Thread regarding Education Management Corporation layoffs

500 + 1 I agree with that concept, most kids will Google Ai and get a boat load of marketing designed to deceive them into thinking what a great school it is and any negative things they might stumble upon are just bad students or rouge employees. EDMC is not a household name to most people so this trick works. It's not by accident I must say. When I did a Wikipedia search of the local Art Institute not a word about EDMC or Goldman, instead it said it was a private art college with only about 2,000 students and world-renowned restaurant run by aspiring chefs, not a word about being part of a big chain or for-profit. You can argue Wiki its not an accurate source, but people, especially young people still use it quite a lot. Since WiKi pages can be written by anyone, the Art Institute sent their marketing people on this years ago. The good news is, you can update them too with the current lawsuits, news, low job placement record and for-profit status. This seems to be on an individual school basis, some are very detailed others have no page. The bad news is, when I went to update, there was an aggressive person on the other side trying to delete all my content as irreverent. We went around and around but I won most of the battle since I kept at it and the information about lawsuits, stock prices, were all links easily verifiable. Before I came along, it looked like a 2 page ad. It literally looked like it was written by marketing people. It was someones little thiefdom and they were upset I wanted to show the other side of the coin. But that is how it is supposed to work, content from many sources not just one writer. So yes, I did my part, if you want to help, maybe its a good idea to update your own local school. WiKi is easy once you get the hang of it. This was several years ago, I still wonder who they paid to do that, my guess is that person is no longer there with all the budget cuts. We should all do are part and update WiKi!

672, I agree with your statement. Even though I do not like Obama and nearly all of his ideas, he has made it more difficult for places like EDMC. Sadly, the idea that a LARGE number do attend for the stipend is still correct. While they've tried to do things to curb that, it still exists and when the money stops going back into the student pocket, the student will stop going back into the school.

Simple it's all in the name! No one knows who EDMC is. EDMC takes all the bad hits. So if you google the school name you get only a tiny amount of the real story.

I lurk around this site after having been fired from Ai three years ago because I have some unresolved issues about my relationship with the company and really want to see EDMC taken down (legally, of course.) I often find myself typing responses to some of the more absurd stuff I see here, only to erase them because it all seems like such a waste of time and energy. However, the comment made by 123997 really deserves a response. Bringing Obama's race into this is really an example of the ridiculousness of calling any EDMC school an "educational institution." There is such a huge gulf between a legitimate institution of higher learning and this one and one need look no further than stupid, illogical, ad hominem arguments such as this one to see the difference, although I seriously doubt 997 knows how ignorant he/she is. Those who harbor this arrogance of ignorance really need to go back to selling used cars, ladies handbags, real estate or what ever non-academic businesses they were in before they were hired by this sad excuse for a company. They have no business in education.

As for why students continue to buy into this scam, hope springs eternal and,...there's one born every minute. Most of those who can't afford to cover the gap in tuition between grants and subsidized loans with cash are only dimly aware of the financial hole they are digging themselves into. They are enabled and co-opted into a system that will ruin their financial lives and they simply don't have the sophisitication to understand the complexities of the system. The reason enrollments are falling is because 1. Many students can no longer get financing and 2. due-dilligence is getting a lot easier because there is so much negative information about EDMC that is available on line. Qualified, talented students are finally avoiding these schools. The collapse of this horrible company is coming; it will be soon and it will be every bit as dramatic as was Corinthian's.

The main reasons are,

1. Admission requirement is GED or HS Diploma. As expensive as it is sometimes that's the only way some people can go.

2. Lack of researching other flexible options. The number of people putting themselves almost 30k in the hole for an Associates is ridiculous. Go to the local community college or take online courses there but we're not allowed to recommend that.

3. You don't get your hand held at regular schools like you do with EDMC schools. It perpetuates the lazy "not my fault" attitude while sinking them into debt.

I don't think these schools are great or good but everything at least now is slated out clearly for the student. Cost and everything. So when they decide to go they know how much it costs.

997 a you are correct! Most know if they demand a stipend, it must be given to them. Then they drop!

The schools are showing signs of decay. Few computer labs, minimal equipment, no support staff, empty desks, dirty kitchens. The lack of investment into the facilities will hurt the schools too.

The schools are showing signs of decay. Few computer labs, minimal equipment, no support staff, empty desks, dirty kitchens. The lack of investment into the facilities will hurt the schools too.

Well if you haven't noticed the students aren't exactly geniuses with a GPA average of 1.5 they don't have any other options. Oh and don't forget the shout out from the 662 aka Mississippi the poorest region of the country that just wants a stipend they will never pay back. That's why they enroll. Their credit scores are already garbage so why not go for another free handout before the black mans out of office.

I know- I don't get it either. But I have noticed admissions getting more and more desperate for enrollments.