For Colston, the biggest disappointment was failing to experience CPS’ fifth quarter, when the school promised to help students build their portfolios and share their books on social channels.
The facade started to disintegrate.
Sarah Chaffin, former student, CPS
“It would be great if the school existed to help me with a network,” Colston told Adweek. “I wasted all of my time. I ended up doing all the work on my own, when the whole point was to not do it solo.”
While the school’s Pipeline Fund Scholarship covered Colston’s tuition, he reflected on the complications of having to “go back to square one.”
“We were left on our own to complete our portfolios,” he wrote. “We were left on our (own) to reach out to recruiters and market ourselves, things that were promised when we enrolled.”
Sarah Chaffin, who dropped out of the school’s strategy program before the summer 2022 quarter, was feeling frustrated after waiting on Epstein’s delayed schedule releases, only to find out the placements had “nothing to do with my discipline.” Chaffin was in CPS’ first class of strategy students. Previously, the school only offered a creative tracks.
Chaffin left the program alongside former student Arianna Palafox and the rest of her cohort, who claimed they were “being scammed” by an administration that offered another track without expanding resources.
“The facade started to disintegrate,” Chaffin told Adweek. While strategy students were sent course catalogs, obtained by Adweek, before each quarter, sources said Epstein ultimately did not give students a say in their schedules.
“Only one course was strategy, and it was taught by Jeff himself, who has no strategy experience,” she said. “Another was taught by someone with my same level of experience.”
In a July 2022 response to Chaffin’s email about her cohort leaving the program, Epstein wrote, “I understand I made some horrible decisions and disrespected your time and money. I’m embarrassed by my lack of action. I am grateful for your patience and understanding and will do everything I can to make things right for you.”
Palafox requested a refund for classes she wasn’t able to attend while undergoing breast cancer treatment. She attached notes from her surgeon in an Aug. 1, 2022 email to Epstein. She says he hasn’t responded.
Chaffin paid her CPS tuition through the education platform Leif. Despite the school going dark in January, Leif continued requesting payments. “I do not want to be tied to (CPS) anymore, and I do not owe any money towards this program,” Chaffin wrote to Leif. The platform has since cut ties with CPS.