet. You would need to meet at least 3/4 of them and more likely all 4.

Don't be duped into thinking that a Bachelors in 2.5 years is worth anything. You're definitely being shorted some vital information that employers will notice immediately. That's a quality Associates degree timeline.

Tread carefully. Not saying that ECPI is bad, however it is a for-profit technical school. It may still be a great choice for you, though.