Delaware Valley University

Date: Feb 28 2014
Major: Animal Studies (This Major's Salary over time)
I spent 2.5 years at Delval. My junior year I found out that I no longer qualified for private or federal funding for school. This left me owing a balance that I couldn't afford to pay out of pocket to the school. Mind you, tuition was about $40,000 a year and after all of my scholarships and grants I only owed about $3100. I spent weeks going to financial aid where I would wait for over an hour to be seen by someone who would basically tell me that there was nothing they could do if I couldn't come up with the money on my own. I was a good student, kept above a 3.0, participated in extra-curriculum activities,and never caused any trouble. The administration does not care about the students on an individual level (which was what they claimed upon my tour of the campus), I felt cheated since the people who could afford the school ran rampant, doing/selling drugs all over campus, drinking in the dorms, skipping class and had terrible grades, were allowed to stay and I was forced to drop out. I wasted 2.5 years of my life and am now in incredible debt from the two years I took out loans for an education I didn't get to finish. I'm stuck working full time at a dead end job living paycheck to paycheck.

There are some positive things about the school. The campus is gorgeous and well kept. It's small but homey. The education you get there (if you can afford it) is decent depending on your major. Some teachers are great, and helpful, and understanding, but some are pompus asses, and some you can't even understand their English. If you're looking into some type of animal science the programs are decent, but in my opinion way overrated and you could get a similar education for half the price at Penn State. I did meet some really great people that I will be friends with for life, but beware of the people you make ties with because at Delval you are guilty by association even if you were not involved with illegal activities (by "illegal" I mean against campus rules).

Campus life is fun for a while, but it's way too expensive for the experience. The food plans are incredibly expensive and the food is absolutely AWFUL. I was actually served raw chicken fingers once, the salads were not kept fresh, wilted lettuce, occassional bugs, just disgusting quality. There is never any parking and the school doesn't seem to care. Security will ticket and boot your car if you park in the wrong lot because there were no spots in the student lots. The dorms are tiny, and unless you're a freshman good luck getting the room you want. They're unbearable hot in the summer amd you're not allowed to have an AC unit unless you have a doctors note, or you live in South or Centennial which are air conditioned and for upperclassmen only. My advice, live off campus.

Overall I would not recommend DVC to anyone with normal family incomes like mine. Unless mommy and daddy have the money to pay for the school, it's not worth the debt you have afterwards to even consider it. Dealing with anyone in the bursar's office is just a frustrating, disappointing let down. Campus life is not all it's cracked up to be, most people leave after their freshman year because the education you get is not worth the cost you're paying for it. If I could do it all over again I would've never gone to Delval. I had to give up my dreams and am now living in debt and disappointed with how my life has turned out. Good luck on your search, I hope your experience will be better than mine!