Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Executive Secretaries And Administrative Assistants
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Central Piedmont Community College, Fayetteville Technical Community College, CFCC, and Robeson Community College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Robeson Community College, Edgecombe Community College, Roanoke-Chowan Community College, and Fayetteville Technical Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Edgecombe Community College, Pamlico Community College, Wilson Community College, and Cleveland Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Roanoke-Chowan Community College, Brunswick, Cleveland Community College, and Fayetteville Technical Community College.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Pamlico Community College, Roanoke-Chowan Community College, Lenoir Community College, and South Piedmont Community College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Caldwell Community College And Technical Institute • Lenoir, NC
Studying Excel/Powerpoint Certification (completion in 2010)
• 8/28/2011
"It was a standard education in terms of the material. The teacher did not stray from the course outline. I would have liked a more open discussion environment."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If you are already in the field it is not worthwhile. For a student straight from high school I would definitely endorse it. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Again it is a community college. It is not a prestigious university. |
| Program Quality | 5 | It's a standard community college. The classes were enjoyable. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instructor was very knowledgeable. She was also well prepared. |
| How Difficult | 1 | It was a short program that required no take home work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | All of the work was done on a PC utilizing the programs we were learning about. There were no text books to purchase. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | I have been told that for longer term programs they are very limited in course times and availability. They also assign schedules rather then letting students form them. There is no night school. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The school is well equipped. All of the PCs in the computer labs were new and operational. |
| Social Life | 8 | I make friends easy. I even developed a friendship with my professor. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I can not say. I was sent by my employer to improve my skill set. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | I was not provided with alumni information. As for support I did not utilize any, so I could not say. |
Craven Community College • New Bern, NC
Studying Nursing (completion in 2007)
• 9/16/2011
"I loved the school. Even though the program was hard, I would recommend it to anybody looking to get into the field."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I went to school for nursing, not administration. My degree has nothing to do with my current job. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Most of the students who start the program do not finish, and this is simply because it is a very hard and demanding nursing program. The students who graduate are definitely top of the class. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The school I attended was great but the major I chose has nothing to do with the field I am in. I could not tell you about their program for administration. |
| Instruction | 9 | Instruction was superb for nursing. I don’t know about the administration program. |
| How Difficult | 10 | As with any other nursing school, it is extremely hard - the graduation rate was low. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the instruction was done in the classroom, but with nursing you have to do hands-on. From the start of the program one attended clinical every week. And of course that's where you really learn. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | With this particular program, there was no flexibility for classes. It was all day time, no nights, no online. And one had to take the semesters back to back without any time lapse. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The school has a great library and a great nursing education staff. Everything we needed was close at hand. |
| Social Life | 5 | I did not attend any outside functions other than the nursing program, and would not be a credible source of information for this. |
| Placement Services | 10 | The school is "partnered" with a local hospital to provide a job immediately following graduation and the appropriate testing. They also give you any information about other surrounding hospitals that are looking to fill positions. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have yet to return to the school I graduated from. I do not retain any contact with anybody, so I can not give a credible rating for this. |
Suffolk County Community College • Selden, NC
Studying Liberal Arts (completion in 1985)
• 9/20/2011
"The one thing that bothered me the most the unavailability of classes at night or on the weekends. All classes were available during the day but there was a much smaller selection at night. For those who had to work full-time, this caused quite a problem."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Since it has been a few years since I attended, my recommendation would depend on whether there have been changes/additions to the program. More diversity in the selection of courses would be needed as well. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | My school was a community college and its reputation was average for the area. I believe there could have been more diversity in the program offered. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Although the degree did not specifically address administrative work, the particular class I chose to take did. The classes gave me a general understanding and an overview to business workings. |
| Instruction | 5 | The career preparation for the time was what was needed. However, with the changes in economy and working environment the courses taken could not prepare anyone fully. Courses should also take into account all scenarios of work - the good and the bad. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Some classes were easy and some classes were difficult. I found that most business classes could be summed up by just using common sense and treating employees as if they were gold. Employers would earn the loyalty of their workers. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a good mix of both hands-on and book learning. Some classes lend themselves better to hands-on than book learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | Many times I had to wait for availability of classes. Since I worked and went to school part time at night, it took longer to finish because classes were not always available. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The school had an extensive library, which was open for extended hours. They had media and computer resources and laboratories available. The labs were not open at night, which caused problems for students at night. |
| Social Life | 5 | The school offered the standard sports and social events for students. It would have been nice if there was more diversity in student activities. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I did not use my school's job placement and/or career services assistance. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have not used my school's alumni network and/or support; never thought that it would be useful. |
UNC Chapel Hill • Chapel Hill, NC
Studying Political Science (completion in 2002)
• 9/29/2011
"I loved UNC. I am very proud of my degree."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | UNC is not the first school that comes to mind when thinking about a career as an administrative assistant. However, UNC prepares its student for a variety of careers and some of those careers start off as administrative assistants. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | UNC has a great reputation. It is often cited as one of the top public schools in the country. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I loved my major. The classes were educational, fascinating, and challenging. |
| Instruction | 9 | I feel like I received a great, well-rounded education. My time spent at UNC prepared me for the career I have now. |
| How Difficult | 8 | My program was challenging. The classes were time consuming and difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Political Science lends itself to be more book learning. However, political participation was encouraged. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | UNC offered a wide variety of classes in my program. I never felt as if I was unable to get a class I wanted. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Libraries at UNC were excellent. My professors were always accessible. |
| Social Life | 10 | The memories I made at UNC are very dear to me. Basketball games and the celebrations afterwards, Franklin Street, and all the friendship I made at UNC are some of the memories from my time there. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I'm rating this as average. I did not use this service while at UNC. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The alumni association is large and organized. I have not participated in several years. |
Gardner Webb University • Boiling Springs, NC
Studying Pre-Professional English, Political Science (completion in 2008)
• 10/3/2011
"I have fond memories and will always be proud of the work I put into it. Sometimes I wish I had looked into other schools more, as I would have liked to have seen more of the social aspects and gone to a state school, rather than working 3 jobs to finish a double major at a private Christian school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I don't think it was worth the work that I put in for the particular career I'm in now. I think for others, if they're simply wanting a career in administrative assistance, there are several other good training programs that would have been cheaper and been just as thorough. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | They expect a lot from you as graduates, but the work is beneficial. They really work to give you the entire college experience, not just the books and classroom learning. Plus, with my degree, I could fit into a variety of workplaces. |
| Program Quality | 6 | GWU is more of a business-oriented school, but the English department was outstanding and I have never felt that I lacked any portion of a well-rounded education. I liked that I could mold and shape my courses into a major that suited me and my own personal goals. |
| Instruction | 7 | The political science department was a bit of a disappointment, in that it was so small. However, the English department gave me a well-rounded idea of English careers and good work experience; this helped shape the work I'm doing now, more than any one course could have possibly done. I was able to work as an on-campus student worker in an Administrative Assistant position within the department and then get the degree to back it up as well. |
| How Difficult | 8 | It was challenging, but in ways that I enjoyed. Classes were difficult, but I could choose my on-campus job and there was a unique blend of courses, so I walked away with not just a degree, but actual work experience as well. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I definitely had some professors who taught their own way and I always respected that. However, there were others who were extremely rigid in their teaching styles, and it became hard to learn, because there was no flexibility. I was lucky with the English department, because most professors there were laid back and treated everyone like adults; it was never condescending or rigid. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | They definitely give you options. Because I had 3 jobs the entire time I was in school, I had to have a flexible schedule. I was able to take night classes, sit in with the continuing education classes, and audit classes when necessary for pre-semester prep research. It really helped me get through and finish all 4 years with a double major and 3 jobs. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | The library was of little use, unfortunately, and there weren't many places on campus you could study, aside from your own room. There were one or two nice, quiet places, but clubs always scheduled their meetings there, so they were always full and not conducive to studying at all. |
| Social Life | 4 | I never attended many events, simply due to time constraints. You could either be in SGA and paint your face for all athletic events, or you could just not show at all. Students fell into one category or the other and it wasn't a very encouraging or relaxed atmosphere either way. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I contacted them several times before I graduated to aid me in finding a job, but they never returned my calls. Also, when I would go to into the office, no one was ever there. I had more luck on the state jobs sites than I ever did trying to get face time with anyone in our Career Placement Dept. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I haven't been contacted once since I graduated. I'm sure they have an alumni department, but I wouldn't say they're very thorough. |
UNC Asheville • Asheville, NC
Studying Mathematics (completion in 2007)
• 10/2/2011
"College was a great experience for me. I learned a lot, and being a graduate is great for the job market. The school was great for my work schedule as well."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | My career didn't end up being very relevant to my degree. For someone in a more math-related field, I absolutely would recommend this school, but in my field, a math degree really doesn't help. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | My school has a good reputation for being a great liberal arts college. It is known for its difficulty. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I was pleased with my time at school. Teachers were very accommodating, and it did help me secure a job. |
| Instruction | 9 | Teachers had small class groups and were available to students regularly. In addition, math labs and tutoring was available at no cost. |
| How Difficult | 10 | A major in mathematics involved lots of math and science classes. Upper level mathematics classes are quite difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I thought there was a very healthy mix of hands-on learning and book-learning. The humanities portion was very hands on, while math was more book-learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | There were many classes that were not offered every semester. In order to graduate on time, you had to be sure you took the classes when they were offered. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Computer labs and math labs were great. They were always accessible and fully staffed. |
| Social Life | 5 | I had to work through college (to pay for college) and didn't get to experience this on the whole. The humanities program "forces" you to participate, which in the end is a good thing. The school-sponsored activities I attended I did enjoy. |
Wilson Community College • Wilson, NC
Studying Office Administration (completion in 2010)
• 10/3/2011
"I would not have been able to achieve reaching one of my education goals without the school. I plan on using them again in the future for more educational opportunities."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Wilson Community College has a wide variety of options for every type of student. They are perfect for new high school graduates, as well as the older adults who need a little more education. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Wilson Community College has a very good reputation in the community. It is a very popular place for adults to further their education. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The school was very close to home, and offered a variety of on-campus and online classes. The instructors were very helpful. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instructors were very knowledgeable. They were available to help when needed. |
| How Difficult | 1 | It was extremely easy, because it was something that I enjoyed doing. The group of people in the course of study were willing to help each other. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I am a hands-on learner and this school had plenty of opportunities for me to learn hands on. But they also have plenty of book material for the students who need it. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | They have a wide variety of classes available. They have day, evening, online and hybrid classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The school could have more technology available for the students to use. However, the library is a very effective learning tool. |
| Social Life | 8 | They have a student government that is always planning social functions for the students to take part in. They also have many different clubs that students can join. |
| Placement Services | 9 | They have a special page on the college website. You can use it to look for jobs, as well as resume help, if needed. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I know that I can get in touch with alumni at the school if necessary. They keep alumni updated on information. |
AB-Tech • Asheville, NC
Studying Business Administration (completion in 2011)
• 10/12/2011
"I was very satisfied with the degree I received from AB-Tech. All of the teachers and counselors help to keep you on track with your target date."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | AB-Tech has a class schedule to fit most everyone, whether you work or not. The student counselors are very helpful with keeping you on track for a degree. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The Business Administration program has a good reputation within our community. It provides the book and hands-on knowledge to get a job or career in the Business Administration field. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The school is very focused on student success. They offer flexible class schedules to meet the changing needs of the community. |
| Instruction | 9 | The teachers were very knowledgeable about the subjects they taught. Most of the teachers have hands-on experience in the Business Administration field. |
| How Difficult | 6 | The workload was pretty light, compared to what I thought it would be. The spreadsheet and database entry classes were the hardest classes to take. They required previous knowledge of specific formulas to input for calculations. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Ab-Tech is more hands-on than a book learning school. Students are expected to participate in every class by going to the smart board or just answering questions in class discussion. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Classes are offered continually throughout the year via online, day, evening, weekend and minimester schedules. The flexibility allows students to continue working while pursuing a degree. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Ab-Tech has recently updated their computer labs and installed wireless for convention and easy access to the school's network. The library has teamed up with the local library network, which allows for a great selection of books on demand. |
| Social Life | 3 | Since AB-Tech is a community school, they host breast cancer walks/runs and Earth Day celebrations, among other festivals. They don't have any organized sports leagues. |
| Placement Services | 10 | No matter what program you are in, AB-Tech has placement opportunities for all. A lot of local businesses recruit from the graduate students. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | AB-Tech is a small community college whose alumni network and support is small. |
Western Carolina University • Cullowhee, NC
Studying Entrepreneurship (completion in 2012)
• 10/9/2011
"I believe I received a full set of skills needed for my current career. I am extremely satisfied."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I think the education I received is the perfect match for someone who is in an admin assistant position. It provides what I need to do my job and to move up after I get experience. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | My school is very small. However, it started the first entrepreneurship program in the nation. |
| Program Quality | 10 | My major has given me the tools needed to perform my day-to-day duties. It also helped with classes that allowed me to be creative and innovative, which helps with problem solving. |
| Instruction | 10 | I learned a tremendous amount. None of my classes were fluff, and it was all good, hearty material. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Most of the work was easy to grasp. However, there were times when it was tedious and required a lot of thought. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Only one or two of my classes actually had a textbook. The others were hands-on learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | There was not much flexibility, due to the small number of classes. The only options were night classes for some of the classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | I never had a time when I could not find something I needed. It might have taken me a bit longer than usual to get a hold of that resource, but it was always there in abundance. |
| Social Life | 4 | Most of the people stayed in their own groups. Not much outreach from the school to bring everyone together. |
| Placement Services | 7 | I received a job right out of school. My professors were a big help in getting the job. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | There are online groups with alumni to network. However, there are only a few people in those groups. |
Duke University • Durham, NC
Studying Biological Anthropology & Spanish (completion in 2005)
• 10/28/2011
"I was homesick for the first year, but after I found a good group of friends it became easier. It's one of the best programs in the nation."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | You can pick from hundreds of majors and have a great school on your diploma. Sometimes a reputation can give you an advantage over a person who went to a less respected school. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Duke is a top ten school. It's like Harvard except we also have top ranked athletics teams. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Duke has the top ranked BAA program in the United States. The equipment is top notch because graduates of the program contribute financially. |
| Instruction | 9 | Duke is one of the top universities in the US. The student-teacher ratio is very low and they have world-renowned professors in every field. |
| How Difficult | 10 | The teaching is excellent, but the work is extremely hard. Students are expected to do a lot of work on their own. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It really depends on your major/field. I had some hands-on classes (mostly labs), but students in more writing intensive or computer-based classes would have less hands-on treatment. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | All students live on campus or the surrounding area so classes are flexible until about 8-9pm. There aren't really commuters or people who attend class after work, so I'm not sure how accommodating it would be to them. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Everything is top notch. Duke gets millions in contributions each year so everything is state of the art. |
| Social Life | 9 | The school can be very cliquey, but once you find a group, going to events is fun. The school goes all out with everything it does. |
| Placement Services | 7 | It really depends on your major/field you want to go into. It's been tough for me to get help from them now because I graduated six years ago. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | There's no alumni club in Richmond, but I attended events when I lived in New York. |
Wingate University • Wingate, NC
Studying Communications (completion in 2006)
• 11/4/2011
"I love Wingate! I would go back there again if it were still the school that it was back then."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Wingate has turned into the pharmaceutical school of the area. Not that any of their other degrees are less important, but they are pushing that right now. |
| Program Reputation | To be honest, I don't have a clue. I do know that they have picked up a pharmaceutical curriculum that is very strong right now. | |
| Program Quality | 10 | Wingate is a great school and communications is a very broad degree. I can do lots of things with it. |
| Instruction | 9 | Once again, Wingate is a great school. The professors are useful in their field of study. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Communications isn't the hardest degree out there. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Wingate is a relatively small school so you get the best of both worlds. The professors are very hands on but you also get the book side of the education. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I am not sure of their flexibility but with it being a private school, I am sure that the schedule is great. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | They had terrific resources and students had access to them whenever we needed it. The hours of operation were very good. |
| Social Life | 9 | I am a very social person so I had no problems finding social events to attend. There was always something going on. |
| Placement Services | 5 | They were strong when I graduated but it's been ten years. I have heard no issues with their reputation. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | When I graduated they were on top of things with career support. I haven't heard from them other than for alumni support. |
UNC Wilmington • Wilmington, NC
Studying English (completion in 2001)
• 11/4/2011
"My school prepared me with life lessons, not just book lessons. The atmosphere and caring professors made it a great experience."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I think UNCW is a great university for anyone; the staff is excellent. Anyone will have a great learning experience there. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I believe my school's English department is no better or worse than any other schools'. The work was enjoyable, but could have been a little more challenging. |
| Program Quality | 7 | My school's department was not known as one of the highest in the nation, but we had great professors. I wish we'd been a bit more challenged, though. |
| Instruction | 5 | Our professors were very knowledgeable, but we didn't spend much time exploring career options. I feel that we could have been better prepared for life as English department graduates. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The work was average to me, because I love the written word and analyzing literature. Many of my peers saw it as a difficult major because of the number of essays and papers I was required to write. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Being an English major, book learning was almost essential. We had a few assignments with which we could take creative liberty, but books were the forefront of our learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | I felt my school's scheduling was very flexible. I had many sections to choose from for each class requirement so organizing my week was easy. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Although I never used it, the school's tutor center was excellent, from hearing others' experiences. While my academic advisor was not ideal, I had other professors I could go to with issues and for advice. |
| Social Life | 8 | While not involved in sports or student government, I had a great social experience in college. I had many friends, knew many people, and attended a number of parties. |
| Placement Services | 6 | My career services experiences were always positive. The staff was very helpful, but at the time I graduated, didn't have a ton of resources for me. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | My alumni network does little to reach out to students. The most contact that I've gotten from them is simply asking for my money. |
ECPI College Of Technology • Raleigh, NC
Studying Business Administration (completion in 2005)
• 10/28/2011
"Not satisfied at all! I enjoyed going there, but only because I attended the same classes as my mother and it was a nice bonding experience. The overall education I received was a real joke and now I'm in debt because of a bad decision to attend there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would not recommend this school to others who wish to pursue a real career and actually learn something worthwhile! I would only suggest others attend this school if they wish to just say "I am going to college" and wish to waste their time and get into debt. I would recommend researching a lot before attending any college and make sure that it is really going to be pay off. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I chose the rating 'Average' because ECPI College of Technology's current reputation is really just that. I do not even see it being advertised on TV anymore and no one has any good things to say about it… that is, unless in a paid endorsement. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The school that I went to was not at all what I thought it would have been. ECPI College of Technology is an accelerated learning school and even though I graduated with Honors, I felt as though the course work was just too easy and nothing was a challenge for me. |
| Instruction | 5 | Even though I did great in all of my classes, I did not feel prepared at all. ECPI College of Technology did NOT prepare me for the real work world at all. |
| How Difficult | 2 | My program of study, business administration, was extremely easy at ECPI College of Technology! I did not feel like I was given the opportunity for a challenge at all! |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This school was a mix of the hands-on and book learning. They always stressed to use the word "hands-on" on our resumes, but really it was not just that. Most of the tests and exams were open book as well! | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | There really was no schedule flexibility when I went there. You either would attend during the morning and afternoon or not attend at all. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The libraries, media and computer resources, and classroom space was acceptable. But there were no laboratories nor any tutors or study group support; probably because the classes were too easy. |
| Social Life | 3 | My social experience at this school was nonexistent, save for socializing with classmates during breaks. There was no "school spirit" nor athletics, parties, or organized social events. If the students wanted that, we had to organize it privately. |
| Placement Services | 1 | ECPI College of Technology's job placement and career services assistance was nonexistent as far as I'm concerned! |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I choose the rating 'Average' because I really was not told how to access the alumni network nor support. Instead we graduated and were told to contact our instructors and Dean when we were looking for a job in order to get a good recommendation/reference. |
University Of North Carolina At Greensboro • Greensboro, NC
Studying English (completion in 1994)
• 11/16/2011
"I enjoyed my school experience overall. I liked the array of courses offered, and many of my courses were very enjoyable. I would perhaps change to a more practical major, were I to go back to school now."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | My degree has absolutely nothing to do with my career. I parlayed my ability to write well into some marketing tasks in my career, but I had the ability to write well before I ever majored in English. I would perhaps choose a different major, if not a different school, to anyone aspiring to administrative assistance. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | One of the reasons I chose UNCG was because of its reputable English program, and its generally good reputation as a school for people interested in Humanities. I found the reputation to be deserved. |
| Program Quality | 10 | UNCG was highly rated for its English undergrad program when I chose it as one of the schools I wished to attend. I found the quality of the classes, as well as the array of classes I had to choose from, to be interesting. |
| Instruction | 6 | The instructors for all my degree-related courses were excellent, and I enjoyed virtually all of my English- and literature-related classes a lot. However, many of the classes I enjoyed most were not of any particular help in terms of career preparation. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I had no problem with the majority of my degree-related courses, as reading and writing are both things I love to do. My difficulty in college came from courses (like math) that were not from my chosen field of study. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was little hands-on learning in my English courses. I wrote a lot of papers, and several of my classes were essentially writing workshops, but most of my literature courses and other major-related courses were book-oriented. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I was in college before the advent of the Internet, and as such, online courses were not an option. There may have been weekend courses; there were definitely evening courses. I stuck with daytime courses during the week, since I was a full-time student at the time. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Though computer lab availability was not a big factor when I was in college, the other resources were excellent. The library was well stocked, the professors were available and excellent, and classroom space was never an issue. I relied very little on my academic advisor. |
| Social Life | 10 | I didn't participate in many organized activities socially, though I organized a number of such events as an RA in my dorm. Most of my social experiences as a participant rather than an organizer were informal and impromptu, and were one of the most enjoyable experiences of my college career. |
| Placement Services | I did not use any job placement services that may have been provided by UNCG. I cannot speak to the quality of these services, or if they even exist. | |
| Alumni Network | I have had no alumnus interactivity with my college since graduating. I haven't kept up with many of my classmates, nor have I kept in touch with alumnus organizations. |
University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill • Chapel Hill, NC
Studying English (completion in 2005)
• 11/25/2011
"Knowing what I know now, would I do it again? You bet!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | UNC provides a solid foundation for anyone wishing to engage in careers that involve written and oral comprehension. Administrative assistantships require these skills. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | While UNC-CH does not have the highest reputation for its English program, I find that I do receive respect for having attended the university. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I found the English program at UNC-CH to be top-notch. It challenged me and kept me interested throughout the entirety of my tenure at the university. |
| How Difficult | 5 | There were challenging courses, but they were no more challenging than I was capable of achieving. Expectations were high, but I never found a course objective to be out of my reach or insultingly simple. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | UNC-CH happily and successfully balanced book learning and hands-on learning. It is hard to successfully achieve balance, and I'm glad to have gone to a school that did so. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | The university offered traditional summer classes and daytime classes during the school year. There were also online classes. However, evening options were not offered, nor were online options offered for all required courses. For this, I downgraded them 7 points. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | I found all the academic facilities to be top-notch! |
| Social Life | 7 | The only real athletic social event is during basketball season. Other than that, school spirit is only high when considering our rival, Duke University. |
| Placement Services | 2 | The university does have a career office, but that office made no attempts to perform outreach to the student population. Instead, the office relied on word of mouth to alert students to the fact that it even exists. I gave 1 point for having the office, but -9 for being purposefully hidden. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I am unaware of any post-graduate alumni network (aside from that which serves only to fund the college) or post-graduate support. I would have liked to have been provided with that information upon matriculation. |
Queens University Of Charlotte • Charlotte, NC
Studying English (completion in 2010)
• 11/19/2011
"I had a good learning experience at Queens, but I did not have the best social experience. For what I paid, I don't think it was really worth it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It depends on the career the person is choosing. For administrative assistants, no, I would not recommend Queens. I would recommend a community college that offers a better value of specific learning for their money. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The Queens English and Creative Writing programs are highly credited. The low-residency MFA is one of the best in the country. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The quality of the education at Queens University was very good. I do not think, however, that it was worth the amount of student loans I am currently paying. |
| Instruction | 9 | Most of my professors were experts in their fields. However, some professors for electives that I was required to take were not good instructors. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The curriculum was fairly average for the courses. I thought, however, that the critical thinking skills required for the courses increased the difficulty level. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I was able to learn in both manners. Classroom learning was always supplemented by research projects or out-of-the-classroom learning environments. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | I took a number of courses, both evening and regular day options. The flexibility of the schedule allowed me to finish my concentration early. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The library's online access to databases was extremely useful to me for research purposes. Our tutoring center, while I never used it, has been a great source of help to some of my peers. |
| Social Life | 6 | I was involved in several clubs and honors societies. However, the student life staff are selective in regard to which students they will help to succeed. Had this issue not been present, I'm sure I would have had a better experience. |
| Placement Services | 5 | Our career center makes an effort to hold career fairs and have mock interviews to help students. In reality, the center is not as connected as it should be to local industry leaders/businesses. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't particularly care for my alumni network, as they are always asking for donations. I didn't bond with many of my peers, so I neither want nor need the support. |
Miller Motte • Raleigh, NC
Studying Medical Administration (completion in 2009)
• 11/17/2011
"My only complaint would be the price of the program. I loved everything else about the school, but did see community colleges that were much less expensive for the same program."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | With no experience, going into the program brand new, the teaching style was excellent. The teachers are very personable and easy to approach for help. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | My school had an excellent reputation among employers. The counselors took time with the job placement assistance program and got to know local doctors and offices. |
| Program Quality | 6 | The schedule (after working hours) was very convenient, as I was working full time as well. The teachers were great, but the cost was somewhat high. |
| Instruction | 9 | I learned a lot from the program as far as scheduling procedures, customer service tips, and emergency medical scenarios. Though a lot of things are the same, being in dental, not medical, is somewhat different. |
| How Difficult | 4 | I had worked as medical administration for 8 years before I took this program. I learned a lot more in experience than what I did in the classroom. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I enjoyed the teaching style of the school, with group projects and study sessions. The teachers had us role play, instead of just reading from a book. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | My school catered to working adults with their schedules. There were 3 program times that mirrored the typical 3 workday shifts, so that students could plan around their full-time work schedules. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | There was an excellent volunteer program for academic support and tutoring. Because it was not a university, there was not a large amount of extra/study rooms or spaces. |
| Social Life | 5 | Our classes had a lot of group projects/study sessions that required class participation together. There were not any sports programs or extracurricular activities. |
| Placement Services | The job placement assistance was very helpful for many of my fellow students, as well as friends I met later who attended the same school before me. However, I found my job myself, in a slightly different field. | |
| Alumni Network | 3 | My school was not a university and therefore didn't have any university programs/support. The support staff was very nice, though. |
Wake Technical Community College • Raleigh, NC
Studying Medical Office Specialist Certificate (completion in 2010)
• 12/11/2011
"My school did what I intended it to do, which was give me a certificate for resume purposes. I think it is a decent school, which is why I am back completing a different program, but there is nothing superior about it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I don't really feel that a certificate or degree is necessary for those pursuing my career. I would suggest that they get a lower-level clerical job, and within a year or two, work their way up. I think the money spent earning a degree or certificate could be replaced by money earned working in the field, as most companies hire administrative assistants based on work experience more so than education. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | My school is one of the few schools in my area that offers my program. It has an average reputation, as it is expected that anyone in my city who has a degree or certificate in any clerical-type field attended that school. |
| Program Quality | 2 | I feel that my school did not give me adequate preparation for my career. I fortunately had so much prior experience in my field that I was able to perform my job based on my own knowledge. |
| Instruction | 2 | I don't think I learned a lot of relevant information. Most of what I learned was redundant to what I already knew from work as an office assistant. |
| How Difficult | 1 | I already knew everything that I was taught. I considered the education a refresher to courses I'd taken in high school and learned on my own. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most assignments given in my courses came from book material. I was expected to answer questions and take tests based on a book, instead of hands-on work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | My school offers a variety of evening, summer, and online courses. While my certificate program had limited classes, I am currently working towards another certificate and have found that I have no trouble finding classes that suit my needs. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | This school seems to offer what is expected and has adequate facilities. I attended a bigger major university for my BA degree, so it is average compared to that college. |
| Social Life | 1 | As an older student, I did most of my social activities when working on my first degree 13 years ago. The school does not have social networking activities for students over 25, which I think makes it harder for those of us who aren't traditional college-aged students to meet others we can relate to. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I have not contacted my school's job placement and career services office. I assume it is average, as I have not heard anything bad about it. I have plenty of work experience and have been working for 13 years, so I did not feel a need to contact them to find a job. |
| Alumni Network | I have never contacted alumni support for my school, so I cannot rate them. I have not heard anything good or bad about them and would have to contact them to make my own determination. |
UNC Chapel Hill • Chapel Hill, NC
Studying English And Dramatic Art (completion in 2003)
• 1/3/2012
"I love UNC and had a terrific time there. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Well, I didn't go to school to prepare me for the career I'm currently in (administrative assistant). So if someone wants to be an admin, I'm not sure if UNC is the best fit. But if they want to go into theatre (which is my dream career) then I would highly recommend it. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | I don't think UNC is known solely as a good place to go for English or Dramatic Art, but both programs have a good reputation. I think their graduate level programs have more prestige. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I loved the classes I took at the university. However, I had trouble finding a career in my major so I ended up as an administrative assistant. |
| Instruction | 10 | Classes were challenging and interesting. It was very good preparation for my career (if I had been able to go into Dramatic Art instead). |
| How Difficult | 9 | Coursework was very challenging. I had a lot of homework to do and it was usually difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | English was very book-oriented though we did go on some field trips to see Shakespeare plays. Theatre was more hands-on as I took a few shop classes and costume construction classes. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I was a full-time student and also never took summer school. So it's a little hard to judge the overall flexibility as I was pretty average in my scheduling needs. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | UNC has just completed a brand new center for the dramatic arts and that's what sold me on the school. Their English building was older but still nice and the libraries were great. |
| Social Life | 8 | I rarely went to sporting events (one football game and one basketball game in four years). But there were lots of great social clubs (non-Greek) that I really enjoyed and met lots of people through. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I went to the career center twice in my senior year and both times they were completely unhelpful. They sat me in a room with books while I was looking for someone to connect me to network with other theatre professionals. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I am pretty indifferent to my alumni association, most of the emails I get are just donation requests. They have events but I usually cannot travel back to Chapel Hill due to work. |
Wake Forest • Winston Salem, NC
Studying Management (completion in 2011)
• 2/5/2012
"The location hindered the degree to which career services was able to help me. However, it was a good educational experience and I met great people."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Not necessarily the most appropriate combination of an educational path and a career path. Find something else. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | It is a new program, but it's creating great graduates. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I learned a lot about business in general. It was a broad spectrum that definitely helps to prepare someone who only had a Bachelors Degree before. |
| Instruction | 7 | The professors were very intelligent. The delivery could use some work, though. |
| How Difficult | 9 | There were no fluff courses. We were expected to handle a lot and perform. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We got to do some simulations that were fun and informative, but mostly it was discussion and textbooks. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | Utterly inflexible. There is literally no choice as to what class you will be taking. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Not sure about tutors and such. But professors are available and the librarian makes it his personal mission to help you. |
| Social Life | 8 | Small school forces there to be on campus activities. There seemed to be a good variety. |
| Placement Services | 6 | They are much more helpful if you need local help. They do a good job in specific circumstances. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | They are very proactive at wanting to help you and make connections. Great amount of events and post-graduation support. |
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