for-profit trade schools are generally a bad deal

[aka name]

Title: What do you think of ITT Technical Institute For Electronics Engineer
Date: 1-29-1996
Author: Mark Kinsler

Google groups are disappearing, so I placed the entire classic response here.

[...] I don't have specific experience with ITT, but private, for-profit trade schools are generally a bad deal for the students. The tuition and fees are very high, and the supplies are typically overpriced as well. They sure were at the schools I taught at. You'll be far better off at a local community college.

One might well ask how the private trade schools can stay in business when the same stuff is offered for lots less at public community colleges. The reasons are academic: the community colleges require courses in math
and English which the students don't like very much. The private trade schools don't require such courses, and emphasize this point whilst doing their usual sales job on prospective students. The "admissions
counselors" are on commission.

Also, you generally can't flunk out of one of the private schools like you can from a community college. For this and other reasons, the private, for-profit schools aren't accredited by the same regional accrediting agencies that regulate colleges and universities. The private, for-profits are licensed by the state in which they reside (all schools are) and will claim accreditation by that state's board of higher education plus one or another trade school accreditation body.

It isn't the same. An engineering technology program should be accredited by one of the regional accrediting agencies: Southern States, North Central, New England, etc. In addition, it should be accredited by ABET, the Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology. Without these accreditations, your degree probably won't be recognized by other schools. There are a lot of engineering technology programs around with the requisite accreditation, and there's really no reason (except for having to take English and math, and the risk of flunking out if you screw up badly enough) not to attend one of them.

There are several chains of private, for-profit trade schools. The age and quantity of the schools in a chain tells you only that they are a profitable enterprise for the owners. It is not an indication of quality. If you must attend such a school, I'd suggest a correspondence course like that from NRI Schools.

From the sound of your post, it sounds like you've already been to visit the private school in question. You'll probably be given several follow-up calls from the admissions staff to urge you to enroll already. Please keep in mind that they, like all admissions people, are salesmen.

One more caution: if you don't have a high school diploma, community colleges won't accept you but the private, for-profit trades often will, though they aren't supposed to. If you didn't finish high school, take whatever courses your local school board offers to help you pass your GED. Then check out the local community colleges.

Don't be scared of the math. They'll help you. Let us know how you're doing.

Mark Kinsler

Source: http://groups.google.com/group/sci.elec ... 9edb?hl=en

[sevenalive]

That is classic right there. I would consider that an article. Ill move it and format it to specs. Thanks for the post.