I am taking the alchemy masters course through Flamel College and it is tons of fun but the organization at the school sucks. I am enjoying reading and writing. Having a course schedule and materials really helps build a solid grounding, especially if you use it as an adjunct to your other readings

You need to email a question in about 10 -15 times before you get a response. Most of the contact info on the site is wrong or no one is actually at the other end to read the email. If you put more than one question in an email they answer the easiest one and forget all others. Email turn around, if you ever get a response is between 3 weeks to 3 months. 75% of emails sent to them vanish without a trace or a reply. If you contact some of the profs, listed for the courses they complain about having as rough a time as you will have making contact. Some profs are amazed when you contact them that the school is still running and will suggest skipping going through Flamel all together and just go direct through them, its faster. The email contact with your instructor will be marginally better in the long run but you will not notice this margin without really sending a lot of emails. Faxing is further pointless and contacting the other faculty members will also get you nowhere.

I was told by another student, not to waste my time. They suggested that I do not send them money because its impossible to get in touch. It took me almost 6 months to get through to someone to ask if it was still running. I have had to threaten legal action to get a reaction on the other end. Constant nagging is necessary to ensure you are not forgotten entirely.

Long made short it is fun but not worth the overall added stress and bullcrud. There is a speed program that is supposed to be faster. But getting the materials is not the big problem, finding answers to questions is. Even when you are offering to purchase a service, class or materials. Money does not grease the wheels on that end.

I often wish I had listened to the others I talked to and found another way.

Well I am at my wits end with this so called "college" They don't answer any emails. They promise course work that they refuse to provide. The idea of personalized instruction is a joke. I signed up for all 6 modules and even paid a reinstatement fee after their negligence caused me to stop thinking about it for over a year. Their student forums are non functional and almost non existent. I am toying with the idea of initiating a fraud lawsuit. I was just told by a former student that D.W. Hauck is the sole person behind the ETX, International Alchemy Guild, Alchemylab, Flamel College, and Crucible.org. It's like they are all part of a interlinked scam to give the perspective student the illusion of credibility and substance when there is in fact none to be found.

I've taken 3 courses from Flamel. At first I enjoyed them and was glad that there was an online option for such study that didn't cost an arm and a leg. I finished each module fairly quickly and sent in my tests. The email communication was not great...I'd often have to email 3-4 times before I got an apologetic response. Lately I've gotten no responses. Not from the general address. Not from the exams address. Not from the supposed Andrea Z. Not from the forums. I submitted an exam which got bumped back to me and for a month I emailed everyone I could, including old professors, even ones who are no longer with Flamel College...only the one who is no longer with them bothered to write me back. I was about to throw in the towel when my latest certification arrived in the mail, along with my graded test. I was happy again...until I noticed the comments.

It wasn't what was written that bothered me, it was the handwriting is which it was written. My first course was taught by D.W. Hauck and my latest one by Alex Hayden. But when I compared handwriting on the comments from both tests, they were identical. I'm not sure what to think about this. If Flamel College is a one man show, I'd prefer he be honest about it. How can I be sure they're teaching me anything when the only thing I've learned thus far is that I'm being deceived? I'm not going to jump to any conclusions just yet, but if Mr. Hauck was filling in for Dr. Hayden (does he exist?) a simple note saying so would have cleared things up and not made me have to play CSI here. I'm not sure I want to continue with my courses...which is why I went looking for other testimonies on the web.

If anyone has any more info, or wants to talk more about this, feel free to write me at mrmister22@aol.com Don't worry, I WILL write back! :)

BJC