Life changing and probably life saving. I'm on my 4th class with Dante & Co. and I've been blown away by what I've learned. Dante has a way of teaching that no matter where your starting point is, you're going to be off and running in no time.* Especially if you take the second Fundamentals class.
I was nervous about taking it after seeing the work that the students in the prior class were doing, but damned if I didn't come out of there feeling like I could do just about anything. (I think he sprinkles some magic dust over his wife's pasta that the class eats over the first weekend to make you magically have woodworking ability, but that's just a theory.) The class project is a Shaker Table, which is nice, but not something I have room for or wanted. But after all the lessons I learned from that stupid little end stand, I take a lot of pride looking at it. It's quite beautiful. So beautiful that I gave it to my mother for Mothers Day.
Reading Dean's review, I have to agree: I had the same concern about the cost going in. A quick little back of the napkin math allayed my fears and then I realized what an insane bargain it is. Combine that with the bargains on tools etc., taking a class here is a no brainer.
*By "no time", I mean after hour upon hour of hard labor getting your tools in working order. It's the most important thing you'll learn in Fundamentals 1; you'll wonder if it will ever end, and you'll feel it the next day. So, keep your aspirin handy!