I attended the Dental Assisting program at Elgin Community College with mixed feelings. The program itself provides valuable hands on experience and teaches important DA skills, but my experience with Program Director Kim Plate and the administration was honestly one of the most frustrating educational experiences I've had. I previously attended loyal university in Columbia University, so the contrast was very striking unfortunately. The biggest issue involved clinical placement approval. I had already secured future employment and made plans to relocate to New Hampshire, which is why I proposed completing my clinicals at that site. Students are allowed to complete clinicals during fall, spring, or summer semesters, yet I was not informed until the final day of the semester that June 1 was suddenly being treated as a strict mandatory start date. This decision not only affected my education but also significantly disrupted my relocation and future employment plans. The New Hampshire site would have supervised me through licensed dental assistants and an on site oral surgeon with qualifications equal to or greater than the ECC observer who would normally conduct one observational shift. Despite this, Kim Plate denied the site without giving any clear or reasonable explanation. Multiple compromises were proposed, including Zoom observations and doctor check ins, but she appeared completely unwilling to work toward any solution. The oral surgeon personally emailed her explaining how the decision would negatively impact the office workflow and never even received a response. Before withdrawing, I had already completed nearly 100 hours at an Illinois clinical site, yet Kim Plate stated those hours would not count. Even after management from the site emailed and met with her expressing that the situation was unfair and unnecessarily rigid, she remained unwilling to compromise, ultimately forcing me to withdraw from the clinical courses. Beyond clinicals, Kim Plate was frequently dismissive, sarcastic, and unprofessional toward students. There were also instances where personal matters regarding me were discussed with other students, creating an uncomfortable environment for both myself and classmates. My entire class brought concerns to the dean and Vice President Anne Marie Schopen. Unfortunately, I did not find Vice President Anne Marie Schopen to be helpful, and despite escalating my concerns, I received little guidance, support, or meaningful assistance. The program can teach useful technical skills, but prospective students should understand that the administration, particularly Kim Plate, can make the experience far more stressful and difficult than it needs to be. If your situation falls outside of the program's rigid expectations, be prepared to strongly advocate for yourself. read more

I owe a lot to of gratitude to ECC. I first attended here when I was kicked out of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for academic probation. Then a few years later, after I was kicked out again, I came here humble and looking for a fresh start. I stated by taking photography from the late John Grady, a mentor, a friend, and an inspiration to me and many others. He was an advocate that lead me to be recognized as the artist of the year by the local paper. Because of this momentum, I ended up attaining three associate degrees from ECC: graphic design, general arts, and general science. The faculty was supportive and communicative, especially in the design department. The onsite computer lab, library, and study areas were great places to work outside of class. Even the cafeteria was reasonably priced and had many options. Administratively, everything was seamless and easy to navigate. I met with humans a few times, but overall, much of the process is online. The only reason for the missing star is the inconsistency of skilled and practicing adjunct teachers. I had a few that were away from their fields for over 20 years, which made some of the knowledge outdated. But I guess all schools have that issue. I highly recommend ECC for everyone! read more

I stopped in the cafeteria for lunch between classes at Elgin Community College. My expectations were low. I just wanted something that tasted better than the normal cafeteria food. My expectations were met and exceeded. I had the beef tenderloin sliders with seasoned French fries. While not the best food I've ever had, they were cooked well and had a good flavor to them. They were not dried out as I feared. The French fries were good and didn't need ketchup or any other sauces to enhance the flavor. One recommendation that I would make is to add some more signs pointing where to go or how much the food costs.. To someone new to the cafeteria, it was not clear where to go or what was being offered. Overall, the food at Elgin Community College was pretty good. I will go back and try more. read more

Elgin Community College - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Took me 4 years to graduate with my Associate's degree. I think it's worth pointing out a lot of these positive reviews here are not from people who actually attended the school, but rather people who were here for an "event". As a school, this place sucks. There is little to no unity or school spirit or sense of community. Sure, I saved some money by going here but at what cost? It took me longer than it should've to get my degree, the teachers don't make themselves readily available to help students and have strange and inconvenient office hours, I'm pretty sure this place contributed to my clinical depression. The teachers don't care or put in a lot of effort and as a result, the students don't care. Classes feel dead and dreary. You can try to make friends but the reality is, most people see this school as a bump in the road rather than a final destination so to speak. You might make friends but you'll be transferring out in 1-2 years so there's really no point. Oh, and the cafeteria food is NOT affordable. $7 for mozzarella sticks is ludicrous. There's only 5 sticks in there too. I would have to leave school sometimes and eat fast food bc I couldn't afford cafeteria food. One nice thing I will say is the Spartan Pantry, but the only food in there is granola bars and canned soup! You'll have to vending machines or bring your own lunch if you're on a budget. read more

Went to ECC this afternoon, to make sure my student was ready to start Monday. Stopped by the gift shop just to get some memorabilia. My student approached the cashier by saying hello. Dana, the cashier, was very rude. Didn't even say hello back and had a terrible attitude. Why work in public facilities if you obviously hate your job? I'm a nurse and worked with a tremendous amount of patients and their families over these 20 years and have NEVER behaved in that manor. She's lucky my kid was with me bc I had a lot to say. read more

I can't say a bad thing about this CC. I attended here '22-'23. I was able to use veteran benefits as well. All my professors and instructors were well educated, helpful and knowledgeable. I felt as if I got my "money's worth" and utilized almost all of the services they offered. The library is bigger, it's quiet great place to study or find materials. The auditorium was great including the art classrooms and music classrooms located inside the building. I have always felt safe, included and appreciated here as a student. They have a food pantry anyone can pick something from if you need a helping hand or forget your lunch /money while on campus. The career services have been helpful including Trios program. I wish more veterans/military attended here that's my only complaint. It took awhile to get military benefits & military scholarships in place due to their inexperience with those benefits such as Ch 35 & Ch 33 but it's not their fault. We just don't happen to live near a large military installation. I've joined clubs here as well. The parking is free and ample. Financial aid has always been available. Book store has always been helpful as well. My experience here truly has been a positive one and I do recommend them to future students! read more

Be very aware if you want to go to the elementary education program. They send you to the absolute worst schools in u46 and you don't even get to teach because you have to babysit the whole time and they think this is a good way for you to become a teacher. U46 is a huge district and they have good schools they don't want you to send you to good schools to learn how to teach. It's all in the name of social justice and DEI. STAY AWAY!!!!! read more

This review is for the Elgin Community College (ECC) Arts Center. We've been here a few times to see different genres of shows. I really like this theater, a lot. Not a huge venue, which makes every seat in the house a great seat. Plenty of parking. Ticket prices vary depending on the show, but I've found them to be fair. The only thing I would change is more "snacks" available pre-show/intermission. Last time we went to the arts center was to see American English. We had been to dinner earlier, but by the time the show was going to start, we could have used a quick snack. There was a little stand selling cheesecake bites and coffee, but we were looking for something like a bag of M&Ms or a candy bar - don't ask me why. Anyway, we decided to explore the facility, knowing darn well that where there are students, there are vending machines. After walking through many hallways, finding some really great art pieces, we found some vending machines and got our candy fix. Having a mix of candy and maybe some baked goods made by the culinary students would be a great opportunity to make some extra money before shows and during intermission. Other than that, this place is really cute - I would not hesitate to venture out to Elgin again to see a show here. read more

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The campus is really nice and the teachers are comparable to those at 4-year institutions! The science courses, although rigorous, prepare you for a career in health sciences. 10/10 recommend! read more

The international program is a sham. As host to a couple of international students, this school has not been helpful at all and has used every administrative opportunity to make the experience a nightmare. International students avoid this place at all costs. Hell, when my kids when they hit college age will be avoiding this place like the plague. read more

Some of the faculty make it impossible for students to graduate. For instance, there are teachers here that won't be in their office during their designated office hours. Said teachers won't even answer their phones or emails, so getting into contact with anyone (registration included) isn't likely. Well, unless you live near Ecc, that is. Other than that, there are resources here that are helpful. The Financial Aid office, for example. Overall, while there's pros to attending Ecc...I'd say the cons outweigh them. Consider your options before enrolling here. read more

Great options for getting into a new career. Tuition assistance is also available. My only issue is the friendliness of some of the community college staff. Namely the librarians, custodians, and a couple police officers. Other than that, great if you're doing a program online. read more

I wouldn't recommend the trucking program here. It's better to have tuition covered by workNet, and attend a school that teaches trucking only. There's plenty of trucking companies that pay for your CDL training as well. Going to a community college to get a CDL isn't worth the time. Most trucking schools will not have you complete hundreds of online quizzes, tests, or homework assignments. It's honestly enough to make one scream! I did the math. If you are, for example, single, divorced, or paying child support, attending a trucking school that covers lodging is a better option, financially. When it comes to certain expenses, ECC doesn't deliver. ECC doesn't have any dorms, for instance. I will no longer receive my education here. If you're going into a trade, go to a trade school. Plenty of legitimate government organizations out there help cover the cost of tuition, or provide loans. If you want to complete a program in less than a year, rather than 2-4 years, go to a trade school. There's plenty of debt free options there. ECC is good for those who want to complete two year programs. read more

Counselors don't have much guidance and made me feel like I wasn't going anywhere with life but I think he no longer works here anymore Nursing program is amazing here. No complaints. If ur starting out try to grab Barb Tarin as your first semester professor. She is an amazing professor. Never had a professor like her. She really cares about you and your learning. Or Amy she's good too Been here for 9 years unfortunately Seen the ups and downs here. They really upgraded but they need to work on their cafeteria (some workers have attitude and they are always short staffed. Overpriced) they and cleaning the walls of the bathroom stalls Study rooms bomb af in building A Food pantry is lit too. They open the doors at 6am or 5:58 to be exact Close at 10 Always come 20 mins before your class of your trying to find parking and make it on time for class And tip for studying Study weeks before your test and review what you went over in class after class Good luck y'all. read more

I am just finishing up my first semester at ECC and so far, I am impressed with the level of education offered at this school. My instructors have been absolutely wonderful and are always available to help students if they need extra assistance--either in person or by email. Big shout out here to Dr. Bell in the Biology department. If you need to take Anatomy and Physiology (BIO 245), I highly recommend her class. ECC's facilities are clean, modern and well-maintained. Tuition for in-district residents is affordable at $91/credit hour. Most of the staff I've come in contact with have been quite friendly and helpful, including the folks in admissions and registration. Hell, even the cafeteria workers are nice. Security seems to be pretty tight: there are always campus patrol trucks driving around at night which good for those taking late classes. My only complaint is regarding their registration procedures and number of available classes. Registration is done based on seniority: those with lots of credit hours taken at ECC will register first. If you're a new student or haven't taken many classes there, enjoy your wait at the back of the line. Hopefully your desired sections won't fill up, but don't be surprised if they do. With all the growth in the area and the number of older students who are returning to college, ECC really should add more classes to their schedule to accommodate the demand. The student population will certainly continue to grow in the coming years, and I sincerely hope the school will be able to expand as well. After a horrible experience at Truman in Chicago, ECC has done wonders to restore my faith in community colleges. read more

The Spartan Terrace at Elgin Community College is the real world execution of the school's award winning culinary program. This is where the students in training for back of the house and front of the house get to ply their new skills on actual customers. I have had the good fortune to enjoy a typical lunch and two special dinners at the Spartan Terrace. Lunch was standard lunch fare, but was well prepared, plated and served. The dinners were a step up from lunch as they were two specialty dinners. As part of the culinary curriculum at ECC, students interact with chefs and students from other culinary schools from around the world. The special Austrian Oktoberfest and French Gastronomic dinners were excellent. While the individual menu items for the two dinners are not regularly available, what is available is the excellent preparation of the meals. Regardless of what the menu holds for any particular night, you can be assured that you will be treated to dishes prepared properly and served with care. At the same time, you will be helping the next generation of chef's refine their craft. You may even be able to someday say.. " I knew them when.." Spartan Terrace is only open during the school year. Sept to Dec and Feb to May. If you are looking for something different while still enjoying well prepared food, served by a wait staff that actually cares about what they are doing, I highly recommend giving Spartan Terrace an opportunity to impress you. Spartan Terrace is in I building on the west side of campus. Park in lot H and enter through the main doors of Building H, Arts Center. read more

The only thing I like about this college is the art program. The teachers for art classes are super nice and supportive of students ambitions. Aside from that, it is awful. Everything is so unorganized and confusing. The staff at the testing center, the bookstore, and registration are all so rude!! They are not helpful what do ever. Also, never try and ask the counselors for anything! The few counselors I've met with are all super rude and impatient. They don't really answer your questions and just want to get rid of you. And good luck reaching anyone by email or phone, no one ever answers or gets back to you. Freshman orientation is a waste of time, all they teach you is how to work the online portal, they don't give you a very thorough tour and they try and do ice breakers as if you were at camp. It's not a very welcoming intro to being an adult in college. It's so difficult at first to figure out what classes you need and which ones will transfer, and trying to get answers about it is impossible with the staff there. Basically the whole time I was here, most teachers and staff made me feel discouraged and unmotivated to even do any good with my education and future. read more

While you CAN find some amazing teachers here, on the whole, ECC is crap. The biggest gripe I have with them is that they couldn't give a rat's behind about their students. You just disappear into the system, you are just a name on paper. Trying to get any paperwork done, or any problems solved, is a huge hassle, and you should expect it to take many days and tons of run around. With all the crazy renovations, it now takes a good 5 minute walk to get from the parking lot (if you park the closest), and the campus is now so ridiculously confusing that you must carry around a map. My other biggest problem is their WEBSITE. Oh my lord. Every single time I have used their crappy "d2L" and "accessecc" interfaces, and I mean every single time, I always end up with one error message or another. I end up having to call them, and they always reply "it sometimes just does that." And this has been ever since 2007! I attended ECC for 2 years before transferring out. I returned last summer to fulfill one more class need, and all the problems I just listed have only gotten worse. I just graduated from Roosevelt University. That school actually cares about their students. ECC needs to take a lesson from them! read more

I came here for an event and the facilities seem pretty nice. For a remote community college it was nice. All the buildings were modern and clean. Nothing to write home about. The had a large gym that had a running track around the second level. Maybe 200m at the most. read more

This review is for the Blizzard Theatre, so I don't know what the classes are like there. I attended the only show performance of An Encounter with Teddy Roosevelt & John Williams, which of course with Clay Jenkison playing Teddy or should I say Colonel Roosevelt, or Theodore Roosevelt. Seats were down on the main floor in section F, and the seats were pretty tight, the sound system was good. And there is not much leg room from your knees to where the seat in the row in front of your seat, which of course is not much room for audience members to really come or go. Through after I had sat down, there were only 2 seats next to me one one side that weren't empty for to long. The look looked nice as the Blizzard Theatre is located in Elgin Community College (ECC) Arts Center. This is my first time at the Blizzard Theatre or Elgin Community College, as John Williams and Clay Jenkinson did a couple of shows last fall from the theater as well, and I wasn't in attendance for either performance. read more

i love going to school there. i wish high school was like this. i know i have to travel a little bit to go but its worth it since all my instructers so far have been very helpfull threw what i have taken. i honestly say the construction of the parking lot is little much but its needed badly. i honestly got a friend going there hopefully soon. read more

Pretty nice atmosphere. Nice place to go to school I've visited here a while bunch of times to pick up my sister so I've waited there a few times and studied there while waiting for her. Really nice big place. Not short on parking at all! read more

If your military and your trying to receive credits for your time in service (JST) for whatever job you did in the military .. They will NOT give you credits for any job you did in the military ... I was a vehicle mechanic in the army and I applied for an automobile service degree here and they gave me no credits for what I did in the service ...they said I would have to take each class over again or pay for each CLEP test .. I would refer any prior military to apply to colleges near base .. Those colleges will give you credits on stuff you already learned read more

This review is for the Blizzard Theater, from perhaps a different perspective. Last month, our orchestra performed there, and I was extremely impressed with the facilities. The stage was well arranged and had partitions that could be dropped to close off the backstage area from the stage, which is AWESOME for directing the sound out into the audience. The lighting and sound people worked hard to make sure our vocal soloists were properly miked (We had about 8 of them), and the lighting was right. This was not your average symphony performance, as there were lighting cues and spotlights which had to be synchronized with the music. Plus, there were a LOT of people on stage. Our orchestra, chorus and the Elgin Chorale, plus soloists, totaled about 300 people. The ONLY thing that I think caused challenges for the stage crew is the sheer amount of extension cords required to plug in all our music stand lights. However, they did all they could to make sure we had what we needed. Since I wasn't in the audience I don't know how well the sound turned out, but the people really seemed to enjoy the show. Backstage there were plenty of dressing rooms and restrooms, and the whole area seemed extremely well-planned. read more