Hi dgraysmith,
dgraysmith: can you speak to the "real world" possibilites of employment?
MM is a nationally accredited vocational school and in order to maintain that accreditation we are required to closely monitor our completion and job placement rates. We currently have an 80% completion rate (the national average for 4-year colleges is ~50%) and over a 90% job placement rate in the horse industry. Additionally our job placement rate increased from the 2007-2008 school year to the 2008-2009 school year, so I absolutely feel our graduates are very employable in the industry and very capable of having successful careers in the industry. But don't just take my word for it, talk to past graduates. On our website we have a page that lists all of our graduates for the past several years and the jobs they went into right out of school (http://meredithmanor.edu/graduate/horse_jobs.asp), and we also have a page with links to websites of businesses where many of our graduates are currently working (http://meredithmanor.edu/graduate/grad_links.asp).
Regarding paying back student loans, for the past few years our graduates default rate on student loans has ranged from 0.0% to 7.8%, so the vast majority have been able to repay their loans and the percentages are very similar to the national average for all schools.
dgraysmith: She isn't focusing on her grades in high school, since "MM doesn't look at that" and spends all available time at the barn.
Because MM doesn't have academic classes, we currently don't take high school GPA into account in our admissions process. However, we do stress that success in high school is often an important factor in a person's success in a career in the horse industry. It helps the student begin to develop a good work ethic and it provides the student with many skills that can be valuable when dealing with employers, clients, etc. Additionally, I'm not sure when your daughter is considering attending MM, but due to increased application numbers we are considering revamping our application selection process down the road. If we do change the selection process, it is very likely that high school GPA and attendance will be factored into that process.
BayHorseGirl: The employers where only interested in potential employees with an associate or bachelor's degree from an accredited university.
If you are interested in the degree track, Meredith Manor does have an affiliation with WVU-P to offer our students Associates and Bachelors Degrees in Equestrian Studies. However, I think you will find employers requiring a degree in the horse industry the exception rather than the rule. The majority of employers are much more interested in the candidates skill level and experience, which is why MM focuses so much on the hands-on time - you can't gain these types of physical skills and experience in the classroom.
MM students will often have up to 4 hours a day, 4 days a week of instructed time in the saddle in their riding, training, and teaching classes. Over the course of the Riding Master VI program, this adds up to well over 1000 hours over 18 months. In many of the college programs with Equine Studies majors including Delaware Valley, the students have just 2 hours of riding classes per week which adds up to around 250 hours over 4 years.
BayHorseGirl: In 2007 I graduated from Delaware Valley College with a degree in Equine Studies.
A comparison of some MM and Delaware Valley numbers:
- Full Program Tuition with Room and Board: MM $52,000; DelVal $160,000
- Program Length: MM - 18 months; DelVal - 4 years
- Total semester credit hours: MM - 168; DelVal - 132
- Equestrian related credit hours: MM - 168; DelVal - 54
- Instructed time in the saddle: MM - 1000+ hours; DelVal - ~250 hours
- Completion Rate: MM - 80%; DelVal - 50% (35% in 4 years - something to keep in mind here is that in Degree programs if you take longer to complete the program you are charged additional tuition. MM allows student to extend the time required to complete their program at no additional cost beyond room and board.)
- Job Placement Rate: MM - 90%; DelVal - ?
- Program Type: MM - certification; DelVal - degree
- Riding Disciplines Offered: MM - Dressage, Jumping, Western; DelVal - Dressage, Jumping
However, I'm not trying to say 4-year degree programs are bad, many of them offer great educational opportunities, they are just offering a different service. The express purpose of a vocational school is to provide students with the skills necessary to have a successful career in a specific vocation. The purpose of a liberal arts college is to provide general knowledge and develop intellectual capacities. Neither type of school is better or worse than the other, they just provide different services. It depends on the students educational and career goals to determine which type of school would be the best fit and if they have the necessary time and money - doing both types of schools is often a great option.
In the end though, you really need to visit the schools and talk to students, staff, and graduates to get a better understanding of the programs they offer. MM offers tours during the week year round. During their visit, prospective students will have the opportunity to see the campus, sit in on classes, and talk with staff and students. To schedule a tour you can go to http://meredithmanor.edu/about/tour.asp
Feel free to ask any other questions you may have.
