I registered with Saratoga University School of Law to begin my dream of Law School. Saratoga seemed just the ticket. I encountered delays from the very start.
I was actually accepted in October of 2002, but did not start until March 2003. Dr. Narkin misplaced my file, so I had to get my college transcript again. Then, once the tuition had been paid, I had to wait a month for the materials to arrive.
I had only two occaisions in which I had questions about the curriculum. I called the school, and on more than one occasion, Dr. Narkin was downright rude. He actually SCREAMED at me on the phone once when I was calling from my cell phone. It was a bad connection, as some cell phone calls are. I was saying that I would call him back from home when I heard him scream "JUST LET ME TALK, WILL YOU!". The other time I called, he told me to call back in an hour because he was dealing with computer issues. I called back at the time he stated, but there was no answer.
The time came to request mid-terms. I had to wait over a month for them to arrive. I had to take time off of work so that I could still finish them in the time required by California Bar Rules. My back was so bad that I fell on the way out of the post office and had to, literally, crawl back to my car.
I waited over six months for him to grade the mid-terms. In fact, he sent them along with the finals so, according to him, he could save on postage. When I got the mid-terms back, the sole markings were check marks by the answers and one said 3/4. There were no other comments. He had stated that the delay was due to in depth comments on each of my responses. There were no in-depth comments, just check marks.
I still perservered. I was not going to let my dream be shattered by his ineptness. I finished the course and requested my finals. Predictably, I waited over a month for them.
Anytime I need something from the school, there is some sort of delay. Among the excuses I have been offered: computer issues, State auditing, the death of his father, arranging for the long term care of his mother, the death of his mother, probabting his mother's estate, being in a restaurant and unable to talk, and being out of town. Curiously, Michael Narkin seems to always be in Oregon. He said that some of the delays are caused because I mail items to the San Jose address, and he is in their other office in Oregon. I asked for his Oregon address, but he declined to give it to me.
Today is May 16, 2004. I mailed my finals on Feb. 25, 2004. The school catalogue states a 10 DAY turn around time to grade finals. As of today it has been 82 days since I mailed my finals back to the school.
In order to begin my second year, the State of Ohio needs a statement from Dr. Michael Narkin. I requested this on March 1, 2004. I am getting tuition assistance from the State of Ohio. The letter I need is simply a statement of what the second year tuition is and the payment terms acceptable to the school. Here is the history of this request:
3/1/04: Spoke with Dr. Narkin. He said he would get what my counselor needs in a couple of days.
3/8/04: Have not received the letter; decided to write out what is needed and mailed it off to Saratoga with a S.A.S.E. All that Dr. Narkin needs to do is sign it.
3/10/04: Spoke with Narkin on the phone. Let him know that I had not received the letter we discussed on March 1, and let him know that I had written a letter that all he had to do is sign and enclosed a SASE. I told him I had mailed it two days ago. His response: He was IRRITATED with me and asked how in the hell he was supposed to have gotten a letter I had mailed two days ago to the San Jose address when he is in Oregon. I told him that this was the same letter that we had discussed on the first of March. He was mad and terminated the conversation. He said he would wait for my letter to arrive to see what I had written.
3/23/04: Have not received letter from Saratoga. I left a message on the school answering machine.
3/26/04: Tried to call the school again, left another message on the answering machine.
3/29/04: Ray Case, my counselor from State of Ohio called me, confirmed that he had not heard from Saratoga either.
4/5/04: Left a message on Saratoga ans. mach stating that if I do not hear back from Dr. Narkin by 4/9/04 that I would assume that I was not accepted as a second year law student, left the history of contact for the request of this letter beginning March 1, 2004.
4/9/04: Dr. Narkin left a brief message on my answering machine at 5:17 PM Eastern time. In the message, Dr. Narkin apologized stating that he had been tied up with his mother's estate and he had thought that his assistant had supplied me with the needed letter, and that he would ABSOLUTELY take care of this on Monday April 12, 2004. I called Ray Case and gave him the good news.
4/13/04: Called Dr. Narkin to confirm that he had Ray Case's fax number and that he would fax the letter along with the book list for the second year so that I could pre-order books and there would be no more delays or gaps in my studies. Dr. Narkin stated that I had done well on the finals, as on the mid-terms, there was no doubt that I had passed, but complained that my answers to the final's questions were too long.
4/16/04: I called Ray Case to see if he has received letter from Dr. Narkin, and he has not depsite Narkin's ABSOLUTE promise to supply letter on 4/12. I called the school and once again left Ray Case's fax number and stated that we have not received the letter that I originally requested March 1. I cannot get tuition assistance without this letter. Dr. Narkin knows this.
4/23/04: Ray Case called me stating he has not heard from Dr. Narkin, nor has he received the letter.
4/23/04: Attempted to call Saratoga and leave a message on their ans. mach. Message stated that voice mailbox was full, so was unable to leave a message.
4/26/04: Wrote a letter to Dr. Narkin (School voice mailbox is still full). Stated that Ray Case needs that letter by May 3, 2004 or else I would not be getting assistance. Ray Case is getting very leary and disgusted with all of the delays and wants to see the results of my finals.
5/3/04: Called Saratoga because today is the deadline for the letter originally requested March 1. School voice mailbox is still full. Ray confirmed that he has not received the letter.
5/18/04: Have given up, writing this report to the rip off website.
Dr. Narkin has SHATTERED my dream. My first year of law school was completely paid for, yet I cannot get the results of my finals, and am unable to start my second year.
Dr. Narkin appears to be very unprofessional, rude and unresponsive. I would not recommend Saratoga to anyone. I had recommended it to several people--my pharmacist and Dr. Fortunately this people had not followed up and I warned them so now they will not. It is a shame. Law school for $2,700 a year, and yet you can still work full time is too good to be true. Guess what? It was too good to be true.
Claudia
Steubenville, Ohio
U.S.A.