Penn Foster Career School Reviews

"Be very careful with this school. I thought I did my research on Penn Foster before enrolling, turns out I missed some key points. Here they are: 1.) I paid in full ($1,399) thinking it was for the ENTIRE cost of the program, because that is what I was lead to believe through the description of the program. Turns out, the $1,399 was only for the first semester, that's all. So I would have had to pay the $1,399 three more times in order to continue and complete the degree altogether. 2.) It is very difficult to contact instructors for help. I really only needed help for one assignment that kept being returned back to me and I couldn't figure out why. I could only find my instructor's name, but no way of contacting him. So I ended up asking a general "help" forum for the school of how to complete the assignment correctly. The response I received was very generic and was not helpful. I ended up completing the assignment from researching YouTube, Google etc for help. 3.) The proctored exams are extremely difficult and specific. Proctored exams have to be taken at a local community center or school where an instructor watches you to ensure you are not cheating or using an open book. You can take the proctored exam online, for a fee and your computer must be equipped with a microphone and webcam so they can watch you. The exam for animal A&P was ridiculously tetious. There was literally over 1,200 pages of reading material with hundreds of definitions that were expected to know in order to take the hour exam. The "community forum" page where students can ask fellow students about classes, were always full of students asking for study help with the exams and a few complaining that they were just unrealistic and too difficult for the amount of material. There was a couple students that I came across that stated that they failed the exams twice, which meant they had to retake and pay for the entire class over again. I even found a young lady's blog on the internet in which she wrote her experience with the animal A&P exams at Penn Foster. She already worked at a veterinary office and still described how her stomach sank when she opened up the exam and started reading the questions and how difficult they were. 4.) Penn Foster has a negative stigma to it. The state I live in accepts Penn Foster as an accredited school for Veterinary Technicians, however, this does not mean that employers will want to hire you if you graduated from Penn Foster. Because it is an online school, there is a very real stigma that the schooling must not be taught well and that students aren't going to be as prepared because there is no hands-on learning. As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with employers thinking this way. Basically, an online school just requires students to read and memorize material in order to pass the exams ( some exams you can even take multiple times until you get 100%), and employers know this; which is why a lot of them will not hire Penn Foster graduates. 5.) There are two externships required in the Veterinary Technician program. I did not make it to this point of having to do the externships, however in the "community forum" that I mentioned earlier, there were many distressing things made clear about completing this externships. Many students would either write about how difficult the paperwork was to get together, or that they had extreme difficulties finding a veterinary office that would 1. accept them as interns (because of the negative Penn Foster stigma) or 2. Penn Foster requires that the veterinary office performs specific types of skills the student needs to complete in order to fulfill the externship requirement. Please note that I am not writing this review as a bitter or disgruntled student. I am writing this as a warning to those considering Penn Foster for any program, but more specifically the Veterinary Technician program since I feel that it is one of their most popular programs. I thought I had done all my research needed, but turns out I hadn't. I would encourage prospective students to seek out what options they have in their area for schooling before choosing an online program. I have heard of many students that have completed online degrees, but have not been able to find work because employers will not hire an online degree graduate; that is something to seriously keep in mind. Penn Foster entices prospected students into enrolling because they advertise the flexibility of online schooling. In Penn Foster's defense, this is very true. You can basically choose whenever, day or night to complete your schooling and work at your own pace. Penn Foster also has open enrollment year round, meaning you don't have to wait for the "fall' or "winter" quarter to start your schooling, you can literally pay and start your studies immediately. But please don't let this distract you from the concerns that I have written above, or all of the concerns that many other students have written on similar sites. Like I stated in my first line, be very careful with Penn Foster.Read Less"

"Great program. It is perfect for someone like me who also works a full time job. You DO have to be responsible, self-motivated and disciplined to study on your own. It's at your own pace so you'll fall behind if you're a procrastinator or need someone else to constantly urge you to study. You need to be able to schedule study time and commit to it. You need to be a self-learner but also know when you need to ask for help or clarification. There's always plenty of help, resources and support though if you need it. (instructors, study groups, community boards, etc) You just have to take the initiative and make the effort to look for or ask for it. No one's going to lead or babysit you. You have to pay your tuition or you won't get your diploma until you do. In other words, you have to be accountable for your financial committment. Pretty simple concepts. Do your research. Know what is required for your particular path or goal. In my case, during my studies I need to also complete hands- on externship hours in an actual accredited Veterinary practice. In my state you also need to graduate from an AVMA accredited degree program in order to then take (and must pass) the State exam, to become a certified Vet Tech. Penn Foster's Associate of Science in Veterinary Technology meets this requirement. Like I said, you need to do your research, know what's required and be prepared to meet those requirements. If you need to be coaxed, guided and led through every step, the online method may not be for you. If you can commit and guide yourself, and seek help and/or clarification when needed, you'll do fine. You have to truly learn the material. After all you have to know it to pass the State Exam. In any of the negative reviews I've read it appears quite obvious that the person failed to meet one or more of the "requirements" to success.Read Less"

"Don't do it! I only did program for 1 week and decided to cancel- 6 months later they said I owe them $500 and it is now in collections. Never received a letter! No one ever told me about a closing cost! I'm going to report these fruds!!!!!!!!! Don't trust them"

"School is the biggest joke and scam ever. If I didn't invest time and money I would of dropped long ago. Worst online school ever. All they care about is money and more money. Professors half read your assignments and fail you when material is there that's asked, IRS pathetic and a waste of time. I could of paid less taking this program for 800 at one of the most respectable vet offices in my state. Not spend over 3,000 and can't even find a place to do my hours. Smh"

"Horrible school. Don't recommend it to anyone. No one helps you if you have questions. My total bill at the end was 400 and now I some how owe 908 after I paid the 400. And no one will answer my call when i call the school. Everyone beware! I do not want anyone to go through what I'm going through. I signed up to this school through reviews because I thought it was a good school I was 100% wrong. They're just looking for money and that's all."

"I'm a current student at Penn Foster under their vet tech program. If I had a glimpse into what the program was teaching and the "evaluators" that grade you..I definitely would have chosen another option. I've been practicing as an unregistered technician for eight years and they take in to account zero years of that experience. Going through the classes I've found that they teach outdated techniques that aren't even used anymore. I've also found a lot of their "has to be done by the books" mentality stifling, since once you are practicing, it doesn't always go "by the books". The externship process is a joke. You must find a hospital and RVT willing to take you on as an intern and dedicate their time to help train you and sign off on skills that you then submit to your Penn Foster supervisor. But if the Penn Foster supervisor doesn't like how you performed the skill, regardless of the RVT that is training you marking that it was done correctly, they will make you resubmit. I've found my Penn Foster supervisor unhelpful and condescending. I certainly hope she doesn't speak to other technicians how she speaks to me. And if you submit a complaint to their "help center" stating how you feel they will tell you that they do not think she was unhelpful or condescending and there is nothing for them to do. So no, I would not recommend this school.Read Less"

"I just started this school about a year ago and I have gotten nothing but problems for the people that work for the school. First it took them 4 phone calls from me, 3 emails from me, and 2 calls from my mom in order to get an email with my payments for my first semester. Second, I can't get past my first semester (that I was suppose to finish on the 25 th on June) because I've been waiting for my proctor exams and every time I try to contact someone I get the run around or I get someone that says my exam will be there at this time and they're still not here. DO NOT GO TO THIS SCHOOL!Read Less"

"This is an amazing school and an amazing program!! Doctor Jim Hurrell has taken over the program and it has grown so much. We have so many opportunities as students to attend awesome webinars and programs. Dr. McCurrin, who wrote the book on being a vet tech is one of the instructors and he gives webinars on a weekly basis. It is an online program so you do have to be self motivated. There is a great community where you can meet other students for help and support along the way. I would recommend this program and school to everyone who is looking for a self paced, AVMA accredited program that is growing every day.Read Less"

"This place is a joke. I took the vet tech course and decided it wasn't for me so I canceled. I have been paying my bill of monthly but they sent me account to a debt collector anyway. I don't not understand why they did this. And when you try to call them about the situation they will not put you through to student services."

"The classes are ok but the communication from the department when waiting for approval for your proctors or your next courses to be opened up is horrible. DO NOT trust them when they say they will call you back or e-mail you with the answer because it won't happen and when you call they won't offer an apology, only excuses and a complete lack of caring. I have children and a full time job and I don't have weeks upon weeks to lose because they completely lack communication skills. I would look into other schools before making the the choice to enroll in Penn Foster.Read Less"

"I would not recommend this program to anyone. I have had so many issues. The classes are easy however they do not help you find an internship at all. The teachers are knowledgeable but the school is awful. They are horrible communicators and take forever to approve the internship."

"I am enrolled in the Veterinary Technician Associate Degree program. This program IS accredited. The bad reviews are mostly disgruntled people who didn't pay what they signed up for or weren't ready to put the work in. Yes- you have to make payments or pay in a lump sum. But if you're receiving services like say electric and don't pay what happens? It gets shut off! Electric companies don't care if you had a financial hardship! So why would you expect for a college to? You sign an agreement and if you didn't read that agreement before signing it- that's on you. Yes, this program IS challenging which it should be. It's a college course, accredited by the AVMA (which allows you to sit for the VTNE exam that certifies you), and it has a lot of content you NEED to know for on the job. If you aren't willing to put the work into it or pay for your tuition, then this isn't for you. Penn Foster may be online but the teachers and even students are so helpful and welcoming. The Vet Tech program has a Facebook group- if you ever have a question, a TON of people respond and help you out. There are so many resources on the Penn Foster site alone.Read Less"

"I learned a great deal from the program and was very prepared for my licensing exam. I am now making top dollar wages for an orthopedic surgeon. The only drawback to the school was, I did not receive a lot of help finding internship hospital's. I would recommend the program."

"Great program. Staff support is awesome. Highly recommended. Can work on it on my own time."

"My first semester at Penn Foster went great. My second semester was a going very well until I did my first practicum. I submitted everything. All my pictures, all my reports, and all my signed paperwork. After some time of waiting for my next semester I find out that I need to redo EVERYTHING because all of my materials I sent we lost. I had my postage tracked and has confirmation it was delivered but Penn Foster said it was not received. After all the stress and the headache of quickly trying to redo my entire practicum my teacher still has not graded any other my work to continue on with my studies!! I would not recommend Penn Foster to anyone who is trying to quickly get a degree or to anyone who has a difficult time studying online. The teachers at Penn Foster are VERY incompetent during my experience.Read Less"

"Hey! I started with Penn Foster a few months ago. I really like it. Penn Foster provides great course outlines and study guides as well as text books. On the other hand, the instructors are horrible at communicating. I will call them seeking guidance, they say they will call me back right after they get off the phone with someone else and it never happens. The instructors do not follow through on their part. They do not get the job done. That is very critical with education- having great communication with instructors and teachers.I am disappointed in Penn Foster. I am also disappointed in some of the people who make bad comments about other students' reviews. Saying things like, "Everyone who comes on here to complain has poor writing skills!"People use this site to complain when they have bad experiences or when they believe that their concerns have gone unnoticed. When the school fails to do its job, student will feel like they have been screwed over. Some times we do not ALL have these bad experiences. Every person experiences different situations.When a person is very upset, it is way easier for them to make stupid mistakes in their writing and speaking. So, people who make rude comments about other reviews are just showing their own ignorance as well. This is so much fun for me, seriously.I am so bored right now and honestly have nothing better to do at the moment. I do really like Penn Foster, but the school really has its problems! Then again, it's not a perfect school. There will always be problems everywhere you go.Read Less"