My honest review of A&E Career Institute…read more
The program is only about one month long and costs around $2,500. When I first contacted admissions, I was told there would be a discount if I paid cash upfront, but when I went to pay, the front desk lady seemed confused and told me she had never heard of it. That was my first concern regarding communication.
The $2,500 tuition included the uniform, BLS, online access to some of the school's materials, Live Scan, and exam processing fees. However, students are responsible for purchasing many of their own study materials. The state exam is also separate and costs around $200. I was also told that we would not receive our BLS cards until the entire class had paid for theirs, which I personally did not feel was fair.
The program is very fast paced, and in my experience, students are mostly given the information they need to study on their own. There isn't much actual teaching or guidance. If you need a structured classroom environment with an instructor who teaches and reviews the material with you and actually teaches during school hours, I would keep that in mind before enrolling.
My biggest frustration was with the skills lab and the condition of some of the equipment. Most of the equipment is old and does not work. For example, the beds they do not raise to waist level, which is a specific requirement for the majority of your skills and very important requirement. We were specifically told not to turn on or use the sink in the skills room because the plumbing was not working. Because of this, we were instructed to verbalize that portion of the skill instead. During my first state skills exam, I followed what we had been taught and verbalized the skill rather than actually using the sink. Unfortunately, I was marked incorrect and failed my first attempt. Thankfully, I passed on my second attempt because I knew what to expect.
I do take accountability for not double checking the testing requirements myself, but I believe this situation could have been avoided if the skills lab had functioning equipment and students were able to practice the skills the way they would actually be tested.
The school is flexible and willing to work with students when asked, which I did appreciate. Overall, I believe the school could greatly improve by investing more into the facility, equipment, study materials, and hands-on instruction. I want to emphasize that there is no materials that are being provided by the school. Everything you need for studying or practicing you need to purchase on your own.
This is simply my honest experience, and I am not trying to scare anyone away from attending this school. I read the previous reviews before enrolling and decided to give the school a chance, but after my own experience, I do wish I had considered other options more carefully because I was thinking they must be exaggerating, but In my opinion, when you are paying for an education, you should receive the proper instruction, materials, and resources needed to succeed. If you are someone who is comfortable studying independently with limited guidance and resources, this program may work for you.
I am not trying to bash the school in any way I am simply sharing my honest experience so prospective students can make an informed decision. I also believe professionalism is important, and seeing some of the school's responses to students who shared negative experiences came across to me as defensive rather than professional. I personally believe students should be able to share their experiences without feeling like they are being criticized for doing so.
