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After looking at many options, I was referred to Ashford by a friend and although I did run into a few professors that were at times hard to deal with, I was able to battle through it and finish up my degree. Having three credit courses every five weeks lead to a lot of work at times, but if you just use the resources available and complete your assignments, you will get a lot out of Ashford. I have read many reviews of horror stories, but I have to say that most of my instructors and advisors were... Read More willing to help me through the process. I have three jobs, a new baby, and one child with a disability so it was very stressful and made it hard to sometimes get assignments completed on time. I really feel that because of the challenges I had, it made it that much sweeter when I finally finished up my degree. Anyone that is thinking about choosing Ashford, be ready to write a lot of essays but if you are not a great test taker like me, this is a great alternative.

Before considering attending Rasmussen College, please consider your other college/university options first. I moved from another state and did not fully understand that I could have made a Bette choice until about half way through my program. I've been bounced around between 4 different academic advisors in my 1 1/2 years at this school, I am constantly redirected to a new person every time I have a question, I'm placed in 400-level "general education classes" that are not in my major and that I... Read More was not given the option of choosing, financial aid is sketchy, and some instructors are hard to get ahold of or claim they have no control over class content or helping us better understand some of the assignments. I'm graduating with my BS in less than 3 months and I will never come back to this school in the future nor will I recommend this college to anyone looking for a worthwhile college experience.

When I started at Ashford University as an Education major I was told that I would be able to become licensed in my state with student teaching and state testing after I graduated. This is completely untrue! If I want to become licensed I will have to complete a second Bachelor's degree. Ashford is ambiguous in their wording and my academic advisor assured me that I would be able to accomplish my goals through Ashford multiple times. Be careful if you choose to go to Ashford, they are predatory and... Read More will continue calling you and telling you what you want to hear in order to get you to attend school there. The teachers are usually unavailable and most grading is a complete joke. I made a few friends through my program and we all found that even those who would write in "text speech" or put complete non-sense in their papers would still receive a 90 or higher. A friend once wrote "monkeys like bananas because they are yellow" in the middle of an essay to see if the instructor would notice, he did not and then they continued to create even more odd sentences in the papers and nothing was ever said to him. Save your money and learn more somewhere else!

I want to be proud to say I went to GCU and for everyone to say, Wow, that is a good school, and that online education is as good as classroom instruction or perhaps better! The world is not a perfect place, neither are people, nor the organizations that they put together. Although we are making life more complex than it needs to be, there is no excuse why we cannot be more concern with each other. I think we should "all" try to ~ be the change you want to see in the world~ Gandhi. Nevertheless,... Read More we complain about each other and still, nothing changes because the problem lays on the system. The Accreditation Institutions need to take into consideration the complains. I am not an expert in legal matters, but reading the concern and disappointments of many makes me realize that some things need to change. The same students are expected to have minimum grade level, Universities should also be graded with expectations and be put into an inactive period; I am sure it will create a responsible reaction. The government Financial Aid (FAFSA) should regulate how many negatives complains a school can have before being penalized for not rendering to the students what is rightfully theirs. We are paying for our education and our voice should be heard. Every school should have a mentor for the dissertation, The government should supervise and ensure that GCU and other schools provide their customers (students) excellent, satisfying results. It is time to crack the system and bring our education to a higher standard.

I need to start off by saying that I did not end up graduating from WGU. I decided to return to a local university and graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Education. I thought I would give a review of my WGU based on my experience. When I decided to get a teaching degree, I needed something to allow me to continue working (substitute teacher). I have small children and a busy lifestyle. I earned my Associate's Degree through a local community college and it was mainly online with a couple... Read More of classes on campus. It was hard to finish up a day of subbing and rush (30 minutes) to campus for classes until late in the evening. When I saw WGU, I was interested in the convenience. Here is my personal experience: WGU is set up on 6 month terms. Basically, however many classes you can finish in that time frame is up to you. You pay the same whether you complete 1 class or 30 classes. I loved this idea because I am very responsible, self-motivated, and a hard worker. I submitted my transcripts, filled out all of the required paperwork, and was given my degree plan for Interdisciplinary Studies (Elementary Education). The local university had me graduating in May of 2014 where WGU had my estimated graduating date of May 2015. I didn't like the extra time, but thought I would be able to able to work hard and finish sooner. I had 16 classes needed at my local university and 24 through WGU. I went ahead and signed up with WGU. My mentor was to call at 6 AM, which was not good for me, but I made it work. I did not get much out of our conversations. If I had a question, she would tell me someone else to call. It felt like a waste of time. The course mentors seemed to know their stuff and they would offer webinars and recordings that felt like a class, but more times than not, these were scheduled at difficult times for me. The instructors gave written and verbal information. There was a lot of technical difficulty making it hard to call in to the webinars or listen/talk over the computer. Many times we had to type out our conversation, which isn't a problem for me since I'm a good typist, but this is something that many struggled with and ended up not participating much. There are two different types of classes. Some classes require that you study the information using the webinars, online text and other resources, and then take a multiple choice test at the end. You do have the opportunity to take a practice test to see if you are ready, but I never found these practice tests to be very helfpul as the material did not seem to be consistent. I did feel like the practice tests were harder, including more specific details. The ending test seemed more generalized and easier. You will need a WGU webcam and sign into a location that will monitor you while you take this test. You will be required to show them the room you are in, your computer, all around your desk area, etc. The other type of class requires a written research paper. This is turned in and evaluated by separate instructors who you have not been involved with while taking the class. If there is a problem, they will send it back for you to correct. I only had one sent back and it was pretty vague as to what needed attention. I was told the person who evaluates your paper can be different and is totally random. You may get someone who isn't picky about certain aspects, but the next time they might be. Not consistent grading. I think I went through the first couple of classes in less than a week, so I was moving quickly. A couple of months into my first term, my degree plan changed. I just logged in one day to see it. I immediately called and was told that they put me into the Special Education degree program as it was just a couple more classes and would make for better opportunities for me when I graduated. This was not discussed with me at all. The "couple more classes" ended up being 9 more, making a list of 33 classes and pushing my estimated graduation date back until May of 2017. The classes were lined up in such a way that the new ones were toward the top of the list of classes I needed to take next. I could not get any answers on this and it became very frustrating. I was locked out of the courses I wanted to take and could only move forward with the top few that were posted for that term. These were classes that were added for the "Special Education" plan. Over a week went by with no answer and I finally just picked a class that I felt would contain the best information for me. A couple of days after starting the class, I got a return call from someone at WGU who was trying to help me get it figured out. But they were still checking into it. I was so frustrated. I kept calling and it took a month to get that straightened out. Once they did though, my old degree plan list of classes was locked. It took them several more days to get me back on track and working on my classes. The pass/fail grade concerned me from the beginning, but I was assured that school districts were on board with the idea and that WGU offered a clear explanation that seemed as though passed classes were more than above average work. Be careful with this as I was finding out school districts may not like this. Many applications specifically ask for GPAs. There are a couple of required tests that each state requires their teachers to pass in order to obtain certification. WGU is based out of Utah, but I do not live in Utah. There was a lot of conflicting information regarding which test/s I needed to take. I was told that I needed to take all tests required for the state of Utah and then transfer to my state. I was then told I needed to take the tests required in my state. I was also told I needed to take past tests, even if not required by my state. I was told I needed to take both Utah and my state tests. It was very confusing. I called the department of education and confirmed what I needed, but WGU said they were not correct. Ended up I only needed to take 2 tests... one during/before I entered into the teaching program, and the major content exam for my state. WGU was wrong and misleading over this. Had I listened to them, I would have taken and spent money on tests I didn't need. I think WGU has a great concept, but has a lot of things to work out before I feel it is a good option for those seeking a teaching degree. Working online through all of the classes is convenient, but even with my experience in the classroom, I don't see how anyone could get the same knowledge from an online course as they could from a physical classroom environment. After my first term with WGU I realized this and went back to the university. This wasn't the only reason I made this decision, but it was just another factor for me. Although I am self-motivated, I felt all alone. I guess for some that is ok, but I enjoy the interaction with others... that is why I want to be a teacher! I enjoy the hands-on learning. I enjoy the experiences that being in a class of other students offers. All of that is just not possible with an online class. I was getting the facts/information, but there is SOOO much more to be a good teacher than that. WGU might be well suited for those going into other areas, but I feel for education majors, it doesn't offer what the student needs to be the best teacher they can be. I was also disappointed that most of the classes I took at WGU did not transfer. I left WGU and went back to the university. I graduated with my BSEd and have a job lined up. I am confident that my experiences at the university gave me far more of what I needed to be successful. The reasons I liked WGU: * Convenient * Can work at my own pace * Easy * Price seemed lower/comparable What I did not like about WGU: * Inconvenient weekly phone call each week * Lack of effective communication * Course work did not seem challenging * Missing out on physical classroom experiences for my degree - did not feel it was preparing me to be a teacher in a classroom * Felt they delayed my work on purpose to slow me down * Added/changed my schedule without discussing it with me * Ultimately was going to end up costing more in the long run * Did not offer GPA * Lack of knowledge over correct certification requirements/tests * Repetitive classes * Many classes did not transfer * Began to doubt WGU and did not have confidence in my direction with them This is just my personal experience. A lot of factors could be different with others changing their experience. I think it matters which program you are seeking, the mentor/s you get, and the speed at which you complete the courses. I hope this review helps.

Peace/blessings! I received my Bachelors/Masters degree from Ashford in 2014/2016 respectively. Both of my degrees were online. Personally I do not understand those making negative remarks about Ashford. My experience was remarkable and rewarding, to say the least. Whenever there was a problem it was handled in the swiftest of time. My degrees have allowed me to relocate to China in Nov. 2015 to teach in English. As I write this message I am still in China teaching. My Ashford education has enhanced... Read More my teaching profession and I'm currently 14 months from my Doctoral Degree, not from Ashford. I wish Ashford did offer Ph.D's. Nevertheless my education at Ashford has opened many doors and broaden my perspective on life and learning. Thank you Ashford! ASHFORD RULES!!!!