Penn Foster College Reviews

"I don't have bad things to say about the school and programs, being that I was only enrolled for about three months, then I had a change of mind. The problem I have and I warn everyone is to be careful if you decide to cancell the program.If you know you have a balance to pay, do not wait for the billing department to send you a bill (although they said they are, misleading information.instead you will be surprised with a phone call from an EXTREMELY RUDE, UNPROFESSIONAL representative demanding payment and without any notice or warning the account is turn into their collection department 12 hours later, even after a payment arrangement had been reached with the representative(again misleading information)BE VERY CAREFUL. Bad billing protocal."

"I'm very saddened about the way everyone is talking negative about this school because it is legit. I have researched this school a whole lot before I decided to attend. I'm made sure that I could transfer to any other institution and of course I have made phone calls just to double checked so my money would not have been wasted. I just graduated from PF and I would say that it was not an easy journey. It took a lot of hard work,dedication, self motivation and patience to have been able to finish what I started. Yes the courses were very challenging ,looked very simple but you had to work at it to pass. Some of the exams were just ABCand D answers but if you were not careful then you end up have to take the exam over.I 'am very trilled to have chosen PF because I finished in less then 2years plus I transfered to an RA univerisity where I will be pursuing my BS in criminal justice. See the difference between PF and other institution that are national accredited is that PF is ACE recommendated which means that any college course not diploma course that you take with PF is bound to get transfer to another institution with no problem. Diploma programs do not transfer anyways because there are not college courses, and there are courses to better oneself in a specific time. I just want to encourage someone out there that if you are also thinking about taking classes at PF, do your thing and make sure the schools that they have listed on their web for transfer credits are true before you attempt to go.Please, I know for a fact that you will not waste your money if you pick PF.Make sure you do what is best for you because in the end you want to come up on top."

"I began taking the Medical Transcriptionist course at the end of March 2010. So far, I am enjoying the course very much and have passed the first three exams. I have contacted tutors a couple of times and have received responses within 24 hours. My course work has been sent to me absolutely on schedule, so there has been no waiting around for the next lesson.As far as the content, I have found it to be easy to follow and informative. I am a former British Registered Nurse, so I am pretty familiar with medical terminology, but have already learned, and am continuing to learn things that I didn't learn in Nursing School. Interesting stuff.It seems to me, from what I have read, that the people who are bad mouthing Penn Foster are probably going to have bad experiences wherever they go. If you're looking for a quick and easy fix, that you can pay for whenever, then this isn't the school for you. If you are ready to do the work and are genuinely interested in succeeding, then I think you will enjoy this school. Good luck, everyone. "

"Hi,I have gotten Diplomas for both of these Courses. I would highly recommend Penn Foster to everyone.This is an opportunity for people who work full time and do not have the time to go back to school. You get to work at your own pace. Studying online requires self discipline. Its up to the individual to learn.To get an increase in pay - its up to the company you work for ... do your research... Yup. definately I love Penn Foster."

"Penn Foster is a big waste of time. I am going there to become a Vet Tech. They spend 4-6 weeks just to process you proctored exams. Then they require two practicums. One in a small clinic and another in a large. In order to work there you must be approved first. However, the approval process takes months. I submitted my paperwork in July. However, it took all the way to October to get approved. Don't get me wronge it is cheap. But, the insuctors take weeks to email back if you have an educational question.So, are you really learning? Its hard to say. Now, am in my third semester waiting for books to come in. If your in for a long fustrating school that takes forever to email you back. Join me and the annoyed crew who also attend the school."

"I have been attending Penn Foster College for about two months now and I absolutely love this program. The text books are better than any text book i've ever encountered, they are laid out in a very simple form with your learning objectives outlined on the first page of the chapters. They also have really great examples of key factors in what you are studying, really great chapter reviews as well as all of your key terms at the end of each chapter.Then you have the study guides they provide with each class that outlines key elements of what you are about to study and in them they provide self checks at the end of each reading assignment so you can check your progress. Any questions I have had so far have been answered in a very polite timely fashion. My shipments are sent right on time (when you are 60% done with each class).To those of you who are complaining about not being able to receive your degree until you pay off your debt: Number one: If you would have called the school before enrolling and asked questions they are very up front about this issue. Number two: Even if you didn't call and speak with someone if you would have read the student handbook that is provided to you on your home page it's spelled out for you in black and white.To those of you thinking about attending this school, pay no mind to the people that have had bad experiences due to lack of research or lack of just asking questions or reading a handbook. If you are going to attend a non-hands on program this is the school for you."

"I went through Penn Foster when they were called Thomson for my high school diploma in 2005. I enrolled in the Criminal Justice program and then switched to Early Childhood Education (I had to pay $200 to do that). I have been satisfied so far. I like the fact that you can pay monthly payments instead of all at once out of pocket. I have 2 kids and it helps me that I get to stay home and study, take tests and so on. I am going to switch back to Criminal Justice (hopefully I don't have to pay $200 again) so that I can become a Cop one day..."

"The people who are complaining either have had issues with rudeness, which does not reflect on the school's academic reputation(even a Harvard professor can be a jerk), or they have obviously NOT done proper research on their course of interest, their state/area, and the fine print of the school.BEFORE I enrolled I KNEW that I would not be receiving my diploma until ALL of the tuition was paid off. I knew this because I researched and read ALL the print and fine print that they offered about themselves.I looked online AND called the businesses in my area to find out the status of Penn Foster in my chosen field. As well, I looked online for accreditation and personal reviews.I mean, my goodness people. You are all just complaining about personal issues, mostly of your own folly, but not giving any good, substantial evidence that Penn Foster is a "bad" school.With all that said I would implore that one looks extensively into the status of the school and it's degree, within your state/area BEFORE making any solid decision and/or paying any money.And for courses that require hands-on experience, well, a hands-on course is obviously the best choice. Penn Foster offers it, but it doesn't mean it is the best choice to take it. More like the lazy choice if you ask me. I certainly wouldn't expect to receive proper massage therapy training online. Or Vet/Dental tech, or Mechanic, or et al.**Research the best learning method for your course of study!!**Penn Foster is offering an ALTERNATIVE with quality in what it CAN offer. Many schools excel in certain types of courses compared to others they offer. No school is the "best" ALL the way around. It IS the responsibility if the STUDENT to understand and discern which course training is just as effective online.For the courses that DO work best with Penn Foster's online learning, they are great. Comprehensive, in depth, unintimidating, and inexpensive. I like the material being broken down into "study units" and I really enjoy that there are self-checks at the end of each section within the study unit. Like critical thinking in Grade School text books. And that you can take the tests right after studying, while it is still very fresh in your mind. Especially helpful for the less "appealing" subjects that I seem not to retain. I have had a good experience with the people too.Penn Foster is a great distance learning school, not a perfect school. The discernment is in the course of study and how effective online learning will be for it. If Penn Foster can't offer a substantial enough Dental degree, what ONLINE school can?I am taking Medical Transcription."

"This school is absolutely Amazing! But In my opinion, I think if your looking for an online school, don't sign up if you want to be a vet tech, or a nurse, or a dental assistant. These things need lots of hands on training, you will not learn anything from an online school, and you will have zero experience. If your looking for a career in business, or accounting, or medical billing and coding online schooling would be good for you. You people are complaining because you signed up and you didn't realize your state doesn't accept their diploma's or the program didn't offer you what you needed. These things should all be researched before you sign up for a school, if you just sign up without checking into all the important things, its no ones fault but your own. Don't knock the school because you don't know what your doing, This is common sense people, do your work, research, make sure you know what your doing, how much your going to pay, what you will be studying before you pay that..small amount your complaining about. If you think its so bad, Go to a real college and pay their tuition :) "

"I completed their Desktop Publishing and Design certificate program back in 1997 when they were still ICS. Now I am back after years of experience that program helped me attain to complete the Graphic Design Certificate and apply it toward the A.S. degree. PF is accredited, so maybe student satisfaction varies from program to program. I wanted quality training and am very satisfied. It is not just a "look up the answers and pass the tests" program. They provide opportunity for hands-on practice exercises and knowledge application. Opportunity is the key word - you've got to be patient and work through the program to get the most out of it. If you short-cut it, you won't get your money's worth.Considering the self-paced schedule and no-interest tuition financing - I don't think there is a better return on investment out there."