I am currently in the Occupational Therapy Program at the "old" campus (Telegraph & 30th St)! We…read morewill be moving to 12th St in Downtown Oakland in 2026. Coming to Samuel Merritt was one of the best decisions of my life. There a number of factors of why I chose SMU and why I love it more everyday. First: Why did I choose SMU? - Prior to starting at SMU, I attended SMU's immersion day, countless zoom info sessions, school tours, and meet n greets. When meeting the students and faculty they really made me feel welcomed and supported. I felt like I belonged at SMU and that I wasn't just another person joining a program. I liked watching the current students interact with the faculty. Everyone knew each other's names and talked like old friends. This made me feel excited and comforted when thinking about which university I wanted to choose - Campus is located a short drive away from my family home yet is also far enough away to experience personal growth. The location was ideal for me because I wanted to stay in the bay to be with my friends and family. - Campus is safe. There are many people walking around every day and I haven't heard about any crime on campus. Students, Healthcare workers (Alta Bates), patients, faculty, and security guards are always around. SMU has shuttles to take students to Bart and there is a guarded parking garage. Each building has security and sometimes Oakland police are on campus patroling. - No GRE - Great reputation and alumni I heard that many alumni end up in prestigious hospitals like Stanford Hospital - Many of my old high school classmates came to SMU for various programs and they enjoyed it Second: Why do I love SMU more everyday? - My cohort is amazing!! I truly love all my classmates. We have great respect for each other and we all get along. Outside our individual friend groups within our cohort, we still want to see each other win. Every day we laugh, chat, connect, and grow together. I really love that we all think of each other. Like how we celebrate each others birthdays by signing birthday cards and hanging out after class. - There are many fun events on campus!! We've had multiple fun events throughout the year. Note that each SMU campus have different events. At Oakland campus, so far, I've experienced.. * Free Taco Day * Free Yoga * Free School Supplies * Free Coffee/Tea * Free Gelato * Free Fenton's Ice cream * Free Pantry * Etc... TBD - SMU OT Staff are very supportive and have great personality! Myself and the cohort love the faculty! They bring great energy and want to see us win! Overall, I feel like the program is going by fast because we're having so much fun. Every day is a new experience and I look forward to the rest of my program.

Everything is subpar at this school but they definitely have the worst and incompetent financial…read moreaid team available. If you're not new and incoming, good luck to actually getting someone to address your issues. Dr. Larsen is officially the only good director in administration but one person can't make up for the kind of subpar education and lack of support this expensive scam of a school provides

The campus itself is beautiful and calm compared to many urban campuses, and many of the professors…read moregenuinely care about student success. If you are motivated and willing to advocate for yourself, you can receive a solid education and prepare to transfer or enter the workforce. However, like many community colleges, the experience can vary depending on the department or office you interact with. Some administrative processes, especially around financial aid or student services can feel slow or confusing at times, which can create frustration for students who rely on those resources. There are unwarranted delays, denials, and systemic procedurals around the resources that are in place to help students. Overall, Merritt College provides opportunity, affordability, and dedicated instructors, but there is room for improvement in communication and administrative support. Students who stay focused and take advantage of available resources can definitely succeed here, that's if you can get them.

Alumni student back on campus attending a series of trainings for my job. Being back in campus made…read moreme reflect how far I've come in my life. I attended school here as a single mother and received an AA degree before moving on with my educational journey. I made a full complete circle coming back to the place where I began which eventually led me to my current employer. As I sent here during the lunch break and not rushing to a class I can fully appreciate all the beauty this campus has to offer with the awesome view of the city behind parking lot C and the manicured lawns, trees,and plants along the paths.

If you need to take your OSHA 30, hope that you get Mr. Lopez as your instructor! I was expecting a…read morelong, boring week of lectures, but Mr. Lopez made the class incredibly engaging. He has a great energy and a unique way of explaining complex safety standards so that they actually make sense. He cares deeply about his students' success and safety, and it shows. He kept the energy up, kept us entertained with relevant stories, and made sure no one was left behind. I learned a ton and actually enjoyed the process. Highly recommend

I was having difficulties with admissions because I'm a returning student. Seems like I was getting…read morethe round around with everyone I spoke to until I went into the welcome center where TAMARA helped me out tremendously . She was very helpful and patience and showed that she cared...and she saved my day .. I give her assistance 100 STARS .. but everything else so far a negative zero.. But she was amazing I wish Laney hire more people like her ...

Clear and precise information given to help pass the exam. The instructors were so helpful and…read morewilling to help In any issues. No problems in passing as long as you paid attention. Very relaxed environment.

Called to get some info on their CNA certification program for my daughter…read more The guy that answered the phone told me to go their website. That all the info I need to know is on there. I go to their website and read, but still had questions; class start dates, class times, full or part time, cost, etc. So I called back. This mf was rude asf. "I TOLD YOU TO LOOK AT THE WEBSITE, EVERYTHING IS ON THERE...wth??? The guy is rude AND he's hard to understand b/c of his foreign accent. Cannot imagine my daughter learning or putting up with these people. She wouldn't graduate AND I'd probably be in Santa Rita for knocking this FOB out.

Just graduated from this program and passed both written and skills state exam with no issues. The…read moreinstructors here really all want you to succeed, they give you study materials to study for the state exam and one of the teachers even made us flashcards to study from (which was very helpful for me when i was trying to refresh memory for skills). When taking my skills exam i got to speak with students from other programs and noticed they were very unprepared and some were unaware for the materials they are going to be tested on. Iam grateful to have taken this program. During the program we got presentations for job opportunities as well as scholarship programs. Highly recommend this CNA program to anyone that may be interested. Goodluck!!

This is the place to go if you want quality and state of the art health care courses like CNA, I…read moretook classes here and the experience was top notch, from the Director Veronica to the tutors miss Davies, Mr Vern, etc. they have a very nice lab room equipped with everything needed for skills training and the cleanliness of the facility everything just sits right for a healthcare school. Thanks Nightingale for all you do. 80% of the CNA,s I meet around the Alamda county have always said they passed through here and have positive recommendations of you guys.

Quality/Quantity - One of the better city/community…read morecolleges! Good college to earn your associate degree. Better yet, a GREAT and affordable way to get into the UC system! Or to just get some certifications. Current promotion: $500 towards Fall of 2022, see their website. Atmosphere - Good size campus, not too big or small. Affordable parking: $2 a day (at least that was the pre-pandemic cost). Service - Good. Last time I was here I was getting a student ID for my daughter. It was simple and affordable. Price - N/A, unless you count parking which is/was very affordable! Owner Comment - Thanks for all you do to promote affordable higher education, trade, cultural, community, etc.

I was trying to apply for C2c program they don't not answer any of my questions and concerns they…read moreare not helpful and being disrespectful don even go there

Hello, Thank you…read morefor taking the time to read my email, I began the process of bettering my life and my career in August of 2022 when I reached out to Unitek to begin evening LVN classes. I spoke with Jeremiah and many other staff members during my interview process, and was asked extremely personal questions regarding my circumstances to ensure I was the student Unitek desired - little did I know, my disclosures on scheduling preferences and my single parenthood would be used to ensure you all took advantage of me and got money out of my pocket ensuring you would have not keep up your end of the student contract. I was clear from the beginning of my initiation, I work full time and have a daughter - every one I talked to ensured I would get into a night class within a year and that I needed to enroll in the prerequisite class immediately to not lose my spot. In doing this, and trusting you all I emptied my savings account with the hope of a bright future for my daughter and myself. I finished the prerequisite class at the TOP of the class - excited for the next steps, I called/texted Jeremiah. He called me a few days after completion of the prerequisite course welcoming me into the LVN next class, which was a full time day class - I was confused. I was so clear on my availability , and was PROMISED I would have access to a class in the evening within the year of the prereq course. During this phone conversation, Jeremiah stated there would be a class in December. December came and went, and I followed up - I was told there was a postponed class for June. Here we are. You promise classes, take people's hard earned money banking that they never get to the next step, without any care in the world. I am requesting a full refund as YOU are unable to keep your end of the contract. Please contact me with any questions. Regards,

I am a recent graduate of Unitek College and Paul Toomey, a graduate employment specialist, was the…read moreone who helped me find a job. As soon as I passed my Nclex, he reached out to me immediately and he was there to guide me to look for facilities that have open positions. Even when I went on vacation, Paul never failed to reach out. He made sure that we stay in contact until I can get a position. He never failed to update or call me whenever he found information about some facilities I wanted to apply to. He is also always available whenever I reach out to him. I appreciate Paul's effort in reaching out to employers and sending in my resume. He is amazing and very reliable! I recommend working with Paul once you graduate! He will help you a lot!!

I was enrolled, didn't have a job, solely working on my LVN. They announce who scores high and I…read moreget called out. This drove people to bully me. I placed my concerns to the higher ups and they didn't do anything about it. I pointed out people cheating, using their phones during exams. To lose my career as a LVN, paid so much, because this school cares about money. Not fairness, not bullying, not even my mental health. I cried so many times. One of my other classmates (practically a doctor in the Philippines) got bullied out of the program. I reached out how furious I was because she's so sweet, but all they said is "we will take care of it". They didn't. We had a teacher Ms Mikayla who was degrading and none of the students liked her. The reason I didn't is because I personally want to use my clinical hours to actually be at the facility, not studying for exams. All the instructors who do clinicals cut off our times to go back to school to study. The nurses at our first clinical questioned why we leave so early. All of this I pointed out to higher ups. Watching all my bullies (Jessica, Gianna, Vitoria, Ernesto) on instagram have the opportunities I lost. Made me break down and cry. Some people shouldn't be nurses. Don't bother attending here.

If you're like me, seeing a business with only a few reviews makes me nervous, but I'm here to…read moreassure anybody who was cautious like me that this academy is very much legit and the coordinator, front desk lady, instructors and everybody there are so kind and caring. I commuted from across the bay bridge every morning to get here, and honestly, I would do it again! I'm a recent graduate of their certified nursing assistant program pending my licensing exam, and in regards to the program preparing me, I feel very confident to take the test! (With exception to one skill, but I've found that is my weakness and I need to keep practicing). The AM CNA program is about 5-6 weeks, the first two being theory and done at home whilst the rest are "clinicals". Unfortunately due to COVID, students are not able to go into facilities to practice their skills, but instead, we practiced with dummies and used our partners as residents. This is probably my *only* complaint, but obviously, it's not their fault, COVID has kind of thrown everybody for a loop. Towards the end of the program, they bring in recruiters for you to talk to as well as holds a resume workshop! While they cannot promise you a job, they certainly do bring you opportunities and assists you in your process. Super thankful for how kind and patient instructor Dora and Mila (?) are! Will miss everybody I have met here :) UPDATE : I PASSED! Woohoo, thank you for being a teaching center and a testing center!

This was my first time renewing my BLS certification, and the experience was excellent. Jack, my…read moreCPR instructor, was highly knowledgeable, and the course material was very straightforward. What truly stood out was learning about the company's history as a family-owned small business that has been operating for several years. I strongly support local businesses, and their dedication warmed my heart. They offer other services, and I highly recommend them

Took their CNA course and had an absolutely wonderful experience. The instructors were very kind,…read morefunny, and went in depth into the material. I felt extremely prepared for the state exam. Not only does the school provide practical knowledge, but also hands on experience as they have connections with a nursing home/long term facility. Training there made me feel like I was already a CNA and only further reinforced everything I was taught. Would also recommend them for BLS as it was quick and easy. If you're looking to become a CNA, renew your license, etc. , I would 100% suggest you coming here.

Vasco Career College was a great experience for me. I enrolled in the medical assisting program and…read moregraduated in 2021. The teachers were amazing and provided excellent training during the labs. I learned a lot, and during my externship, I felt well-prepared as nothing came as a surprise to me. I highly recommend this school to high school students who have recently graduated and are looking to pursue a career in the medical field. Vasco Career College is also very accommodating for all ages and even for mothers. Personally, I was able to complete my course successfully while taking care of my baby boy.

On the CDPH website for online CEU's, they have Vasco Career College (CNABASE.COM) as one of their…read moreapproved providers. I don't know about the school itself, but because CNA BASE is associated with them, it's been a terrible experience. Thankfully I only paid for 1 year of CEU's and I have only been able to complete 1 course and I've spent the past 4 days trying to log in and complete other CEU's, which I have not been successfully able to do so. I'm hoping to get a refund because I am not able to use the website. It's been a terrible experience the little time I've been able to use it!