UPDATE: I stopped attending Smith Chason San Marcos in June 2025, and the school continues to confirm exactly why I left. Current students still contact me ...a former student ...because they are experiencing the same ongoing issues: biased grading, inconsistent expectations, and an EPL course that seems designed more around personal preference than actual educational standards. At this point, it's unclear whether the root problem is poor management, lack of structure, or simply a refusal to acknowledge the program's failures. Regardless, the results are obvious ! students are failing, withdrawing, or transferring at a rate that should concern any institution claiming to prepare future professionals. So here is a direct question for the San Marcos campus How do you plan to maintain graduation rates when your own program repeatedly undermines the success of the students paying to be here? Is this going to reflect on the San Marcos website for the school ? The fact that students trust a former attendee more than their own instructors is telling. It reflects a level of dysfunction so normalized within the program that students no longer expect fairness, clarity, or support from within the school itself. I cannot recover the time or money I invested, but I can make sure future students enter with accurate expectations. I will continue updating this review, and I will also be posting TikTok videos breaking down these issues in detail so prospective students can see exactly what they are signing up for. A refund would be the bare minimum acknowledgment of the program's ongoing failures. Whether you choose to offer one is up to you .. but the pattern is already documented, and I will continue adding to that documentation as long as current students keep reaching out. read more

Smith Chason College - Message - Colleges & Universities Near Me - San Marcos, California

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Smith Chason College @zala Askarzoi @Behrouz @Kenneth McDowell 0 stars!! My experience with this school has been very disappointing, and I honestly regret enrolling. In the beginning, everything seems great--they are friendly, attentive, and make big promises. But over time, it becomes clear that the school operates very differently. The school feels like a scam. They constantly change rules and tuition, and keep adding new requirements that force students to pay more money, either through loans or additional monthly fees. There is no consistency, and it creates a lot of stress for students trying to plan their education. One of the biggest problems is externship placement. The school does not properly support students and often leaves them waiting with no clear start date. There have been many issues with hospitals breaking contracts, and nearby hospitals reportedly no longer accept their students because the school enrolls too many people without properly planning placements. When it comes to staff, there is a huge difference in professionalism: April is the only person who truly deserves 5 stars. She has a great attitude, is respectful, answers questions clearly, and responds quickly to emails and phone calls. She genuinely tries to motivate and support students to finish their program, and she stands out as someone who actually cares. Zala, on the other, has been extremely difficult to deal with. She does not seem to care about students and puts little effort into helping with externships. Communication is very poor--emails go unanswered, and phone calls are often ignored. There are constant excuses for not being available, and it often feels like she avoids students instead of helping them. It's frustrating when you need urgent assistance and can't get a response unless you repeatedly insist. Behrouz, has also been very unhelpful. Communication is a major issue--emails are not answered, and when you ask specific questions, the responses are often unclear or unrelated. Simple tasks, like signing paperwork, can take weeks, which delays student progress unnecessarily. Professionalism and responsiveness are seriously lacking. Overall, I do not recommend this school to anyone. My advice to future students is to read reviews carefully before committing, ask detailed questions, and think twice before enrolling. Don't be misled by the initial friendliness--make sure you fully understand what you're getting into before making a decision. read more

After seeing others' similar reviews, I feel my experience should be shared to deter from joining this program unless it is your first degree to not have the headache of being misled by the staff despite what is being conveyed and stated in their school catalog policies. Given that this is the only ARRT accredited school for MRI in San Diego, I feel like they are completely taking advantage of people knowing there are a lot of applicants and they are willing to jump through a bunch of unnecessary hoops.For context, I had been trying to reach an advisor since early last year to follow up on opening a previous application, expressing interest in applying to this program during their 10 year rule for transfer credits (already have a MBA and DMS degree from a CAAHEP program). After immense difficulty reaching an advisor to hear back from for several months, I kept calling the school to see if I could make an appointment in person. Front desk (excluding her name for her privacy) was very kind and helpful within her scope of her role leaving messages for the advisors and knew me well since I had been following up so much. I was informed they are short staffed with advisors and there is only one on the San Marcos Campus. I was happy to finally catch an advisor in person, and was introduced to everyone on campus with a tour and was given the process/application and start dates.I really liked my advisor and he was extremely helpful. The next day I texted him a picture of my ID and before the weekend was contacted by the admissions advisor Sheri from the other location to take over my application as that advisor stopped working at the school. I immediately got confused because I was told to take the wonderlic immediately (as April only had a few slots left) or October start. I followed up accordingly with Sheri during this entire process and with school's protocol. Although they were handling a lot of applicants and I was ensuring I follow up myself, I was appreciative to Sheri helping me finalize this process and she was very knowledgeable. During our phone conversation regarding my transfer credit evaluation (which of course was only recorded on their end and I have no proof), I was told by Sheri AGAIN after my in person convo with the other advisor before he left that I have the option to test out of medical terminology and anatomy and physiology 1 but because of the school's new rule it is now a 3 year rule for transfer credits and the test out option doesn't happen until July 2026. I asked to be guided through the process of testing out acceptable courses in the case their evaluation doesn't accept certain ones (given I had pretty much taken all GE courses at CBD College) and I was told once the evaluation is in she can go through it again with me. AGAIN, both the first advisor and Sheri were on same page from all my in person and phone convos.I wish i had kept all my previous texts but the only one I have is the last convo where she was gaslighting me after the fact. I ended up deleting the previous ones once I ended up not proceeding which I will describe.Registrar gave me credit only for my english class, and I reached out to her asking if I need to speak to her directly or registrar about a re-evaluation because it did not seem right. She told me to talk to them directly and that if I need to "appeal or test out" she can help me with that process. The person I emailed said they would speak to their supervisor and I ended up getting an email with the same PDF of only accepting my english saying the re-evaluation was complete (with reasoning being the credits do not match). After this, I decided to not proceed but reached out a few weeks later to follow up as she told me to let her know if I change my mind in proceeding. Please refer to screenshots (deleted previous texts). Can't believe they are so rude and gaslight. Confirmed why I didn't attend. How are they accredited? They don't even follow their own catalog and take advantage of phone convos to later text saying "I never said that". Thank god I didn't attend. Casa Loma College is a much better rated program and has been nothing but kind, responsive, and fair in their application process. So glad I applied there instead. Please refer to everyone else's reviews before making a decision. The fact that they completely waste your time and screw you over before you even become a student at the school shows what your experience with your time, energy, and finances will be if you go there. I also have several people I know who went there and had the same issues even during externship. read more

Smith Chason College - Colleges & Universities Near Me - San Marcos, California

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I want to begin by stating that this is an anonymous account. I chose to post this way because I am genuinely afraid to share my HONEST experience under my real name due to FEAR of retaliation and potential impact on my education. Throughout my time in this program, I have had ongoing concerns regarding grading practices, instructor expectations, and overall consistency. I initially gave the school grace, as it is still relatively new and I assumed some issues were part of the growing process. Unfortunately, instead of improving, these concerns became significantly worse once I entered EPL/Externship. To provide context, I have worked in the medical field for nearly 10 years and already hold a medical license in another specialty. I have never experienced a medical program that is as biased in grading or as inconsistent in expectations as this one. Expectations frequently shift without clear communication, creating unnecessary stress and confusion for students who are genuinely trying to succeed. Although the school requests anonymous course evaluations multiple times each quarter, there have been sudden changes to grading criteria and course curricula that make it feel as though collecting tuition checks takes priority over student success. A major issue lies within the externship team itself. The current Externship Coordinator, Victoria Lang, has demonstrated a consistent pattern of deeply concerning behavior. While she initially presents as supportive and approachable, that demeanor does not last. Over time, I witnessed repeated instances of unprofessional conduct, gossip, and behavior that felt punitive rather than supportive. I previously communicated consistently with the former coordinator, Zala. While not perfect, she was professional, more communicative, and at times made students feel supported. Under Victoria, however, many students have shared similar experiences of being ignored, dismissed, or treated unfairly. Emails and calls regarding concerns or placement requests often go unanswered, students are forgotten or delayed in placement, and when students attempt to advocate for themselves, they are met with harsh, accusatory emails labeling their actions as "unprofessional" and are frequently threatened with termination. To put it plainly, Victoria behaves more like a bully than someone whose role is to guide and support students. I have personally witnessed her misrepresent students, exaggerate or fabricate issues, and speak negatively about them in order to deflect responsibility when she has failed to perform her job duties appropriately. I have also observed her openly badmouthing students (and even her own colleagues) to clinical sites and other students, which is highly unprofessional and damaging to the school's image. I understand that in any program there may be challenging students. However, I have personally witnessed high-performing students, those with strong grades, excellent attendance, and genuine dedication, being overlooked or neglected. While other students who were terminated from clinical sites or who frequently complained/threatened legal action were prioritized for placement at "favored" locations. I have also observed promises made to students by Victoria that were later denied having been made when her superiors were present. Another major concern is how students are treated overall. The majority of students in this program are grown adults with jobs, families, financial obligations, and real-life responsibilities. We understand what is required to succeed academically and professionally. However, there is a consistent lack of empathy or acknowledgment of this reality. Students are often met with an attitude of "deal with it" or "figure it out yourself," rather than support. This dismissive approach creates an unnecessarily hostile and stressful learning environment. I want to be clear: I have not personally been targeted by Victoria. However, I have repeatedly witnessed this behavior directed toward classmates who have worked tirelessly for years to earn their place in this field. The visible satisfaction displayed on her face when threatening students with termination from the program is deeply unsettling. Students are paying thousands of dollars for this education. No one should feel unsafe, fearful, or anxious about advocating for themselves. The fact that I felt compelled to create an anonymous account just to share my honest experience should speak volumes. If you value consistency, professionalism, and honestly, your mental health, I strongly urge you to reconsider attending this location. If you wish to stay with Smith Chason, I implore you to explore the other campuses such as Ontario or LA. PS: I do want to say that some staff/instructors were an integral part of keeping my sanity/assisting with my success during this program and I want to ensure they are acknowledged: Dr. Fam, April, Jazzy, Dr. Sally, Dr. Hany, Jamie, Myra, and Nelly. read more

This school preaches professionalism and sends out constant threats of termination and advisory reports, but at the end of the day they push along and cater to the students who call and complain until they get their way. Lie about your hours? Don't finish on time? Fail courses? Clinical sites ask to have you relocated? It's no problem as long as you keep calling and complaining because they'd rather pass you along than deal with you! Totally discrediting to the students who actually show up and put the work in. It's no wonder they struggle to place students and maintain relationships with clinical sites... such a shame because the educators really do care about student outcomes but admin is a joke. Professionalism is part of the curriculum, but would your own staff pass? read more

I have really enjoyed my education at Smith Chason for diagnostic medical ultrasound. The lab staff cares, is so professional, and very talented. The program director has done everything in her power to ensure things are organized and that all students are considerate of each other during open lab hours. Lecture instructors can be hit or miss but you get slides and books and can easily study on your own and opt for free tutoring to help you review. If you're willing to put in the work, you'll do great, just like in the real world! I've also been very impressed with how hard the externship placement team works to get you a site where you'll have opportunities to continue your learning and gain even more experience. Thanks for everything SCC staff! read more

I am graduating and a few weeks and I am proud to have said I went to Smith Chason. It is a newer school and so they are still navigating through logistics, but you can tell the faculty really do care about the students and our experience. My externship experience was amazing. A special shoutout to Victoria and George, the externship coordinator and campus director, for their support and guidance! And I couldn't have asked for better student services coordinators and lab instructors than Myra, Dr. Fam, and Jamie. I'm grateful for everything they contributed to my journey. read more

I had a great experience last week when I visited the San Marcos campus. I met with Abraham, he is very patient and always takes the time to listen carefully to my questions and concerns. He explains the program clearly, offers helpful guidance, and makes sure I feel confident in every step of the process. I truly appreciate how understanding and supportive he is, it made the whole experience much smoother and less stressful. Also the FA advisor was helpful in answering my questions! Thank you all! read more

Christian from admissions was so helpful with everything when it came down to joining the program and getting all the info and would highly recommend him to any new student looking to join one of the programs At smith Chason College. read more

I was incredibly interested in enrolling with Smith Chason. Your experience starts bad right out of the gate with Abraham. He's rude, doesn't care to answer important questions and cuts you off. If you're an admissions officer, at least pretend you're interested in what prospective students have to say or questions they have. Going back to school is a big life change for most people so yes we will have questions and having someone who isn't easy to speak to makes it an unemployable experience. Sucks to see so many bad reviews about him here, yet he's still the only person we can speak to. read more

I started to research MRI programs back in October of 2023. I made the jump and decided to reach out to the admissions department at Smith Chason College in March of 2024. I worked with Abraham from admissions and Xochil at the front desk and both were extremely welcoming. Abraham reviewed the school catalog with me and gave me a tour of the campus he also reviewed the other imaging programs they offered. He gave me a time line of when I should submit all my paperwork if I wanted to make the next cohort, so I submitted all my documents and waited for their call. Then I was contacted by their financial aid department and finished the enrollment. Since then I have started on my second semester and began my core classes for MRI. I've been impressed by all my professors and their knowledge and expertise.Thus far it's been a great experience. read more

I would like to share my experience with smith Chason- San Marcos campus. I cannot thank Abraham enough for the amazing experience he provided! From the moment I connected with him, he was incredibly welcoming and made me feel at ease during what can often be a stressful process. He patiently answered all of my (many) questions, no matter how detailed or repetitive they may have been, always responding with clarity and professionalism. He never made me feel rushed or like I was just another number. Also I'd like to thank the financial advisor I forgot her name but she answered all of my questions after Abraham got me connected with her. Thank you All. read more

I was initially drawn to Smith Chason because of its strong reputation for fostering student success in their academic journey and preparing them to excel in the medical field. Many aspects of the program aligned with this reputation, meeting my expectations that students would be well-equipped for future success. Unfortunately, my experience was negatively impacted by my interactions with Abraham. His demeanor came across as overly zealous, dismissive, and lacking in empathy. My first meeting with him started off politely, but as the conversation shifted to personal topics, such as my home life, things took a troubling turn. When he asked if I was married or had children, and I responded that I was not, his behavior became unsettling and seemed overly fixated. I felt increasingly uncomfortable as I sensed an agenda being pushed by Abraham. To establish a boundary, I informed him that I wanted to discuss my decision to join Smith Chason with my family before proceeding. Since that interaction, I have not heard back from Abraham, and it has been over a month. I wanted to share my experience for anyone considering this program. Based on this encounter, I have decided not to pursue enrollment at Smith Chason. I can only suggest that this facility appoints someone else to be the first point of contact at this location when it comes to potential students. Thank you & Happy New Year read more

I had a great experience visiting and interacting with the staff. Abrahim was very welcoming and helpful with all my questions.

I'm a current studednt here about to go on externship. I think my rating is fair when you consider both administration and the Lab Instructors. PROS: -Lab Instructors are helpful and fair with grading -Open lab is helpful when DMS Students need extra practice for lab. Can be congested with the excessive amount of students at times though -There is tutoring offered at no extra cost -You can rent out any book at the LRC, helpful Now, here's where I have several issues with this campus: The administration here is small, and because it's small and always changing, the communication is awful between the students and the enrollment admin, externship coordinators, program directors, director of education, and campus director. CONS: -Small amount of admin staff leads to poor communication -Externship site coordinators are terrible at responding to student inquiries in a timely manner -Enrollment admin is forgetful and can't seem to get back to student's within time, or respond to any emails or inquiries we/they have in a timely manner. -Every quarter at this campus, we have some rule change to open lab to "assist" with the congestion, this confuses students and leads to resentment between students and admin -Curriculum is often inconsistent, protocols are ever changing, leading to confusion among students in EPL -Physics and Knobology is not offered at the beginning of a new quarter for a new student, so they are unfamiliar with the machine and how it operates, leading to failed competencies. (A brief introduction to how the ultrasound machines work would be very helpful to new students.) Overall, my rating of Smith Chason College is 3/5 stars. I really enjoy my time during lab with my instructors, they are all very helpful and kind, patient too. I don't think I could say the same for administration (Except for Financial Aid, Career Services, and Student Services; they are all awesome and helpful.) If you are considering enrolling here, I would strongly encourage doing some research on this campus alone, it is not CAAHEP accredited, just ACCSC accredited; which means you have to sit for the ARRT before the ARDMS if you are in the AASDMS program. If you think you can handle the slow and lack of proper communication between enrollment admin, etc. Then I think it will be worth it considering the other aspects of the school are nice (Lab instructors, tutoring, open lab, etc.) read more

Let me start by saying, I was one of the people that entered sonography hoping for just a good paying job. As I started scanning, I grew to really love the craft and enjoyed the work and learning. However...this school administration has taken the light out of me that was once there. They proved time and time again that they do not care about students and only care about being RIGHT. Like many other reviews I have stated, I thought that it was about money at first, but no. It is about the fact that mostly ALL of the staff are incompetently horrible, catty and are too prideful to admit to any wrong doing. Because of this, everything is put onto the students backs and the students are the scapegoats most of the time. If you have a complaint, you are considered childish and "unprofessional" and they will ignore you until you actually do become "unprofessional". They talk down to you and treat you as if you know nothing and fresh out of high school, even though I have seen students in their 40s. If there is anything I hope for you as the reader to get from this comment, it is to enter with CAUTION. I know that situations are different for everyone, but if you can wait on that list to go to that other accredited school, I would highly suggest that and don't waste your time or money here. read more

Abrahem Abdaldaem this guy was so rude and the communication was so terrible. The last time i spoke with this person they called me in the morning offered me to start early on a program and when i asked a simple basic question he then tries to yell or talk down to over the phone. I would have probably already enrolled if it wasn't for this guy. read more

The whole tour and welcome was great. Thank you to Abraham for being so kind and even giving great recommendations of local resources.

Alright, almost finished with my first quarter at Smith Chason and wanted to provide perspective to the reviews I see here. This is a (relatively) new campus and the students and I can see they are still building the infrastructure. I was originally planning to start Fall quarter but communication went a little sideways as I later found out they were pausing Fall to solidify externship rates, admirable notion and a positive sign. Once my advisor, Abraham, was caught up and back in communication with me - it was smooth sailing and he was a joy to work with and made sure I had all the documentation needed. Special call out for Sylvia Diego as well, she was incredibly helpful with all my financial questions and top notch communication. Once you are in, you're in - it just takes commitment on the students end as well, assume nothing. Professors have been fantastic as well, knowledgeable and personable. For the MRI program - so far so good. read more

The communication at this school has been awful. I have wasted so much of my time when I could have gone another route with farthing my education. When I requested information it stated I would be applying to start in sept. Once finally after weeks being able to speak to an admissions advisor I was told sept was full and I will be enrolling for January. The communication has been awful as I have been trying to completed all the needed requirements for January. With finally receiving a response I am now told January is full and I will need to start in April. This has been such a waste of my time. They really need to be better at communicating. read more

I made an appointment to tour the campus with Abraham. I immediately got used car sales man vibes, especially with his Louis Vuitton shoes. The "campus" was only two classrooms and the students looked so miserable and unhappy just sitting around in the dark. I was told to hurry up and apply because they only accept 15 students per quarter, but there were well over 40 in one room. I won't be wasting my time or money here read more

This San Marcos campus is has left a bitter taste please look elsewhere for mri. I have lost hope , I was supposed to be placed in July but were informed they had certain issues therefore our externship placement got delayed it's like a dark cloud hovering over the MRI program . Then We are being forced to do a "scan-lab"online scanning program in replacement of certain externship hours and the expectations are out of control , basically all this course is self taught it's horrible! They say do 80 scans in one week and basically figure it on your own or your dropped from program , then Also Specific staff like Ebraham , front desk lady , the old externship coordinator is passive aggressive and provides passive communication. Everyone there seems to hate their job , even the professors say that they don't have any curriculum they have to do their own slides it's horrible! Turn over rate is ridiculous. Also Seems like false information stated program was 21 months but it ended up being more for us . I feel sad and disappointed in my decision because I sacrificed so much time with my family. I pray to god and hope everything works out on our end I just did everything to better my future for my kids . Honestly I regret not going to CASALOMA COLLEGE INSTEAD!!! read more

applied months ago, was more on top of things needing to get done then advisor was, month before my start date the program has been put on hold, this place is a joke read more