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Excelsior College review: It's a scheme. 111

K
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1:47 am EDT
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I was enrolled in the LPN to RN program via The College Network (another group of crooks). This college charges all kinds of fees that go up on a regular basis. They claim that they are there for the student, but that is not true. Calling them is a headache, if you can get anyone on the phone. The lost my application for clinical. When I finally got to clinical I found the nursing "examiners" (we were not allowed to call them instructors) were rude and unprofessional. They look for any little reason to fail students and when they fail them they present them with an application to take the clinical again, and of course to pay the high fee again. After talking to other victims of Excelsior this seems to be their game. Avoid them.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
May 13, 2009 9:59 pm EDT

The College Network is made up of crooks, just like Excelsior College. Both are only after the money of the students and they do NOT give the support they claim they will give. The student is basically left on their own and then once that student reaches clinical they are failed in order to get more money. The College Network LIED to me and did not give me all costs up front, and failed to inform me about a computer course that was required. When I complained I got nowhere, so don't make laugh when you say you'll address my complaints. I was hung up on one time when I complained. The only time either the College Network or Excelsior really pays attention to the student is when they are billing them and taking their money. And, fellow students, if you do complain about how they treat you, they will smugly tell you that some students just can't handle this type of format and are not disciplined enough for self study. It's always the student's fault with them. Take it from me, and others, it's bull.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
May 15, 2009 2:55 am EDT

I appreciate it Rick, but I tried to address these issues when I was in the program and it got me nowhere. I don't know why now would be any different. Nothing personal, I know you're just doing your job.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
May 17, 2009 10:48 pm EDT

I did contact support, more than once. I was told in the seminar when I signed up that the study guides contained ALL of the material needed for the Excelsior exams. When I took the tests I found that this was not true. The tests contained a lot of material that was never covered in the College Network study guides. I left one test in tears because I had to guess at almost 1/3 of the test. I called the College Network about it, and all I got was denials and the usual shifted blame that somehow I didn't study well enough, and I was hung up on, as I mentioned. I only failed one test, but I had to pay another $200 plus fee to retake it. So what I started doing was reading other materials. I took the subjects and I read nursing books, articles, even health sites online. Whatever I could get my hands on. Once I stopped relying solely on the College Network study guides I started getting A's and not panicking about missing material. For the huge price I paid for these study guides this should NOT have happened. I said this to the College Network, but nobody wanted to hear it.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
May 20, 2009 11:07 pm EDT

Rick,

You can say that your materials are sufficient all you want. It doesn't change what happened to me. I'm not stupid. I made excellent grades in LPN school and I got the highest score in the class of 25 on the much dreaded Endocrine System test. I have had very good evaluations at work and no complaints against me or my license. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I am beyond sick of the excuses made by the College Network and Excelsior College. It's always the students fault. Well that is bull, and I will tell everyone I possibly can.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
May 20, 2009 11:12 pm EDT

By the way, Rick, if Excelsior College deems the College Network's materials "sufficient" then why do they have a disclaimer about the College Network on their site and why do they offer students other materials (with plenty of extra fees, of course) for the exams and highly suggest that they student use these? I don't put much stock into what Excelsior college says. They are unprofessional and dishonest. What do they have to lose if the student fails? They get another huge fee paid for by the student to retake the test.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
May 24, 2009 9:57 pm EDT

Rick, At the time I was a student Excelsior college specified on their website that companies that sell study guides (such as the College Network) do not supply sufficient material to pass the test. I believe that neither the College Network or Excelsior cares if students fail and they are both out for money. Both made my experience a nightmare and neither had anything to say to me when I failed other than Excelsior's request for another $2, 000 to retake the exam. The unprofessional, uncaring attitudes that I encountered spoke volumes to me. I spent twice the amount I was told it would cost by the College Network and I have nothing to show for it because of a greedy organization. I ran into other people with similar stories, and it's my understanding Excelsior got into trouble over high failure rates back in the 1990's, they ADMITTED that. I used my own materials to prepare for the tests, and that is how I made better grades and passed them.

The only reason you're talking to me now is because I am making my experience public. When I complained before no one cared. All I got was "it's your fault" and that was it.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
May 24, 2009 10:04 pm EDT

Miesha, if I were you I would not go into this program. I spent twice what I was told it would cost. Excelsior raises the prices on a regular basis, and they charge hidden fees that Excelsior did not tell me about. Some fees are annual too, and I was not told that by the College Network. You will have to travel for the clinical exam unless you live in one of the few states it is offered. When you review the material you will see they have it set up so that they can easily fail you. Believe it or not, in the material it said if you don't greet the patient the way they say you should it is considered "emotional abuse" and it's grounds for failure. I mean, the stuff they come up with is unbelieveable. I was failed because I did not chart that my instructor put a pillow behind my patients back. My patient was happy with me, and they could not find anything in my care plan, so they made something up. At first I thought they were joking. Make no mistake, these people are out for money, they don't care about you. In the 1990's Excelsior got into trouble for failing too many students. They admitted this to me, and they haven't changed. I wish you luck, but take it from me, you don't want to go into this program. Once they have your money they don't care what happens to you.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
May 25, 2009 7:49 pm EDT

Well Rick, that "sounds" nice. The program "sounded" nice on paper and looked affordable. However, reality does not reflect what you are saying or what was put on paper by the College Network at my seminar.

I believed the man at the seminar when he said, "If you can pass the mock test in the back of the study guide then you can pass the actual test." I had no reason not to believe him until I started taking the tests and I discovered that what he said was not true.

I had no reason not to believe him when he told me what my education would cost. Then I found out about hidden costs, extra courses, annual fees, and additional study materials I would have to pay for.

I had no reason not to believe him when he told me I would have support from the College Network. But when I called with my complaints and concerns I was told the same, generic statements that the study guides are sufficient, etc etc. I even gave the person on the phone examples of questions containing material not covered in the study guide.

I had no reason not to believe Excelsior would be fair, but in clinical I found out they were anything but fair. If it is in Excelsiors "best interest" for students to pass, why would they fail such a high number in the 90's in the first place and risk tarnishing their reputation?

Again, Excelsior's website had a disclaimer about the College Network study guides, and I was directly told by the college that they do not vouch for these study guides and that the material may not be covered fully in them. I don't know if they still have a disclaimer on their site or not, but they did at the time I was there. They sold their own materials on this site as well.

Anytime I have ever complained to either the College Network or Excelsior I have gotten a response along the lines of "some students find self study to be too much of a challenge" etc. I think it's all a scheme to get as much money as possible from students, esp with Excelsior. I regret that I ever heard of this program. I regret the time, the money, the unprofessional attitudes, and the overall lack of support. I cannot turn the clock back, but if I could I would go to a traditional school.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
Jun 18, 2009 8:14 pm EDT

Rick,

How can you help me if you're not part of Excelsior College?

Update by Kathleen Dailey
Jun 21, 2009 11:08 pm EDT

Thanks, Rudy. If your sister would like to contact me I would love to talk to her. I would like to take our case to the media against Excelsior College. If we can warn others about it then they won't suffer the same fate. Why should we take this lying down? If I can find others who are interested I would gladly talk to any media who is willing to listen to expose Excelsior and their scams.

Regardless, I wish your sister the best of luck. It had to be dishearterning for her to pay that insane fee yet again just to be failed over something frivelous. It's terrible to know that you are a good nurse and you worked and studied hard, but because Excelsior is money hungry you are not where you should be in your career. Keep me posted. Take care.

Kathy

Update by Kathleen Dailey
Jul 26, 2009 5:56 pm EDT

Hi Heather, I understand what you are saying, but to me it does matter how you get there. If more people stepped up and took action, maybe these things would not happen. Obviously to retake the clinical each time you had to pay the insane fee, travel, pay for a hotel, and give your time and effort. I also know the seminar costs a lot of money. I paid for tapes and study guides for clinical as well. The "expensive lesson" is that Excelsior cheats it's students, and they need to be exposed. I have worked many years as a LPN, and my patients and families are happy with me. I was failed for a ridiculous reason, which was not charting that my insructor put a pillow behind my patients back. Number one, you don't chart the work of other people, and number two, I didn't even know she did it. They were seeking to fail me, probably for money. From what I gather, they have a history of doing this. And there is no appeal for the student. This school is not interested in fairness, your career, or anything other than money.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
Feb 24, 2010 9:26 pm EST

With all due respect, EC, your condescending post (complete with poor grammer) makes me think that you probably work for Excelsior College. You sound a lot like them. And they will readily throw the College Network under the bus when defending their own issues.
You were not there at my clinical, were you? So how do you know what happened, and if I was treated fairly or not?
I made excellent grades in LPN school, and I have received many compliments on my work by supervisors, patients and families. So take your dictionary and, well, you know the rest : )

Update by Kathleen Dailey
Feb 28, 2010 7:44 pm EST

Sara, I am more than willing to file a class action lawsuit against Excelsior College.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
Feb 28, 2010 7:49 pm EST

You could file a complaint with the Dept of Education, but I didn't get anywhere them when I did. They believed everything the teachers said (without proof) and nothing I said. Until people get together and speak out and file lawsuits, nothing is ever going to change. They will continue to take advantage of people.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
Mar 04, 2010 6:18 pm EST

Hey Matt, let me know if you sue, I will gladly join you.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
Mar 30, 2010 11:37 pm EDT

I'm willing to bet you are a plant from Excelsior or the College Network. I can't understand why anyone would come on to a COMPLAINT site to say good things about about a business or a product and thenargue against people who have had a bad experience with that business or product.
I had no problem teaching myself. I got good grades on my tests. What I have a problem with is the dishonesty I encountered, and a lack of living up to the promises and claims advertised, hidden expenses, and a clinical with a high failure rate in order to get students to cough up another huge clinical fee just so they can make it to the finish line.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
May 07, 2010 10:05 pm EDT

I hope it doesn't happen to you, either, Queenbee, but the truth of the matter is I haven't had any trouble running into people who have been ripped off by Excelsior College. I'm sorry for your experience. Your professor reminds me of the kind of people I dealt with at Excelsior.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
May 13, 2010 9:33 pm EDT

Sure, Equusz (what kind of a name is that?), I bet. Some questions:

WHY would you come to a COMPLAINT site to COMPLIMENT a business?

What is in it for you to fight for Excelsior or TCN?

How do YOU know what my experience was when you were NOT there, and you don't even know me?

Why are you so passionate about it, enough to be a vulgar jerk about it? It's just a school. If I went to a store and I was happy with my experience but another customer wrote to complain I would tell them to "shut up, nut up, and put up." I would be adult enough to realize that just because I had a good experience it does not mean everyone does.

Do you honestly believe every business has either a. complaints only, or b. compliments only? NO, because some people have good experiences, and some do not.

So, "Equuaz", you shut up, nut up, and go back to work for Excelsior.

Update by Kathleen Dailey
Jun 17, 2010 7:45 pm EDT

Mr Sorry, nothing you say shocks me at all. I would suggest that every single one of you file a complaint with the state Board of Education (another waste of money). It didn't do me any good, though. They believed everything the teachers said and nothing I said, regardless of proof or lack of proof, and they didn't bother to answer my questions. They were in with the school from the start, but I believe there is power in numbers, and eventually if enough people complain they may have to do something. People have also talked about a class action lawsuit, but so far nothing has materialized that I know of. I would be willing to particpate, so if you want to do something like that let me know.

I suggest that all of you talk about your experience online, at your job, and anywhere else you find other nurses. If someone had warned me or you, we would not have wasted our money and time. You'll also find that you too often run into people who are victims of Excelsior College.

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111 comments
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JacO98
, US
Aug 22, 2016 1:12 am EDT

This employer has a firing practice of "one strike you are out" treatment of its employees. Many of these employees are college students working their first jobs of serving, valet, docks, etc. These college students are very much working to pay for their schooling. With one mistake, or an accident if a valet worker, they are sent packing immediately. This type of treatment without regards to the negative impact this "firing" has on these young, hard working, new to the work place individuals - not to mention how devastating to there self esteem - might speak volumes as to the character of this establishment's owners and managers. If customers knew this tough firing practice more customers would speak up and challenge this unnecessary firing practice.

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sofrusterated
, US
Aug 31, 2015 1:02 am EDT

My excelsior experience has been bad. I sent in paperwork for my medical condition which is degenerative disc disease in my back and neck. They do not count ptsd as a disability. I sent them records from 2010 to 2013 until I can get the new updates that I just recieved. The disability department is not very nice at all. The email I recieved was really rude. This school is very rigid even though it is for working adults. It does not matter if you show you understand the material throughly. You never know your grade until the very end. So you could be putting all your time and effort on a class you have no chance in passing. They love to take points off. I have a bachelors degree with them. I am about to decide to quit the masters program. I have aspergers, ptsd, and degenerative disc disease in my back and neck with no help from disability department. It takes everything I got to concentrate and sit for long periods of time to complete written assignments.

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Georgia gILL
Sandy Springs, US
May 17, 2010 7:29 pm EDT

I would like my refund back from this program they did not tell you about the hidden fees.

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Nov 11, 2013 8:29 pm EST
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I am sorry for your friend Rae. It's a horrible feeling. It dawns on you that you're being taken advantage of, and it's feels awful. Did she pass the second time, or did Excelsior try one more time to cheat her?

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Rae4343
Woodbury, US
Nov 11, 2013 10:23 am EST

I have a friend that also used TCN to go from an LPN to RN. They failed her the last hour of the the last day of clinicals. She forgot to chart one word. One single word and she had to spend another $ 2, 000 to go through the whole thing again. How many test in your lifetime have you had to take and fail for getting one word wrong? When you take your boards to become a nurse you can get more than one wrong answer and still pass. That in itself is a joke. You get one single thing wrong and your failed?! I can see if the one thing you got wrong would cost someone their life. Not forgetting to document about putting a pillow behind someone's back. That's just an excuse to fail someone. I bet the "examiners" get a kickback when they fail students.

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Sep 16, 2013 4:16 am EDT
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Every single plant, er, poster who favor Excelsior has one thing in common: Blame the student. They show anger and contempt toward me, and blame me, and they are strangers (supposedly) who were not even there on the day of my clinical, nor do they know anything about me or what happened. Why do they care if I complain? Those folks are plants. They have the same attitude as the people at Excelsior. If you decide to attend there, be prepared to never complain, they don't like it. And remember, they are always right, no matter how much they cheat you out of your money.

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Sep 16, 2013 4:11 am EDT
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If Excelsior spent as much time not being money hungry and sending online plants, it might be a more respected school. Just sayin, LPNJRA, who is probably another one.

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LPNJRA
Manchester, US
Sep 13, 2013 10:12 pm EDT

Kathleen I started reading your comments about excelsior since 2009, honestly if you spent as much time on studying and trying to get your RN as you do on this website complaining about how you got screwed youd probabley be an RN by now...just sayin.

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Aug 12, 2013 8:48 pm EDT
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Actually, Thomas, I have worked in hospitals, home health care and all kinds of places and I have had good reviews and been told that I am an "exceptional nurse." So whine and cry all you want, it doesn't change anything. If I encountered you in a hospital no doubt the first thing that would be needed is a strong enema for you. You're quite full of it. All you do is attack and insult me. There has to be some reason why you're so upset that I am speaking out about my experience. If you're just some ordinary person why do you care so much? 1. You were NOT present at my clinicals so how do you even know what happened? 2. Why get so angry and insult me professionally, and blather on and stick up for EC if you don't know them or me? Unless you were there, you don't have an idea what happened, so what gives you the right to say what you say? I think you are indeed a plant. I know the College Network has been on here, and I am sure EC has. I think you are one of them, which explains your level of anger toward me. Sorry if I am cutting into your profit, but maybe you should stop ripping people off and be honest. Your attacks only make me want to speak out more, so yes, I will be here as long as I want to be, esp if it annoys you :) Have a nice life, you con artist nut job.

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ThomasENG
, US
Aug 10, 2013 7:10 am EDT

Kathleen, you are truly crazy. I can't tell u how happy I am that you are too stupid to be an RN. To encounter someone such as yourself in a hospital would be truly frightening. You prove that excelsior is not a degree mill and is a respectable institution because it shows that they do have standards. Well, I'm done with this topic, I'm sure your madness will continue on in this forum for another 4 years. At least you aren't working in a hospital! Have a nice life you nut.

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ThomasENG
, US
Aug 09, 2013 10:11 pm EDT

Kathleen = mental midget. Kathleen is a great advertisement for EC. They can at least say, " we do have standards and don't just give a degree to every one who walks in." Does EC pay you for advertising? You nut.

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ThomasENG
, US
Aug 09, 2013 10:06 pm EDT

You really are crazy. Thankfully you are too stupid to be an RN. We don't need nuts like you in a hospital. I'll leave you with a quote from Einstein as I will not be returning to this site, "never argue with an idiot, they will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience." Well, got to go now, hope you have another nice 4 years in this forum

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ThomasENG
, US
Aug 09, 2013 10:01 pm EDT

I'm a plant, huh? Thankfully you are too stupid to become an RN. We don't need your [censored] in a hospital. People fail out if college all the time. You think everyone who wants to be a doctor actually makes it. I don't think so, however they don't spend 4 years of their life trying to convince strangers that they are not a failure. I don't give a rats ### if you think I'm a plant or don't believe that I'm an engineer. I can guarantee you one thing, 4 years from now I will be still advancing in my career and you will still be in here "warning" people. This is actually the first time I have posted on a complaint board, and it's because of the complete nonsense and craziness of your posts. Go ahead and respond as I will not be returning to read it. I will leave you with a quote from Einstein, "never argue with an idiot, they will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience". Have a nice life.

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Aug 08, 2013 11:25 pm EDT
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Not sure if my other comment submitted, so here is another. Thomas, it's quite obvious you are another plant given how butt hurt you are. You don't even know me. Were you present at my clinicals. How do you know what happened?. You do exactly what EC does, and that is first BLAME THE STUDENT, and second imply that they are not smart enough for the program, which is bogus. I doubt you are an engineer or that you have a wife for that matter. I think you rip unsuspecting LPN's off for a living at Excelsior College. And, you can count on me to be posting for as long as I want to. Own it. As for me, I have worked successfully as a LPN and I plan to go on to other fields as well. Speaking of MEDS, I would suggest that you speak to your personal physician and ask them what they think about Ativan 1mg PO q6 hours for whenever you are butt hurt. It will help take the edge off. ;)

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Aug 08, 2013 11:16 pm EDT
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Ah, Thomas, another butthurt plant. I will continue to complain for as many years as I want to. If you don't like it, get lost. Excelsior college is indeed a scam, just as your post is. I don't need MEDS to see that. Now you on the other hand, are very butthut and you could use some serious meds. I mean, why be so upset when you don't know me? Were you there when I took my clinicals? Why be so upset? I am just someone talking about my negative experience with EC. Why would that make you so butthurt? I think it's because you are another plant. You do the same thing EC does, and that is first BLAME THE STUDENT and claim they are somehow not smart enough and caused their own failure (total BS) and then say that TCN is unnecessary. Yep, you have plant written all over you.
I am working as a LPN successfully without problems. I have plans to go on to other areas of work, since we have socialized medicine coming along (you were probably dumb enough to vote for that), so maybe it was a blessing after all. It's sad people like you resort to tarnishing a profession because you're upset that I am exposing a scam. Judging by your post I highly doubt you are an engineer or that you have a wife for that matter. I am guessing you rip unsuspecting LPN's off with promises you know are bogus, and you're mad some of us want to warn other nurses. I just talked to another "virtual university" and since they are affiliated with Excelsior I told them no thanks. So, you have even more to whine about Enjoy, and talk to your doctor. Ask if he thinks Ativan 1mg PO Q6 hours PRN for butthurtedness will do the job. :)

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ThomasENG
, US
Aug 08, 2013 8:31 pm EDT

Kathleen. You have been posting on here since 2009? 4 years? Hopefully during that time you went to a traditional school to prove that you can obtain the RN and that EC is just a scam. But, from the looks of it, you have just went nuts. After 4 years of rambling, your posts mean nothing. With that out of the way, TCN is not a scam, its a company selling you study guides. Thats it. Study guides. And if you weren't smart enough to say, "$7K-$9K for study guides?...5 year contract whether I use them or not...?I don't think so", then that's your fault. It's like title loans, if you are dumb enough to agree to pay greater than 100% interest on a loan, then its your fault, not theirs. I have my BS in engineering from a traditional university and my wife is enrolling in EC to complete her RN. TCN is not needed at all. Like I said who pays 9K for online study guides from a publisher that cant even give you a degree? All schools have fees and rising costs, etc., and anyone who has watched the news in the last 30 years would know that. I'm glad to see that you did not pass the exam, it shows that EC isnt a degree mill and just passes people so they can obtain a position that they are obviously not qualified for. And please, like everyone else that has disagreed with, call me a plant for TCN or EC. I went to Western Illinois University and absolutely no affiliation with either of these places. GET HELP KATHLEEN, USE YOUR MONEY FOR MEDS, THANK GOD FOR EC ON NOT LETTING YOU BECOME AN RN!

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Jun 19, 2013 10:47 pm EDT
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Yet another comment that blames the student and holds Excelsior completely unaccountable. Nothing new there, you are likely a plant. One reason I suspect that is because you all sound the same, and you all blame the student, as Excelsior does. And please, no unexpected expenses? They state "prices subject to change" and indeed they do. They go up regularly, anyone who wants to research that feel free to. I studied just fine, got to the end, and was failed for a bogus reason so that Excelsior could get another clinical fee. That is why the BIGGEST fee is at the END of the program. They know full well you've worked that hard, so if they can fail you, you will cough up another $2, 000 bucks (it's higher now, just found that out) and retake the clinical because you have gone that far. You also talk about staying away from the College Network, another typical comment. Not only is Excelsior bad to it's students it's bad to those who bring them students. Amazing. But I guess they make more money if they cut the College Network out. I didn't fail, RN, I was cheated. I am not the first student, and I won't be the last. I believe Excelsior used to be known as Regents, or some other name, and was in trouble for their high clinical failure rate back in the 1990's. I have talked to others who went through the similar experiences as I did. So, nice try, but I will continue to warn students about Excelsior. I wish someone had warned me. It would have saved me a lot of money, time and heartbreak, And keep in mind, they are very unprofessional, . and if you call them with any issue or problem, first off good luck getting them on the phone, and second remember, if you are an Excelsior student, everything is your fault and nothing is theirs. And, make sure you have a big bank account. Their "student services fee" (lol, what service?) is almost $500. And that is just a little of what you'll be paying.

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RN1984
, US
Jun 19, 2013 7:07 am EDT

I have to agree, College Network is a ripoff but Excelsior College is not affiliated with College Network. I am a proud Excelsior graduate (2011). I passed CPNE on my first attempt. I had no problems with the program or CPNE. I busted my butt to get through the program. It's a difficult program but its doable. No matter how many years of experience you have you must do things the Excelsior way or you will fail. Basically, know your study guide frontwards and backwards! I didn't have any unexpected expenses with Excelsior either. To anyone wanting to attend Excelsior, go for it! I would say stay away from College Network and other publishing companies. Although, the study material is ok, the same study guides can be found on eBay and Amazon for about 75% cheaper. Do your own research! Everybody experience with Excelsior and the CPNE is individualized. Don't let somebody else's failure determine your future!

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Jan 04, 2013 9:55 pm EST
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overthetop: Please message me. There are some of us working together to try and do something about Excelsior and the College Network ripping people off. Thanks.

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Overthetop
Belton, US
Jan 03, 2013 7:59 pm EST

Here is my experience, went to seminar sponsored by DSLII. The representative of this company, told me that all my books and Excelsior was included in the cost of financing. Come to find out, the only thing that was included in the financing was DSLII and some other bogus company. Excelsior told me that I had to pay an additional $10K for their portion. I have not even signed up for any courses, telling reps from DSLII that I need for them to return moneys sent by Jena Mae, and they stopped talking to me. Now I find out that Jena Mae has turned this into a collection agency that reported it on my credit. Next step, lawyer.

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Dec 19, 2012 8:23 pm EST
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Medic1980, I am willing to bet you are a plant. You seem awfully annoyed that I follow up with comments, and you blame me when you don't even know me and you were not even present during my test. How do you know who's fault it is? I know plenty of students who have had expereinces just like mine. Therefore, I will continue to talk about it and I will continue to hang around this thread. If you don't like it, TOUGH. OWN IT!

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Medic1980
Marion, US
Nov 21, 2012 10:35 am EST

Kathleen Daily I am not a implant but am looking for a bridge program to attend as I am currently a 10 yr paramedic. I will say this your feelings are stronge. However maybe just alittle over board... your constant hoovering around this web site for over the past year truly makes you looking not only like a fool but freaking crazy. Yes we are able to have our own views and opinions that why I am able to say to you chill out. You have cluttered this site with your B/S. I know plenty of students and grads from EC that have had great experiences. So because of all your postings I have come to the conclusion IT'S YOUR OWN FAULT! OWN IT!

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TerribleTore
Chatham, CA
Oct 22, 2012 7:21 am EDT
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I received my B.A. in 1984 when it was called 'The University Of The State Of New York'. The school evaluated credits earned at the University of Windsor, the University of Toronto, and the University of Guelph. I earned more than enough credits for a B.A. in Liberal Studies. The school had a process for independent evaluation of foreign credits. The school was thorough in its investigation, and quick to respond. I value my B.A. from U.S.N.Y. (now Excelsior College) as much as my 5 other degrees, including my Ph.D. (If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!)

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Oct 17, 2012 8:51 pm EDT
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Kristin message me if you want to join myself and other former students in our effort to expose Excelsior.

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kristin adao
uniontown, US
Oct 16, 2012 8:33 pm EDT

Excelsior milks you for money. I also passed all of the nusing classes with no problem. Then the cpne came and i was failed and totally humiliated. They have so many ridiculous fees it is almost unaffordable. I have two kids and could not do traditional school. Now i have to save over two thousand dollars to take it again. It was very unorganized._

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Oct 15, 2012 10:50 pm EDT
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Excelsior does not work with it's students. The only concern they have is that you pay your bill. You have your study materials and you are left on your own. If you need to reach them be prepared to be on hold. I had trouble getting help, and they were often rude and incompetent. Another thing to watch for: Increasing fees. When I attended, every year (or more often) their fees went up. Go to a tradtional college, it's much better.

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Kamccommon
Bartlett, US
Oct 15, 2012 9:43 am EDT
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First of all The College Network and Excelsior College are two separate entities. You do not have to be in the College Network to enroll in Excelsior, but if you are in the College Network you will have to enroll in Excelsior to obtain your college credits. The College Network is just that a Network, they are the middle man and you do not have to use them to obtain your education through Excelsior. Just enroll in Excelsior, call them and talk with them they will talk with you and work with you. I have taken several general education courses and my first nursing course through them and have no complaints. I work at a major children's hospital in the mid-south and we have had approximately 10 Paramedics go through Excelsior and have done great with no problems.
I do not have any complaints about The College Network because I have never dealt with them and have no opinion to give.

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Patricia Thompson 39
Albu, US
Oct 01, 2012 9:10 am EDT

I have also failed. This was my 2nd attempt. I regret returning for 2nd go round. I thought if I study hard enough I will pass. I finished requirements 8/2011. Waited 6 months to do CPNE and failed. I briefly studied for CPNE had no idea that things are not done by basic nursing skills ej . LUNG ASSESSMENT are generally anterior and posteriorly. Abdominal assessment according to the fundamentals book state patient shouldn't be laying flat with legs bent. Excelsior wants posterior lung sounds, pt laying flat legs bent. Fine memorized there garbage. When I came to test I had 2 great teachers orientated me to the floor the equipment and the pt's room. Very different from my first experience. My last instructor or shall I say silent observer did none of the above. I had to search for clients name on the form figure out if it was a or b bed. I completely lost my focus. You can not do that on this test. The silent observer gave me the worst report. I had to prey information out of her to formulate the CAREPLAN and by the grace of God I did it. All for not I was so out of focus from the silent observer watching her watch and staring me down I failed to check Identification. I can not refer to instructor as instructor because they are not they are silent observers. I spent 4 hours a day studying and at least 1 hour a day for 6 months on labs and have nothing to show for it but anger towards my self for attempting this process again. I did not have the OPPURTUNITY to say hey get your supervisor I need to start again, if I did would I have been given a fair chance? I would love to file a suit civil or what ever for the principal. In a traditional program you have 2 years to prove your self not 10 hours. I am made at my self to think some one's personality got in my way.

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Sep 24, 2012 10:06 pm EDT
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Hmm, seems to be another plant here. Blaming the student was always Excelsior's answer, despite the fact that I was failed for not charting that the EXAMINER put a pillow behind the patients back while i was out of the room. Last I checked in nursing, which I have been doing almost 20 years, it is NOT acceptable practice to chart the work of OTHER caregivers, esp when you did not observe what they did. Add to that, the examiner should not have been doing anything to my patient, it was my place, not hers. It was an obvious set up to fail me. Perhaps Robin hasn't heard of Excelsiors high failure rates, and perhaps she isn't interested in getting the whole story before she assumes who's fault it was. Perhaps she is one of many plants from Excelsior who I think frequent the internet because they know when they screw someone over that person might pass it on to others. Have a nice day, Robin. PS- I am not shutting up about it ever.

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RobinRN
Franklinville, US
Sep 24, 2012 10:24 am EDT

I have completed certificate classes thru Excelsior (I am a Registered Nurse) and found the experience great with cohorts and insights from all over the world (many military students). Diverse student body brought alot to the table to share thoughts and experiences. No complaints here. Perhaps Kathleen Daley was not successful with her clinical experience for her own faults, not the accredited educational institute.

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Aug 08, 2012 9:00 pm EDT
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I find it interesting that all of the people who post in favor of Excelsior have the attitude that if someone fails it is automatically their fault and it could not have anything to do with discriminatory practices by the college, or efforts to make more money. First off, what makes you think I "skimped"? After paying way more than I was orginally told the program would cost, I bought additional study materials for the clinical. I could not afford the clinical practice, but that should not be a reason to fail someone. I had been a nurse for a long time and I had never had any problems. I had in fact trained RN's, worked in accute care, worked with ventilators, and so on. Excelsior likely favors any students who spend the maximum amount of money on their program. They had issues of high failure rates and I had no problem finding others with horror stories like mine. Naturally they have to pass some of the students because no one would attend their school if they didn't. I also wonder how many of ther pro Excelsior people here are plants, mainly because they all say the same thing. Do yourself a favor, avoid them. You'll see fees popping up everywhere after you are given an initial amount of what you will pay. Trust me, multiply whatever they tell you by at least 3. There are so many extras in addition to an already high cost. Plus I had to use additional study materials because the so called study guides only reflected part of what showed up on the tests. It's in their financial interest to fail you because you have to pay for every test, every time you take it. I heard from one of the examiners just how often people were failing certain tests. Something is wrong.

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happy husband
ft lauderdale, US
Aug 08, 2012 11:00 am EDT

my wife went to excelsior from april 2005 through dec 2006 at which time she finished her clinicals. while it was more expensive than traditional schools, she was able to finish this without any problems. The best part was she was able to continue working full as an lpn while doing this course. The worst parts were waiting to take the clinicals (there was a 4 month wait) and having to travel 1000 miles to go to the nearest clinicals. Sure, she was super stressed during the clinicals but she bought the study materials, went to the practice clinicals (of which both cost extra money; a fair amount in fact) but she did really well and only said the examiner nitpicked one thing. Otherwise no problems. What i can say is take the course seriously and don't skimp. That means despite the fact that you don't have to do the extra stuff and can save some money i would advise all to spend the extra money because she said it made all the difference. When you think about it makes complete sense because if i remeber correctly it was approx $13k for the program including mandatory books but was closer to a little over 15k with all the extra classes/training materials. But why skimp and fail. Just my 2 cents. And i was just looking for a potential school for my dad now and was looking at excelsior reviews compared to some of the local schools here in florida and ran across these reviews so felt the need to comment.

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DawnAnnette
2 Dodge road, US
Jun 23, 2012 8:33 am EDT

I will keep everyone updated as we move forward. I want my money back and I don't want RNs out in the field that don't have clinical experience. All traditional nursing schools require a certain number of clinical hours to graduate. I don't understand how some states are allowing people to obtain their RN without documented clinical hours. When I first signed up for Excelsior I thought it was a program just for working LPNs and EMTs and that eventually we would have to show documentation of our clinical hours through our employers. I took the workshop and met people that were not working LPNs or EMTs. Present at the workshop were a CNA, LPN who took ten years off from nursing to pursue other interests, the medical assistant who held up a med cup and asked me what it was and what the markings were ( he passed CPNE...OMG) and a former animal trainer that had failed out of real nursing school due to not passing the math test with 100% accuracy. That's the other thing...why isn't there the math test that must be passed with 100% accuracy as there is at all other nursing schools. As you read in my previous post, the CAs and CEs aren't even competent in basic math. There was a person present in the room during the whole IV drip situation and is willing to testify.
I failed the IV push the first time because although I loosened the syringe it got stuck causing it to jerk forward too fast and I had to stop a few seconds before administering the rest of the med. You're not allowed to stop at all...no big deal...I had a second try. I had passed all my other labs and two PCS by my second try at IV push. I wasn't sure but I may have contaminated the tip of my first flush, so just to be safe, I decided to throw it out and draw up a new one. At my facility, it is a strict policy to only dispose of sharps in sharps containers due to cost and being "green". I automatically put in the regular trash and instantly realized my mistake and was going to remove it after I completed the other elements and put it in sharps as excelsior wants it. The CE stopped me immediately. I argued that there is nothing in the study guide that states we are not allowed to remove a non-contamidated barrel from the garbage. The CA stated that we don't remove things from the garbage...the CE had already taken it out of the garbage and placed it on the table so obviously they do remove things from the garbage. The CA told me to appeal. I did appeal on the grounds of not being allowed to correct my mistake and that there is nothing stating that I couldn't have removed it from the garbage to put in sharps. I received a generic letter from the dean of nursing stating that I failed CPNE and so forth. She did not address the issue of my appeal so now it's on to court and I am going to make a big deal about it. In my former career, I was an editor and reporter in NYC and I still have many friends and contacts in the business. Nurses do, at times, have to remove items from the garbage especially if working with children, the elderly, the developmental disabled, and the mentally handicapped.

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DawnAnnette
2 Dodge road, US
Jun 23, 2012 7:30 am EDT

completely agree and I am looking into a lawsuit at this time. I don't even know where to begin. I failed at Albany for dumb reasons nothing that reflects nursing skills or knowledge. I graduated with the second highest grade from LPN school. After failing CPNE, I decided not to give Excelsior another penny. The thing about the CPNE is that it is ridiculously easy for an intelligent seasoned LPN, but so easy to fail because they judge on minor things that aren't related to nursing knowledge or skills. You basically just have to take CPNE workshop and study study guide and do exactly what they tell you to do. There was a man that passed CPNE that was an army medic twenty years prior and admitted to us that he hadn't had any clinical experience since. There was another young man that worked in an family MD's office as a medical assistant. He answered phones, filed and took vitals...he passed CPNE. I can't believe that some states are allowing these people to become nurses with no clinical experience. California is the only state that sees Excelsior nursing for what it is. Anyway, my first lab was the IV drip. I completed everything and the CE told me she had to get the CA. The CE told CA that I did everything right but my drip calculation was wrong. It just so happens that I have BS degree and had studied math for a while so I was 100% positive that my drip factor was correct. I showed my calculations to CA and she said it appeared correct but they had a different answer. I continued to defend my answer. Finally after about 5 minutes, they realized they were looking at the answer to the wrong question and I passed that lab. I wrote a letter to the dean informing her of what occurred, because I'm sure people have failed CPNE because the CE & CA said drip was wrong. I think a class action lawsuit would be just because there are A LOT of stories out there of shady actions on the part of the CEs and CAs. My friend had a CE that was on her cell phone most of the time during the PCS and looked at her VS and told her that there was no need for her to do a second set! She passed. If I had a CE that did that for me, I would have passed as well. My friend is willing to testify. I have more stories too. Everyone should start talking with lawyers and we should stay in touch. I an also going to protest accreditation of Excelsior nursing because not everyone passing this program has proper clinical experience and it endangers peoples lives.

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lynn1212
, US
Apr 14, 2012 9:19 am EDT

I'm a recent LPN graduate looking into going to my community college or going through excelsior, i am not going to go to them after reading and hearing so many complaints, thank you for all your post. I will be applying with my local college. I heard from students in my class that others had heard horror stories of the clinical for this college and high fees and its VERY VERY hard to pass, i wont even bother with all the BS. Thanks for the honest feed back, now i wont have to deal with all the stuff you unfortunately have best of luck to all...

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Feb 16, 2012 10:01 pm EST
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Lora I wish you good luck, but I have to warn you, Excelsior is not a good school. I dealt with prices that rose every 6 months, hidden fees, and if I needed to speak with someone there I spent a lot of time on hold and dealt with incompetent people who could care less about my needs. I was appalled at the unprofessional attutide of the clinical examiners. The test is designed in way to make it easy for them to fail you. The video that I paid for (they charge you for everything, and then some) to prepare actually said you would be failed for "abuse" if you did not properly greet your patient when you entered the room. Once you are at the end of the program and ready to graduate you are at their mercy, and they know it. You've got one more step, and it's their last chance to get money out of you, which believe me, is their goal.

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Lora C
, US
Feb 16, 2012 5:01 pm EST
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WOW I have been checking around with alot of schools and I found that they will tell you what you want to hear. This is why you shouldnt give much info about yourself until you have the answers you need. I am in Tampa Fl. I need a program that has night classes because I work during the day. Fortis college seems to be the worst about BS for clinical times. So far I havent found any school with night time hours that fit my schedule. So I think I am going to try Excelsior without the extra expense of college networks materials. Thanks for all the comments. I will come back during my program to let everyone know how it went.

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Dec 09, 2011 1:42 am EST
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Good idea, Lynn, I wish I had done that. Let other nurses know about Excelsior so they don't get ripped off.

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Lynn1234
Syracuse, US
Dec 09, 2011 12:19 am EST

Wow thank you kathleen i will NOT waste my time with this bs school i think i will find some place local to go to.

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Kathleen Dailey
, US
Dec 07, 2011 3:03 am EST
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Thanks Rhonda, I wish you good luck. I am not alone in my experiences with Excelsior. I had no trouble running into nurses in my work and online who were also ripped off by Excelsior College and who had negative experiences with them. I want to warn other nurses about them.
I hear you about the College Network. The whole program is a big scam. and clinical is too.