Here is MY PERSONAL pro/con list of my experience @ Fox College in the OTA program.
Cons:
-Since Fox is a private, for-profit college, the tuition is basically 3x what a community school's tuition is. I paid for my first semester and I still have $25k in student loans that start in December [2019]. At a community college, you may pay $15k total for the degree, but at Fox its nearly $40k
-Since it is still a newly accredited program, it's still working out the kinks and trying to get into the groove of things. There was a lot of disorganization amongst the teachers and very many miscommunications regarding assignments and exams
-One teacher in particular admitted to being very disorganized and frequently lost student's work whether or not they were on paper or via email
-I was filling up on gas at least once a week w my commute - so add that cost to the tuition and that's at least another $120/month
-Occasionally in class, I felt that the teachers treated us like we were high school students and not adults pursuing a 2nd/3rd career
-Fox doesn't actually help you with job placement
Pros:
-I would say that all of the teachers truly care about the students passing. Whether or not it's for the positive stats of the school, I am not sure
-The curriculum is meant to teach you what you NEED to know about the field of OT, they cut all the other BS out
-The teachers are pretty open to suggestions from the class, for the most part. Sometimes we felt like we didn't have a voice, but I remember a handful of times where we mentioned something to the teachers about a better way for us to learn and they put it into action
-We had frequent proficiency exams where we learned how to perform a test or evaluation and then were required to act it out and prove competency. Though these were high-stress times, I feel that over all they were essential
-I had really great experiences on all of my Fieldwork placements. I didn't like all of the settings, but I had good experiences with my CIs. My Fieldwork sites truly prepared me for the board exam and practice
-I finished with my degree and I am certified a year and a half after beginning the program
The reason I went with Fox was because I had applied to other community colleges for the same program, but it was 2x as long as the Fox program was and the wait-list was up to 2-years long! I applied to those programs with a 3.5 GPA, a bachelor's degree, and 150+ hours of OT shadowing and volunteering and I still didn't make the cut. Since I didn't have debt from my undergrad, I decided "why not give Fox a chance". Fox is twice as expensive, but half as long as other programs. Fox is accredited by the appropriate boards for OT and it is one of only a few accredited accelerated OTA programs in the nation. It's not an easy process to get accredited, so I give Fox that credit. Pretty soon, the OTA degree will become a bachelor's degree, so if you've already been accepted into the program, you should keep your head up and tough through it. I am familiar with school-related stress and I didn't think the miscommunications regarding assignments were that big of a deal in the long run. As students, you'll always have a teacher you're not fond of and you will always have a class that you feel you do not perform the best in. However, you tough through it and you do what you need to do to pass. I had that mindset throughout the duration of the program and I passed my boards with room to spare on the first try. If you put in the work, you will get the outcome you hope for. Any program (especially accelerated) you begin will stress you out. That isn't necessarily specific to Fox College, its specific to the type of program it is. This program is strict and time-consuming. They have a strict attendance policy that they inform you about on the orientation of the program so you are not taken by surprise. Though, if something comes up (accidents happen), they will try hard to work with you. My personal examples; I had two hip surgeries during the year-long course work and I was in a car accident that nearly totaled my car on the way to school. The teachers and director worked with me & helped me stay on track. Because of surgery restrictions, I finished [only] 2-weeks after my class. One piece of advice: it is so incredibly important to maintain a positive attitude and perspective/focus on the end goal. Accelerated programs are STRESSFUL. Keep your head high and focus on your goals and how much the degree means to you & good things will come your way. Though it was a stressful 16-months, I truly learned a lot during my experience. In the end, I basically blocked out all the hard times and stressful moments at Fox because I passed my exam and I no longer have to worry about it. One tip: don't take your gen-ed courses at Fox. They are far less expensive at community schools. What got me through the program was the friends I made, wine, and venting to my boyfriend... I hope this helped! read more