Lake Washington Institute Of Technology

This is an amazing school! I completed two years and transferred to UW. Their programs and support staff and programs are amazing (BFET, WRT, Daycare assitance, Financial Aid Dept) All amazing and helpful throughout my unconventional journey. After transitioning to a U I have grown to miss the free and personable details this campus offers. Go here if you want to transfer or earn your 2-​year!

What I like most about this school is the way students from different programs/​disciplines provide services for one another as part of the learning process (massage and dental work from students at discount prices, FREE personal training from fitness program students, etc).
PROS:
–Student government is really active, and there are more events in the common spaces than I have seen at other community colleges
–Cheyenne at the library is basically the bomb. She truly loves to help people and is passionate and knowledgeable about her work
–The two guys who cashier the cafeteria are wonderful and hilarious. This may seem trivial, but it’s not! They deserve recognition for always keeping their energy and cheerfulness up
–Reasonable range of student services available, considering how small the campus is (tutoring, counseling, dental, tech support, and Trio which has some really awesome learning aids)
–Allied Health building is gorgeous. They offer a Funeral Services program (the only one in WA, I think) which is operated by really gentle and loving people. They provide full military funeral services and gift of body donation service for those who may not otherwise be able to afford those services for their deceased loved ones. WOW!
–FREE parking
–Go look at the Arboretum
CONS:
–No general health services, unfortunately
–Some people have reported problems with administration. I also encountered a lot of weird setbacks trying to receive my financial aid, but I did get it eventually. They will allow you to defer tuition payment while you are waiting for aid
–Almost everyone in the admin building has been very friendly and helpful to me, but a few bad apples makes them all look bad
–The admin of my actual program underwent some changes and now there are two people running the entire thing as well as teaching all the classes. Quality of curriculum hasn’t changed, but the teachers are really maxed out and that means less personal feedback and long grading times. It’s a shame because we have a really small cohort
–While the library is open, the gym and cafeteria should be open too! Gym and cafeteria have ridiculously limited hours of operation
I am personally happy with my educational experience so far. I feel that I am succeeding because I have been proactive about my own learning. All of the tools I need to succeed are here, and I utilize them.

I’ve been a student here for a while and I have to say I love this school! Most of my teachers are professors at UW who work here as a side job so I feel like I’m getting a lot of bang for my buck. My professors seem like they like teaching here and I have learned A LOT! They are really good at processing financial aid quickly. Other schools I checked out said that I had to have my fafsa filed with them months before the quarter started, at LWIT I came in a few weeks before classes started and even though my fafsa wasn’t processed yet they gave me a deferment and let me start right away. They are awesome!
Only downfall: Their economics teacher Nelson LePlante is absolutely the worst — hardcore republican and class is mainly based on his personal opinion-​watch out!

I honestly LOVED the program I was in at this school. The IT program put me way further ahead then I could have imagined, I am much more knowledgeable then most the people I work with thanks to my teachers and the program.
With that said, THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF IS AWFUL, I am talking about the people who run the school. They hire some teachers it seems before doing their research on them (cough, medical assisting program director, cough).
If you want a transcript sent to a college, they are stuck in the stone ages, mail only.
It seems the best (and also the most qualified teachers) I had, left to teach at another college because they wouldn’t offer a full time position. Not surprising though, Glassdoor rates it as one of the worst places to work, so the good ones who stick around, I commend you.
The worst and most messed up part about this school is the financial aid office. It is so screwed up, honestly to the point where I don’t know how they haven’t been sued. I almost didn’t graduate because the financial aid office took 3 months to get my money the second year I attended there, even though I had all paperwork in completed and on time. Thankfully my parents backed me on credit cards until winter quarter when the money came through. They open a checking account without your permission also, then this checking account charges you $ 25 to wire transfer the money out, $.75 Cents for using the card with a pin, and they block all incoming transfers to the account. The fees with HigherONE are insane, and they were sued over it, 15 million dollar class action, but they still get away with it, and the school still supports them.
Now I am at a University and it seems the opposite. I am not learning much, the teachers are ok, but the administrative staff is amazing. I just need to get my Bachelors Degree and then I am out.
I really wish you could rate individual programs, or at least separate the administrative staff at the school from the teachers, because the teachers/​program would get 5 stars and the school its self 1 star.

I’ve been attending LWIT since summer of 13 and have not had any complaints about it or the teachers thus far. While working on my prereqs for nursing, I’ve encountered a couple of tough classes, but all with great teachers. Granted, I am not getting financial aid, so I have not had much experience with the admin side of the school, but the counselors are generally good about getting back to you should you miss a call with one. It may not be the best school, but it’s a good one with teachers who seem to care.

I attended LWIT for Fall and Winter Quarter and if it weren’t for my persistence about furthering myself in my life, I would’ve given up. The administrative staff is absolutely impossible to work with. I had transferred a bunch of classes from my bachelor’s degree and was put in ALL of the wrong classes for Fall Quarter. I was already a week in before one of my professors said, «why are you taking this class if you already have a bachelor’s degree?» That sparked some fire in me to find out what happened. Well, one of the counselor’s automatically assumed (didn’t even run it by me first) I would want to re-​take those classes because I had a 3.6 in them and that wasn’t high enough to be competitive to apply for the DH program. By the time I finally was able to get ahold of the counselor, after going into the school multiple times, emailing and calling I was able to get in one other class I needed. However, the other two classes I needed were already FULL because the quarter already started. I had talked to multiple counselors about what I needed to get my course transferred over and registered. One counselor said to me, «you know this program is incredibly tough to get into, do you think you’re ready to do this?» I was absolutely disgusted by what he said to me. Who says that to PAYING students who actually want to be there after they’ve already finished a bachelor’s program… time for him to find another job.
I’ve had better luck with teachers and absolutely love Jo Nelson! I took her for A&P 1 and she was great. She is clear, supportive and doesn’t put up with any fluff. She truly cares about the success of her students and if I wasn’t switching schools for my DH program, I would take her for A&P 2 as well.
Pros: Most of the teachers are supportive of the students! Ample amount of free parking and close to transit. The coffee stand has good snacks and drinks. Lots of programs to chose from. Classes to choose from all times of the day or night, on-​ground and online classes as well.

I started attending LWTC in Jan of 2014… I have been going full time since then and couldn’t be more pleased! I love all of my teachers, they’re all genuinely interested in your success and/​or concerns, the campus is clean and easy to maneuver, PARKING IS FREE, food and coffee stand is pretty good, and best of all, they have comfy seating everywhere! Couldn’t have made a better decision on where to further my education!

ive been going to this place for the last 5 months i have had 4 cleanings, 1 root canal, two crowns and 2 fillings. just say ive been here plenty to review this place. i must say its a very good place. they treat you fantastic. the person doing my teeth was a lady named SOY. she is awesome an she is learning to become hygene people and i must say she will pass. she has helped me get my teath nice. she also helped me get into smart smile so i can get a discount. i would recommend this place if your on a budget. just be warned it takes awhile. but still 5 stars because i have alot of patence.

I honestly can’t say enough good things about LWIT. It’s not the best school… far from it… but the people who work here are what make this place great. Before arriving to LWIT, I hated math. But I took a few math classes here and was struck by how much the teachers love their subject and how much they care about students. They’ve got lots of unique programs that other schools just don’t offer (the wine program being one of them), and they cater mostly to young people trying to quickly kick off a career (like to be a chef or an electronics technician).
I also like the atmosphere at LWIT. It’s quiet and peaceful, nestled in the hills above Kirkland. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s quite a place to study if you’re looking for quiet and a relaxed environment. In the winter, I almost felt like I was in Scandinavia somewhere… the views from the 4^th floor of the Tech building are incredible.
Overall, I had a great experience. Is this school for everyone? No. But did it help me in my career and help me achieve things that I had not previously thought possible. Yes. Oh yeah, and parking is FREE.

Why did I not read the reviews first for Lake Washington Institute of Technology! Clearly my fault or I would have avoided them entirely. We signed up our son for a teen program on SAT prep — two sections. Of course they required the approximately $ 900 up front. Not once did they warn us that they had insufficient enrollment until late afternoon the Wed before classes are to start on Monday. Because it’s continuing education there is no reimbursement for the materials. Of course it will take them 5 – 10 business days to return the money paid (which they blamed on our credit card company.). The worst part is that our son can not get another SAT prep class this late. We planned our summer around these two weeks and they couldn’t bother to call and notify us that they suspected it was going to cancel. They have posted hours for continuing education but they rarely pick up the phone. I finally got a phone pickup at 10:45 am after trying from 8 am on. The person I spoke to said that they only had 5 kids in total and the enrollment kept fluctuating but they had my phone number, email, etc. and could have notified me that they knew it would cancel. On the other SAT class (there are two — one in the morning and one in the afternoon) they have only 3 signed up but they think they might get more so they will tell me on Friday if the class is a go for Monday. Skip this school!!!

Old MacDonald had a college… oh-​no-​oh-​no-​oh-​no! Seriously, this school is pathetic and is painted in scary bright red and yellow colors like McDonalds! The staff is utterly useless especially when trying to get my transcripts to apply for my masters program. They looked at me and asked why I wasn’t still a student? Um… FAIL! Anyway, the best part about the school is that the instructors are really amazing, and I am not saying that sarcastically– they are really good and got me through some hard classes. Additionally, they have good plate lunches that got me through some boring classes…

The staff here is to say the least useless! Despite having a culinary program the cafeteria leaves a lot to be desired, most times fellow students and I have opted to leave campus for lunch. Many instructors are unreliable canceling classes at the last minute without informing students. If my program was offered in another school in the area I would not be attending this school!

This school is a joke. I wouldn’t even give one star had I not had to rate it. I attended the motorcycle classes at that
was an absolute nightmare dealing with any human working for the school. The financial aid department was never together, checks were late or they didn’t even no where the financial aid paperwork was. I have never met such rude faculty. I’m not a child and shouldn’t be treated like an elementry school child. The motorcycle teacher Bob is a Bad all around teacher! Never taught much, ill say nicely that he has little man syndrome. Don’t waste your money or time in small engines/​motorcycle classes at lake Washington technical college. Its a joke.

Trying to work with the administrative staff at Lake Washington Technical College was a nightmare. After being laid off from WaMu I thought I’d take an opportunity to go back to school to strengthen my industry knowledge. The first red flag for me should have been the receptionist at the enrollment desk who was completely disengaged and rude. When trying to work with the FAFSA staff to receive financial aid I found the man behind the desk more interested in staring at my breast than in helping me go through the paperwork.
Two weeks after enrolling I was offered and accepted a position with a local firm and decided to drop my classes, then began the customer service nightmare. The school did not properly record that I had dropped the courses and collected money from FAFSA as well as sent me a bill for the remainder. When I called to find out why they had taken the money I was told I would have to come in during business hours. Having just started a new position I did not have the luxury of taking time off and rather than working with me to find solutions when I explained my obstacles the staff dismissive. I spent numerous lunch hours stuck in the phone tree and leaving messages that were never returned.
After five months it was still not resolved so I had to took a day off and drive to the school where I was sent from one person to the next none of which would take any accountability for ensuring the process was completed. Finally after three visits and six months I was able to resolve it, or so I thought until I received a notice from their collection agency. The gentleman at the collection agency was able to help me resolve the issue as it turned out he was the only person I worked with that had reasonably good customer service, follow up and ability to resolve an issue — it took him 10 minutes.

The adminstration at the school is disconnected at best. There are alot of students who just don’t care about anything including themselves. Why 4 stars then? The instructors! They go the extra mile and really care about what they’re teaching. If you need to get some where fast and cheap this is your place

I’ve been attending their Nursing Program since 2006. Yay. Its hasn’t been easy, like many programs out there they have their kinks however this program truly wants you to succeed. If you don’t have your full heart into this program you will not succeed. Overall this a great school. Most the teachers are helpful and are excellent motivators.
If you want to go into the nursing program, seek guidance from the nursing instructors for they will not lie to you.