Is ECPI worth a shot?

Sylice

I know some people who have successful careers in I.T who went to ECPI. So I'm just wondering, is it worth a shot, with experience and a security clearance? I plan on going here when I'm out of the U.S Army.

shodown

I did my CCNA from there. I didn't do a full program. I will say it jumpstarted my career post military.

Sylice

shodown wrote: »

I did my CCNA from there. I didn't do a full program. I will say it jumpstarted my career post military.

I see. So you currently have a career in I.T? Which field?

shodown

Networking. I've been doing it since 2008 outside the military.

Sylice

shodown wrote: »

Networking. I've been doing it since 2008 outside the military.

Nice. Was your military job related to I.T?

shodown

I started in electronics in 1999 the, then moved into IT related roles around 2003. My electronics were all reduced down to power supplies and the consoles I worked on were Linux, Unix and windows servers with a cisco switch, router, and pix firewall.

Danielm7

Any reason why you'd choose a for profit school, Sylice? Especially with the GI bill I'd imagine your options are pretty wide open.

aspiringsoul

As a graduate of a For-Profit school, I would like to caution you and urge you to consider non-profit options first...

There are many For-Profit schools that target Veterans because the GI Bill benefits are excluded from the 90/10 rule.

http://time.com/money/3573216/veterans-college-for-profit/

ECPI is a For-Profit school. While the outcomes of its students are better than many other For-Profit schools, my advice would be to attend non-profit schools so you can get more bang for your buck and have little difficulty transferring your credits. For-Profit schools usually spend more money on recruiting/marketing than they do on student instruction. The HELP committee performed an investigation on For-Profit schools in 2012.

You can read about that here, or you can review the attached PDF documents.

Compared to its public non-profit counterparts, it is more expensive to obtain a degree at ECPI. An Associate degree in Computer and Information Science at ECPI costs $36,650 compared to the cost of an Associate degree in Information Systems at Tidewater Community College in Virginia which costs $10,232. ECPI charges $58,550 for a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. The same degree costs $51,912 at the University of Virginia.

The quality of any college's academics is difficult to quantify; however the amount that a school spends on instruction per student compared to other spending is a useful measure. ECPI spent $3,852 per student on instruction in 2009, compared to $1,303 per student on marketing, and $2,271 on profit. The amount that privately held companies examined by the committee spend on instruction ranges from $1,118 to $6,389 per student per year. In contrast, other Virginia based public and non-profit schools spent, on a per student basis, $14,567 at the University of Virginia-main Campus, $3,789 at Tidewater Community College, and $1,957 at Liberty University.

The default rate across all 30 companies examined increased each fiscal year between 2005 and 2008 from 17.1 percent to 22.6 percent. This change represents a 32.6 percent increase over 4 years. ECPI's default rate has similarly increased, growing from 19.7 percent for students entering repayment in 2005 to 23.2 percent for students entering repayment in 2008. ECPI's most recent default rate is slightly higher than the rate for all for-profit colleges.

http://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media...t/Contents.pdf

I would consider a community college, go for an Associate degree, then transfer to a Non-Profit state school for a Bachelor degree.

Tidewater community college TCC: Tidewater Community College

I promise you that you will get a better Return on Investment by attending a Non-Profit school. Do your research, and choose the school that best meets your needs.

If you're looking for something online, consider the schools on this list:

Online Bachelors Degree Computer Science | Affordable Online Degrees | Best Online Colleges | Best Online Universities | GetEducated.com

Good luck.

aspiringsoul

I just wanted to provide some additional information about why For-Profits target Veterans heavily...

For-Profit Schools Target Military Members & Vets

Why For-Profit Colleges Target Veterans | Alexandra Rice

[h=3]Why Target the Military?[/h]Those who criticize for-profit schools with questionable tactics and reputations say they focus on military students because of the money involved. For example, federal law (called the “90/10 rule“) requires that at least 10 percent of any for-profit school’s funding must come from sources other than federal student financial aid.Money schools get from students using GI Bill benefits counts toward that 10 percent. So, military students mean not only more profits, but also helps the schools follow the law.On top of that, military students are attractive because, effective October 2011, the GI Bill:

• Covers tuition and fees, up to $17,000, for non-college degree programs, such as barber or cosmetology schools
• Gives a housing allowance, up to $673.50 per month, for veterans, reservists and others (but not members in active service) who are enrolled in online schools or “distance learning”
• Gives students, including active-duty service members and their spouses, $1,000 per month to pay for books and supplies

With these and other benefits, it’s easy to see why for-profit schools actively recruit veterans and military members.[h=2]Students Beware[/h]Many for-profit schools argue that they provide military personnel with the chance to get an education, with online courses and flexible programs not seen in traditional public four-year schools. And it’s true that some for-profit schools do provide quality educations and helpful job-placement services.Like any other student considering a for-profit school, though, you need to be careful:

• Familiarize yourself with some of the complaints made by former students and employees at some these schools
• Learn about the new rules these schools must follow and make sure they’re following them
• Research the schools – what are their graduation and job-placement rates? Don’t take a recruiter’s word on them

Your drive to get an education or training is commendable. Do what you can to make the right choice so you don’t waste your valuable GI education benefits.

FillAwful

I currently attend ECPI University, I am in the Network Security program. It is expensive. However, I feel that I am getting an excellent education. Most teachers, teaching technical courses, are professionals in the field, much of the work is hands on via virtualization among other methods.

ECPI can be difficult if you are not already technically inclined, I have a background in Desktop Support.

ECPI offers certification vouchers for $15 per test. 5 for BS students while in school, and 5 after graduation.

There is no extra cost for books as they are loaned to you by the school, Books for 300-level classes can be kept.

The pace is very fast. This may not suit everyone. It suits me well, I absorb information quickly and get bored quickly, so it fits my learning style well, however, if you do not dedicate yourself to learning the information and practicing the skills both in and out of the classroom, you will be very very behind, very very quickly. I've seen it happen to many people as the concepts build and the courses get harder. (You can't do VLSM if you never learned how to subnet).

I have declined several job offers while in school, after applying just to see what kind of feedback I would get. They are not terrible jobs either. One was from HP (a large help desk environment) starting about $15.

I really do feel if you apply yourself at this school it can be worth the cost. It is expensive, but the learning environment is purely academic and there is very little red-tape as far as scheduling, advising, financial aid, books, etc. you may find at a large university.

Hope this information was helpful.

shodown

I wouldn't do ECPI if it wasn't free for me. There are better options available. I went back in 2006/7 before there were the options that are here today.

chappys4life

Please dont go to ECPI. I have my associates which I have gotten twice. I went in 03-05 then their accreditation changed when I went back to get my bachelors. I went from from 71 credits to 17 because of it.

Such a waste of money.