Porter and Chester Institute : Stratford
Porter and Chester Institute : Stratford is a established in (unknown). The campus is located in and hosts students with an endowment of .
Website:
Address:
Phone: (no local phone number)
Email: (no public email address)
Institution Type: Unknown
Established: Unknown
Campus Enrollment: N/A
Acceptance Rate: N/A
Graduation Rate (6Y): N/A
Campus Endowment: N/A
Tuition (Local): N/A
Tuition (Non-Local): N/A
Tuition (Foreign): N/A
Mandatory Fees: N/A
Housing (Room): N/A
Latitude:
Longitude:
Tax ID: N/A
Social Profiles: Facebook •
Twitter •
Google+ •
Wikipedia •
Flickr •
YouTube •
Google News • Yahoo News
Leave A Review - Free Speech Is Welcome!
91 Student Reviews of Porter and Chester Institute : Stratford
Please scroll up to leave a review.
Pathetic! The CEO is a con artist and everything that happens is a direct result of him scamming everyone for his greed.
This school is the worst..Barely teaches you anything,
old materials that is not used on the modern world we live in now. School buys out properties, but need to put into the material it’s very out of date…
Diana Parks left me for dead when something went wrong with my last payment from financial aid. They didn’t care about it… they just out to get your money any way how. I’ve been trying to reach her since I graduated which was October 9th 2020. Still haven’t heard from her just the bill collector… so please don’t make the same mistake
Stay far away from this place. It really was a big waste of money and time. two 3rds of the class i started with dropped out. They were the smart ones. The school never even asked me if I had a Gi bill of which I did but ended up losing after time. They took my pell grant! The crappy set of esco kd tools and one text book do not equal the whole grant.
Way overpriced, the facility is run down the equipment is run down. The instructors don’t really care. You don’t really work on any live cars. The school has one running vehicle to work on. Oh and it barely runs. All the other vehicles they tell you they have don’t run. They say you’re going to work on high-end cars like the Porsche suv they show you. But when you start school the first thing they tell you is you won’t be working on that car. It’s a scam they’re just trying to get people to pay the tuition so they could sit on their asses. One of the instructors even would say time to time thanks for the donation to the school. This was after somebody was upset because they weren’t learning and the instructors weren’t helping them. If someone didn’t understand what they were talking about the first time they explained it. The instructor would get annoyed. Basically the financial aid department makes it sound like the school is amazing when in reality it’s not.
The incentive to attend Porter & Chester for Architectural AutoCAD was mainly for the job placement assistance. Being taught by someone who had worked in the field seemed a good idea – initially.
Job placement assistance included useful information such as “don’t talk bad about your past employer” and “don’t talk on your cell phone during an interview” with a sloppy PowerPoint presentation for effect.
I was sent on interviews to jobs that I was totally unqualified for and for positions that required more than just a passing knowledge of specific high end difficult to learn software that was NOT taught at P&C in Chicopee Ma in 2011-2012.
Example of job interviews I was set on with my one year of Porter & Chester Architectural AutoCAD were: CAD Administrator, Mechanical Design Drafter, CAD Technician/Project Set-Up and HVAC Designer.
Minimum Requirements of those jobs: Associate’s Degree in Engineering, Bachelors Degree, PDM Database Management or Mechanical Design – with real world experience.
A Porter & Chester Architectural Drafting Certificate:
1. Does not qualify one to be a CAD Administrator
2. Does not qualify one to train others in CAD or user support
3. Does not qualify one for PDM Database Management
4. Does not qualify one to analyze or make recommendations to engineers
5. Does not qualify one to be a Mechanical Design Drafter
6. Does not qualify one to produce mechanical assembly level drawings and illustrations
7. Does not qualify one to check technical correctness and adherence to engineering standards
8. Does not qualify one to review and approve Engineering Change Requests, etc.
9. Did not include exposure to AutoCAD MEP
10. Does not qualify one to “utilize RDK CAD Standards”
11. Does not qualify one in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, etc.
12. Does not equal a Associates or Bachelors Degree in engineering or architecture
13. Does not give a thorough understanding of the principles of HVAC systems design \ HVAC systems for laboratories, higher-ed, industrial or other high tech facilities
14. Does not qualify one to perform site surveys and engineering calculations
15. Does not make one fluent in AutoCAD MEP or Revit
16. Does not give instruction on AutoDesk Inventor
17. Does not give formal training in Autodesk 3-D modeling software
18. Does not make one fluent in 3-D CAD
Round trip driving to these interviews could exceed four hours. It’s obvious that the “Job Placement Specialist” and the “Instructors” were not on the same page or didn’t really care.
Job placement seemed a token effort at best.
Many times as students we were told that if we did not get a job in the field then that meant that we were lazy or something to that effect. There was a real arrogance there.
So I with my Federal and Pell Grant loan deferments and no job in the industry, would not recommend Porter & Chester — to anyone.
Constant cuts to employee benefits, constant layoffs, no raise in eight years, a CEO who claims that these cuts and layoffs are to restore financial stability within the company but keeps buying more schools.
He has promised his employees that we are going to get better yet we keep getting worse. He sends staff emails that say we are going to get through this downward spiral to closing but offers no proof of this.
Advice to Management: Take care of your current employees instead of filling the pockets of your investors and fellow corporate table. Give back benefits such as 401K match and periodic salary increases.
They hire instructors that merely understand the courses. We went thru three 3 “instructors” in 13 months. This is mainly a self teach school. The March calendar 2017 faculty could really care less about you as an individual. They change the “standards” or “rules” on a weekly basis. 27k and this place isn’t even worth it. People make false promises here and don’t deliver.
DONT GO!!! I’m a student at porter and Chester in Worcester ma. It is very true all they want is your money. Instructor supervisor is worse than a 10 year old. Always fooling around and talking about dick. I talked to the boss man 3 times about how bad of a program it is. He did nothing about it. Only kept saying how high of a success rate of graduates there was. 10% hands on. 90% of class room time. Also class room time is about an hour of power points and nothing else. You’re on your own for the rest of day. I just sit here watching YouTube videos. Equipment broken and they won’t fix it. Tests on books we don’t have. List goes on and on. Lots of drugs on campus fights yelling unrully high school students. ITS A JOKE!! Very sad.
DONT GO!!! I’m a student at porter and Chester in Worcester ma. It is very true all they want is your money. Instructor supervisor is worse than a 10 year old. Always fooling around and talking about dick. I talked to the boss man 3 times about how bad of a program it is. He did nothing about it. Only kept saying how high of a success rate of graduates there was. 10% hands on. 90% of class room time. Also class room time is about an hour of power points and nothing else. You’re on your own for the rest of day. I just sit here watching YouTube videos. Equipment broken and they won’t fix it. Tests on books we don’t have. List goes on and on. Lots of drugs on campus fights yelling unrully high school students. ITS A JOKE!! Very sad.
I took the entrance exam it’s called the Wonderlic Test. Well, it has nothing to do with academics. I took the twelve minute timed test, to be told that I wasn’t qualified to attend the Nursing Program. I was shocked and in disbelief by the workers at the Branford Campus. My career specialist recorded my meeting and is the most banal I have met. She wasn’t helpful and told me that I would have to retest in ninety days. I was shocked, as I have been in college for three years and have a 3.5 GPA. The test they administer for admissions is joke, it measures your ability to do what? Feel stupid? It told that I was illiterate. Eric Murray is fake, don’t trust her or let her talk you into meeting any of the staff; they’re fake and very deceiving. By the way, I wasn’t given a paper to sign when she decided to record our conversation, they don’t even have campus, it looks like a doctor’s office, and has minimal room to even sit. They are so paranoid that they even record you while you sit in the foyer. Are they afraid you may talk bad about them? Or maybe they’re just crazy. They must be shut down, as I have been contemplating on reporting them to the state. I haven’t attended any classes there. I took the test and left. I will continue at my university where I can leave class, be absent, and talk without being demoralized for occurrences that are out my control. The students that I did see looked as if they came from the projects. And I was told I wasn’t qualified for the nursing program? They all act as if they are great people because they’re taking a worthless medical assisting program that pays nothing afterward. The other students think that they’re god’s gift to women, they’re immature and swear outside the building, and play football during their classes. I think this establishment should be closed. I thank god I didn’t sign or agree to attend here. I took the test, left and felt worthless because Eric Murray said to come back in ninety days, I smiled and said no thank you. I’ll seek my education elsewhere. I wish this school would hire workers who can speak professionally and work like adults. They need to find people who are professionally prepared in advising because what I have seen made my stomach turn. I will not go back and certainly would not recommend this school to anyone. I will do my nursing education at my university where they care enough to help promote academic grow and advise students accordingly. They wouldn’t have to record our conversations if they had done their job correctly. I recommend do as I did. Don’t sign anything and leave if your test score isn’t high enough. I took the test and said goodbye soon after. I will return to my university this spring without any regrets. Ciao.Porter and Chester.
As many reviewers have mentioned they are in fact money hungry thieves who will try to sale you their education. Listen to your parents and friends. I wish I had never had an interview, her voice was annoying and she made me regret ever talking with her. I left with my wallet still full and my pride. Their demeaning tone is beyond offensive when they speak to you. Not all of us are at the second grade level. Please speak to us like adults with an education. That means not speaking to me like child, or someone who is mentally challenged. I can handle big words.
My instructor was always crossing the line. She was rude, disrespectful and gossip with students about other students. She made one student take a pregnancy in front of the other students and told her it could jeopardized her extern ship by being pregnant. That’s sound like discrimination to me.
Currently enrolled in the CNT program it’s a night mare they forced us to take the A+ cert a days before it changed they knew it was changing but didn’t think it was a good thing to change it to the newer one more than half of the students failed one part of the test and now we have no way of getting our A+ unless we set ourself up to fail
I had gone to Porter and Chester in Watertown Ct for automotive technology in 2012 and I give this school a big two thumbs down. I would never recommend this school to anyone that wants to learn a trade. find someone willing to teach you on the job.
If I could go back and tell myself to listen to my father I would of never gone to that school. I learned very little and no longer even work in the field because of lack of growth, older techs aren’t leaving because they can’t afford to and businesses can’t afford to pay lube techs more than $10-$13 an hour which is not enough to live on for the type of work you do and the it doesn’t cover the cost of paying the loan back if you’re like most people and cannot manage money well.
Writing this review for people who are somehow on this page. I am still enrolled in this school. My parents paid for my tuition to come here without my consent, I am not pleased. The CNT(Computer Networking) class is an outright joke and waste of time. The only good thing about coming to this school was ONE E-Book that will come in handy for the Network+ exams. If you are coming here for your A+ certs, than be careful. I am only coming here to learn the criteria and obtain my A+ and Network+. Do not bother with other certs, it is not worth draining energy here.
I was suckered in the first semester because they lure you in with practical hands on assignments that will be of some use when you’re in a future career. They spend time telling about useful skills, such as managing an SQL database, which you will not get in the class. I would recommend simply learning on your own, there exist 2-3 hour in depth tutorials on skills such as SQL, Active Directory/Windows Server, advanced methods of anti-malware removal on youtube done by people who aren’t even be paid to produce the content.
The attendance here is where they really REALLY suck you dry for all your worth. Universities offer a fair attendance standard compared to this POS school. Funeral of a loved one? Nope, you can’t be exempt. An actual illness or chronic disease issue? Nope. I wouldn’t be surprised if you wound up being forced into Jury duty and the attendance department still pinned that on you.
Let me quickly explain the attendance. each absence you get is a 1% mark. If you reach the 3% mark(3 absences) in the semester, you are issued a warning. Anything 5-6% is a probation period. This might sound reasonable on the surface, but this school brags how companies are seeking employees who will be available 365/24/7 and that is unrealistic. Now after a semester ends, those attendances RESET and your new semester has a blank slate, it still doesn’t matter because all the absences accumulate after the year ends, so I don’t know why they do this.
If you are interested in spending 5.5 hours a day, 5 days a week for a whole year being bitched at, then this place might be for you. And I can bet if you work 32 hours a week like me while coming here, then you’re in for a nightmare. The staff is incredibly unfair and the other students in HVAC, Electrical and Auto act like macho 9th graders.
I have a 3.9 GPA and have 2 absences, already being lectured. I have a vacation I can’t cancel and that’s another two days. What more do people want from you? I need to finish here against my will while working a bad job, just warning people who have a choice unlike me. I am against universities in general, but there has to be a better place for you. Avoid all PCI campuses. I reviewed the Woburn, MA campus.
On October 12, 2014 I saw a commercial about PCI and I decided to apply, because I was having difficulty finding a job, due to my criminal record. On October 17, 2014 I went to PCI school in Rocky Hill, CT to complete my application, take the entrance exam and apply for financial aid. While I was there I talked to the recruiter Michelle in person about my criminal record. She said this school would aid in my job search. I was accepted to PCI and approved for financial aid. My start date at PCI was 3 days later on October 20, 2014.
Four(4) days later on October 24, 2014 professor Shaun Seckington requested a background check on me.
Two weeks after my start day at school. Nov 1, 2014 I was brought into the office and told that if I did not sign the notification of background check findings, I would not be allowed to return to school the next day. Mr. Clark said I could sign it and continue my education at PCI or sign it stating that I wish to not return to school, receiving a refund for my time there. I ask if I can take the paper home and read it carefully, he threaten me and said no that most sign it now or I can’t return to school the next day, out of fear I sign it.
On February 10, 2015 I was unable to attend school due to weather conditions. The next day I arrived to school and noticed in my grades that I had received 0 on four(4) labs that were due on the upcoming Saturday February 14, 2015. I brought my grades to professors Medved attention and told him that he made a mistake, he said that it was not a mistake that I should had not miss class. He also said I could not make it up even tho the lab wasn’t due until February 14, 2015. I was concerned about my grade, I went to get a hold of Kevin Clark, the Director of Education for the next 3 days. On Friday February 13, 2015 I was finally able to speak with him in his office about what had happened. Mr clark brought in professor Seckington and I explained the situation to Mr.Seckington and Mr.Clark. Professor Seckington then said the same as professor Medved, that I could not make up the labs. Mr. Clark then told professor Seckington that what they did was wrong and that they most to let him (Anselmo Hernandez) take the labs. Professor Seckington got mad and try to defend Professor Medved but Ms. Clark told him what did was wrong and that they needed to fix it.
The fallowing week On February 18, 2015 I arrived to school at 7:16 one minute late due to dangerous driving conditions, including black ice warnings on the radio that day and a vehicle accidents on my way there (that’s on record) . When I arrived I sat down, the professor Medved said I had to leave due to being late. I explained the conditions I went through to get to class. My attendance leading up to that day was never in Question and that I had nearly perfect attendance. However the professor said that those were the rules and threaten me, if I did not leave class he would call the police. I explained that this situation is not that serious and if he felt it was more important to call the police on me for being 1 minute late due to bad weather, than teach the class. The professor, got mad and left the room to call the police, so I thought. A minute later Professor Seckington entered the classroom and displayed an unprofessional and racist behavior towards. Not only was I verbally assaulted I was degraded in front of the hole class using abusive language. All in which another student Recorded while I was being Verbally and Emotionally Abused by Professor Seckington.
Then I left the class room into the hall way (where there was a cameras), Professor Seckington followed me closely as I walk out the room. Feeling uncomfortable and threatened with how he insulted me and how close to me he was I turned to him and told him, that he better not put his hand on me and I get on walking. After that Seckington called the police on me at 7:32am. Then I waited in the lobby for Mr.clark and the police to arrive. When the police arrived they told me to leave, I said I wanted to talk to Mr.Clark before I left. Since Mr.Clark was late him self to school I reached him by phone. He told me “ leave and he will call me later.” he also said “not to worry about it.” Later that day he called and said that what I did was wrong and what the professors did was right and that am no longer a student at Porter and Chester and if I try to return to school that I would be consider a trespasser and that I would be put in jail! I have that in recording too. I feel that because I told Mr.Clark what had happen with my grades on Feb 13,2015 that Professor Seckington and Professor Medved Retaliate against me and because of my Criminal Background I was Discriminated and lost my Opportunity to learn at Porter and Chester. My attendance leading up to that Tragic day was never in question. Also all assignment and work was completed in a timely manner and my grades, most importantly, were one of the best in class. Now am required to pay a $28,000 loan for a Education not received. Please help me for I am in great despair due to the Physical, Emotional, and Financial burden this has brought me and my kids. For I needed this not only for my future but to help my kids with there.
Professor Seckington states on the recording that I had bin nothing but a pain in his ass, the 4 mouths I was there. I have witnesses stating Professor Seckington and I had a typical student teacher rapport in class before this tragic day. I have been physically sick due to the depression and anxiety of this entire ordeal.
Course Material Poorly Organized & Classrooms are Disruptive…
Course material at Porter and Chester seems to have all kinds of errors. Power point presentations have spelling errors, grammar mistakes or poor word agreement, at times have missing information and are poorly out lined. Lab assignments have questions that do not relate to course material. The same problem occurs with various home work assignments, weekly quiz questions and on exams. Practical exams are less likely to have this problem because they are made by the instructors teaching the course.
For instance I had several labs this week that have questions. The questions for these labs that were due this week have more to do with what we are learning in the next coming week. Wrong planet kind of thing.
Finally the class rooms. I have seen it all in these class rooms. Many of the students have no education and take a lot of extra instructor time. Some are just lazy and laid back. Others are very disruptive and also lazy. They never do home work, are constantly violating rules that force instructors to stop lectures, come in late, ask questions that have nothing to do with the course, get up in the middle of lectures to show instructors something on “YouTube” for instance, walk up to the board in the middle of class and point things out because they are unable to articulate what they are saying. Sorry to say the list goes on. Many of the students have no idea on how to be a student.
Needless to say, there is no order in the class rooms. HVACR is a very technical course. You really need to use your noodle. So class room behavior shouldn’t interfere with one’s ability to think.
If you’re interested in HVACR I strongly suggest the evening programs or on-line courses instead. If you have lived in Massachusetts for long you know that Worcester is the arm pit of this state.
So maybe its just Worcester. I can’t really speak for the rest of the schools associated or affiliated with PCI.
Don’t bother with the ghetto school in Worcester you will find yourself frustrated by hoodlums or more appropriate called class clowns.
THIS SCHOOL SUCKS!!! All they care about is money. I should’ve listen to the people who have already gone there and told me not to go. I was enrolled in the HVAC program and my teach wasn’t the best. They mix you in a class with people who already know more than you. The instructor expects you to know everything so you have to learn on your own free time. He was dull and put you to sleep with how boring his voice was. I would constantly ask for help and to stay after and would always tell me I was fine just so he can go crack jokes with other students. And the supervisor John Mastriani (idk if spelled properly) was an a*****e. Worries about every other student besides his own. Don’t waste your time or money
This “school” is a complete scam. I attended the HVAC program in 2010 and quit after a semester and half. I then enrolled in a real university and the quality of the education trumps this place ten fold. They enroll anybody who is willing to pay the 25K, and there are many people who are on government assistance who attend for free. There was constant fighting, swearing, drug use, and a complete lack of preofessional atmosphere. Most of the equipment was broken, outdated, or missing critical components. The computers were severely outdated and were extremely slow. There was also not enough equipment for everybody to work on, and most people sat around idly doing nothing but playing on their phones. You’re better off enrolling at NVCC and taking their programs. It’s cheaper, better equipped, better professors, and is a respected college. This place cares nothing about the almighty dollar. Stay away! You will receive a much better education at your local community college and save money.
If you need something to do for a few hours a day and don’t mind wasting $28,000, then you should consider this “Institute”. Do something productive with your life like make a sandwich, or take various pills and see what happens. Anything is better than this place. Porter and Chester has as many redeeming qualities as North Korea.
The administrators will try and sweet talk and BS you about job opportunities, career training and a great learning environment. Do not fall for their cockroach-like ways. It is all lies. They want your money and nothing else. You are better off spending it on left handed coffee cups or polka dot paint.
In conclusion, this place is a giant pink sock. DO NOT WASTE YOUR VALUABLE TIME AND MONEY!!! You are only on this earth for around 75 years, don’t waste one of them here. If you do enroll. you will be disappointed. You will be getting F’d in the A constantly.
I don’t know why everyone complains about this school. I get so much done during my day at PCI. We talk about how to get married, how to get laid, how to suck dick, homos, pedophiles, rapists, world problems, racial profiling, entertainment, and just utter nonsense. I’ve seen people just leave because they been shocked from what we do all day instead of what were supposed to do. Some gay guy driving a smart car left because he was insulted by everyone’s comments. We haven’t learned anything since we’ve come here. and i’ve been here almost the entire time required. Every employee here is full of crap. They treat you like royalty when your about to sign your life away to porter and chester, but after that they couldn’t care less about you. The people from career services don’t help us at all. They just copy and paste your name on the same resume….how helpful. The school also guarantees that 95% of the grads have gotten jobs….most likely at mcdonalds. So as i only touch the surface of this topic just do yourself a favor and don’t come to this school. you’ll have a better future if you sell your body on the streets.
PCI can eat my shorts..
It’s crazy they let our instructor go and we have like 15 people with one instructor now. There is constant fighting yelling. The class is OK but for the amount of time and learning spend we need more. Its not fair when some students get more help than others. And everyday we have new rules all the time if your a minute late they make u wait outside. You get promised to work on a car it doesn’t happen. every time i have a question its go on all data it sucks..
I was enrolled in the HVAC program. I was a top student. (not a very hard thing to do if you simply showed up and displayed initiative.) I’m pretty sure I am repaying 27,000 to recite ohms law. The power point presentations were redundant, as most times class was held in class and not in the shop. The ration was 20% hands on and 80% in the class room. (not as advertised). The administration changed the parameters of the attendance laws a minimum of 2 times since I was there. The instructors admitted (honest guys) most of the things one will be learning in this trade cannot be taught in the building and will be taught to you once you are hired by an actual company!! The administration “let go” of a teacher who had been teaching at that school for 10+ years and probably the most knowledgeable in the building because he was making too much money…if that does not show you the core value of this school then you deserve to enroll and get your money taken from you. If your already working in your field and just need a license than by all means attend, it will be a breeze for you. If not..run away…fast. A class action law suit on these guys is inevitable.
This school said everything i wanted to hear jsut to get me in the door, was by my side filling out Loan applications, then the second the loans were approved they didnt give a crap about me! All they care about is money and couldnt care less whether i was there or not once they had my $$$… What a waste of time (18 months) and now i have loan payments for a program that taught me nothing,. My instructor was never even in the classroom so we were usually surfing the web all day…
I worked as an instructor at Porter & Chester in the 90’s. If you are looking at any of these schools the first question you need to ask yourself is, if the school is inferring (never promising) that their program can lead you to a high paying career then why are the instructors paid so poorly? If your instructor can lead you to a high paying Information Technology career than why is he working for peanuts? He/she would be working in the IT industry if it is so lucrative. In the 90’s Most of the instructors were being payed salaries in the mid 30’s while the sales department was implying high paying salaries for IT graduates.
Porter and Chester is a for profit business. They will admit anyone willing to pay the tuition. Many of the students were recent high school graduates who brought with them the same work ethic that they displayed in HS. I felt bad for everyone. The students with a real work ethic never got the education they deserved and the immature students learned nothing except that they were responsible for the student loan money they wasted.
Terrible school. They promise the world and give you nothing. They promise to help you find a job when you graduate and all the career department does is change the format of your résumé. I graduated in 2011 from their MA program and I’m not even working in the medical field.
Thankfully I found a job in a different field that pays way more than medical assisting ever would. Their financial aide department is less than helpful and full of people who don’t know how to do their job and cause unnecessary stress and frustration. If you’re thinking of going here, think again.
I’m enrolled now at PCI and I have to say its one big circus. First off who the hell allows 25 guys in a class when we don’t even have 25 pieces of equipment. Everyone has there hands on everything and it’s counterproductive to learning. Then you get kids in here. KIDS, little boys who like to screw around and mess up the learning process for people who want to actually learn. Our instructors are very helpful but when there is 25 freaking guys in one class it’s hard to get the help you need. The biggest thing is they care too much about the money and not enough about the education.
I’m currently a student at PCI of Watertown Ct and I thought it was a great d.a. Program till one if my teachers didn’t teach as we learn of was her personal life and son. It’s annoying I pay enough money to attend here I need to learn but also attendance wise is horrible even if you have medical notes they hold you accountable either way and none of your info is private the whole class apparently ends up knowing . Not sure if I’d recommended anyone come here research before you go to any school trust me
I am a former graduate of the Stratford, CT campus back in 2007. I took their 18 month program for the Residential and Commercial Electrical Certification. In that span I must have seen at least a few different instructors come and go. Why do you ask? Because none of their instructors have any prior teaching experience, they are simply former tradesmen who obviously couldn’t suffice in their field of study. They cannot effectively put together a lesson plan! Boy do I wish I had my close to $23,000 back!!! A complete waste of my time! Unless you are currently working or have been working in your trade field for awhile and simply need the piece of paper to be licensed than this institute is not for you. Be sure your field of study is where you truly want to be before enrolling. It’s not like they set you up with any internship programs to guide you along, they’re completely happy taking your money either way. After I graduated they set me up with a somewhat local company that completely failed to follow any sort of OSHA regulation. The licensed electrician on the job was a complete drunk who took off mid-day to other job sites, leaving all of us apprentices to fend for ourselves. Completely illegal! Not to mention my completely green, entry level status only netted me $10 an hour and my Porter and Chester education counted for absolutely nothing!!! Not to mention the company required me to commute nearly an hour every morning to the job-site with my own transportation. Take out the cost of gas and I was making next to nothing! Obviously I only stuck around for a couple weeks before checking out. I wasn’t willing to injure myself for the simple benefit of the company. I learned later that Porter and Chester only set me up with this job because they were hiring one of their employees to work at the school. Beneficial to everyone but me! That $23,000 education wasn’t worth $2,300 if you ask me. My brief experience in the field left me with such a sour taste in my mouth over the industry in general that I had decided not to possibly return until just recently. I decided to place a phone call to Porter and Chester’s ongoing job placement assistance board. I felt well heck, I spent the money, maybe they’ll at least be able to help find me another job. What do you think their answer was? “Oh, sorry, but the availability of jobs in the field has been pretty dry, we’re advising students to get out there and network, good luck!” What the hell??? Get out there and network??? What the hell am I calling you for then!!! Please people, this whole experience was something that has continued to haunt me even years later. I’m advising all parents and prospective students to steer clear of places like this. They’re in the business of making money, not educating you!!!
I have mixed emotions, I’ll be graduating from the Watertown Campus in July – I have all my certs, 4.0 GPA, etc – and yeah, my instructors are pretty neat.
However, it simply wasn’t remotely worth the money and other depressing things that came along with it all.
In a nutshell I feel as if I paid 27,000$ for a narrator to the books/power points.
I was shrouded into believing I was going to work with “top of the line technology” and all of our computers in our wing (Computers!) were probably the slowest/oldest in the school.
A brand new desktop out of Walmart for 400$ would easily dominate any computer in our lab.
Not cool, not cool.
Their job placement was another trick they pulled me in with, but now after knowing the 3 previous graduating classes, I know that will not happen, regardless of my performance in class.
Recap, you’ll be paying 27,000$ for a few books, maybe a flash drive to wow you, certification vouchers that total to about 6-700$.
Honestly, I’d suggest reading up on the internet and taking the A+ test BEFORE enrolling, then you’ll see how you would’ve wasted your money.
– Sincerely, Someone who doesn’t want the boot.
June 5, 2013
Im currently attending PCI, i have a few months left before graduating. My experience so far has been disturbing to say the least, here’s a few things I’ve witnessed so far. Teachers taking bribes from student to get out of class early, and to get better grades. I’ve also witness a teacher harass a student to the point where he dropped out. The same teacher started a fight with a student and threatened the student saying he’ll be waiting for him at his car after school. This school is the BIGGEST RIP OFF EVER!!!!! If you are planning on attending, do yourself a favor and move on…
This is the worst school on the planet!!!!! No the solar system… No the infinite universe… This school makes up there plans and rules day by day. Its total anarchy, for 4 weeks now my class has not done one thing! My teacher spends the day starting fights with the students, then when the students get pist he kicks them out of class. The other teachers all takes bribes and pass the students as long as the student pays cash in hand…
I go to the Rocky Hill CT campus and I am in the LPN program. I just got back from clinical today and I can’t even compose myself. I have come home from clinical and class like this several times. The program was great until about one month in (thats when you can’t get back any of your money if you decide to drop out) that’s when the instructors started showing their true colors.
We have one instructor who is extremely spiteful and the most unprofessional grown woman I have EVER met in my life. There was a delay earlier in the year but she told us that delays didn’t apply to us so, the entire class (except 3 people) showed up at 8:30am when we were informed by reception that class didn’t start until 10:30am due to the delay. So, 17 people sat in the classroom, angry about what we were told by the instructor. The instructor walks in around 10:00 and says something along the lines of:
“What, do you think you are all wonder students and delays don’t apply to you?” Several people told her that she told us they didn’t. “I never said that. Do you guys shovel faster than everyone else that you can show up at 8:30? Well, I guess they shouldn’t have even called a delay since all of YOU were able to show up on time.” She was very rude, VERY sarcastic. I could see if 1 or 2 people showed up at 8:30, then it would be a misunderstanding. But, 97% of the class showed up thinking the SAME thing.
We were also informed at the informational session that clinical started at 1 to 2 days a week and towards the end of the course we would be going 4 days a week. Class starts at 8:30am and clinical starts at 8am. We started clinical in November. We had one week where we went 2 days and that was for orientation at the facility. We have been going to clinical 4 days a week for 2 months but, we weren’t informed of this at start. We also just learned (through accidental means) that in our 3rd and 4th term clinical starts at 7:15am. We were then scolded because we were angry that we weren’t informed of this from the beginning. We have two people in class that come from Massachusetts to go to this campus, both of them have young children. The supervisor (who accidentally told us, and was surprised that we didn’t know) then asked “If you knew about this, would you have chosen a different school?” To which she heard many answers of “yes” or “maybe”. No one was angry just about the 7:15am start time, we were angry because we were NEVER told from the beginning.
Also, if you are in clinical and it is your lunch hour, don’t go sit in your car. Apparently if you sit in your car the employees will think you are on drugs or drunk, according to the teacher’s thoughts. And then you will get your lunch hour cut down.
These teachers are spiteful, rude, mean, and treat you like children even though EVERYONE is an adult. They are trying to teach professionalism but, they can’t even manage to demonstrate the proper way to act professional. They only pick on the negative things, they favor students who have former medical experience (CNA’s, MA’s).
Bottom line, I completely, COMPLETELY regret going to this school and I will never recommend it to a loved one, or a complete stranger. If you want to get scammed out of your money, then go right ahead and apply to PCI but, my recommendation to you is, save that money and go somewhere WORTH IT.
Waste of time and money. No mention when i enrolled that i would need 8,000 hours of field experience before i could become a licensed electrician. The company that i work for now offers free schooling to their employees. Save your money and go to a smaller school. These cheaper schools ($2800/4yrs) will not offer the same hands on as the PCI labs but you will make up for that in the first month in the field, trust me.
honestly now that im in my last term you can see all the bs. I;m in my last term at the watertown campus for IT. honestly the instructors are funny and are willing to help you as long as you actually try in class. yes we all like to game and bs but what i dont understand is most of these people who come in here dont seem to care about the class at all. The only people who actually pass their certs are the ones that actually tried or have had past experience. Luckily ive had many years of experience fking up all my computers and tinkering since i was a kid. Im only 20 now and i clearly see that if i didnt have the experience i have it would be very hard to actually learn all this material. On another note, the overall school is FOR PROFIT, they dont give two shits about anything, even the instructors are getting fed up and the ones that do speak up are the ones that get fired. The school doesnt want to take the advice from anyone even though they have no clue what they are doing in any of these fields. Now hopefully i can actually get a job even with all my certs and extra certs.
they only way i would recommend this school would be simply the instructors who would be mr. k and mr . whitney who’ve actually had many years of experience and know how to teach you both from the book and what you are expected to know.
I completed October this year and have not found a job as a dental assistant. Porter & Chester has not called me to ask how is it going, or if I found a job, in fact I e-mailed my instructor asking her if she hears of any job opening keep me posted. Not only is that school expensive it’s a joke. I found my own externship because supposedly they were having trouble. I thought attending school and having my radiology certification would give me a heads up in the job market that is what I was told. I have sent out numerous resumes I’ve even done it old school and walked in places and no luck because I have no experience.How am I going to get experience if no office is willing to give me a chance. Totally disgusted at the teachers not trying to help line up jobs for their students. Believe me I know I have to do the foot work but they tell you they will help and being a trade school you would think they would have a heads up in the job market.How can I afford to pay the loans if I can’t get a job. Supposedly dental assistant is one of the fastest growing trades and yet why is it that not only me but tons of others can’t get jobs. If I had to do it over I would have never gone to Porter & Chester.18.000 for a dental assistant training are you kidding even the dentist where I externed was pissed that they charge so much for a job that basically you can get hired off the street if a dentist is willing to train you with no experience or schooling. I’m just frustrated that the school hasn’t checked on one of their fellow graduates since they portray to be such a caring place.
Ok kids. Now it’s time for some positive feed back.
I attended PCI in Branford in the electrical program 2011-2012. Probably one of the best years and most productive educational decisions I’ve ever made.
I was lucky to have had such a good instructor to guide us through the inevitable environment that was well simulated in the practical end. Theory was well informing. My instructor was determined to make our career goals a reality for us. And that’s what he did for me.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Some will make it, some won’t. You have to dedicate your time in cramming 2 years of education into one, pay attention, be there 100%, dress appropriately, be an individual, and don’t engage in illegal activities on the campus.
I want to stress to new coming students that you have to understand this school is a 1year course strictly for your foundation. Your best education is on the field and employers understand that. You will indeed leave this school with enough knowledge to find a job, because that’s what I did. I did not rely on administration / job placement to do the foot work for me. I sent out approximately 50 resumes and cover letters to contractors and kept it moving! If you can do that, and you can conduct yourself in a positive manner as where an employer can see that your motivation, maturity, and respect they are seeking will actually pay off for their company… You’ll be good. Who wants to hire some brainless burn out to make their business look bad?
Some people think the trade is an easy alternative to escape “real work”. Truth is… Its real work. Wether it be physical, mental, and just common sense…
So you’ll have a bunch of dopes out there who went to this school, and are just simply incapable of understanding the standard of what it takes.
Then they’ll write a negative post about the school. And apparently on this bulletin, it’s hip to write a negative response about Porter Chester.
So dont be one of these whiney little gossipers that are worse than your mommas hair dresser! Take a chance. Learn something new! And dont give up!
Life is too short to surrender your soul to the retail industry!
Sincerely,
Gavin E. Cyr
Thank you PCI!
This is about the AutoCAD course only. I attended Porter and Chester in Chicopee Ma. from 4/2011 to 4/2012 for Architectural Computer Aided Drafting and earned the certificate. This was to be a career shift from over 11 years as a web/multimedia designer/developer.
Term Grades: April: 94.61, July: 95.03, Nov: 94.56 and Jan: 93.84. Attendance was good, projects were completed on time and all were signed off on, not just the few required to pass the course.
Grades and CAD work can be seen at: laxemedia.com/grades.html
Six months after graduating I have no job prospects. Poor job placement assistance is definitely a problem. I had hoped P&C had useful connections with businesses that consider hiring entry level graduates. I guess not. Sorry Charlie, temp agency bots don’t qualify as connections.
In the real world a two year engineering or architectural degree trumps a one year Porter & Chester AutoCAD certificate, contrary to what is preached. Some “graduates” decide to pursue a college degree after dumping 20k on a certificate when their initial job hunt fails. That makes no sense unless you’re gaming the system or have mommy and daddy footing the bill for a reliving of the old high school days. Maybe adult classes are needed to help separate the grown-ups from the kiddies.
I went to Porter & Chester hoping to catch a break but it looks like I caught nothing more than a 20k loan deferment, a bad credit rating and a headache. Bear in mind that some employers do a credit check and will make hiring decisions based upon a bad credit report, the lack of a formal education or degree.
By the way, I never did get that job interview at the Dennis Group that I was specifically told I would get. Just passing it along.
That don’t like black ppl I went to pci and the suck is just line high school and do freshman have to be in class with uperclass I attended the HVAC program in Stratford ct. biggest mistake ever. the instructors were ok, but the equipment was outdated and there was not enough of it. i ended up quitting and going to a real university and am so much happier. stay away
I have been attending PCI Watertown, Ct since earlier this year. I am enrolled in the Automotive program night class and my experiences have been extremely mixed.
First and foremost, I do believe the instructors care a great deal for their students (at least in auto). They feel a great deal of frustration when something in the shop goes missing, loses parts, or gets broken. The tools in the shop are a little like a harlot in that everyone has had a shot at them, meaning that they will break, wear, or miss critical parts. Yet they continue to do the best with what they have. I personally enjoy when an instructor calls b.s. on the book because their life experience in the automotive field has taught them otherwise.
The students are definitely a mixed bunch. There is a wide range in aptitude among my class mates which, at times, can be extremely frustrating if you are quick to process new concepts. I believe there should definitely be different tiers based on technical aptitude. The silly (and very basic) entrance exam made me laugh as it was extremely generalized and presented no challenge at all.
The administrative staff is another matter altogether. I often find that admin staff is very difficult to reach as they tend to leave about an hour before the night class starts. The recruiters, of course, are paid to present the school in the best light possible(see old adage about something being too good to be true). The administrative staff could do a much better job of actually listening to their student body. Their attendance policy is extremely unforgiving and a little ridiculous. I have seen no evidence to support any statement that the administrative staff has any kind of feelings towards the students who attend the school. Got in a serious care accident? Out for more than 7 days in ICU? Your education with them gets terminated. Have multiple family issues during a semester that require you to miss school? If it requires you to miss more than 7 days you’re out of there. No feeling. No remorse. Just done.
On to the career resource center, a room with 2 chairs, 2 computers(one of which doesn’t function despite many attempts to have the issue resolved, and a printer. The “job placement specialists” seem to be very out of touch when it comes to the students needs. E.G.: A job listing in West Hartford for an Assistant Manager for a shop probably doesn’t apply when you have students from New Milfrod, Naugatuck, Waterbury, Danbury, Bristol, Wolcott, and Plymouth. Never mind that the course is designed to give us a working understanding of how basic automotive technologies work and in no way qualifies any of us to be running a shop even as an assistant. Yet the “specialists” seem to think otherwise, which in turn might give some who are hopeful and naive a sense that they are quite accomplished when in fact they may have a novice level of understanding.
The facilities are adequate for a beginning in auto tech. The lab is a great place to practice, while the shop provides a place to put that practice to actual customer, faculty, and student vehicles. The class room is exactly that. A place where lecture meets with Power Point presentations and training videos to help the students understand the theory and practices they are there to learn.
Is it for everyone? No. If everyone could do it then everyone would be doing it. It takes a passion for vehicles and a commitment to the knowledge you will gain to be successful. Is the automotive course going to teach me everything I need to know? Certainly not. As technology changes so do the vehicles we drive, but it is a good foundation to build on. Is it a waste of time to go to this school? Everyone will have a different experience of course, personally I believe that with the proper motivation and a commitment to one’s education it can be quite a rewarding experience.
at best you will receive a mediocre education, that is if only you can shut out all the extremely poor behavior by other students. the foul mouth swearing is chronic, the talking is loud and excessive, and the fights among female students, weekly. i feared for my safety on many occasion. it seemed like the instructors didn’t know how to control their class and it was a zoo. it was appalling. i read that the instructors get bonuses for keeping everybody in that they can, that is, as long as the school is receiving the funds from the students, so many students graduated that shouldn’t have – a major insult to those of us who really tried and cared. i can’t say that the instructors don’t care, i think they do if you show that you want to learn, the problem is the curriculum is poor and because of this, you will not receive a solid education. some teachers probably are teaching in up over their heads and then get beaten down by the crap that the majority of students dish out on a daily basis. they are probably afraid of the students and don’t want to cross their paths. awful.
i realized too soon but then it was too late to quit, that i had made a major mistake by attending this school. i am now stuck with an enormous debt to pay off but fortunately found a job. i agree with all the other posts that p&c is a money mill and that the higher ups don’t care about the students, just their money. I will be paying off a loan for the next 25 years for a crummy education but will most likely go in to deeper debt to go back to college and get a real education. i signed the dotted line believing the bill of goods that wasn’t delivered.
i am not proud that i graduated from p&c because anybody can as long as their money comes in. do yourself a favor and run, do not walk, away from attending this school. pay the extra money and go to college. you will be grateful that you did, and you will probably be much safer on a college campus. p&c is a danger zone.
btw, we all can’t be wrong.
What is the HOTNESS FACTOR and why would I rate something that I have no idea about?!?!?
I am currently attending Porter & Chester’s Dental Program and I can say from my experience so far it has been a complete waste of money and time. Somuch so, our class had to go to the news be ause our advisers refused to admit to the fact they had lied to us about being able to sit for certification. The President of the school came down and told us that it isn’t there job to tell us if there school is accredited even if they market themselves as being accredited. He also said that there are no issues with the other programs and that almost everyone has great success in finding a job and are happy with their education experience. I highly doubt that.
If anyone is interested in talking about their experience email me at
[email protected]
If i could give this school 0 stars i would have. I have so much spite and anger towards this school i can barely write this review. From day one not one person here has told me the truth. I was lied to and told great things to get me here then lied right to my face on a daily basis. There is no structured(set) agenda or schedule of what you will be learning. Most days we sit in class and do nothing or are given 4 hours to do a 30 minute project. All that porter and chester cares about is getting your money. Once they have your signature on the paperwork then they kick you to the side and dont want to hear from you till your course is over. I cant stress enough that I am not the type of person who complains alot, or is annoyed easily.
Im very disciplined and can tell you this school is a complete waste of my time and Money. Please please please I BEG YOU do your research before even thinking about attending Porter & Chester. Look up reviews and you will see what i am talking about. Ive never quit anything in life and coming here i almost quit multiple times. If i was to list everything wrong with this school it would take 500 pages and be a very interesting article. How this school has not been shut down is amazing! Obviously they are paying off the right people because it took me all of 2 weeks to figure out that this “for profit” school only cared about my money. DOnt be fooled by the hands on lies they tell you to get you to come here. We have done barely any hands on and
Like i said just look up porter & chester reviews on google and you will be simply amazed and honestly you will probably laugh at the reviews. I dont know how but somehow i missed the reviews when i was looking into coming here and must have missed the reviews. I was dumb, PLEASe dont be dumb. It cost me 30,000 Dollars and i will be paying for this mistake for a long long time!
I see that Chris went to pci for auto and now has his own business. Apparently, he did so with no help from anyone, armed only with his Porter and Chester certificate. The rest of us here are losers, according to him. He sounds more like another angry instructor.
Myself? I went to Porter & Chester 10 years ago. Job placement back then was basically nonexistent as well. I’m almost through paying off my loans but never did get a job in my field of study. I guess that puts me in the “loser” category.
I attended the Wethersfield CT branch back in 07 which then moved to Rocky Hill DURING the class sessions.
Total mess and very disorganized. There would be multiple group levels taught in one class. Why should I, as a beginning classmate, sit and listen to course materials for students that are ahead in course reading materials?
Job placement doesn’t work there.
I went to Porter and Chester for the job placement assistance more than the paper I would receive in the end, and they said they would find me something. Throughout the term there was only one solid interview that was 1.5 hours away from home, Groton CT, to be exact. I went to the interview and didn’t get the job because of my lack of experience, and the cost benefit factor commuting there. That was the last interview Porter and Chester ever set me up with and apparently Porter believed I didn’t present myself well enough. So, they called the interviewer to verify what went wrong. First and foremost, its not rocket science to see that commuting a 3 hour drive back and forth each working day, would be a financial burden for $11 an hour.
So what happened? I never got a job from them, and they wondered my negativeness even though I graduated with a 4.0 average, BUT, graduating took some challenge as well. Five different dates were given to me. It became so ridiculous that I didn’t even go to my graduation, I was fed up with them.
I am not done yet.
Just before finishing, Porter and Chester had the nerve to say that I owed them $1600.00 dollars out of pocket, even though I had financial assistance to cover everything. So I questioned them where the $1600.00 came from. “Go see (will not mention name)” So I did and no answer was calculated to justify this $1600.00. NEVERTHELESS, right in front me, I did see something so very interesting during their failing attempts to calculate a $1600.00 figure. Turned out they owed me $3300 dollars.
Last one I promise
So $3300.00 was reinstated back to my loan institution and this caused a backfire on my income tax return for the following year. My accountant arranged some leeway with the IRS and thankfully it was settled.
Going to Porter and Chester institute is absolutely not worth 25K. Its a high school environment playing college, and the people running the show are a bunch amateurs playing Pro. Today I am still paying the tuition for something that was a complete waste of time. NEVER AGAIN will I even think of going back to school unless tuitions are covered by the company I work for. If an investigation occurs that promotes a national lawsuit for all graduates to be reimbursed, I want to hear about it. I need to get rid of these useless loans. Thank you very much, Salvatore Randazzo of Hartford CT.
I went to pci for auto. I wasn’t perfect but I tried my best. They do care and they do help. I have my own business now….Guess you get what you put in. I saw plenty of losers come and go when I was in school. Seems like they all ended up on this website. Stop by my successful shop sometime and deliver me a pizza.
Hi parent of two students graduated from watertown campus..what’s going on at this school??BS 101..both had 4.0s medical assisting and autotech..no jobs..mr palmer the only one going out of his way to help..in auto..huge loans no jobs as promised. Then the kids give up with my phone ringing off the wall for the $$ to b paid back..this is fraud don’t committ to borrowing federal funds from govt and false promises of jobs after they graduate..its getting worse..no hookups or connections in wtby..or ur not bilingual no JOBS period..terrible..this is fraud and deception. The schooi is pumping out the loans with an 80percent default status upon its grads..putting them in line for food stamps not to mention depression..what is the ratio of grads overall from these campuses getting reliable jobs after their internshios?? These statistics need to b researched b4 any student borrows from any PC institute.. some one might consider a class action lawsuit for fraud!!!
Let me say upfront I appologize for any mis-spellings in this post but I am so mad I cannot hit the keys fast enough!! There should be an option for NO STARS!!!. As a parent I cannot stress enough how disappointed I am with the way this school has been so deceptive! It wasnt until my daughter signed all the enrollment forms, got a student loan that the school informed my daughter that the Dental Assisting Program she enrolled in was not even credited! Right before starting her first class one of the administrators called my daughter into the office and told her to sign a piece of paper and said “ITS NO BIG DEAL AND DOESNT AFFECT YOU, WE JUST FORGOT TO HAVE YOU SIGN THIS EARLIER” It was a document having my daughter attesting to the fact that her program is not accredited and that she was properly informed of this!!!…NO bearing on my daughter??? Properly informed??? If she had been told this during the enrollemnt process she would have NEVER attened PORTER and CHESTER!!!! Once she finishes the program and walks out the door with a 20K plus student loan she will have to wait 2 years before she can take the test to get her certification. When I called the main office and voiced my complaint I was directed to speak with the “compliance office”…really?? Apparently she was used to receiving complaints about this, It was like she had a script she was reading. Porter & Chesters website is plastered with banners saying “Accredited School”, truth is the only program that I saw that is accredited is the Medical Assisting Program. When I stated that they were being decpetive she walked my throught the website…which was about 12 clicks to a hidden statement that the Dental Assisting Program is not accredited. Based on what I was told, Porter & Chester decided to revoke accreditdation from this program because they didnt want to pay the cost associated with holding accredidation AND per accreditation rules they would have to hire teachers that had a BA in dental assiting which would mean paying more in salaries. My daughter was deceived by this school….she trusted the administrator when she signed “that paper” and it wasnt until she heard from other students a few months later what the consequences were for signing the form and not being an accredited program. At this point she in continuing in the program because she has invested time but if we could do it over again PORTER and CHESTER wouldnt even be on the radar when looking for ANY kind of education. Actually its hard to use the word EDUCATION and PORTER & CHESTER in the same sentence…Like some other posts I see on here I wish we had dont more investgation into this school, but pretty sad that PORTER & CHESTER couldnt have just been honest….What a joke!!
Basically just what everyone else has already said about the school.I went for IT and quit before the third quarter after receiving my net plus.There was absolutely no curriculum to speak of and the hands on learning was absolutely non existent.It was a chore for the instructor to simply come help you out with something or just answer a simple question he was there to baby sit more than teach.Basically all the kids did all day were play games and do there own thing and when it was time for cert’s people went of Test King.com and retook exams over and over until they were ready which was encouraged by Porter and Chester.So basically they wanted you to memorize the answers and didn’t care if you actually knew what you were doing or not.I started to see a pattern and while I attended the Chicopee campus things just got worse.There was only one instructor there to help a class full of 30 kids and he could have cared less.There was another guy there for a short period of time which was a great teacher and would take the time to show you stuff after class and was enthusiastic about teaching but they fired him for some unknown reason and nobody every stepped in to replace him.After all is said and done I have heard stories about most of the class that graduated and at this point almost none of them have jobs even the brightest kids in the class that came in with alot of knowledge.I think I heard of maybe one or two kids at max getting decent jobs but they all had experience in the industry prior to going to Porter and Chester so I’m guessing that is the only reason why.don’t make the mistake I did if you are thinking about going here just go to a 4 year college because Porter and Chester will not only not teach you but they will also not lift a finger to help you find a job when you graduate.This school is a utter joke and I’m embarrassed for even staying as long as I did.The director of education MR Mike Dudley also could care less about whats going on over there he has been tolled countless times about the lack of curriculum over there and chooses to do nothing.
Just like everything in life you get out exactly what you put in. it seems that most of the people that come to Porter and Chester feel as though they are entitled to something. somehow black people who can’t read or write, sleep during class, don’t come to class, and then surprisingly think that not only should pass but then also get a job are out of their minds. don’t blame a school for all your pathetic black a$$ problems. look p&c is not the best but its not as bad as all these reviews would have you believe. if you come in with a good attitude and are willing to learn the instructors will teach you all they know. for all the black people looking for a hand out and need their hands held through the program are not going to get anything out of it. the biggest thing this school needs to stop doing is accepting black people on parole. people with real problems don’t complain about them, they make the best of it and move on. if you can’t get a job, its probably because you’re not qualified. so get off your dumb a$$ get qualified and get what you want. stop getting high, eating fried chicken and watermelon and having a seventh child by your seventh hood rat girlfriend.
shut this place down 25 k waste of money do not sign any papers here just look at the reviews their instructors and their bosses are just a bunch of scum chicopee campus especially it will be really nice when they only have some “potential cash” that’s what they call people interested in the school before they will parade you around they make sure all the students look happy in their uniform they will honestly spend like 5 day cleaning the school to make it nice then this should be illegal yes their curriculum is non existent how can you sell school to people and not have a curriculum grades do not matter here if they want to get rid of someone here they will and you will get robbed they change the rules everyday don’t get suckered by these people like i did. spread the word
I have my GED and shiny new Porter & Chester certificate. That’s all I need to be an instructor at Porter & Chester. Think of it, today a student, tomorrow an instructor. Maybe if I eat all my veggies, say my prayers and take my Hulk Hogan vitamins, I could be President one day!
Life is good.
Do NOT come to this school, 95% of the school is 18 years old and drugged up.
I wish i can go back in time and read these reviews, because there all true. this school is ALL about the money, its full of lies. The school is bushshit, overprice. teachers are only there for there paycheck. i telling everybody you are paying 30k and up to teach youself. dont waste your time
This is a warning to anyone interested in attending the chicopee campus. I think the only “type” of poeple this school would be good for would be someone in a coma or someone Deaf dumb and blind. This school delivered on ZERO of the promises made to be when i first signed up. Noone ever has an answer to any question asked and There seriously is not a set in stone curriculum that they follow. I know that sounds crazy but its very true and there is whole weeks that youll find yourself continually asking yourself ” Um what are we supposed to be doing” so you ask your classmates and everyones just doing their own thing. Better yet randomly try and find your instructor and thats a mission in itself. The school is WAYYYY overpriced, There is no cafeteria, Barely any vending machines andi tried to think as i was goning to write this of something positive to say about the school. I could only think of one and thats the fact that they have day and night classes and some programs have a mid day class. Other then that you can learn MUCH more by taking online courses or googling alot. Again i just attended the Chicopee campus so i have no opinions about other campus’s but i would guess they are pretty much the same.
This school fucking sucks. The only good thing about it is ms riccio fine ass.
The electrical teacher is a fucking pussy with big ass hands. He makes you want to beat his ass daily. And he loves giving out suspensions.
Even giving this school one star in each category is a stretch. This school is a total scam and should be revealed for what they really are. Its quite obvious reading these reviews that the same complaints from different students and parents are mentioned over and over. I would advise anyone and everyone to stay clear of this school. You will be paying thousands of dollars for an education that you will either not get or never have a chance to get but your still going to have to pay off those loans. Sound fair? Do yourself a favor and go to a real school like so many stated in their complaints they ended up doing in the end. This so called “school” is a joke!!!!!! I cannot stress “joke” enough. I wish I had done a google search and found all these complaints before I let my son enroll there only to end up with $27,000 in loans and no certificate.
I WAS GOING TO START PCI IN 2 MONTH IN THEIR DENTAL ASST PROGRAM. TODAY I WAS GOING TO DO MY FINACIAL AID BUT I HAD AN DENTIST APP THIS MORNING, LONG STORY SHORT MY DENTIST TOLD ME STUNDENTS FROM PCI DONT HAVE THE SKILLS AND THAT THEY NEVER HIRED ANYONE FROM PCI CAUSE THEY SKILSS WERE NOT GREAT AT ALL, SHE WAS LETTING ME KNOW BEFORE I GO AND PAY A 20K TUITION. SHE ADVISE ME THAT I GO DO TRAINING AT A DENTAL OFFICE SEE IF I LIKE IT THEN GO TO A LESS CHEAPER SCHOOL AND GET CERTIFIED. AND AFTER READING EVERYONE REVIEWS I SEE IT WASNT BULL SHE WAS TELLING ME. I THANK EVERYONE ON HERE FOR SHARING THEIR PERSONAL EXPIERENCE, AND THEY ADVISE I WOULD OF BEEN VERY UPSET IF I WOULD HAVE 20K FOR NOTHING AT ALL. IM NOT RICH AND I DNT HAVE 20K TO THROUGH AWAY… TODAY I LET THEM KNW I WAS NO LONGER INTRESTED…INSTEAD IM GOING TO GO A COLLEGE.
Started this school in 2011 seemed pretty good at first. Then as the excitement faded
you begin to realize your gettin robbed. It dont matter the grades you get or if your
there for every class. The financial aid department at the school is there to help
but they have to follow the rules set forth by the schools board. Which sucks plain
and simple. You sign papers over a year ago and they act like things dont happen
in peoples lives which can change financial situations. Constant threats of being tossed
out of the program your attending if you fall behind on ur in school payments. Which is
about 50 dollars a month for the average student. Even though they get paid from the
goverment which is alot more money. Good lawsuit though if they kick you out mid term
and they dont give back to the government. If you go nights no one is there to help you out
either. Director of pupils waits till class begins then happily leaves the building for the night.
Understaffed finacial aid department leaves fairly early too. If you have money to blow pay up
to go and you have yourself a nice place to hangout and meet new people/friends. But the school
dosent care about you just the money. You can have a great GPA and perfect attendance and your
just another dollar sign to them. Instructors do the best they can but you can see frustration in their
eyes. More students then instructors to help you out to learn. Who ever runs this school needs an
intervention because they have no idea whats really going on with America these days
And the job placement guy is a joke. Types you up a resume thats on standard computer paper
shows you how to look for a job yourself. Using the internet. Lolololool. Most of us are grown ups
we know how to find jobs using a computer. If your lucky to get placed you will be somewhere that
you wont even be able to live and pay your student loans back. 10 bucks an hour or less in some cases
structurally this school needs to be assessed by a law professional in regards to the rights of the students and its curriculum. they have breeched my contract with them many times yet nobody seems to do anything about it. The job placement people are a joke and have no understanding of the trades whatsoever as they are fresh out of college themselves. This is called a money pit/pretending to be something that you are not. If it wasnt for the extra efforts of my teachers to get us to learn i would have quit already. The director of the hvac program was let go for reasons uncertain when this guy followed every rule to the letter of the law. He was a stern teacher but also wantd you to learn. Goes to show how much education is really valued. Wait..it isnt.
going to this school now and almost done. i’m one of the most neutral in my class. my professor is awesome (but im sure i can beg to differ with any other program, mine actually has complete experience) but the rest of the staff is completely ignorant. the director of the school has no idea what he is doing. they constantly change the rules and attendance policy. if i wasnt so driven to finish or had such a great instructor i would have left, no questions asked.
Honestly this school doesn’t deserve any stars!!! That to is a scam. You have to check the stars in order to post your comment! My stars are full s**t just like the school!
The Stratford, CT campus is unsafe. People come in off the streets to fight the students. The building isn’t secure even after having several issues of fighting, the dental program is full of ghetto black females that are ALWAYS arguing with each other, a woman came in the building with a bat with no shirt on because her daughter got into an argument with another student in the same class ( dental assistant program). One of the instructors Ms. G called the students delinquents when they took a trip to NY on 5/17/12 she posted that on facebook to.
I was attending P&C until 5/24/12 until I recieved a call on 5/24/12 saying I was being kicked out because I was sick, mind you I took in my doctors note. It’s sad because 5/30/12 is my last day….Yes this school is ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!
I attended the HVAC program in watertown. biggest mistake ever. the instructors were ok, but the equipment was outdated and there was not enough of it. i ended up quitting and going to a real university and am so much happier. stay away
“The Man” sounds like another instructor who wants to turn this review board into a Porter & Chester student bashing web page. “Mr. Ghetto Friendly” talks about misspelled words as if those who misspell words have no right to an opinion. By the way, the first letter of the first word in the first paragraph of “The Man’s” little tirade isn’t capitalized.
By coming on here and attacking students, many of whom will be paying on school loans for years, “The Man” sounds more like a small insecure instructor afraid for his job and thus willing to sacrifice the future of others so that he may have a paycheck.
Welcome to Porter & Chester. You’ve been warned. BOOYAH!
not one of you can get through a paragraph without misspelling a word…..and you expect a job? “da skillz”…..give me a break…..If I ever hear someone use those wordz….misspelling intended……you can bet yo ass I ain’t gonna use them in my business….fo shizzle…..wake the hell up…..maybe it’s the attitude that prevents you from getting a job….not the fact that the teachers told you what you should do, and you ignored them…btw….I’m ghetto friendly…..but even I wouldn’t hire your stupid asses with all the misspellings and stupidity that you broadcast like a road flare….learn to communicate and you’d be surprised how people think of you…talk like a hood rat and see how far you get. and don’t say “it’s my culture”….if you want respect you have to show respect…and most of you couldn’t even show respect to a damn dictionary, much less an employer…..BOOYAH!
this school is no good, instructors dont even help you. it is a waste of 30k you can buy a book and a shity car and learn that way (for under $600) or find a better school……………………..
this school fucking sucks. and to the intructor- beliver. you bulshitting retarded ass lyer. school is for sure a scam, and pool of illgal money racktiering
This is a for profit school that will glady take your money and then not invest any $$ into learning materials or teaching the students at all. Choose another trade school because this one is a complete mess. I dont know if at one point this school might have been legit but it has definately Become a hole in the wall.
I was a CADD student in Chicopee. When I went for a tour of the school, I wasn’t all that impressed with the classroom(folding tables with a computer on it), but I was looking for a change in career and the CPS told me that they had an 85 – 100% placement rate, so I signed on. I was also told that they would be starting to teach 3d drafting as part of the curicullum, I was almost done with the course when they started teaching it to the new starts. I had to start learning it on my own (my instructor did help some to get me started, but couldn’t spend much time with me on it). While the instructors were good, I soon found that the placement numbers were far from true. The numbers quoted were from 2 years prior. While students were going out the backdoor without jobs, they continued to bring more in the front door, fully aware that they were struggling to find jobs for previous graduates.
The other issue I had was the equipment, some of the local trade schools (high schools) had better computers than we did. And there were constant issues with them, while the IT students did their best, it seemed they were in the class every day, mostly patching them up. Computers are cheap today and for 25,000 dollars for the course, there were probably 25 to 30 of us using them between the day and the evening course that they could upgrade and replace them every 18 months so that the students were working on the latest equipment.
Also the director would come in and have us do surveys, which by your 3rd term most of us felt were a joke. I understand that they are a business and they can’t do everything that is suggested by the students, but come on how many months do you have to complain about adding more RAM to the computers, so that it would minimize crashes (it’s not that expensive).
Any way I could go on and on as to how I feel I was sold short, in all areas from start to finish, so I’ll just stop here.
The comment from “Believer” sounds like one of the instructors. And it’s the old “if you can’t find a job then you just haven’t tried hard enough” line of B.S…Complete with the “you’re a loser” attitude.
Thing is, the job placement assistance they ADVERTISE is really just a nifty Power Point presentation. WHEW! It was a beauty too! The experience left me breathless. I shouldn’t say negative things about my last boss at an interview? Really??? Who knew…I gots da skills now and it only cost me “twenty large”.
so dissapointed….the school is all about money. massholes. thieves and liers. everyone is a gangster or a wannabe. school has absolutley no structure or respect for students.
i should have reconsidered.
No lie job placement is the biggest joke i ever saw.In the one year I was here we went through 3 instructors (2 quit to get a real job)and our current teacher doesn’t have a clue to the electricial codes. DON’T GO HERE!!!!!!!
I am about to graduate from the nursing program this year. I read the reviews and agree with some of the concerns and disagree with others. I am 40 years old and a very determined 14 year old military veteran. Some of classmates were much younger and just didn’t take the program serious. Alot of people need to look in the mirror and decide what they put into it. I don’t need an instructor to babysit me. I need one to answer questions and assign work and tell me what I did wrong. There are so many situations that I saw that my instructor gave second chances to students who were just slackers. If they didn’t want to take the work serious they shouldn’t be in such a fast paced program. I have had 3 job offers already and haven’t graduated yet. I am proud of what I accomplished and will be continuing my education to get my RN. Do not do the nursing program unless you are ready to sacrifice until graduation.
AFTER GOING TO A TWO YEAR COLLEGE, I DECIDED I WANTED TO WORK WITH MY HANDS. I PICKED PORTER & CHESTER FOR THEIR ELECTRICAL PROGRAM. THE WORST DECISION I EVER MADE IN MY LIFE. THE EDUCATION WAS NOT THERE. THE SCHOOL WAS ONLY WORRIED ABOUT THE EDUCATION MONEY FROM THE LOANS AND YOUR POCKET. I GRADUATED WITH HIGH HONORS AND I HARDLY HAD TO DO ANYTHING TO EARN THAT. THE TEACHER WAS UNPROFESSIONAL BY PASSING GAS IN FRONT OF THE STUDENTS. THIS SCHOOL NEEDS TO BE SHUT DOWN, THE STUDENTS SHOULD GET ALL THEIR MONEY BACK. CONTACT ME IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS SCHOOL, I WILL ANSWER THEM TRUTHFULLY.
This school is a scam. I attended pci f
I’m in an allied health program and it sucks.the instructors have no clue how to teach and copy word for word verbatim off the PowerPoint.i just started not too long ago and already regret it.i am learning nothing in class and have to teach myself on my own time.maybe they should hire certified teachers or instructors because I can do a better job teaching this stuff! But they’re probably cheap and font want to pay more for a real teacher! Boards came up and how ironic the only three ppl taking all failed them. what does that say? Nothing at all for the class prep,knowledge or understanding of this particular program from a teachers to a students standpoint.it sucks, all they care about is money..they make sure I understand that aspect of it..and are very clear in that area of explaining each financial thing point! It’s ridiculous.im going to start to look for other schools that have my program bc I’m so fed up with this school.its embarrassing the lack of knowledge I have from these horrible instuctors,and how I have to re-teach myself everyday. Don’t go to pci!! I learned the hard way, and I’m not even half done! You Really have to research the different schools thoroughly.. I thought I did,but apparently I did a terrible job..if only I saw something like this beforehand
chicopee ma the school is a joke and the campus director is an arrogent ass go to school for 18 months and they want to offer me a job at jiffy lube
This school is a scam and changes there rules when its convient for them every other week it something with this school about attendence. Now they tell us in the middle of a term that they didnt explain the new changes well so they were telling us now in the middle of the term. Now they are saying you need to attend class 90% of the time or your gone witch was fine we all new that and as long as you make up your time and stay above 90% your good. But now there saying you only have two weeks to make up your time from the time you go under the 90% and even if you make up all of your time if your missed time adds up to 85% no matter what reason you were out if you hit 85% your gone and you cant make up the time. Then like last term some people were short a couple hours and they were allowed to start the next term and as soon as two weeks went by (thats how long it takes for them to get there money for the whole term) then they tell you your dismissed COME ON OVER A COUPLE HOURS they could be off for all they know. The school had no power for three days during the october snow storm and made the students make up that time on there own yeaa the made us sit in a room and just make up the time, it wasnt like they schedualed the time and had a class nooooo it was just a waste of time with students sitting in front of a computer watching videos THIS SCHOOL HAS NOOOO STRUCTURE!!!!! they are liers and bend the rules to there benifit. Students that kiss there a$$ get hours written off or rounded off to ther benifit but if your one to speak up your on the s**t list. The teachers arent even certified in what there teaching, How can you teach somthing you never learned COME ON ITS A JOKE!!!! I can go on all day but it wont help maybe it every one starts speaking up things will change. THEY LET 9 PEOPLE GO TODAY FOR THE BULL S**T ATTENDENCE POLICY TODAY ALONE ………YOU GET THE POINT …….START TALKING PEOPLE OR YOU WILL LOSE 27,000 AND THATS NOT CHUMP CHANGE…..
I myself was in their Medical Assistant program, and I agree with Just Disappointed. PCI is an education money mill. They are completely a rip-off and they really do not care what happens to their students once they are out of their classroom. I found for the amount of money that the students pay, the school was lacking. The equipment didn’t always work, the computers ugh…. they were a mess, the programs that we had to install on the computers were confusing and for people who have to do these programs with every batch of new students, they sure knew nothing about them. There was never enough equipment for every student to use and learn at the same time. And seriously… they expect to have people comfortable jabbing someone in the arm with a needle to draw blood only after 3 days of talking about it and practicing on a mutilated fake arm. The teachers, as people are nice, while you are in school, but once you’re out… you’re a nuisance. The rules to the school change every week and personally I don’t feel that we are taught what we really need in the field. MANY girls that have left PCI have not had any luck finding jobs or receiving the promised help of finding “GUARENTEED PLACEMENT\”. Many girls have had to get jobs doing whatever they can get because almost all of the places that are applied for say that “They need more years’ experience\”. The PROMISES that were given to us were not followed through at all, but were just ploys to get us in. We were told that once we left PCI, we would be certified in 3 things,PHLEBOTOMY, MEDICAL ASSISTING, and CPR. The CPR was the only true thing… even though that training class was definitely not long enough and was just rushed through. When girls started to ask questions about being certified in the other things, they played dumb… and said that they do not know why we were told that. But many girls were, and they just turned their heads. I don’t think that the instructors are really that educated in every topic. I personally will tell everyone and anyone I hear are going to check out PCI to go elsewhere. The school is a fraud and so are the people working there!!!! All they want is money… Shame on us for trusting them. I can go on forever about my horrible experiences at PCI but I won’t. I have made some great friends from going there but…. I just am disgusted on how I and others have been treated! NUFF SAID!!!
==
This school sux! After 1 year, I still cannot find work. I am working as a waitress instead. I have called the school in Enfield Ct and never had any of my calls returned. False hope is right, once you are done… so are they. They should be reported to the Better Business Bureau. I am shocked that they have not been investigated yet. If sombody could afford a lawyer than I would def jump on and start a class action law suit!
School was bought out by investment company…it is all about the money anf not about the students
My fathet went there many years ago when it was ran by the original owner
He cant beleive how different it is ..stay away from the scum bags
Wow. Did i make a huge mistake coming to porter and chester. They lured me in good with lies and making me feel like i would be attending a school that gave a crap about my education. From day 1 this has been a huge waste of my time. I kep saying ill give it one more term and see if it gets better but it never has. The teachers are a joke. Our new teacher was hired with no prior teaching experience at all. thats what i want to do is spend 30k to be taught by someone who has never taught before in his life. Every other week they change the “Rules” of the course and make stuff up. Im really confused how this school has not been investigated yet for bait and switch techniques…. amazing. What a let down. DO NOT i repeat DO NOT attend this school. Over priced and you will not get what you pay for.
Don’t waste your time or your money. I graduated from the CAD program in 2009. The software we used was 3 years outdated and the curriculum was 20-30 years outdated. The instructor was a looser who lived in his car in the parking lot and was fired 2 months into my 1st semester. The 3rd instructor new CAD but had no idea how to teach and was full of sh%!. It was a waste of $25K, a lot of money… I’ll be paying that off for the next 30 years with high interest. No job placement, no opportunity offered to continue learning after I graduated. They just wanted their money and that was it. I’m writing this complaint because the school called me today, 3 years later and asked me what I was doing. When I told them I was working, they wanted to use my name to promote the school (saying a graduate had a job). I would rather starve to death before I gave them an ounce of credit for what I do. I had to erase everything they taught me and reeducate myself (spending more money) to get a job. This school is a joke and a scam. They are using your credit and social security number to take education dollars from the government. You will not benefit from attending this “school”. Pass my message on, Porter and Chester is a scam in every way, don’t fall for it
This school is a total scam. $27k and my son was thrown out a week after funds were disbursed because he was 2 hours short for that term. Do they send the money back? NO!!! He can reapply in April and apply for loans again. WHAT!!!!! Are you f’n kidding me? SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I beg anyone concidering to come to porter and chester of woburn to reconcider … i am curently attending night auto class and ive necer been so dissapointed in my life this school lacks quality instructors and hire instuctors with no experiance at all in education you are more than often left guessing what to do in the shop because the instrutors sit on there assa in the office .. we are forced to clean up for a half hour every night and most of the mess is not evan ourd this school litterlly makes you pay 27k to work a part time.job … you wont learn much here exect how to clean floord
Typical rip-off technical school… overpay for mediocre, at best, education. My son was 6 months into his program when he had severe car accident (not his fault) and had to withdraw from school and could not continue due to injuries. Not once did we receive a call from instructor or anyone to see how he was doing. Now we have to pay back $14,000 for a wasted 6 months. Others that were in his program and graduated are delivering pizza because can’t find work.
Advising any parents to have their kids stay away from this one!!!
School is a complete fraud. They hire instructors that mearly understand the courses. We went three 3 “instructors” in 13 months. This is mainly a self teach school. The faculty could really care less about you as an individual. They change the “standards” or “rules” on a weekly basis. 27k and this place isnt even worth it. People make false promises here and dont deliver. Would not suggest anyone to come here. Save your money do yourself a favor and goto a real college not a mediocre trade school.
i graduated from this school in 2010 i found 1 job 2 months long after that i couldn’t find work, The job placement says well we don’t have anything for you today! b.s they don’t even try calling pepole or nothing they print out a list of pepole that might be hireing and leave your ass out in the wind f**k them! and i have a highe GPA. former computer networking tech. grad
This school is a joke no help from placement specialist at all, no homework at all, ant at one point they were teaching us addition and subtraction no lie
I am so disappointed in this school!!!! 26,0000 dollars later no job and no placement,,,
Hello the career placement person was fired last !
The schools a scam, total ripoff. Your paying 25k out of your pocket to work on mockup cars that barely run anyway. Very little direction from instructors, and there is no curriculum. It seems as though were just being exploited for free labor to make the school money on customer cars…. Save the money, do general studies at some community college, this schools a joke.