William & Mary School of Education

It is very rare that I feel regret about the past, but joining W&M's online program in school counseling was one of the worst decisions I have ever made. There are far more affordable options, but I thought that the university's reputation warrants paying more. Huge mistake. Very few professors are trying to teach. Most classes are "taught" by adjuncts (and I use the word teach very liberally here). Teaching really only involves watching a few poor quality videos (some of which are from YouTube),... Read More read a textbook, and write a paper, on which you receive nearly zero feedback. I haven't done a poll but a huge number of students are unhappy and would transfer if not for the money already spent. After nearly 2 years in the program, I am certain that only a couple of faculty member would even recognize my name - asking anyone for a recommendation letter, for example, would be impossible. The faculty really tries to spend as little time as possible on this program, seeing it as a quick and easy pay check. I will qualify that there have been a couple of professors who were outstanding, but they are truly an exception. Course reviews are never addressed and nothing changes. Suddenly, mid-program, the school of education raised tuition by 25% (!) citing inflation. They can and will do this arbitrarily. While this may sound like a rant it is not. I am simply hoping to prevent others from making the mistake that I have made. I was choosing between several programs and made the worst choice imaginable.