Grand Canyon University Online Reviews
|
Its ok
School recommended by
hope
on
July 29, 2010
1/1 person found this review helpful
I am in my 3rd class online... My financial aid was to me halfway through the first class, my financial advisor always checks up on me etc. I had a problem because my high school is gone and it was a christian school so GCU was the only one that would take what records i had. Compared to another az based online school the financial aid issues are nothing my bf attends there and has been in 3 classes and they still havent done anything. We are still paying his student loans and his gi bill hasnt been started.
I will say the instructors sometimes are not great and some of the other students frustrate me because how can i reply to posts when they dont post but all in all i have no issues with them.
Learn More about Grand Canyon University OnlineNot a bad school - Masters of Educ. Admin,
School recommended by
Nunya
on
July 26, 2010
1/1 person found this review helpful
Like with any school, this school has clear pros and cons. It is definitely expensive, but, it is not much worse than most PRIVATE universities and better cost wise than many. The classes are very time-consuming. They do seem to be at time overly fair with grading.
It is a little difficult getting sound advice from academic counselors as many seem to be nothing more than student workers reading a computer screen. The class requirements do teach you...I have learned a lot since starting the class. I am writing approximately one 5 page paper per week as an average. My degree is an 80 week program.
The last 16 weeks are an internship that requires 270 hours. This is a little difficult to get when working full time. I currently have a 4.0 GPA. I have received "A's" on papers that I was sure I would get a poor grade for, but after reading the discussion posts of some of the students, I can understand why. I do question how some students have managed to get into the class with their grammar level, but, these are Masters level classes, so that means they survived some college at the Bachelor's level.
Needless to say, it is not the greatest college, but nor is it the worst. I have no reason to discourage the school. All of these guys slamming the school have obviously not had the same experiences I have. Some of them almost make me think they are reps from other schools trying to downplay this school. Its not as bad as some of these goobers are saying, just ignore them. Do your own research, call them up and lambaste them with questions to see how they handle it. Then decide for yourself.
GREAT University
School recommended by
Donna
on
July 22, 2010
3/3 people found this review helpful
I can not believe the issues I am reading here from others. I am currently in my 5th class with GCU working on my Masters in Addiction Counseling and all online.
All the professors I have had have taken the time to give me feedback on each and every paper I have written. They have a library you have access to online. They have tutoring if you need it. Everyone has always answered my calls or emails.
If you choose to complete a degree online of course it seems like more work, you are reading yourself, reading the lectures and writing your papers and completing group projects. I totally 100 % disagree with all the negative talk about this university. Even from the classes I have taken so far I am able to incorporate into my work skills now.
Need some feedback on the Masters IN addiction Counseling
School recommended by
CASGT
on
July 21, 2010
1/1 person found this review helpful
Is there anyone who has completed the Master's Degree in Addiction Counseling from GCU? What was your experience in getting Licensure in Arizona or any other state?
Excellent School
School recommended by
C Wilson
on
July 20, 2010
3/3 people found this review helpful
I think many are missing some of the nuances of the private verse public institution, cost, and quality of education. Firstly, one gets in what they put in. My experience was the classes were challenging, synthesis happen in all we did as long as we had the capacity for that level of thought and thinking.
Everyone of my classmate had a general interest in the subject matter of Leadership and the servant leadership model was emphasized throughout the program.
I was able to directly leverage my knowledge achieved through my graduate studies into a dream job as a director of an education department for a large forensic psychiatric hospital. So those that are bitter, I would subject that they would have achieved similar results at any school because you get what you put in.
Secondly, I have applied for a public university recently for a doctoral program and it has been a nightmare, nothing like my experience with GCU. The fact being they lost my application packet. This simply cannot happen at a private university because I have the power as a consumer and student to hold those people taking care of me accountable.
Public entities do not have the same accountability be it tenure or union contract. Also most of my instructors at GCU were retired military officers, two were generals. Many had real world leadership experience in both the military and private sector. Not strictly academic only experience. Also, my graduate degree was cheaper than my undergraduate due to a discounted tutition they offer veterans, which is awesome.
Having books to read rather than online books I felt was better as I have something to hold and share with others.
Lastly the graduation was next level at the Diamond Back field in Phoenix, speakers discussing servant leadership with all the stops pulled out. My experience was excellent with the university however I do not recommend the online university for everyone. Only those that are self starters and can handle the intense workload of writing and reading.
Awful Administration - Good Classes
School recommended by
C
on
July 17, 2010
9/10 people found this review helpful
I've read tons of these reviews and it can be a good and bad school. I've just graduated from GCU with Masters in Education. Was it worth it? Yes!
Yes, much of the administration was disorganized, clueless, rude, unknowing in a lot of situations, but when you finally found the right person, it was excellent. I had a great principal that helped me with requirements for our state and in giving me a heads up when she thought I should question my GCU advisor etc.
Course work, You have to be prepared to write lots of papers and teach yourself, but that is why people go on line. You have to be self motivated and be responsible for deadlines.
I learned more in my onlne GCU classes than in two of the ground Universities I received my undergraduate degrees from.
Some teachers were excellent and some were non-existent. The CLC work (collaborative) was a joke, but it is in any school setting. There are always one or two people who do all the work in elementary, MS, HS, or college.
Technical problems are automatically put through to India. You just have to decide how long you can hold out and actually make a phone call to the ground school. Sometimes the techs in India were great help, it depended on why you needed tech support.
Over all, would I do it again? Yes. It was hard work, extremely time consuming, and I had several problems with computer and online stuff. Just know going in you have to be persistent and willing to do what it takes to finish. Many of these problems are the same as ground universities.
GCU: Dumb.
School not recommended by
draintrain
on
July 16, 2010
3/7 people found this review helpful
I just graduated. GCU is the most unorganized institution I have been part of. I am flabbergasted that this place passes as a university. I am embarrassed that my degree comes from this joke.
"Where did you get your BA?", someone will ask. "Disneyland", I will reply. "How was your experience?" "Well, I got to talk with Mickey Mouse- he was my academic counselor."
I cannot say enough... there are other online programs out there. Be patient, do your homework and stay away from this place. It's like getting a degree from Wikipedia.
So far -- good
School recommended by
melissa debacker
on
July 14, 2010
3/3 people found this review helpful
I do not have anything negative to say. I have 3 advisors I work with -- they all stay in communication with me. The classes have been great.
Faculty Say NO to GCU
School not recommended by
Adjunct Faculty
on
July 10, 2010
13/21 people found this review helpful
If you are considering, please consider again. I started teaching for this University almost 6 years ago. In that period of time the quality of education, the regard for the faculty members, and the perspective of a Christian-based institution have all gone downhill.
First, one can not and is not and has not been a Christian-based institution when they are a public company. Decisions are made based upon stakeholders and stockholders not on Christian principles, end issue.
Second, this institution is more interested in revenue than it is in education. Yes they are in education but they are not educators, they could be selling widgets, condoms, or garden hoses, it really would make any difference to them, every student is just a product that fills the seat that generates revenue.
Third, in terms of faculty this institution has little or no respect for what faculty have gone through in order to be successful on online teaching. They will take anybody who has a degree and who follows their paint by number courses.
When I say paint my number courses, they have their rubrics, they have the course curriculum, they have their guidelines that one must follow and about all faculty is worth in the classroom is to grade papers. Do anything outside of their measurements and you no longer teach.
Say anything at a meeting and you no longer get assigned classes. The fact of the matter is online education has gotten worse over time not better at Grand Canyon University, if you look at their management, from the University of Phoenix, they have the same business model and that is to grow the student count at all costs.
To build shareholder and stakeholder equity and do so on the backs of students who can get student loans. Student advisors are not advisors, their advocates for the students that the faculty cannot step in line and march to the orders of advisors, faculty specialist intervene and tell them to get back in line painting my number in the course.
They tell factually exactly what to do, how to do it, when do it, how many times to do it, and if they're not doing it right, some inexperienced, low-paid, faculty specialist tells faculty exactly how to do it.
The fact of the matter is many faculty make their living doing this and it's simply much easier to put their ethics in the trashcan graded paper, give a student an A and be done with it. Defending a faculty member's position takes more time than teaching the class.
Clearly, there will be some students who have had a wonderful experience here at them I congratulate their efforts and their success. As a faculty member, and as a student with multiple degrees in multiple domains I would not send my dog to this institution.
Please keep in mind that this is based on my personal experience however, having been online faculty member with multiple universities for over 15 years my opinion does carry some weight.
Lastly, I have said in meetings and heard faculty members berated, disrespected, and if one sits and listens to a meeting very few say anything because doing so is the kiss of death and you can forget about teaching there again.
So the bottom line is this, you're looking for Christian-based, faith-based institution be sure to look deeply at this institution.
If you're looking for institution that cares about the students, see what happens when you don't have financial aid and how quickly they cut you off, take the classroom and then expect faculty to solve the problem simply because you could not pay your tuition, your education was important to them, only the payment for that education.
In summary, find another institution. You're simply another student number that they sell a program to and you invest your life savings to get their only to find out that their interest seemed to be more in the money than in the outcome.
As the old saying goes, buyer beware and here in the desert when we see a snake we do not invited in we shoot it or run.
You get out of it, what you put into it
School recommended by
Richard
on
July 09, 2010
9/10 people found this review helpful
I'm about half way through my Masters in Organizational Leadership.
The Angel Learning System had some major issues for several weeks, but those seem to be resolved.
Some professors are great, others are barely visible. Some classes are tough, others are a cake walk. Geee this is similar to my Brick and Mortor undergrad school.
You (yes that means YOU) need to be very sure to remember the cutoff dates for cancelling classes. On the other hand you are in College. You need to take on some personal responsibility!
GCU has been a very good fit for me as a mature learner. I've gotten a lot out of my classes. The class discussion boards are usually interesting. I've been able to relate a lot of my classwork and papers to real world problems.
It ain't Harvard, but in another year I will have a Masters and will have learned a lot. Overall, I'd give it a "Thumbs Up."
You Decide...
School not recommended by
Ray
on
July 09, 2010
4/5 people found this review helpful
I have very mixed feelings about my experience with Grand Canyon University. My major is Addiction Counseling (BS Degree Program). The education is online. There have been a lot of unpleasant surprises for me with GCU.
The first was all my drug and alcohol courses are subcontracted to a local community college in Phoenix called Rio Salado College. My very first two courses had a textbook glitch.
I ordered my textbooks from the University Bookstore and yet the instructor and the course were written for an earlier addition. We as students noticed this a couple of weeks into the course when our reading assignments did not match our text. The glitch has occured two more times over the course of my education. Fortunately, we could work around it and no serious damage was caused but it sure has been annoying.
Make sure you check your syllabus for the proper text materials and editions since you cannot trust the bookstore.
Be advised you will be a self-taught student. The instructors are just their to grade papers. They facilitate the course but no teaching is involved. This suited me fine since I can learn what I need from a book and write papers. This is why I took an online degree anyway.
One more problem I have to share is with financial aid. Everything went fine for me until here at the last just before graduation. I am still waiting for my excess loan money to come in. In previous modules it did work fine. It is two months overdue and I am getting the runaround.
Another problem that I have to call about tomorrow morning is a grade of 'A' and credit for one of my courses last module has not appeared in the grade records as it was supposed too. I believe this happened because the instructor did not summit her grades on time and the system is not registering them.
All the courses of the curriculum are good and apply to addictions counseling except for one---Spirituallity in Healthcare. This is a course written for nursings students not addictions counselors! You will just have to plod through it.
On the plus side, I have a 4.0 and will have an accredited BS degree in Addiction Couseling soon. I live in California and I found that Grand Canyon University is listed in the Drug and Alcohol Counseling licensing programs out here. So you can get what you want but you are likely to have more than a few bumps in the road. So I leave with the following words: You decide.
The reviews are so different
School not recommended by
Perpetual Student
on
July 06, 2010
8/11 people found this review helpful
After a year at GCU, I can say that I wish I had never started here.
Some of the reviews below are quite accurate, you basically have to teach yourself. The instructors are all but non-existent, they are only there to grade your papers.
I cannot change schools now, I am too close to graduating. But if someone were to ask me, I would advise them to find another school.
I continue to be amazed at the students here, I am taking 300 and 400 level classes, and there are still a large number of students who cannot spell. That bothers me, because there will be GCU Grads that are in the job market that have not the least grasp on grammar or spelling, and some employers are bound to notice. GCU online exist only for the money.
GCU at the campus is probably a good school. Online, it sucks.
Employment
School not recommended by
James
on
July 02, 2010
2/3 people found this review helpful
Has anyone who attended GCU found employment utilizing the education which they have obtained from GCU?
Also, has anyone studying elementary education received any trouble findind schools to do their student teaching? Most of the reviews are opinions of staff or classes. I would like to know if this school provided anyone with the skills to make money in the real world.
It's not for all
School recommended by
Mins
on
July 02, 2010
2/3 people found this review helpful
I have been attending GCU for just over a year and I have had many experenices that would push someone out of GCU. I am not all that sure if I am going to stay. The classes are shorter (for me) 7wks now, but my husband is still at 8wks. The units have went up to 4. Yes, it may have increased the price but it also makes the over all general time frame is shorter.
The classes are half and half. Some are way out there and others are right on. It's all based on what you already know. Most of the time I never open the book I bought. I never buy a book from their website. Amazon or Ebay. The books are overpriced.
As for students services. They are the downfall. Last summer, my husband joined and they messed up the pell grants. The sent my husbands to an address he had not lived at for 20 years and they just never processed mine. I fought for four months over this. I never had a visior over a month.
All I can say is save every email that you send and recieved. No they don't like calling you back or email you back. I keep calling, that is why they don't like me. I finally threaten higher issues than me calling they sent the refund and that was messed up so the next three months I received a check that should have been with the pell grant. They still did not have this done in Jan.
Again I had to fight over my and my husbands accounts. It really looks like there is problems again. If it goes to leave a message I just hit number two and wait for someone else.
With it being a Christian school they really push the christian schooling. They have come up with you need to satified Global warming christian studies. That does not make sense.
I do enjoy the ease of the classes, they are not so bad but this was not my first choice of school and I am sad that so much has went on that I feel this way over a school, I have met many wonderful teachers and students.
It's okay
School recommended by
mad dog
on
June 25, 2010
5/6 people found this review helpful
I just finished my degree at GCU on Sunday. It's not a great school, but it's not bad either. It's okay.
If you are considering the online school, be prepared to learn the material by yourself. Except for a few classes, the discussions were not very enlightening. This is due to the students at the time and the engagement of the professors. It is not easy to make a blanket statement on this subject, however, quite often you will be on your own. This isn't Harvard, so don't expect really engaging conversations.
There are a lot of papers. One every week in every class. I appreciated this because I like writing and I improved from it. However, it does get tiresome. Yet, because this is the main source of the grade you have to buckle down and get them done.
There are good professors who really take care of you, but there are some who apparently are just pulling a pay check from their home computer in Ohio or some where that don't seem to give a rip.
The students are okay. I only had a few that seemed like they knew much about the subjects we were studying- that is, the ability to apply the knowledge in useful conversation and writings. I had a CLC thing where we had to write a paper together. I did the majority of the work and totally re-wrote my partner's work. Whatever. You do what you have to to get it done.
To the person who says that getting a hold of people doesn't matter- wait until you deal with GCU. If you need to get something done, as with almost everything at GCU, be prepared to push and pull for yourself to get what you need. I have had 4 different people that were suppose to be my academic counselor and 3 different financial aid counselors. The phone numbers change constantly. I have had to follow up on everything. Everything. For almost two years. Everything.
To that person who said that that isn't a legitimate issue, just wait to see how annoying it becomes.
The Angel system is really bad. It is constantly broke somehow and it is not easy to navigate.
You don't get a day off. Class ends on Sunday, the next quarter starts Monday. This was really lame at first, but then I realized that my degree is going really quickly. That was awesome. It keeps you engaged and tired and it is weird that I don't have class anymore.
I just graduated and last month I received my acceptance letter. This is an indication as to the logistics issues of GCU.
So, I would recommend this school for people who don't care about doing everything alone. I for one learned a lot, but only because I was proactive. There is a lot, a lot, a lot to say about why this school sucks. But, it is recognized in the graduate school level (for how long is questionable).
Apparently, GCU sold out somehow and is less stringent on its requirements. I'm done. GCU is okay, I guess.
acient philosopy
School not recommended by
yvonne harris
on
June 24, 2010
2/4 people found this review helpful
i enrolled in this school in june i have a masters in leadership and want to teach at the college level and i enrolled in the masters of elementary education program. from the beginning there were problems:
transcripts
financial aid nightmare
books out of date by 5 years!
angel network nightmare!
turn it in format down or doesn't work
task stream a joke why would you pay $75 for a program you will run for 1 month duh wouldn't you have to purchase the program afterwards to view your information?
nice people who appear to read a script except for the very rude individual in the teacher certiication program and my advisor
don't register because once its in the system and you try to drop they will charge you $2,000 for one class that why i am still there i can't leave
course work consists of papers and online discussions for every class and a collaborative group project that's a joke remember i am in the teacher certification program its the summer teachers don't work how the heck can i interview staff!! are they crazy! we don't work in the summer that's why i enrolled in this program!
ebooks you better download to your computer why they will disappear however they will charge you even it you buy the book why!!
in case you don't know they charge you for a block of classes therefore, it is next to impossible for you to drop out because you must formally drop all the classes and good luck getting the form i tried they told me they would make the form out for me why!!!!don't they think i can read and write on my own something real fishy here
when i received my loans i received a call and i was told to be very careful with online classes because they will overcharge you and use your money up and then tell you there is a balance owed now you have no money to go somewhere else this is why i am still here!
help!!someone needs to report these criminals!!
all responsibility for enrollment transcripts oh yes that famous back ground check through the fbi why!i now have to secure a background check fingers prints and other stuff that i will have to pay for and it is not needed in my state because i am all ready a teacher and that has been completed twice
these people are totally incompentent and read from a script as do the professors cleary insulting your intelligence they are saying (what the heck do you expect i wouldn't send my puppy dog here)!!!
Are there any valid complaints?
School recommended by
Maria
on
June 23, 2010
3/4 people found this review helpful
First of all, let me say I have not attended this school, which is why I am looking at reviews. However, I am not finding these reviews helpful at all! I am not enrolling in a school for their financial advisors or because of how easy it is to graduate.
I was hoping for some reviews about their teachers, college experience, the access to resources, or their experiences with finding jobs with their degrees. After having a tour of the school and speaking to an advisor, I am very excited about attending this school.
It is much different from another big university which I was attending. Talk about not having access to counselors, resources, and financial assistance there! It's non-existent! Hopefully we get more helpful reviews here in the near future.
Are we going to the same school?
School recommended by
Jen
on
June 16, 2010
14/17 people found this review helpful
I have attended GCU for 2 years. I have seen nothing but improvement in student services and have had many people go above and beyond. Perhaps those here haven't practiced the Golden Rule? Be kind, patient and committed to excellence and you will find the same.
My instructors for the most part have been helpful. Talking to friends who attend other online programs I have had it far better.
My financial advisors have been awesome. They make sure I never borrow more money then I need so that I don't end up owing $$$$ when I graduate, and GCU is one of the lower tuition rates out there, plus it is well rated. When I applied as a para-pro I was asked where I was going to school and when I said GCU the principal smiled and said that is a great school! I am going to do my student teaching there while working so I get paid. GCU helped me figure it out.
I am not sure where other people are attending, but it is not GCU. They do not baby you, you have to be accountable and do your work, seek assistance, and be responsible, but everything is there that you need. Sadly it is only those that are disgruntled with a chip on their shoulders that like to tear others down that post reviews (even notice that on Amazon?)
I know how challenging my courses are, and the great people that are helping me so I wanted to share what it is really like to be a 'Lope. If you want success go to GCU if you want a diploma mill – look online and good online programs, there are PLENTY of them.
Want a good education? Go somewhere else!!
School not recommended by
Emily
on
June 14, 2010
3/9 people found this review helpful
This school is HORRIBLE! do not go here! I've been trying since march to get a hold of my advisors via email and calling. No answer. Then I chatted with a tech person online to see where else I can email and find that email address and he said, "there's nothing I can do." If you want any money at the end of your college education... go somewhere else.
Put your big boy pants on
School recommended by
lovinlife
on
June 11, 2010
13/21 people found this review helpful
I feel GCU has implemented great programs due to it actually being a traditional school AND and online school. As I read reviews...sure not EVERY single person will or can be pleased. I think you really have to be prepared to learn and do your work. This is not a dimploma mill school. So, put your big boy pants on.
In response to the person who was upset about a "refund check", you are going to school to get an education not a check. If that is what you are looking for then yes, go somewhere else where it takes you 2 more years to finish your degree and paying more money in the end.
Majority of online schools HAVE E-BOOKS so this should not come as a shock to you. Why pay for a book and not be able to sell it back because within a semester the book is outdated! That is why a lot of schools are headed that route. Why pay $150 for a book when you can download it for a flat rate of $65. Do I like saving money...hmmm yes!
As for "not getting a hold of counselors" I know for a fact you are not either asking the right person or just calling one time and that's it. Follow through is a very difficult attribute.
BEWARE - You are being bilked for money.
School not recommended by
Elizabeth
on
June 11, 2010
13/22 people found this review helpful
I've attended for 2 yrs and found that the Christian School really is not Christian orientated as far as I'm concerned they are only concerned with the money that goes in their pockets.
As of July you will pay more for your education and required to have 4 unit classes which increases the amount you pay for each class - yet Make Note you will go from 8 wks of study to 6wks. You will be required to Pay for Online Textbooks - no choice not to - If you don't have a printer, flash drive or the money to pay for aburds amounts of ink, paper, and wear and tear on your printer you are just out of luck.
Oh but the school supports you they say go to the library and read the books there and do your homework there. Oh, and don't forget your refunds are now only twice a year and You will recieve approximately $1600 - 2 times a year! Good luck using that to assist you in living while going to school.
I have dropped out of this school and found other colleges to teach you a real education and you will have standard credits, textbooks, and normal refunds. I would encourage everyone to think long and hard and not to believe everything that they try to explain to you manipulating the words they used to sell you. Think car salesmen.
Remember that all of this credit and money juggling is an increase money you will be paying back. They say no it is helping to pay off your loans so you won't owe them. No it has increased the money 10 fold into the pockets of this so called school.
As far as what others have said about communication lacking, it is absolutely true and most of my counselors since I've started changed every few months. This school has literally changed the school it was when it started to this shear insult to its students.
BEWARE, BEWARE.
GCU is Joke
School not recommended by
abcd
on
June 09, 2010
8/18 people found this review helpful
I was recently in attendance at the Doctoral residency at GCU and from the very first minute it was terrible. I took the first chance I got to catch a flight home. The last straw was when they felt the need to lecture on how to to use MS Office!
The people enrolled should have had enough schooling that thye know who to use programs such as MS Office. The students in attendance were not qualified, the assignments were pointless, and the campus is terrible! A degree from here means nothing so don't waste your time.
Difficulty from Day One with Administration, but classes great.
School not recommended by
Help!
on
June 06, 2010
12/15 people found this review helpful
I do not need my hand held nor my steak cut into small bites, as one reviewer speculated. I'm a grown woman who runs my own successful business and I've worked in customer service and always stay calm and friendly in every interaction with GCU because I know the people are working as hard as they can.
That said, getting things done with the GCU administration has been a NIGHTMARE. My classes were all great and I got almost straight As in my years at GCU (one B).
The problems started at the very beginning: After my third class I received an email stating I couldn't start my next class because I hadn't been admitted to GCU. This was news to me! I called my academic counselor, who had no idea why I couldn't get into my class.
I was referred to tech support and finance, who all quickly referred me back to my academic counselor (who still had no explanation). It turned out to be a clerical error and after what probably amounted to 10 hours on the phone over several days, it was fixed and I was allowed to start my class, albeit late.
I received collections notices in the mail eventhough I paid my tuition on time due to a clerical error. I, once again, spent many hours on the phone and on hold trying to get this fixed before my credit was affected! Thankfully, after I sent certified letters to the general counsel and members of the executive staff, it miraculously was fixed, but nobody called me to even let me know it had been fixed or how.
I was doing my then regular check-in with my finance counselor and voila, it was just "gone" one day and he couldn't explain how. It never happened again, but it wasn't the last debacle.
I was also on a payment plan for a while where the school was supposed to automatically deduct my tuition from my bank account on certain days. They got "behind" and didn't deduct the tuition in time, and I ended up being denied access to a class in progress because the computer system decided I was delinquent in payments.
So I went ahead and paid the remainder online so I could get back into my class and I faxed and called the info to the finance counselor to make sure they didn't deduct my account, since I didn't owe them anything anymore. A few days later, THEY DEDUCTED IT ANYWAY, eventhough the system showed my balance was paid in full and I had literally spoken to my finance counselor and the person who processes the account deductions beforehand and gotten their assurances it wouldn't be deducted!
Of course, getting a refund was impossible, so we just applied the money to future classes, but it wasn't an easy budget month for me!
Now, I've met all my requiremetns for graduation, walked in the ceremony, and I'm supposed to start grad school in a few weeks (at another school). Someone, somewhere at GCU changed my transcript (a week after I walked in the graduation ceremony) to say I needed one more class. This contradicts numerous emails and verbal conversations I've had with my acadmic counselor that said I had met all requirements and finished my degree.
I also reviewed my transcript according to the catalog and clearly meet ALL requirements and exceed most requirements. So, if GCU can't fix this obvious clerical error in time, it will cost me my grad school admission! The final requirement for my admission is to provide them with a transcript that shows I've graduate. Makes sense.
I've invested so many hours on the phone with GCU and it seems as though NOBODY can fix this urgent problem! Everybody directs me back to my academic counselor, who merely takes a message and says, "I have to check with someone else, I'll call you back." or "Try calling again in one week." I know my counselor is trying his best, but the system there is SO BROKEN and it isn't worth jeopardizing your academic and professional future.
The school is having MAJOR growing pains and needs to spend more effort on helping existing students instead of recruiting new students. I'm not sure if the majority of counselor-access problems are with the "military" wing of the school, because that's the one I was assigned to. Perhaps students in the non-military sections get better counselor assistance.
If GCU costs me my grad school admission (and the tens of thousands of dollars I've invested in getting admitted to grad school), I have no choice but to sue for breach of contract! I sure hope this gets handled one way or another. This has been a nightmare and so stressful! After all my hard work, to have to go through this when I should be able to relax for a minute before I dive into grad school, its just a shame!
Too many bugs
School not recommended by
James Helton
on
June 06, 2010
15/17 people found this review helpful
I left University of Phoenix to transfer to GCU. It was a mistake. The website is not stable, I get kicked off Angel (their web site) all the time. You spend 10 minutes writing a response to a post and it does not post because you were timed out.
Yet sometimes I go to bed with the computer on and I am still on the school's web site after all night. There is no logic behind it.
They are changing to e-books. But... you have to be online to open the book. I downloaded my text books from 2 classes to my laptop, and while on a long flight I decided to read a chapter or two. WRONG, they say it is for Copyright reasons, but if you are not online, you cannot open your books.
They changed classes from 3 hours classes to 4 hours classes as a way to increase the tuition, and THAT screwed up the system.
The website changes ever semester, and there is no standardization between classes. In one class assignments will be under the Classroom tab, and in another it will be in the Syllabus. You have to hunt until you find what you are looking for.
Unique to GCU is the CLC, the Cooperative Learning Community, or some such nonsense. Most classes you are divided up into 3 to 5 person groups for a PowerPoint presentation or a paper. It is rare that the entire group contributes. Often it is me and one team mate that complete the assignment.
Bottom line, avoid GCU like you would a sexually transmitted disease until they get the bugs worked out.
new student
School recommended by
Sharon Oliver
on
May 22, 2010
11/15 people found this review helpful
I just finished my first class at GCU. I totally loved it. I have read alot of reviews about not being able to get in touch with advisors, but I have had NO problems with this. I always talk to everyone the same day I try to reach them. Alot of time they answer the phone when I call. I even get occasional calls from an advisor just to see how my week is going and if I am having problems.
I am very excited to start my next class. I would highly recomend this college to anyone seeking an online university.
