South Coast College is an anomaly among colleges. There is nothing else like it on the planet. You're not just a number there. You're part of a family that lives on and touches your life forever. The alumni are so attached and a part of the school and are lifelong friends of the faculty and staff and other alumni. The alumni have a strong network with each other where friendships span multiple decades. I not only researched all the court reporting schools in the state of CA, but I researched schools all over the country, and I kept track of the numbers of licensed court reporters that they produced over an almost two decade period since. South Coast College has consistently produced more CA CSRs than any other school in the state, and they have also outperformed schools across the entire United States. I have personally seen more students fly through the program in one year in the last 17 years than any other school in the entire United States. And they are leaders in the number of first-time test passers. When court reporters can make more money annually than Harvard-trained lawyers and judges, the tuition at SCC should be no object. You need to view your training to become a court reporter as seriously as you would view a law school education. You are investing in your future! You want to align yourself with the BEST! The job opportunities I've gotten from the professional networking from the alumni at the school alone has paid for the tuition many times over! Worth every penny! read more

They need to inform you that the majority of the health care jobs want you to be bilingual, I have not been able to get a medical assistant position since 2018 when I graduated. All that money and nothing to show for it read more

In my opinion, South Coast College is the best Community College in Orange County. My girlfriend attended school here several years ago, and transferred to Cal State Fullerton. They have great programs in Anatomy, Law Enforcement, Fire Academy, and many others. I just named a few. I never attended here, but I have other friends that have attended here. Nice big campus too. They are bordered inbetween Santa Ana and City of Orange. Its a school I recommend. read more

This review was hard to write because I adore the teachers and principle of this school. I was a steno student for 6 years here. I switched from SCC to another school in another state, I'm working on my 225s now and just got hired full time at a reporting agency (only took me 6 months). I attribute my success to my new school that taught me to right SHORT and brief on the fly. Who knows how much longer I'd be in school if I stayed here. The fact that it takes so much dedication to even reach 200, and then this school will fail you for stupid punctuation errors that don't even matter in the real world is insane. Just a heads up for any frustrated students - there's other ways to become a working reporter than graduating from SCC read more

I attended here several years ago and found out that the paralegal program was not ABA accredited. When I went to drop the program as not to continue to rack up enormous debt for an AA degree, the chair of the department yelled at me and told me I was stupid for leaving. I went right on over to Fullerton College whose program is 1) ABA approved and 2) I wasn't yelled at by department chairs for being stupid. Guess what, every firm I ever worked in after that made sure my program was ABA accredited. Do yourself a favor and look at other programs first, including Fullerton College, Santa Ana College, UCI, and Coastline before coming here. You will get a better education for more than half the price! read more

SCC is a school with teachers who genuinely care about your success. They teach you how to write (in steno), push you past your limits, and prepare you for the hardest exam(s) of your life. I tell everyone I mentor that court reporting school will be the hardest thing you do but the most rewarding! I was licensed in 2019, and I currently work for Orange County Superior Court. I will tell anyone who will listen that it's the best job in the world. You just have to get there! read more

I graduated from South Coast College and it completely changed my life. I finished the court reporting program in two years, and I absolutely loved the teaching staff, the students, and the owner of the school. I went on to be a deposition reporter, then got a job with LA Superior Court and became an official reporter where I reported some of the most high profile cases in California. From there, I opened my own court reporting firm and have run a successful business for the last 10 years. And my latest venture is reporting on a TV show for the one and only Judge Judy. South Coast College is the best out there and gives you the tools you need to succeed. I am still very involved with the school and go back to speak & mentor whenever I can. I can't say enough good things about this school. I highly recommend to anyone who is looking for an amazing career that gives you freedom, financial independence, and can take you on some amazing & interesting paths. read more

South Coast College - My sister Kamryn & I have been the owners of KW Court Reporting for 10 years now. - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Orange, California

I am a proud graduate of the paralegal program at South Coast College. From the beginning, when I went to interview THEM, it was a friendly, informative and positive experience. To this day, fours years later, the administrator that I spoke with initially still knows who I am. That is because you are a person there. You are seen. And, everyone, including the president of the school, Jean, is willing to do what it takes to help you succeed. I was about 8 months into the program when the pandemic hit. This school, which believes in hands-on, in-person teaching, had to quickly change. In ONE WEEK, they had all classes running online, so that we did not miss a beat in our education. I was so appreciative and awed by their hard work and diligence to get it up and running. If you are looking for a school that will give you that one-on-one attention to help you succeed in your educational goals, and have you feeling that you will always be part of them, I would highly suggest South Coast College. read more

I will never be able to articulate how much my life has benefited from completing the court reporting program at South Coast College. The teachers genuinely care about the students! It's unlike any classroom atmosphere I've ever been apart of. They are so hands on and passionate about what they do! Some of them work both day and night classes, and even teach on the weekends when it's required. Anyone who leaves a bad review simply didn't try hard enough and are mad that they wasted their own time and money. If you put in the effort, you truly will not regret it! read more

This school claims they don't have enough room for "social distancing" to go back to campus. The school doesn't have the students best interests at heart. They teachers dont have to work as hard now so thats why they are online. nothing to do with covid. Also the teachers just repeat the same material in all the classes, thats why no one ever progresses. One teacher in particular is horrible and slurs her speech, so even if you're fast enough, it doesn't matter because you can't even understand what she's saying. Youre paying the price of a 5 star restaurant but really just dining somewhere with 2 starts. really went downhill since covid. Trying to transfer read more

I have completely "upgraded" my life by coming to this school and would recommend it to every person interested in the legal field. Not only do you become a student, you are immediately wrapped into a network of dedicated teachers and administrators that truly care about people, not population numbers. There are several ways students can get involved on- and off-campus during their courses, and once you graduate, there are alumni events and other ways to "pass it on" to the new students. I can't imagine where I would be without my time at South Coast College, but it likely would've been pale in comparison to the fulfilled, happy, informed, and well-paid employee I am today. All of my gratitude to South Coast and the wonderful people who helped me begin a lifelong career in law! read more

This place is a joke. I racked up 24k in debt for only 2 years- they set you up to fail. They only have TYPEWRITERS to type up your homework. SO many people drop out, so really think about whether or not you want to choose this school- credits aren't transferable. The reason I'm writing this two years after I attended is because I had to contact the school for student verification. After talking to Gina, she told me I had to fax a request. I faxed the school on 12/27 (yes they were open) and got no fax back. On 12/28 I called twice and left a voicemail. It's now 12/31 and I never got a fax back OR a call back. This is SO unprofessional and a reflection of the school itself. I highly DON'T recommend!! read more

This is a great school that cares about its students. I highly recommend going to SCC if you want to be a court reporter as the school has all the tools that you need: great instructors who care about the students and a proven method that enables students to pass speed tests and ultimately the State speed and written tests. To get through school and pass the State exams, you need to be dedicated and practice almost every day. Imagine that you really want to learn to play the piano. You have to practice every day and put hours of practice into your craft. I will say that learning stenography is easier than playing the piano well. This is really the best analogy I can give. Being a court reporter is all about muscle memory. That is a good thing. It doesn't take a lot brains to be a court reporter, just practice. All you need is hours and hours of practice and dedication (and learn vocabulary and rules of writing English.) Every hour you don't spend practicing is an hour longer you will be in school. I am glad I went to SCC. It got me to where I wanted to be: I'm my own boss, I make my own hours, I can take all the vacation I like, and the pay is good. Every single day is a challenge. I am never bored and I work hard. The advantage to being a court reporter that I like the best is I can do whatever I like as far as time off. The last two years in a row I have taken approximately two months off for vacation. Freedom! read more

I tried to keep this short, but there were just so many things I loved about this school, so I apologize in advance. I attended the Court Reporting Program at South Coast College in 2014, and it was the best decision I have ever made. It definitely isn't easy, but if you put your all and actually attend every day, you can get that much closer to finishing. All the teachers are previous court reporters, so they know what they're talking about and always give the best advice. The owner, Jean Gonzalez, genuinely cares about your future and pushes you to be the absolute best -- actually, all the teachers do. They do their best to help you finish the program faster if you are accelerating quickly. I didn't even know they were closer schools to me because SCC was the first to pop up when I did a Google search. It is a private school, so that does mean it is a little expensive, but financial aid does everything to help you figure out what to do and how to do it. And you are also paying for an education that actually works, so it's well worth it. The staff is very friendly. They have a parking staff who can guide you where to park or just take care of it for you if there is no more room. Don't wanna do that? That's okay. They have a second parking lot next door, but I have never had a ding, scratch, or anything happen to my car the entire time I was there. The AC is always on, they have a break room with a microwave and refrigerator and vending machines as well. They have classrooms, computer rooms, a mock courtroom, a library, and McDonald's is right around the corner! They also have guest speakers, who are already working reporters, come out and talk to the classrooms to inspire us, and it really does work. Not only is the staff incredible, but the students are also. I would have never imagined that I would have met some of my best friends at this school that I plan on seeing and talking to for the rest of my life. If you attend every day and practice every day at home, you can finish the program and become a working reporter, because there is so much work out there and so many different opportunities to choose from. I promise you will not regret it! read more

I am currently enrolled in the Paralegal program at South Coast College. I will be finished in May. If you are a day student, it will take 18 months, if you are a night student, it will take 24 months. My wife is in the court reporting program and she is almost done. If you are going to join the court reporting program, you have to be committed to it. I really like SCC. The instructors that I have had are incredible. I feel that I am leaving SCC with a broad knowledge base to help me in the real world. Compared to community college, at SCC you pretty much get to know everyone. Not just in your particular program, but in others as well. There is more one-on-one time with your instructors than what you would have at a community college. One thing that I have noticed about some of my fellow students is that they do not feel they have to work as hard because this is not a community college. The one thing that I will tell anyone who goes to SCC, is that you need to work hard. Don't make excuses. Be on-time, be early and just be in class. You have to be accountable to yourself because you are paying for your education. SCC is a small school. You get a lot of attention. I started in 2011, not knowing what to expect and my expectations were exceeded. I am really going to miss the many people that I have met. Not just the students, but the staff as well. You can check out other schools that offer similar programs as SCC. However, in speaking about the Paralegal program, you will not get the level of education anywhere else, that you would get at SCC. One of the best features of the Paralegal program is the Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis course. It is 18 gruelling weeks of reading and writing that you will not get at any other college. So if you are looking for a small educational environment without the stuff that comes along with community college, go to SCC. read more

Regarding the comment to my review, I was acquainted with the aforementioned student during my time at SCC, and she described her education experience to myself and others many times. To keep a long story short, there's a lot more to it than what's written here. That said, I'm very happy that she found a good job; however, from what I know, it was a long and arduous journey. Again, don't be fooled - do your due diligence, then decide for yourself whether a junior college might a cheaper alternative for the same quality of education. read more

FYI - None of your earned credits here can be transferred to a jr college. They claim this is the same curriculum as any university, though, in the "not for profit" school world, this school is not recognized as worthy. Buyer beware! read more

The CSR teachers are great! They really go above and beyond. Jean is great and really takes the time to explain things and motivate you. They really have a great program! The staff is very helpful and friendly! The only negative thing I would have to say is if you need financial aid/student loans I would get it on your own, don't have Michael Ly set up anything for you, huge waste of time, extremely rude and unprofessional, acts extremely annoyed when you ask him questions or ask him to do his job, poor communication! He even started making up things! Which was a huge red flag!! It was a nightmare and a huge pain to have him answer simple questions. I can go on and on about how bad my experience was dealing with him. After speaking with other students many have had issues with him as well. Just avoid him if you can!! read more

I have been a court reporter for over 20 years now. I went to South Coast College. Great school and very focused program that has been around for years. read more

As a graduate of SC College, I highly recommend. I've been able to use my skills in the field I never thought possible. I love providing captions for people, and myself have learned so much while doing. I've had opportunities to travel for work and work captioning for/or an event with some well known people. Everyday is different and for me that's exciting. I work as much or as little as I want, and can even work from home too. I've recommend two family members who now attend. Best decision I made going to school here for a new career. read more

I researched and interviewed with several schools before deciding on South Coast College. I loved that the instructors were very well educated and always willing to help you if your struggling at all. I first have to give huge praises to DR. RABIA, she was my first instructor at South Coast. She is the most kind hearted person I have ever met. She truly goes above and beyond for her students. She genuinely wants to see every single student succeed which is a great motivation! She will inspire you to keep going every single day! Secondly I have to mention my lab instructor _(as well as job placement coordinator) JORGE GUZMAN. It'll never be a dull moment in lab I guarantee you! Jorge makes lab not only fun but educational. He is always here for his students when they need help with anything. He is also who places for your externships/potential job placements which is an absolute god sent! He really goes out of his way to make sure you land where you want to go. He really went the extra mile to make sure I got the job opportunity I wanted and thanks to his dedication and hard work, I finished school on a Thursday and THAT Monday had the job I wanted ! What other school instructor would do all that for a student? (just saying) South Coast College is very lucky to have landed such a dedicated employee. Lastly but most definitely not least I have to give special thanks to DR. KHAN. She is with you every step of the way! If she sees your struggling or have something going on, shes always open to listen and help. She also goes out of her way to make sure you stay on track and that you finish the program! Overall, I had the best experience at South Coast doing the Medical Assisting Program and I would recommend it to anyone looking to take their first step into the medical field. read more

Graduating from South Coast College has been one of the most rewarding achievements of my life. This is more than a school, it's a family. Jean Gonzalez not only runs this school, but she takes a personal interest in each of her students. All of the teachers and staff here do nothing but try to help you succeed. I am now living the dream of a court reporter thanks to this amazing school. I'm proud to be a South Coast College graduate! read more

I attended South Coast from August of 2017 - March of 2018 for their MA program. I am so glad I made that decision. The staff members are great. They all take their job very seriously. They help you from the beginning all the way to the end. They helped me get a job right after at St. Joseph's. read more

The best decision I've ever made was to go to SCC for court reporting. I am now a CSR and have the career I've always dreamed of. The amazing curriculum and dedication of the teachers is second to none. This is a school that really cares about the success of its students. read more

I had the pleasure of teaching at South Coast College for 3.5 years until 2017, and as a life-long teacher (now in my mid 50s) I have never encountered a school administrator as hard working & devoted to her students as South Coast's leader Jean Gonzalez. If you look at how (surprisingly to many) well-compensated court reporters are for their important, interesting work, and at Jean's direct role in guiding a record # of people into this career, one could argue that she is responsible for more families enjoying 6-figure incomes than anyone else in Orange County, California. It's worth crossing the country (& living near Disneyland and great beaches!) to attend South Coast College. read more

This school can be really fun...........................when you're in theory(first 3 months). The theory teachers are amazing, probably my favorite. As you move up in your speeds, people start taking things too seriously and it isn't as fun anymore.The teachers get mad when you want to use the restroom during class(the school is located next to a Mcdonald's...so you know it is going to happen once or twice after you eat there!) and you aren't allowed to use your cellphone inside the whole building. This is a new rule that they strictly enforce. They tell you it is against the rules to use your cellphone in the hallways, bathrooms, etc. and if you are caught, you will be sent home and the whole school has to suffer by not being offered any tests for the whole day. Basically, they treat you like highschool children at this school. The majority of the teachers and staff are really nice, but a select few of them seem to hate their jobs, and it's obvious. Also, beware if you're a student and you get a request on Facebook to "like" South Coast College. They will use that facebook to be able to look at your page and use certain things against you when you're trying to get a job as a court reporter. I was really upset about the new rules so I wrote something on their facebook. I had to repost it 3 times! They deleted it everytime so I decided to take it to Yelp. I hope this information is helpful to some of you, and I hope they don't delete this too! read more

Can i just start off by saying how amazing this school is!!! My trainer was AMAZING! !! BIG HUGE SHOUT OUT TO GINA . ..from beginning to end the entire experience felt like i had a one on one with her.She explained everything to me step by step. Did not feel rushed. You are able to email them and they actually get back to you. Unlike other places I've done training at where all they want is your $$$ and never want to hear from you :( All in all I had a GREAT experience here . read more

This idiotic school actually tells students that they need to write everything out, and if you get behind just drop and catch up. They literally told us NOT to use briefs, that it would hinder our progress later, and had us writing out things like the word AND (which takes up the whole keyboard if you don't know) so you couldn't brief it with anything else like most reporters do. Of course everyone was getting stuck at about 140 to 160 wpm. This is when you realize you're going to spend 8 - 10 years at the school because you can't possibly write faster without briefing. It takes a couple years to figure out that this school is full of crap, and then you either fix your writing and stay in or drop out.  This is also about the the time the loans and Pell grants are cut off. Go figure. Jean's gonna brag about the 100 that graduated. Do you have any idea how many students she takes in that pay and pay and pay and get nowhere but in debt? We actually hired a lawyer to sue her but there were so many of us that no lawyer would take the case. They all said, she'll just declare bankruptcy and nobody will get a thing. I mean think about it, why should it take YEARS to learn SHORTHAND. It doesn't, unless you're at this school. And you drop out with $50000 in student loans which just keep growing because now you're stuck with no education, no more money to go to school anywhere else, and a minimum wage job. Please read the negative reviews of this school. You will see the same theme over and over again. read more

I went through South Coast College's Court Reporting Program from 2003 - 2006. I qualified for the CSR in 2 years. I chose SCC because they have the highest pass rate out of all the court reporting schools in CA. You can confirm this on the CRB website. Since graduating 9 years ago, I have watched them consistently produce more CSR's than any other school in the state. I watched 5 other students fly through the program in one year and get their CSR license. The Robert Walsh Gonzalez theory they teach is realtime compatible and produces very clean writers who start writing realtime early on in their careers. I attended the day program, but took a few night classes to make sure I could get all of my classes in because I was progressing so fast with the speed classes. I liked both programs equally, but I'm very grateful I had the opportunity to going full time during the day and getting through quickly. Jean Gonzalez is the most dedicated educator I've ever met. She sacrifices so much of her time and efforts and knows each of her students by name and knows and cares about each of them personally. Long after students graduate, they come back to visit and talk to students and inspire classrooms. Most of the staff that were there when I went to the school 9 years ago are still there. They're a great group of professionals who enjoy working there and love the students and have a passion for teaching and helping the students. I worked as a freelance court reporter doing depositions and hearings and a variety of things and then got a job as an official court reporter and have been an official for 7 years and absolutely love my job as an official court reporter. According to the NCRA, the top 10% earn over $150,000 per year as court reporters. According to statistics gathered by the Court Reporters Board of California, the number of reporters in the state went from a high of 8,000 in the year 2000 to only 6,800, roughly, today. Meanwhile, the number of attorneys in California has gone up nearly 30% in that same time to 182,000. This disparity, more closely examined by the National Court Reporters Association's Industry Outlook Report released last year, concludes that in California alone, over 2,300 reporting jobs will be available and unfilled in our profession by 2018. Court Reporting is a recession-proof career with a lot of job opportunities and an opportunity to make a great income. But the opportunities do not stop there. With the ever-burgeoning fields of closed captioning and CART, Communication Access Realtime Translation for the hard of hearing, our options are expanding into areas where voice recognition just can't keep up. The human element in these invaluable services promises that work in our field will continue to be plentiful. read more

I graduated from here a year ago, have been reporting ever since! I LOVED being at this school! I visit often and keep up with all of the staff members! Obviously, as is true with everything else, you get out of it exactly what you put into it. If you have a bad attitude and go to a school "for a couple of months," when you're told it's going to take bare minimum "two years," (it says it in every hand out and packet you're given) then of course you'd have something negative to say. This school helped me finish in 14 months, and I'm a proud and successful court reporter...as are all of the other graduates. read more

I am forever grateful to South Coast College. Because of South Coast's amazing faculty, I now have the career of my dreams. I chose this school because it is one of the very few accredited court reporting programs in Southern California. If you look at the list of new CSRs put out after each test, South Coast ALWAYS produces the most graduates. I came to South Coast straight out of high school, barely an adult. I left at age 21 as a working professional, making more money than any of my peers who attended a four-year college. Once I entered the workforce, agencies immediately took more interest in me after seeing South Coast College on my resume. Even when I meet other reporters out in the field, whether I knew them or not, they almost always are South Coast graduates. Thank you, South Coast College. read more

I have been attending South Coast College for about a year and a half now. My younger sister started attending SCC and she would always come home with good things to say. I hated community college and dreaded going to school because it was sooooooo boring. Finally I started attending SCC! I never thought school would be fun. Im 21 and I see a bright future ahead for me. I love the teachers, they will all make you laugh. Everyone is really friendly at the school. I would give this school ten stars if I had the option!! read more

Awesome school!! Court Reporting school is very difficult. South Coast keeps you going and makes you want to finish. The night students are all wonderful, we all get a long great. The night staff are just as wonderful. I have not had a teacher that I didn't like. read more

A really great school. I've been attending the Paralegal program since August & I love it! The professors are awesome & the staff is really welcoming as well. They have holiday parties that always seem like so much fun to attend. Can't find one bad thing to say. read more

I graduated from South Coast College six years ago, after only two years of school in their court reporting program. I say that not to highlight it as a personal achievement, but to give the credit to the program in every way. It takes commitment and dedication, but their system works, and I, along with many fellow classmates, am evidence of that. Learning the skill of stenography in a trade school environment can be a little untraditional, but I found it extremely refreshing. I knew that every single thing I learned there I would use in my everyday life as a court reporter, so it motivated me to trust in their system, and it worked! I completed school in less than what they told me I would, passed the big state test the first time (thanks to their thorough preparation), and have been successful and loving my career ever since. Thanks, South Coast! read more

You could not find a better school for court reporting. I truly feel like a name not a number at this school. All of the staff have been more than accommodating to help me in all facets of my education. I am a veteran and have found the transition with that to be as smooth as it gets. The financial aid department is well trained and educated with VA benefits. I cannot wait to be a South Coast College graduate!!! read more

I recently completed my Paralegal Studies at South Coast College, and I absolutely love this school. I couldn't of had a better experience, all the staff is helpful and did great at accommodating me when I became ill. The professors are all very caring and knowledgeable. I am confident in legal studies because of them. I highly recommend this school and the program. The environment and everything about the school is simply amazing! read more

I started my MA program August of 2017 thru March 2018. Best decision I have ever made. The teachers are AMAZING!. And our Lab Teacher(Jorge) is the BEST!. Everyone in the program is great. They helped me get a Full time job in Garden Grove Surgical Center. read more

I went through the court reporting program at SCC, and it was the best decision of my life. I have built an amazing career in court reporting, and I am so grateful for the staff and dedication of Jean Gonzalez. If you have ever been interested in a career in law and love English, this is the profession for you. I really love that I have total control of my schedule. You can make as much money as you have time for. I absolutely love the flexibility of being a freelance depo reporter. And let's face it. Anything that's amazing is going to require hard work. There's nothing more challenging than passing the CSR, but if this is your dream, SCC will get you there. read more

Be prepared to spend a lot of money on half-assed teaching-- with the exception of Kalecia, Becky, and Kathy. SCC is a perfect example of you get out of it what you put into it. Half-assed students won't last very long. read more