The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division Reviews

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Hi every one, I found this site.

I Do work with AIPOD. I can tell you that I'm shocked reading some of these reviews. Most of these things I read do not normally happen.

This is just like everything do you in a normal day to day... Pick a favorite place to eat, have drinks, food, cars... Everything is going to have some bad reviews that some see eye to eye on and others well just don't.

If you having a hard time getting ahold of some one or maybe just the right person to speak too please feel free to call me

1877 872 8869 25450

I hope this helps!

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(3)

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I think it is a great school and serves the purpose intended perfectly fine. I really like my instructors and the format.

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(4)

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I just wanted to say I have been a student here for almost a year, I love it. I have taken six classes so far and am doing well, financial aid covered over half of my tuition and the loans taken out, half of those are interest free. Yes, they are a lot, but not that hard to pay off, I could pay $100 a month and could have EVERYTHING paid before I get my degree. There is a trick to it. First, tell the financial advisor what your situation is, they will work with you, and find ways to save you money. After that, if you don't have a job, get one, preferably in whatever degree you are going for, or very similar to it. Then, make sure you update your resume, keep a portfolio, and pay at least a small amount toward your loans per month. Right now, my stipend payments have got my loans covered. If you follow these rules, you will meet your goal early in your life, have plenty of money, and that's not mentioning how impressive your resume and portfolio will be after getting your degree. This school is a great choice, and to prove it, after only five classes, I have eight job interviews this week alone, for designer openings, or printers in companies that can promote you to designer. However, No, most of the time credits will not transfer over, but 85% of colleges are like that. This school has a long history of really great alumni, and for me, just to be considered a part of this elite group is very gratifying. So, if you can multi-task, learn at a quick speed, and want to succeed while pushing your creative boundaries for the better, GO FOR IT.

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(15)

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I want to address Frank's review (April 13th, 2010) so that the curious few who do read these comments do not get the wrong impression of the Art Institute.

First of all, one should be cautious about trusting people who are so easily duped. Frank contends that he was practically bullied by the school's recruiters.

"They will pressure you to join."

"They will pressure you about agreeing to the financial plan and give you little explanation and a lot of attitude."

"...behold- you are now responsible for paying the $2000 for the class you decided you didn't want to take."

Wow, Frank. I have some magic pebbles that I would like to sell to you for a mere $1000. Compared to the money you spent on a "worthless" education, this is quite a deal for you!

The Art Institute has been in existence since 1921 and has been accredited by the ACICS. While the online program is still awaiting its turn to be accredited, I highly doubt that the business and education practices for the online branch have deviated so severely from an institution which has not, in the past 89 years, done anything to earn the fly-by-night reputation that so many of these negative reviews would lead you to believe. Do you honestly think that such a business could continue to operate for so long with such shady practices?

Here's what I think happened to most of the people on this site who "experienced" a shady situation at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

1. They had no prior higher-education experience and were not prepared for the commitments of time and money.
2. They discovered, soon after receiving the first of many poor grades on class assignments, that they could not simply purchase their degrees but instead had to actually work for them.
3. The reality of their situations clashed with their inflated senses of self and they began to make irrational excuses.
4. They have not had time to reflect on their failures. Instead, they decided to lash out at the one good opportunity they had but have now wasted.

Read between the lines as you peruse these reviews and know that the exact same comments are made for EVERY university, though the ones for Ivy League schools usually don't have so many misspelled words. Also, they are not quick to bemoan the loss of $50,which is the standard (or minimum?) fee for application to a university.

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(23)

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Do not go here you will regret it. Do not push the "Confirm Course" button in the Campus Common area unless you 1000% percent sure you want to take the class. Cause you can call in before the class even starts and ask to withdraw from this school and behold- you are now responsible for paying the $2000 for the class you decided you didn't want to take. They will pressure you to join. They will even convince you it's ok to start school late and that it'll be no problem to catch up. Lies! They will not be upfront about your expenses to go to this school. They will pressure you about agreeing to the financial plan and give you little explanation and a lot of attitude. The classes are a joke. They are not worth the money. You will get teachers that don't give a damn. Stay away from this place. I'm in debt the price of a car and I took 3 classes. Stay away from the Comp Lit class- you will be enraged that you spent that much money to get a crash course on Photoshop and Illustrator. Don't be fooled that the class will leave you feelin ready for your courses. Look for a school with a good reputatio that costs less. This was the biggest financial mistake I have made and in no means a step in the right direction to a brighter future.

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(7)

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Wow. Hey negative reviewers (I'm lumping you all together since your complaints are all basically the same)! Guess what? This kind of crap happens just about everywhere. Sure, I've had issues with some of the instructors at the Art Institute but I've also had problems with the same kind of people at highly rated, traditional colleges.

Judging by the poor grammar and spelling mistakes in most of these bad reviews, I'm guessing that most of the authors could not succeed in high school and are discovering that it does not get any easier in college. Yep, that's right. These are not some Saturday afternoon "enrichment" courses at the local senior center. These are Big Boy and Girl classes, homies.

Good luck teaching yourselves the material on your own, too. I wager most of those "texts" will end up collecting dust in your double-wides; probably propping up one end of your picture box. By the way, it's called television.

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(17)

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Okay So....Art Institute Online Division is a big SCAM...I was supposed to start school for Graphic Design and my story may be like everyone else's. They pressured me into attending this school and then GUESS WHAT .....I saw the BAD reviews!!!!! They slap me with loans that I will be paying until I'm 50 years old. So I withdraw-ed or tried to....They sent me a statement in the mail saying I own (0.00) then a week later they called and said you owe 85. and some change!! Which is really really not bad compared to some of the other horror stories. But it was supposed to be 800.00 and some change. There are a lot of bad reviews on this school and I think that if enough people came together and complained then something would be done. I feel for everyone who has gone through this process. If anyone knows how we can take action against them please email me at Kerry.Johnson955@gmail.com

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(4)

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I have attended AiP ground and now am enrolled in AiPOD and I love it. This absolutely a school that you need to be internally motivated but the advisors and help I have received has helped me through challenges. This isn't a 4 year college 18 year olds come to on their parents' dime, this is for people who are serious about getting their degree and pursuing what they want. My friend got a job in GD after graduation and they told her it's because she had her portfolio (which was awesome - especially for only getting an AA.S.) and because she went to this school. For the guy who went to AiP in '90 and didn't get credits transferred, how much has GD changed over the last two decades?? Yeah, you took the classes when GD was done with art supplies, now it's done using computer software. This school isn't art for art's sake, it's geared to help motivated, creative people make money doing what they love. If that's not for you, enroll elsewhere!

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(7)

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I am currently in my first class at AIO. I absolutely love it. I have not had any of the problems that these other people have experienced. My adviser is amazing. A lot of interaction with him has been necessary because I have many transfer credits from a previous school that I attended. We have spoken regularly since my enrollment. Of course, there are general education classes. That is to be expected. You cannot be awarded a degree without the basic fundamental classes. I was recently employed for five years as a production artist in the advertising field. Although I excelled in that area of design, I wanted to broaden my options. I didn't want to be stuck designing the same type of ads forever. There are no jobs (other than entry level) out there for designers without a degree. So far, this has been a pleasant experience for me. Maybe as they have further developed their online division they have improved their way of dealing with people. I know many alumnus from the Art Institute of York, PA. They all have great jobs and are moving up in the industry when they take the initiative to do so. Not only do they educate you in the field that you are entering into, but they make sure that you have built an effective portfolio to help you get the kind of job that you want. There are many career building tools within their system that will help you find a job as well. The bottom line is this: If you are not serious about learning, going back to school and enriching your knowledge, then this, or no other school is for you. You will get out of it what you put into it.

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(4)