The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale

Date: Aug 16 2008
Major: Art & Design Department (This Major's Salary over time)
Much negative has been said about the Art Institutes, and despite all the negativity, I still enrolled. I found out that mostly all the negative aspects about these schools are completely and unfortunately true. Within my first month there, I found out:

The school's organization is horrible. Lost papers, missed appointments, harassing phone calls demanding unpaid fees…

HALF my textbooks were written by AI faculty! What a package deal with the publisher!

Unqualified teachers. One teacher worked as a full time ebay saleslady selling quilts…had 5 years experience as a proofreader in a newspaper company and that's all.

Horrible schedules: their "quarter" system is outdated and does nothing but improve profits and turnout. NOTHING can be accomplished in 44 classroom hours.

These are a few amongst many other shortcomings these schools have. I have since transfered to a much better school. Upon withdrawing from AI, I was required to have an "exit interview", where, for 45 minutes, they tried hard to get me to stay, even offering pathetic scholarships! To this day (it's been over a year) I get letters in the mail asking me to return, new offers and specials, etc.
AI is a for-profit COMPANY. To them, you are a customer, not a student. Stay away at ALL COSTS! Go to a community college and get a real education while saving tens of thousands of dollars.