WGU bad experience

Absolutely terrible. I was told that at least one higher level networking class was needed. I sent them my transcripts and they said that my Cisco class I took was "met". After that, I get a call stating that I didn't get in, lol. Why did they tell me a minimum requirement would be a higher level networking class, the transcript request people said that my Cisco class met the requirements, and after that tell me that I didn't get in?

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Danielm7

Why don't you call them and ask? Honestly, no one here is going to know the answer.

Nemowolf

As there have been many threads discussing this, WGU doesnt have a very consistent track record of what requirements they use for entry. Some people get in with a basic college course while someone else they reject and say you need more.

jerseyIT92

Nemowolf wrote: »

As there have been many threads discussing this, WGU doesnt have a very consistent track record of what requirements they use for entry. Some people get in with a basic college course while someone else they reject and say you need more.

It's crazy man, so unreal. I've been waiting weeks for everything to go through. The website specifically states my requirements are good and the transcript request form said the networking class was met. The admissions person said he doesn't know why that the denied me.

TR4V1STY

I'm glad they're filtering out people who don't have good qualifications.

Sorry you didn't get in jersey, better luck next time.

techfiend

I think they are very overbooked right now, which could play a role. I was qualified but my start was delayed 3 months because they were full. My student mentor seems very busy as well.

xD Lucas

TR4V1STY wrote: »

I'm glad they're filtering out people who don't have good qualifications.

Sorry you didn't get in jersey, better luck next time.

What do you mean? If they set their qualification requirement low (such as a basic certification), then they need to follow those policies as they expect anyone else to. It's a shame they're picking and choosing, and it doesn't seem to be based on qualifications. If they would come out and say, "We're full right now, come back later," that's better than, "You need a certification," then when you get it, you get rejected anyway.

I'm starting to think WGU is just a sham. There's been too many red flags and I'm not even a student yet.

Iristheangel

Not to be a jerk but isn't the requirements for admission TWO or more upper-level networking courses: Online Admissions | College of Information Technology | Western Governors University Online

At least that's what it said on the requirements. I'm sorry if you got some misinformation or maybe the person who you called initially thought that you asked if it counted as a upper-level networking class when it sounds like you were really asking if that one class meets the entire requirement.

@xD Lucas - Sorry you feel that way. I was a student and I can tell you it wasn't a sham. I went through to have a lucrative and very successful IT career so far. I guess to each their own.

cshkuru

Unfortunately they post different requirements in different places.

WGU’s online IT bachelor’s degree programs require students to demonstrate IT experience through at least one of the following:

An associate’s degree in IT or the equivalent (A.A. or A.A.S. are acceptable)
Transferable IT certifications earned within the last five years
Three-plus years of IT work experience

Below is a selection of IT certifications that are transferable to WGU. This selection is for your convenience only and does not represent a special endorsement. Note: For transfer, certifications must have been earned within the last five years.
If you have a question about whether a certification you have earned will transfer or not, speak to an Enrollment Counselor.

an A.A or A.A.S. is a bit more stringent. I saw a thread on another forum where someone had a similar complaint WGUs response was the admission guidelines are just guidelines they don't have to let you in.

This is the post from the guy who complained -

Ripoff Report | Western Governors University Complaint Review Salt Lake City, Utah: 936028

Iristheangel

I suspect the more stringent requirements for enrollment has to do with raising their graduation rate. Years ago, their graduation rate was REALLY low. Lots of people enrolled, weren't cut out for self-study, and dropped out. I know that a lot of states and the federal government put laws into effect which affected the eligibility for some universities to procure federal or state financial aid of their graduation rate was too low or their loan default rate of their students was too high. Most of those laws were targeted at the for-profit university industry and I'm not sure if it affected WGU but I've seen over the last 5 years a change to their admission criteria and that it's no longer just required to have a pulse to be accepted.

Taking a look at this, it looks like the graduation rate for WGU back in 2011-2012 was 6.5% and it was one of the lowest if not the lowest: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/50-private-colleges-with-best-worst-grad-rates/
Looking at it now, it's up to 40%: http://www.wgu.edu/tuition_financial_aid/brief_guide

Here's a pretty good article on it: http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/for-profit-colleges-and-universities.aspx

Again, I know it's targeted at for-profit universities but I would suspect that this would apply to WGU as well.

As far as the rip-off report article where the student claims that no graduate school would accept his "useless" degree, I can name several users on this forum who received their undergrad degree at WGU and went on to a brick and mortar institution for their Masters degree. Not saying the guy who wrote that complaint wasn't rejected but there are a lot of reasons why a school can reject you for admission (i.e. poor scores on GRE)

Curchel

jerseyIT92 wrote: »

Absolutely terrible. I was told that at least one higher level networking class was needed. I sent them my transcripts and they said that my Cisco class I took was "met". After that, I get a call stating that I didn't get in, lol. Why did they tell me a minimum requirement would be a higher level networking class, the transcript request people said that my Cisco class met the requirements, and after that tell me that I didn't get in?

I give the same advice to everyone: get the Project+ certification. It's easy as heck. Buy the Sybex book, read about 3/4 of it and then take the test. Lot of the terminology is self-explanatory. Or find another easy certification WGU accepts. Project+ was my way to get in and it took less than a month of studying.

cshkuru

I don't doubt that the change in reporting requirements and a desire to raise graduation rates is driving some of the changes. In fact I have had admission counselor's tell me as much. My point was that part of the confusion stems from the fact that they have multiple published sets of requirements and depending on which set the counselor is looking at you may have to fight a bit. As for the ripoff report link I wasn't posting that to knock WGU but to make the point that WGU reserves the right to refuse admission even if you do meet the certification requirement.

Danielm7

Reading the ripoffreport just sounds like he got caught between some bad advice and a policy change, surely not a "rip off" Plus the school even responded to his report saying if he got the CCNA he would be eligible for the MS program. The Security BS program he avoided taking would have included the CCNA anyway.

His final paragraph, "Go somewhere else. I'm just lucky that i only wasted 1 year and 6000 dollars but now that I have my Bachelors, I dont qualify for Pell Grant and student loans wont pay for a second bachelors after the first one is completed so I'm now paying out of pocket for a bachelors degree."

So, it's a total waste, but he has a BS, but doesn't want to just get a CCNA and instead would pay out of pocket for a 2nd BS degree so he can get the MS from a school he feels is worthless and a rip off? Yeah, OK.

Mike-Mike

WGU has been a total win for me. The Bachelors degree got me an immediate 10k jump in pay, in 1 month WGU paid for itself. I completed my Masters about 2 weeks ago, and I'm on the verge of a 20k to 30k bump

doubledees

WGU has been persistent with trying to get me to enroll, lol. They told me I needed a cert to get into the program, but they keep checking up on me. I think I have been passed on to several different counselors now.

markulous

Curchel wrote: »

I give the same advice to everyone: get the Project+ certification. It's easy as heck. Buy the Sybex book, read about 3/4 of it and then take the test. Lot of the terminology is self-explanatory. Or find another easy certification WGU accepts. Project+ was my way to get in and it took less than a month of studying.

As long as the MTA is an option, that's easier IMO. While Project+ isn't a hard cert, it's probably more difficult than MTA: OS simply because if you have any IT experience at all, there are a ton of easy questions on that exam. I had about 5 months of IT experience (basic helpdesk) and studied for around a week and passed it no problem.

EDIT: I believe the MTA is also quite a bit cheaper than the P+ as well.

kurosaki00

What are your qualifications and what program are you applying?

Also, call them, you wont get much out of the forums in this matter.

joelsfood

Maybe it's just me, but that requirement doesn't say one cert, it says one of the following, then says certificationS. That could just be the way I'm reading it, but it doesn't sound like one certification is going to cut it, from the requirements pasted.