The Art Institute of Pittsburgh

Date: Feb 24 2010
Major: Design Arts - Industrial Design/Graphic Design/etc (This Major's Salary over time)
Just plain stay away from this school. Is is a FOR PROFIT privately owned business. The key word here is business. The focus here is in no way a quality, competitive education for it's students. The focus is making money. Alot of it. THe online division is particularly insidious as a money making machine. The Art Institute od Pittsburgh from the bygone days of old was actually a respectable school. I think that good image of the old AIP is what lures people to the new and toxic version owned by the vampires at EDMC. The old AIP spawned some very succesful and noted individuals among them the creator of the WW2 "Rosie the Riviter" and the designer of the Elvis stamp. These, however are not grads of todays AIP, the EDMC version. The quality of this school is sub par and laughable for all those not deep in debt with nothing to show for it but a peice of paper that MAY lead them to a bright shiny career at Fed-Ex Kinko's. My experience there was quite short as I was fortunate enough to discover the current state of this school before I got into too far to get out without much financial wounding. I should have listened to my gut and ran the day of my interview. It was supposed to be just an interview to see if I would be a good fit and for me to learn about the school and decide if I liked it. I had no time to decide. When the interview was finished, without so much as a missed beat or breath in between the "Assistant Director of Admissions" was shoving me headfirst into enrollment. I literally was being taken through so fast I wasn't actually certain I was being enrolled until I was faxed the release form to sign to release my transcripts. This was within 10 minutes of my interview,where I was just supposed to get a feel for the school to decide if it was right for me. I should have stpped back and put the brakes on right there and looked into things but I was interested in the program and figured I would just start the preliminary steps and see if I was in position to be accpeted in the first place. Little did I know they would have accepted anyone with a pulse, a G.E.D. and Federal or State or personal money to spend. Those are the only REAL requirements. I had no time to question, look into, or research anything. To say this school employs high pressure sales tactics is an understatement. Within 2 days they had me interviewed, enrolled, pushed through all FA paperwork, everything. Any questions I asked were answered, as vaguely and dismissively as possible. That was when I started to think I had mad a mistake and may need to reconsider. Then final straw came with the last Financial Aid paper was filled out.Within 20 minutes of THE VERY MINUTE they confirmed it was completed, I got an e-mail saying I should log onto to the campus commons and begin my first class which was an orientation and an introdution, not a core class mind you, just a little formality.Even though I had discussed SEVERAL times with my Assistant Director of Admissions that I COULD NOT start ANY CLASSES until 2 months later due to having to go out of state to settle an estate and he assured me I would not. I made sure to mention this at least 8 times and each I was told I wouldn't start any kinds of classes whatsoever until 2 months and 2 weeks later, no classes at all, of any type. The would just let me know if I was accpeted and then contact me when classes were to begin. Now, back to that little orientation formality they recommend all students get out of the way as soon as possible (for a good reason, on their part) This little formality is their hook and they will jump through burning hoops to get you to do this AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WHILE YOU KNOW AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. Once they get you to complete this first Orientation followed by the "introduction" they officialy have you IN SCHOOL AND IN CLASSES. If you e-mail them saying "Wait, this isn't right, I wasn't supposed to start yet." They tell you, "Oh it's just a little introduction that you write and then an orientation to online schooling, it's not really a class as much as just a get to know you session, we just think it's best to get it out of the way now." THEY ARE LYING it IS a CLASS. Once you take it and the introduction class (2 assignments) you are considered in the school and attending classes. You then have to abide by then login attendance policy, and all of the things that go along with th program. The reason they do this is they then start to colect thier money on you. They begin to get paid. Once I raised enough of a fit about this I was put in touch with the "Official" Director of Admissions who told me that all I had to was take these two classes, work ahead a little bit and then inform my professors I would be out of town FOR OVER A MONTH, and they would work with me. I informed him when I enrolled I was QUITE CLEAR I could not start for at least 2 months and was told I would not be starting ANY CLASSES OF ANY TYPE WHATSO EVER for at least that long. He then proceeded to talk to me like I was a 16 year old, explaining "Time management" and "The importance of prioritizing" and how these were skills expected of people entering the adult world. I felt that this would be a good time to inform him I was 30 years old, owned my own business, Was a Shelter Operations Manager, Emergency Operations Manager, and Mass Care Organizer for the Red Cross and treating me like I was a niave teen was not conducive to getting me to see things in his light. To make bring along sordid experience to an end, I basically told them where they could take their program and gleefully insert it sans lubrication. I was only going to take the design program to learn things I felt could be beneficial to my existing business. This school is a high pressure sales, money machine. All the people who wrote the positive reviews for the school I DO want to say something. If you like it there, great. Give them your money and good luck. I do however take GREAT OFFENSE to you calling those who speak out against them lazy, or unmotivated, or just whiny.That is what makes it look like you DO work for them even if you don't Quite a few reviews on here were from graduates who did pretty well grade wise there to find the degree was WORTHLESS. I personally have worked my butt off to get where I am in life. There were times I worked 70+ hours a week developing my own business and other times I would be gone for months with the RC helping others. I have given EVERYTHING to build my life. Before you run your mouth calling people who wish to expose you sham of a school for what it is lazy, untalented or unmotivated, you had better consider something, the people who get the most angry over losing money for nothing are those who have worked THE HARDEST to get it in the first place. So if any of you AIP lovers want to come on over and compare work ethics and principals with me. I invite you to do so. Otherwise say you love your precious school, they made all your dreams come true and your now set for life and shut your mouth about others.