Penn Foster College

Penn foster is an ok online school. I'm almost finished with the private investigations career diploma program and overall it's fine. It's affordable, self paced and accredited by deac which is recognized by the department of education. I have graduated from U.S. Career Institute with a certificate in 2022, am currently enrolled in Washington Technical Institute and have many certifications in the security field. Im also getting my undergraduate in business management from Ashworth College soon.... Read More I recommend Penn foster to everyone. The only complaints I have is that short instructional videos would be nice and one section of the course had almost nothing to do with private investigations, which I complained to the school about. Overall I've had good experiences with multiple online schools, including Penn Foster. I'm now looking to enroll in Columbia Southern University. If your interested in good online schools to attend, I also recommend California Coast University, university of the people and so on. Good luck with your decision and studies!

The vet tech program though Penn foster is an absolute joke. Some of the course work is outdated and the skills no longer used in veterinary setting. The externship process is even more disgusting. They don’t offer any type of help beyond an email explaining that they can’t help you and you’ll have to figure it out. I’m currently enrolled and will likely not finish due to them not offering any kind of assistance or explanation as to why the skills I submit are unacceptable to them. I doubt any of... Read More their externship instructors have actually worked in a veterinary hospital in years or even decades. You will definitely waste money on this program and have nothing to show for it. I’ve looked into Platt college and it seems way more do-able than the joke that is Penn Foster.

I am guilty of writing reviews when things are bad, even though we should write when things are good. However this is a review of how poor the experience was that I had gone through with Penn and Foster. Right on their home page it says " learn on your schedule". This was something that appealed to me right away. I work 50 hrs a week and I am a single parent. When I have my daughter I start work at 6 am, I pick her up after school at 3:15 and work for another hour or 2 while I give her some time... Read More to unwind after school. I then make dinner and as we make dinner I do some home work with her. After dinner, I clean up then she showers and we do some computer exercises, she practices her reading, and then I read to her. We finish up around 8 or so. a Very full day.. I get 3 days a week I do not have her, that's when I was doing the Penn and Foster work. I am a slow reader and was always a C student, but I tried my hardest. There are quizzes in the excel course I needed to complete and there were sections that were less than clear on how to submit answers. I reached out to the live chat and they really couldn't assist me. As I mentioned they say you can learn on your schedule. They have removed me from the course because I wasn't going fast enough, the direct opposite of their reason to choose them. If you're looking into take the excel course with Penn and Foster here are the the disclaimers you should be aware of, you should have lots of free time, don't expect to actually learn on your schedule. I tried to do that and they removed me out for being slow, being a single parent and working full time. Also if you are intimidated by taking an online course and not very familiar with computer programs, stay away from this school. Apparently they want students who already know excel ( despite it being a program to teach you excel) are proven A or B students and can answer all of your own questions. I was really excited to go back to school and learn something new, but this school or program WILL NOT help you nor make it easy for the millions of people who are in my similar situation.

Don’t trust anyone who has positive words about this school. It was a disaster for me. The material seemed fine and super easy, books are basically free, but the proctors are IMPOSSIBLE - 6 questions for essentially entire textbook worth of information? I don’t care who you are, that’s ridiculous. The Facebook “group” was just full of drama. If you don’t pay off your semester by the next one, your monthly payments DOUBLE or at least mine did. They threw me in an English class (I have a bachelor’s... Read More degree I shouldn’t need any Gen Ed classes). The way they grade papers is stupid - random people are grading them so when you get them back and correct things, you’ll turn it back in only for someone else to grade it and contradict what the first person marked up. I quit basically as soon as the second semester started. DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME NOR MONEY. GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Currently enrolled in Penn Foster VT program. With 17 years experience and having already passed the VTNE via an alternative pathway , I’m finding the classes a breeze. I’m just starting my externship for the second semester… and I began this school Oct 22. I plan to be finished in less then 1 year. I will say I haven’t learned anything new - aside from maybe some livestock stuff ( not my vibe ) yet , and someone the info and techniques are antiquated , and i am able To pass all exams and proctors... Read More with out much more then a review of the course. I’ve heard nightmare stories about the externship so I’m curious about that… but I’m able to complete it at my current job and put in as many hours as want to get the min hours done.

I took a years worth of credit hours for the Associate business management degree. I decided to not continue with this institution because there is no professor communication at all. Half of the online material can be googled. The only way to contact is a 1-800 number and you have no idea if you're actually talking to a licensed professional or the janitor. I tried to apply the transcripts to georgia highlands college for spring 2023, and THE TRANSCRIPTS WEREN'T REGIONALLY ACCREDITED!! So now I have... Read More to take a bunch of basic classes all over again. Absolutely do not recommend penn foster. You can go to the government student aid website and basically get a free ride through college(with pell grants) if you're a low income family.