Empire State College-State University of New York

In my experience, this was a great school. I’m surprised that it doesn’t have more prestige like other colleges. ESC offers a good education with quality professors. I worked very hard for my degrees and this college allowed me to do that while working full-​time and often, overtime.
I began taking classes here in the fall of 2008, at 28 years old, with some credits but no degree. At the time, I was working as an Administrative Assistant for a well-​known hospital in NYC and I wasn’t really happy in that position. Initially, I just expected I would earn my Associate’s degree but I went on to complete my BA in English in December 2010. The following fall, I enrolled in their school for graduate studies.
It is true that you are required to work independently, but it depends on the path you take. I took as many face-​to-​face courses as I could. As for independent studies, I took about 2 – 3 classes, the rest were in a classroom. You can earn your entire degree online if you choose, but that wasn’t for me.
During my time here, this school helped me build my confidence and reminded me how great it really is to learn and read on a regular basis. I don’t know if I would be on my way to finishing an MA in English Education if I hadn’t come to this school. When I first went to college right out of high school, I dropped out within the first year. I am not someone who has always valued education but I do feel I gained that from coming to this school. I did well in my undergrad and graduate experience, earning a partial scholarship and the Dean’s Medal in graduate school. I became someone who really values education and wants to be a lifelong learner while taking classes here. I hope I can pass along the same values to my students.

This school was awesome. If you get Melissa Centar for a mentor, you are set! She is Wonderful! Extremely helpful and goes beyond for her mentees. The professors I had were a mix bag some were mediocre and others were awesome. This is a highly self-​motivated school. If you cannot set goals and deadlines for yourself, you will not do well. I worked a full time (50−60+ hours a week (10 hour min days)) management job when I attended. I had no life for that time. I did how ever learn a lot that helped me with my current position. Just make sure you pay attention to deadlines and do not over commit to classes if you are working. In addition, communication with your professor falls on you. You will how ever be able to work with other students remotely, which is a great skill to have in today’s market. I also highly recommend S. Hertz as a professor. One more tip you can find out the books you need before classes start, buy used and you will save a ton.

Amazing educators who helped this 50 year old get a 4 year business degree.
I cant say enough about how much these fine people extended themselves to make my educational experience payoff in ways I never imagined.

Mentorship here is fantastic. I lucked out with one of the best mentors around– Alan Mandel. After one semester here, I’ve started to «get» what this place is all about. You get what you put in and you reap the rewards. Pretty awesome. It’s totally tailored to what you want out of your education.

I have been a ESC student (center for distance learning — online) for a year and a half now. Being older (41) I needed to get a degree to compete in this terrible economy. I had put off going to school after attending a few courses at John Jay College (CUNY) and nearly going insane at that backwards a** school. ESC has helped me plan my own degree, arrange a mentor to help me through the foggy first year and even helped me with bringing credits from the military and prior learning to the school. The school is always e-​mailing and updating me on events and changes to anything that was scheduled.
The military and Veterans department within ESC is top of the ladder, I have been contacted directly to ensure all of my needs were being met and that I had applied for the correct aid programs (NYS military veterans (with combat tours) attend CUNY and SUNY schools for free) except for books. NO fees or charges at all the tuition is paid by the State.
A lot of people say on line schools are easy and a waste of time — I say just try a course. Each course recommends at least 15 hours of work a week in order to complete all assignments. I have e-​mailed my professors probably 500 times over the last 18 months, the longest I have waited for a reply is 2 days — usually I get a reply within 8 –12 hours.
In response to the other reviews — to each his /​her own
I have found this school to be honest and straight forward with what they expect from their students and how to get the work done. I do not work for the school, I just have been able to get exactly what I needed from ESC.

I agree 100% with Bruce S. (please read his review as well). This school is… bullsh@t!!! You get TONS of work with unreasonable deadlines for the amount of work given (I’m totally stressed out everyday just trying to reach the deadlines) and the communication between students and professors is VERY poor (at least this is MY experience with the 2 professors that I have right now). And there is nothing that your «mentor» can do about that issue. I email my professor’s questions and don’t get a response for a week or MORE! That is totally ridiculous considering the amount of money I’ve paid. I wish I could quit NOW but #1, I’m NO quitter (like Bruce S. I have NO problem working hard for a good grade but this is just absurd!) and #2 I would loose ALL of my money and that is a negative, not a positive, in my «broke ass» book of life. I had to buy 4 text books for 1 class! ONE!!! I will be changing my game plan as soon as I have the time to think about anything else other than the tremendous workload given to me. I’m not looking for easy, but Empire State, EASE UP!!! Get to a middle ground and school the teachers working for you on «communication…»

PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR $
The review before doesn’t seem accurate at all. I define this school in one word: «tacky.»
I’m not fond of this school at all. They have extremely low standards. Remember that colleges are more than their education. It is a brand that people will associate you with.
The McDonalds equivalent of the SUNY system. Like fast food it is inexpensive, academic-​nutrition deprived, trashy representatives, looks good on the outside, fast service it has more terms than a traditional college its easy to get in (72% acceptance rate) and get out.
A college education is a service that people pay for but these people treat you as if their doing YOU a favor.
ACADEMICS:
I was taking a course where a teacher was fired because so many students complained about how terrible the class was. Students are putting maybe $ 1,000 up for each class. YET YOU ARE COMPLETELY WASTING YOUR MONEY! If i had a $ for every student who has said «I could have just brought a book/​ordered a tutorial video and I would have been better off» I’d be Donald Trump or Queen Elizabeth.
Allegedly teachers/​mentors have PhDs. Lies. Teachers have their masters and teach classes that they were SELF-​TAUGHT/​HAD NEVER HAD TRAINING FOR IN THE SUBJECT. Yes! That was straight out of my instructors mouth. This is a borderline scam to call this a college.
Teachers have worse grammar, professionalism, spelling than a 5^th grader. If I could copy/​paste an e-​mail from a supposed PhD holding professor I would. Disgusting!
Instructors in generally are pretty relaxed about grammar, spelling, and handing in assignments which is not bad for people who work/​are parents.
A majority of teachers seems like they are just winging the lessons. It’s basically read the textbook, and write an essay with very minimal teaching on their part.
There are a few teachers who are absolute gems here. Who challenge you, who are sweet, and passionate about their subjects. Yet it’s like trying to find gems in coal mine here.
GRADE F
STUDENT SERVICES:
There isn’t much to this department since this school mostly does night classes there is barely a pulse on student life.
Gossipers. Don’t confide anything personal into these faculty or teachers. They openly talk about their students personal business. I’ve overheard too many open conversations about fellow students.
They may even gossip about you to other faculty while in the same space as if you are not there.
GRADE D
OVERALL GRADE F
This school has to be the worst of SUNYs-​It is an embarrassment to SUNY system. With the drama I might expect from a junior college or for-​profit school. I hope this saves you, like I wish some one had saved me.
Updated…
Every one has the right to have an opinion. Lol to the reviewer who sole purpose in writing a review was to bash me yet only took an online class. (so basically had no interaction with the physical school)
I bet it’s just faculty or the school’s PR pretending to be a student to even out the score and recruit more 5 star views. If anything this review should push them to do better. Even more prestigious schools don’t just have all 5 star reviews like NYU, Colombia, and Harvard. Honestly, I don’t think a student would go out of their way to do all that. Fishy to me.
I don’t trust 5 star reviews on any Unilocal page, I look at a good review a medium one, and a bad one. So I can get the whole story.

I love being a student at SUNY Empire. The classes are the most flexible that I have ever had at any college. Since it is a college for adults, I’m not only surrounded by people my age but I am treated like an adult and am in classes with students that actually want to be there. You can design your program to best fit your schedule and life and the classes are very small so you have better access to the instructors. You are assigned a mentor professor from day one who helps to guide you through your entire education experience, unlike other colleges where you go make an appointment to see an adviser that doesn’t know you or your educational history. Highly recommended for adults, especially adults that have been out of school for a long time and are going back.