THINK TWICE For the price of this so called "experience" take your money and plan your own trip to Washington DC. Envision claims to provide classes for high scholars and and a once in a life time experience. One of the only enjoyable parts of this trip was the wounded warrior project and the ability to get access to U.S government buildings, but in my option was not worth the hefty price tag of $3k. The staff was very rude and disrespectful rewords me. When asked simple questions of how to get somewhere, or what the schedule is they would give you dirty looks or make it seem as if you were hassling them. I had two situations that required me to talk to the office and both time I went they cut me off when talking or told me to figure it out on my own. However I must give credit to my group leader as she was amazing, kind and helpful towards all of the students. The NSAM meeting I found useless as we did basic middle school history work. The other "learning" events were alright but again I didn't learn much from this experience. We had meals at the university of Maryland's dining hall. While eating one of my group members found fingernails in their pie, which the university claims were onions, it's safe to say I stayed away from the pie after that. It gets worse though. While on a trip into DC I witnessed a an older staff member around 60/70 I'd say, buy a box of Trojan condoms, triple bag them at self checkout than put them in his jacket after paying. Later that night I was walking in the hall to return to my room as I saw this man slap a younger ( approx. 25 ) female staff member on her bottom. Through the week they continued to display PDA's. And on the last day we witnessed them purchase condoms again on the last day. Never the less I wasn't expecting to see this on my "once in a lifetime experience." Overall this was an odd week and and make me wonder why I came here in the first place. read more

This program is a complete SCAM. Do not register or pay for your child to attend. If you need to cancel, it is not a "fee." They stole close to $3,000 from us without a single service rendered. Save your time, money, and a severe headache by googling their reviews (multiple different names, NYLF Pathways, Envision, etc.). Speaking with their customer service department made it extremely clear that they do this often. Complete scam. read more

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to express my deep disappointment and concern regarding my daughter's recent experience at the Envision by WorldStrides Engineering Conference held at Georgia Tech University. Given the program's reputation and the high cost--over $5,000 including airfare--our expectations were for a well-organized, enriching, and professional event. Unfortunately, what my daughter experienced was profoundly lacking in planning, structure, and value. Day One: Students were instructed to arrive early in the day. My daughter, along with a few others, arrived during the designated window and was transported to Georgia Tech, where they sat in a gym for six hours playing Uno. There was no structured activity or lunch provided. Though she had packed snacks, her suitcase was taken and stored in a location she was not allowed to access. Upon being allowed into their rooms, students found there was no hand soap provided. By day three, a college student staff member went to a store to purchase some for the group--completely unacceptable for a program of this scale and cost. Day Two and Beyond: Workshops were disorganized and lacked basic resources. Materials and handbooks that Envision promised would be provided did not arrive until day four. College-aged counselors repeatedly apologized to students for the poor quality of the programming and the missing supplies. The educational content presented was superficial at best--featuring tools like Canva more typical of a basic high school STEAM class than a college-level engineering experience. Shockingly, the speakers lacked relevant qualifications. One had never been an engineer, and the other shared that he had worked in the field for only one year before leaving because he found it boring. No professional engineers were present to guide or mentor the students. When students began work on their capstone projects, many of the necessary materials were missing or unavailable. Technical equipment like computers and projectors often failed, and students faced ongoing technical issues. Evenings were largely spent on social "get to know you" games for 3 hours rather than educational activities. Mid-week, approximately 600 additional students arrived, bringing the total to around 800. All of them were required to eat meals simultaneously in a facility clearly not equipped to handle that volume. During one lunch period, a fire drill occurred, and staff had no clear evacuation plan in place, creating unnecessary confusion and concern for safety. The so-called "free day" was equally disappointing. Promotional materials had advertised sightseeing around Atlanta. Instead, students were taken to view planes in a field for one hour and then spent five hours at a shopping mall. To make matters worse, staff members told my daughter that the original lead coordinator quit just days before the conference began, and the replacement quit midway through the week. Leadership instability of this kind explains, but does not excuse, the lack of professionalism and planning. Families make significant sacrifices for their children to attend programs like these. My daughter, like many others, was excited about the opportunity to learn and grow in her interest in engineering. Instead, she endured a chaotic and unfulfilling week. We ultimately chose to fly her home on day six--two days before the scheduled end of the program--because the experience had deteriorated so severely. We were not alone. Many parents had already withdrawn their children by days four and five. The bright spot was that the Envision liaison I spoke with Victor was helpful and quick to accommodate getting my daughter to the airport. While I understand that our payment is non-refundable, I am writing this to make my voice heard and to warn other families: Do not send your child to an Envision Conference. This program does not deliver what it promises and fails to meet even the most basic standards of organization and care. read more

Horrible staff. Horrible program. They are not honest. Dont trust even 1 word of them. Also they can threatening you with your kid education life. If u want problem in your life this is program !!! read more

It was a well respected educational organization to me until today when I dealt with them. About three years ago, I enrolled my child in one of their programs. It was terminated by their end due to a student scarcity; the tuition was repaid, but the entire cost of preparing for the program fell on our shoulders. It was OK with us. This year, I enrolled my child again; unfortunately, I paid $3,545.00 tuition for a 6-day program; then I found that I had registered him in the wrong program, as recommended by his teacher. I called again and sought a change; they indicated I would be charged $50.00 to change the program. I agreed with the charge and we were in the process of changing, and the representative cautioned that we would have to pay more if tuition increased; I am fine with that as well. When she verified, the tuition for the program I desired was $3,145.00, which was $400.00 cheaper than the other one; nevertheless, she stated that the difference would not be refunded due to their organization's policy. That is a huge rip-off. It is inconsistent with the ethical standards of educational organizations. I will share my tale to the instructors that nominated my child, as well as parents at school and the school system, I also will discourage all my friends and relatives about this organization in order to prevent this from occurring to others. read more

ZERO STARS Not a legit company. Summer program was supposed to take place in Washington DC as advertised , BUT we found out it's in Virginia. After more digging it's actually going to be held at a Marriott on Lafayette Virginia. $3000 for a summer program in Washington ! Except it's anything but. we decided to cancel - 6 weeks later still waiting on a refund. After they deduct over $500 in nonsense fees. Disgrace. DO NOT BUY INTO THIS SCHEME read more

Based on my experience, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. I would recommend Envision.

UNHEALTHY, UNSAFE, and BORING We deferred our 12 year old daughter's camp from the COVID year- like others, we were told that the experience we were promised (that was supposed to be on campus) would be delivered in 2021. For around $2800, I think we had reasonable expectations for what the program would deliver. Just 2 weeks ago, we received an email that the venue was changed to the downtown Denver Sheraton. I called, and asked if they would be spending the entire week in the hotel. I was assured that no, they would be going to the DU campus during the day, and back to the hotel in the evening- but that turns out to be a blatant lie. They spend their days between windowless conference rooms and banquet halls and their hotel rooms- a FAR cry from what the product was that they advertised. No labs, no university experience- just bad conference vibes. Lots of "sit and get" lectures from boring speakers. Also on the phone, I asked about physical activity and fresh air. 16th Street is about the most urban setting you can find in Colorado, but I was assured again on the phone that my daughter would be getting lots of fresh air when she would be on campus. She has been at the program for 3 FULL DAYS now and HAS NOT BEEN OUTDOORS THE ENTIRE TIME. How on earth is this a good experience for anyone? (Not to mention that they all must wear masks despite vaccination status or that they all had to have tested negative upon arrival!). I work at a public school, and even there, we know the importance of giving kids a "mask break" outdoors practically every hour. The person on the phone also said that students would be going to a water park (?) for outdoor time, but I was suspicious of that- since no paperwork had mentioned this, or that we weren't told to pack a swim suit. So, another lie to get me off the phone. The icing was the fact that my daughter was placed in a room with a girl who brought a knife with her and cuts herself to deal with her "sh**** life." My daughter was scared out of her wits, and contacted us immediately the first night of the program. We arranged for her to be reassigned rooms immediately (at 10:30 pm) but then was forgotten about the next day- she was left in her room the next morning, and wasn't brought down to breakfast. This is my child's first sleepaway camp, and it's not reassuring to think that your kid is being forgotten! What a mess. From poor email communication, to long lines at registration, to dishonest phone operators, normally I would chalk this up to just a bad choice of camp. But the price is the kicker- as a teacher, the cost of this program was almost my take-home salary for an entire month. My child has huge aspirations to work as a scientist, and we thought the cost would be worth the experience received. Now it all seems like it was a scam to resume the program before they were ready. VERY DISAPPOINTED all around. Take your money elsewhere. read more

Zero stars. My son was nominated last year, but did not attenddue to covid shot reqirements. We were "allowed" to roll his tuition over to this summer. Plus an extra $1000 because he moved to up to the middle school bracket. He called us the second night complaining about other preteen boys making sexual advances and trying to enter his shower stall. He was warned to not drop the soap. He complained to staff who laughed him off. After I found out, I called. It stopped, but his experience was already screwed up. He called us to pick him up a day early. I wish I'd read other reviews before dropping the $1k upcharge. We would have lost the original money (they don't do refunds) and I hate to think what he would have gone through last summer. Not only will he never return to one of their conferences, I will do what I can to stop other parents from sending their children. read more

Waste of Money This program is marketed as a big deal because you got high scores so you get accepted. It is actually just a way to scam parents out of $4300. Activities were either constantly being rescheduled or outright cancelled, including the visit to tour a hospital that was part of the planned experience. The packing list was incomplete, and the food made kids sick. Plus they arranged to take high school kids to an adult simulation center 3 hours away from site without any parent knowledge. Students experienced a plane crash and car wreck simulation with actors and dummies. while some kids might have liked the experience, why wasn't this described in the paperwork. Many kids could have been traumatized. Not described accurately at all! read more

This is marketed as an opportunity for an advantage for your child for school, but it's actually used to get money from parents and not provide value. read more

Stay away!! This review is for Envision NYLF Medicine away program for high school students. This program is just a scam. Every day is packed with long and boring lectures. Examples: According to the schedule, one of the first days was dedicated to a Medical School visit. My daughter was so excited! Since we chose UC Berkeley location, naturally, she thought this would be UC school. Instead, students rode buses for two hours each way from Berkeley to a California Northstate University to visit a Med School that just opened on a provisional license couple years ago and had since been put on probation. In this so called Med School students had to sit through hours of presentation which was basically recruitment event. Next day was supposed to be a Triage Training day and in reality it was another boring hours-long lecture, CPR training (which every high schooler does in PE class), then another lecture. What is this?? When the program said "Surgery Broadcast", in reality students sat for two hours in a big auditorium in little chairs watching previously RECORDED surgery. My daughter is exhausted, has to get up at 5:30am just to be able to take a shower, doesn't come back to her room until about 10 pm, with no down time. Her back and her neck hurt from sitting hour after hour and day after day on an uncomfortable chair. And all activities are just exhausting and boring. Forget Envision, but how does GMU allows their name used by this program? When the website claims GMU would give credit for completion, that to me was kind of a validation of the quality of the program. Shame on you, Envision, for scamming kids! Shame on you, George Mason University, for enabling this!! read more

Absolutely terrible. DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THESE PROGRAMS. Our son was invited to attend, we raised money to cover the tuition and travel fees. We rented an airbnb and a car, purchased flights and were ready to go. THREE DAYS before we were due to leave, I received an auto-call that the program was cancelled. No explanation, to live person to talk to. We quickly cancelled as much as we could, but lost around $2000 for the lodging and around $500 for flights they wouldn't reimburse. They refunded the tuition and the flight fees for only my son. Everything else, the lodging and flights for family, all lost. What a total waste. read more

Trying their best to create a program for kids that's educational but some of the staff doesn't know the material so it's a bit odd,

With the Covid Pandemic, all businesses and people should understand that many people may want to cancel this and receive their hard earned money back. Not with this company. They don't want to refund my money. It's only been 2 weeks since I paid the deposit I should have 30 days to decide weather I want to continue or not. I feel we shouldn't just give away 500 dollars for no reason! This company is a crock! DO NOT SIGN UP WITH THIS COMPANY! read more

Don't walk- RUN away from this company. I have heard excellent things about the experiences the students have. I am sure they are great IF everything lines up and the student makes it and the event is held as scheduled, however, I absolutely cannot recommend this company. My daughter was to go to a conference in June. Her flight was canceled and because she was flying as an unaccompanied minor, the airline could not get her there until the day before the conference was to end. We called Envision and discussed it with them that weekend. We attempted to reschedule her for later in the summer, but there were no openings available. We then began trying to get a refund. We paid for the "insurance" offered by Envision when we signed up. I have called at least 6 times over the last 3.5 weeks seeking a refund. Each time I call the representative they say they will "open a case" for a manager to review and that we will hear back within 24 to 72 hours. Each time, this does not happen. I called again today- surprise surprise, the representative asked me if I had opened a case to ask for a refund (less my deposit and the money I paid for transportation and the laughable insurance). Yes. Yes, I have. Many times. But, we did this yet again. But don't worry, someone from Envision will be sure to reply to this message telling me to call the office of admissions so we can figure out a solution. PS- their solution of choice is to keep my money and apply it to a program for next year which is not an option for us. This program was recommended by my kids' school and I will be informing them of our experience in hopes of preventing other parents from falling into this trap. I will also be filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau at the end of the day if I have not heard from a manager. I am absolutely done with this company. read more

I have a unique experience. I have twin boys who attended Envision Camps this year. One in DC at the leadership camp and the other in New York (Explore Stem). The difference between the two camps was rather astonishing, DC camp went on outings and other social events. NY stayed on campus and had no other activities. I told my wife the comparison of the two camps was, they are told you have X dollars to spend and you get to keep what is left. The leaders of the NY camp left with a pile of cash and the DC leaders left with none. We tried to reach out to Envision about this at the end of July and were told we would be getting a call about how poor the NY camp was run. My wife emailed on a number of occasions and still has not been contacted. We received a notice after the camp, saying we had a $100.00 balance not paid. I paid for the camp in full and did not set up a payment plan. My wife emailed Christopher Pugh on August 25th asking about this. We did not get a response. She then called the general number and the person she spoke with could not tell us why we owed $100.00. He could see we had paid in full. We were told at this time our account had been updated and no further action was needed. She also asked why we had not been contacted about the NY camp. The person she spoke to said there was a note in our file that "We had been contacted and the problem had been resolved". We had not been contacted. Today through email, we received a notice saying if we did not pay $100.00 by September 15th we would be turned over to collections. I personally am tired of dealing with this. We have been given any explanation as to why we owe $100.00 and the fact Envision would send $100.00 to collections is beyond anything I have ever experienced. read more

**ZERO STARS** Daughter was nominated for one of the summer leadership programs and we were so excited. We enrolled her filled out the forms but as time went on changes were being made to the program, policies, and requirements. We were uncomfortable with some of the changes and decided to cancel. When we asked for a refund, minus the deposit, we were denied. They stated we canceled after the cutoff date and would not be issued a refund. These changes were made after the cutoff, which I assume was purposefully done so not to have to issue refunds. We were offered to transfer her to the following year and declined, if this is how they treat ppl then its the last place I want my daughter. Cost-$2500-$3000 Place- Washington DC read more

DO NOT DO IT. This company is TRASH. They have switched the programs multiple times and locations and are trying to force us into another program. We gave them another year to try and make it better but they cancelled and switched her program again. Now they don't want to give a refund for nothing that has anything to do with the student but they're own fault. Do you think we can get a class action going against them? read more

This is nothing like it was years ago. Total false advertising. There are no medical people or students involved. Undergrads read from a script for a 15 minute talk and then the kids sit on their phones til the hour is up. We spent money on business casual clothes that weren't needed. read more

I am DISGUSTED!!!!!!!! I loved the program when my son did it and he was so excited to do it again. Covid hits and they cancel the program but yet wont refund my money???? I have called and called and called. i was told I will get a refund in July, then August and now by the end of the year. So unprofessional. Based on other reviews, it looks like I am not the only one. Should we all receive interest for the funds they are keeping? They are also keeping an $80 admin fee. Are they kidding? Disgusting. I will be telling EVERYONE about this scam of an institution. read more

What an awful company! We are still waiting on a refund after our daughters trip was canceled. We were required to book air fare, buy clothes ( there's is a dress code and our daughter got a summer job just to make sure she had appropriate clothing per the dress code in the student portal), we purchase hotel rooms ( our daughter is an unaccompanied minor so my husband took time off work and we bought a total of 6 plane tickets), attended zoom meetings, filled out a ton of paperwork.... All for them to cancel, not provide a refund, no compensation for additional expenses, we would of not normally of had if it wasn't required or a necessity for her to attend. I'm extremely disappointed in the unwillingness of NYLF Envision to make it right by parents and students. We are not rich we sacrificed paying bills to ensure our daughters tuition was covered. We work hard for our money and it's pathetic that a company would do this to hard working families. Please do not send your child here. Our daughter is devastated. Our family is suffering emotional and financially! read more

An admissions councilor said they were a non-profit but there seems to be no evidence to prove that. They can't connect you with anyone to explain the the curriculum, or tell you who will be teaching the classes. They just seem to want your money without really providing any information about the quality of the time your child will spend with them. They would really prefer that you pay money before asking questions about anything. It feels like a lot of pizzazz for not a lot of substance. If they were focused on education it feels like they could easily get details to really sell that extreme price tag. read more

y son is not able to attend. I paid the deposit and unfortunately I can't afford it. I am a single mother, teacher and do not receive child support. My son wants to attend space camp with his 5th grade class and it is $650.00. I am contacting having an attorney contact the Better Business Bureau for fraud. These people are not legit. They will scam you out of money and from the reviews I've read, the experience for 5th grade is irrelevant and not as advertised. I am extremely dissapointed. read more

Last minute cancellation with NO communication If I could give this program zero stars I would. My son was supposed to attend the Pathways to STEM I at Layola on Monday July 18th. By pure chance, I happened to log into his account tonight to make sure no additional paperwork was needed and I see a highlighted item that says, urgent - program canceled, select your refund options, with a deadline of tomorrow 7/14 to make a selection! I called the phone number and it said, "if you're calling about an email you received about a cancellation..." WHAT EMAIL? I searched both my husband's and my email, every folder, and NO email was sent. When we're you going to notify families that the program was canceled? AFTER the refund deadline? What an absolute scam! When I got through to customer service I asked about the Layola Program and instantly the girl on the line said, "yep it's canceled." I asked why and she said, "no staff." I waited a little bit and called back just to be sure and a man answered the phone this time and he didn't seem to know anything about the cancellation. After about 5 minutes of him figuring it out, and me explaining what I saw on my son's account he said, "yep, then it must be canceled." I asked why and he said, "because of COVID" - clearly he's making that up because he didn't even know it was canceled in the first place! Then, I asked where my email was that the voice message said when I called customer services and he said, "oh, that should go out tomorrow or Friday." So go out the day of or the day after the refund deadline??? I sure hope all parents with kids going to this program check for that email tomorrow so they don't get screwed out of their refund for missing the deadline. Thank God I could get a last minute refund on my hotel, but I'm still out the money for the required COVID test..... and I will expect this refund be processed within 5-7 business days, because based on the other posts I've seen lately, if I have to wait longer than 2 weeks, I'll be filing a fraud report with the BBB and getting an attorney. read more

***ZERO STARS*** Absolutely disgusting company! We are still waiting on a refund after our daughters trip was canceled. We were required to book air fare, buy clothes ( there's is a dress code and our daughter made sure she had appropriate clothing per the dress code in the student portal), attended zoom meetings, filled out a ton of paperwork.... All for them to cancel, not provide a refund, no compensation for additional expenses, we would of not normally of had if it wasn't required or a necessity for her to attend. I'm extremely disappointed in the unwillingness of Envision to make it right by parents and students. Please do not send your child here. Our daughter is devastated. read more

Run....don't walk...away from this program. We paid ~$2200 for our daughter to participate. She was scheduled for end of July/beginning of August 2019. Her grandmother was going to travel with her and they were going to stay with a friend so we didn't have to pay for a hotel. My husband can't travel for health reasons and I can't take off work. Her grandmothers house burned down a week ago. Everything was lost. Not much was covered by insurance. I explained the situation and asked for a refund. I was told I would have had to ask by April 2nd. I didn't know that our family would experience a horrible house fire in June on April 2nd!!! We need this money to help our family replace what was lost. Asked for a review of my request, which was also denied. Apparently losing everything in a house fire is not enough of an emergency. When I asked what they actually consider an emergency, the rep couldn't tell me. Envisions solution? Requiring me to pay an additional $50 to transfer the trip to next year. I explained repeatedly that I won't be able to pay for the travel next year either. But if I didn't pay the $50 I lose all of it. No one cares. Zero empathy. All they care about is money. read more

If I could, I would give them ZERO stars. This is the absolute worst company you could ever pay and agree to go on an experience with. I paid over $5,000 dollars to this company for both of my kids, and tried to cancel over 30 days before the program was going to start. When I called them to cancel, they refused to give me a refund. They stated I can only transfer the money for the next year program and I would not get a refund. I refused to have it transferred and requested a refund again. I was then told I could get a partial refund and I agreed to it. Now, almost a year later, I've called them several times asking about my refund (which I still have not got). I was told twice that I would get my refund within a few weeks, and I called again recently. I was told I could not get the refund AGAIN and there is nothing they could do about it. They told me I was supposed to call in April 2021 to cancel and "qualify" for the refund when the program was in the middle of June 2021. I was never told that I had to call 2 months prior to the program, only 30 days prior. To top it all off, when I tried to cancel the first time in May 2021, they told me that the transfer of money from the 2021 program to the 2022 program would then allow me to get the refund in 2022 when I call to cancel it again in 2022. Now, they're telling me I can't cancel it at all and the transfer made the money non-refundable. I have pleaded for a refund because $5,000 is A LOT of money. And I cannot get a refund at all. This is very upsetting and disappointing to me. THIS COMPANY IS A SCAM. DO NOT SIGN UP FOR ANY OF THEIR PROGRAMS. read more

If it was possible I would give this company 0 stars. This company is a total scam who are only looking to take your money. They act with prestige and send these fancy letters saying your invited to their program because of your excellence in your classes. They would give you the location of the program at elite locations such as UCLA or Occidental College and then at the last second they will change the location to hotels and LAX. This company is looking for nothing more but your money and they won't even refund you if your canceling and not coming. This company should be taken down and news should be spread about how terrible this company so other people don't make the same mistake my family and many other families have done. read more

My daughter participated in Saturday programming classes at GMU, who are also associated with Envision, and ever since, they have been calling and "nominating" my daughter for envision. Looking at these reviews and BBB reviews, it's obviously a scam. I initially seriously looked into the summer program because it looked like the GMU department that runs Saturday classes also run camp. They also offer merit scholarships, supposedly. However, in order to get an ID number to apply for the scholarship, you have to be in the program. So...from what I gathered, you pay for the program, then pray for a scholarship to exist. Another huge red flag. I checked with the Saturday class teachers to learn more about this program. After all, this camp has a big page dedicated to it on GMUs MGTA webpage. They didn't have any information about the program. No, my kid will not be attending. Thanks to all of the previous reviewers for helping me to understand the behind the scenes of the actual "camp." I'm so sorry all of you had those experiences. read more

Do not enroll your children/students in this program! Our daughter was scheduled to attend the 2020 Summer program, however due to the pandemic the session was cancelled. We agreed to allow the session to roll over into early summer 2021 session, yet considering the current pandemic still has not subsided and it has placed a financial burden on our family, we reached out December 3, 2020 to request a refund. We were told that we wouldn't be refunded any payments made prior to August 2020 and it would take up to 60 days to receive the remaining portion made after that date. I requested to speak with a manager to review this matter as that didn't seem fair at all considering they haven't provided services. The manager called and left a message weeks later and I returned his call and left a message, to receive no response. I reached out yesterday inquiring on my refund status and was told the manager would give me a call. As of this moment, we have not received a call back from the manager nor received any refund amount.We trusted this company, please do not waste your funds on this program. The only alternative solution to this matter is to seek legal action. read more

This is a SCAM!!! Our son was scheduled to attend in summer of 2020, and was deferred until 2021 due to COVID. We stopped getting any communication whatsoever in November of 2020. In March of 2021 I called after we saw the new date populate on the site. We were concerned it might not be safe with COVID cases rising again. The gentleman I spoke with indicated we could get a refund process started if we chose to do so. I said we would discuss it. On April 8th I called to get the refund, and spoke to a very rude lady who said we could have only gotten a refund if we called before April 6th (two days prior). Nobody ever told me there was a time constraint! I was told it would be sent to "higher management" and I would get a call in 3-4 days. Really, 3-4 days, you have that many unhappy customers? I intend to tell any school counselors, admission counselors, and professors that this program is a total scam and does not run their business in an ethical manner. I also am notifying the Missouri Attorney General as well. If you are presented with this, RUN AWAY!!!!! read more

So my very bright, academically advanced, middle school son just received a very impressive packet in the mail today! A fat packet congratulating him on his academic excellence (stating that his science teacher nominated him) and inviting him to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum: EXPLORE STEM. The excitement and congratulations offered by my wife and I was, as usual, downplayed by my very nonchalant tween..barely eliciting a toothy grin. Of course we thought this was a great honor... Some exclusive academic/scholastic organization recognizing and rewarding our precocious son for his academic excellence. After dnnr I grabbed the packet to read all that it contained and it soon dawned on me that this sounded vaguely familiar. I can't count the number of times I've received some "select" "exclusive offer" to attend some seminar that's gonna make me rich! LOL That's what I'm reading... Right? But it's addressed to my twelve year old?! His teacher's name is included... His school. I read further... I know this is REALLY fishy long before I finish... Then I see the yellow card: "... confirm receipt within 24 hours!" Yep!...just what you'd expect.. "Don't think too long, call NOW... Our sales pitch is waiting for you!" Look at that tuition! 6 days - $2300-2500! Haha.. Oh my... Nigerian Prince, anyone? So, I do what I always do... Google it! Hmm..not looking so exclusive now! What's that... "scam"... "lawsuit"... "settlement"... "$17 million"... "marketing".. Yea.. Four or five articles later and I've wasted enough time on this. Due diligence, people. read more

My sister was "nominated" with a few of her friends because her teacher knew they would all be shy and stick together. At first they were unable to attend the same campus, but our families all adjusted from the houses we were renting (to save money from the boarding option(2,000$)) and were able to go to the same campus. When we called a few weeks in advance, we asked for the three friends to be together, and they told us that it would be no problem, just to come a little early. When it was a week away, we called again-just to be sure, and the woman who answered the phone was SO RUDE and OBNOXIOUS. She told us "Well, NO. Why are you asking NOW? You should have confirmed that WEEKS AGO and now it's only a week away! I'm sorry, but there is no way we can accommodate that." We were very frustrated and continued to communicate with them, even talked to the manager who had us on hold for the majority of the call. Finally she told us she would do what she could. Both of them said "it's about making new friends" but please keep in mind the three girls are very shy and only came because they thought they could be together. Not to mention the outrageous price. It was over 2 thousand dollars to do the sleep away camp, and over fifteen hundred dollars to do the day camp. All three families of the girls are pretty angry, and will not be attending again. My mom and sister drove 6 hours today to get up there. We absolutely do not recommend this at all. I will update this when they tell me how it went. read more

If I could give ZERO stars I would. My child's camp was moved to a airport hotel after being told that the camps were good to go this summer at the Universities listed pre-enrollment. I have contacted Envision Experience 8 different times. Each time being told that someone in a management position would return my calls in 24/48 hours. Finally after WEEKS of waiting on a reply I was contacted by Javontay Patrick who also had no information about me receiving a refund because my child's camp was moved from Emory University to a airport hotel in Atlanta. Saying that I was in breach of contract not them and the would return a portion of my money not al of it when they were the ones who scammed everyone knowing they never had intentions of using Emory or any other university. I do not feel comfortable at all allowing my child to stay in a AIRPORT HOTEL IN ATLANTA. With child trafficking and the crime rate in Atlanta I would have NEVER signed him up knowing the camp would be changed to a hotel. I have contacted the Better Business Bureau, along with our county and states board of education about the scam that is going on with with company. I have also left numerous voicemails over the past few weeks and am once again waiting on someone to contact me. DO NOT SIGN YOUR CHILDREN UP FOR THIS YOU WILL BW SCAMMED!!! read more

With this coronavirus spreading like wild flower why isn't this program cancelling and refunding money for its summer sessions. There is no cure for this disease and once a child or an adult gets it, all the program will say is I am sorry. Some government, private sectors employees are working from their homes. School activities, temples, churches and community gatherings are cancelling.The CDC can't even keep up with the testing kits to administer to the 50 states , that private companies are creating their own. Now a family with a 3 year old has it. So no age is exempt from this disease. ABC news showed a map of infected states from 4 days ago till today, and most states are infected. Is it me, or does anyone share my concerns and feel like you are in the movie Contagious, Quarantine, or Outbreak. read more

If I could give this company a negative review, I would. I enrolled my daughter in this program, and due to a financial hardship, had to cancel her enrollment. When I called the cancel, I asked if I would be getting my full amount of what I had paid refunded. They said "yes, ma'am. you will receive a full refund". Unfortunately, that was not the case. I didn't realize that it was in good business practice to keep a deposit of $650. This business is sham, and are only interested in your money. When I called to get an explanation after being told that I would receive my full refund, the person I spoke to said she would create a case for it and call me back. This never happened. I just called back to have a screaming match with one of their employees. Very unprofessional, and not understanding. I wouldn't recommend anyone enroll their child in this nonsense program. read more

I enrolled my son thinking that this was a trusted program as his school nominated him. Being on a fixed income, I had to make payments. Then Covid hit. I cancelled early, in April, expecting a refund pretty early on. Fool me! I was then told MOST refunds would be processed in July(by the end that is) and in order if cancellation. I sure wish I would have thought to read reviews first. read more

It is all flash and pomp. The appearance of prestige based on the location of their programs is belied by their financial policies of high prices and no refunds. There will always be programs promising much more than they deliver. Don't get taken in! read more

BE AWARE! SCAM If I could give this place a no star review I would. The financial burden this place has put on our family is terrible. Do you think they care. Absolutely not! I have been dealing with a Mohammed. At first he seem genuine to our struggle. I am a mom of 4 children having troubles making ends meet. One of my oldest got nominated for this program by his teacher. We were so excited that he would be able to have this great opportunity. Dispite our efforts to fundraise by the dead line we were still 1500 short. I could not come up with the money and Mohammed said he would give us an additional 500.00 leaving us still short 1000.00. after this you have no options. You can not send your child because you still owe money. I have tried to deal with this company and they keep refusing to refund me the monies I have paid. Instead I receive a response from Mohammed that it very insensitive to our situation. Stating that he gave us extra scholarship to help us with the cost. Yes you might have but that money was never used by us so your company still has it. This did not benefit my son at all. What a SCAM this place is. If I had the money to hire a lawyer this would be one company I would sue. They ended up pocketing my money and saying sorry this is not our problem. Oh and Mohammed wanted to call me to explain why he is not going to refund me the money I paid. If you pull any of my calls with this company you can see how many times I stated I would like to cancel but they are sweet talkers don't disclose anything until you can not cancel. I will be sure the post this on social media. I have already filed a complaint with the BBB. Do you think the company had responded to them. Haha No! I should of listened to the few people who said that if there is a real stem program for kids that you will NOT HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. Be aware guys! Scammers at their finest... read more