I attended the Oakland, CA Heald College (now closed) campus in 1996 - 1998 and graduated with an AA in Legal Office Administration. I went right out of high school not knowing what I wanted to do so Heald sounded like the best option at the time. I was told before I applied that the credits are transferable to other colleges and universities. I didn't think to do further research and in 1996, there were no online sources. I took their word on it.

Attending Heald was almost like attending Jr. High - except I was paying for it. Many of the students (though older than I was) were very immature and wasn't serious about attending and getting the work done. Once you focus and ignore that, you can get though. When I graduated, I was employed soon after I received my degree. Working in the San Francisco Bay Area during the dot com era landed me many well-paying jobs as an administrative, executive and personal assistant. During the time I was unemployed, I always had temp and contract work lined up. There were a few periods where there wasn't much, but many others were suffering.

I honestly don't think my $11, 000 degree from Heald put me at a better advantage than someone who had some of the same skills I had - but it was something.

Fast forward to 2010, I realize that its about time that I complete a Bachelors degree. When I made an inquiry at my local state college, I was told that my credits from Heald are not transferable. What??? All this time, all these years, I was thinking that I can just transfer my credits and complete and undergrad degree in a couple of years. They are willing to give me a few credits (a quarter), but that's it. I guess one quarters worth is better than nothing.

My advise to anyone considering Heald: Think about what you might want to do long-term. If you only care about being an assistant or technician for the rest of your life, fine (but I think you should go to a community college). But if you eventually want to earn a undergrad and beyond, please don't waste your time and MONEY. Go to a community college and work your way up if you need to. I wish I had.