cosmetology school?

[AngieW in Texas]

My 14yo has been talking about possibly going to cosmetology school. It makes sense for her. She enjoys doing nail art and experimenting with new ways to do stuff with her hair and makeup. She is also dyslexic and really doesn't like a standard classroom environment.

 

What do you look for in a cosmetology school? How can you find out the reputation of the school?

 

I know nothing about this.

 

I did do a search on cosmetology posts on these boards, but mostly I found people talking about getting a cosmetology certificate and then cutting hair to pay their way through a 4-year degree or about going to a cosmetology school to get your hair done at a discount.

[tots2teens]

My dd13 is the same way. I have wondered if this would be an option for her, also.

 

:bigear:

[gardenmom5]

back when I was broke, I patronized a cosmetology school to have my hair cut/permed. (students near graduation are open to the public. apparently the aveda school here attracted students from other parts of the country.) they have classroom time, they have a set number of hours for each subject.

 

keep in mind there is significant chemical exposure in this field - especially in school. how good is she at hearing what other people say and translating that into understanding what they want?

 

I would start with what are the lisence requirements in your state. there is a certification exam in order to get a state license.

[lailasmum]

Has she thought about makeup and hair for film,tv and stage? That could be a really interesting area and could involve things like prosthetics.

[Ellie]

My older went to the cosmetology school at the local community college. Our only expense was the initial cost of her bag of goodies. :-)

 

She chose cosmetology specifically because she is an introvert and wanted to do something that would require her to be more extroverted.

 

Dd started cosmetology school when she was 16; she had been taking classes at the c.c. since she was 14. She graduated from the cosmetology school and worked for a year; then she went back and finished her AA, and transferred to San Jose State. She worked her way through college and graduated with a BA in English Lit.

 

And she is still a hair stylist today, lo, these many years later. She contemplated being an attorney, even took the LSAT and got a decent score, but it turns out that she likes doing hair; the money is good--she and her dh bought a house in Seattle based only on her salary--and the hours are flexible. Here's her Web site.

[mereminerals]

I know that around here, a lot of students take cosmetology at the local technology center during their junior and senior years. They have to apply their sophomore year. If they take the course as a high school student, they aren't charged for the program. They have set classroom time and then set time to work on their skills. There are even different competitions they can participate in that will give them scholarship money if they decide to pursue further instruction.

[dancer67]

My oldest daughter is a licensed hairdresser. But, she did her hours/training at a vocational high school. She took her boards in her senior year and passed. As soon as she graduated she landed a job at a salon.

 

Each state has different requirements for working at a salon. Here, since my daughter is only on an operators license, she can never be left alone without the owner, or another worker with a Class A license. So it is hard to get a job as a haidresser if someone isn't always going to be with you.

 

My daughter got lucky, as she is building a clientele.

 

This is not however, what she wants to do for a living. She makes good money, but she is in college and pursuing Psychology.

 

Cosmo schools are very expensive. CC not so bad.

 

The big layout for money is the Cosmo kit.

 

If you are looking for a school, ask around. You can get your license in about 10 months. But it might be a limited license like my daughters.

 

CC is another option, but many times there is a wait list.

 

My daughter almost has her 2 years and hours in. So she can apply for her Class A. Once that happens, she can work alone, rent a booth...etc....

 

There is a huge market for hairdressers. That, and aestheticians.(sp?)

[Guest janequin12]

It's great that you want to support her! To help her, I suggest reading about the field of cosmetology. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) is a reliable source of information. Also, when looking for cosmetology schools make sure it is accredited by a body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Marinello cosmetology schools in Utah are not only accredited, but they also offer externship opportunities to students. This helps them to gain practical as well as theoretical knowledge in the field. Good luck!

[Lori D.]

The only tricky thing I've seen in threads on this Board about cosmetology is that quite a few cosmetology schools require a high school diploma or a GED to enroll, so a few WTM Board families have had to decide how to handle that -- either graduate their 15yo or 16yo early, or have their teen take the GED in order to be able to go to cosmetology school NOW.

 

Our community college has a vocational program that offers FREE dual enrollment for specific vocational classes, and students can enter this program as early as 10th grade, so they may end up graduating high school close to having a community college certificate or 2-year degree finished in the specific vocational field -- and cosmetology is one of these vocational fields offered at our CC.

 

The nice thing about taking the cosmetology and getting a CC certificate or 2-year degree is that they often require a class in business as part of the degree program to help you understand all of the tax laws that will apply to you, how to go about setting yourself up in business, etc.

 

 

Here's info on how to become a cosmetology in TX. Site also lets you search for programs near you.

 

Here is a helpful checklist of questions to ask the cosmetology program, and a checklist of things to consider in choosing a school. Here are a few things to look for in a cosmetology program. This same website has some more helpful short articles to answer questions.

 

 

For specific info about what school or program in your area is good/bad, you might:

- ask local homeschoolers who have gone through a cosmetology program what their experiences have been

- ask local cosmetologists about where they trained, and what quality of students do they see coming out of which local school/program

- check out the ranking and student reviews of beauty schools-- sort of the "Rate My Professor" for cosmetology; also Yelp allows you to input specific city/state and search for reviews

 

 

BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

[Myeightkiddies]

The only tricky thing I've seen in threads on this Board about cosmetology is that quite a few cosmetology schools require a high school diploma or a GED to enroll, so a few WTM Board families have had to decide how to handle that -- either graduate their 15yo or 16yo early, or have their teen take the GED in order to be able to go to cosmetology school NOW.

 

 

Lori is correct. Many vocational schools are very rigid in requiring an accredited high school diploma or GED. If the student has an unaccredited diploma or homeschool diploma, they will insist on a GED. Community Colleges are often less rigid and will accept homeschool diplomas. There are always exceptions, but this is how it is typically. Privately owned schools set up their own requirements, so those will vary.

 

When it comes to choosing a privately owned school, one needs to research it as they would any business. Use a web search and read any reviews about the school. Contact the state licensing office and inquire about the school's history. Ask other homeschool families in the area. Visit the school. Do the students seem happy? Do the instructors seem pleasant? Is the place clean? Do you see used towels and hair all over without a client currently receiving service in that station?

[mama27]

My 17 yo just started a cosmetology school in Feb. She worked through the previous summer to graduate early but didn't technically graduate till March 8. They (and we) are still waiting on out homeschool association to send her diploma.

She just applied like anyone else. I googled the names of the local schools, the cc, and even the ones where students in certain high school (not in our county) can go to vocational schools. My dh and dd also visited 2 of the schools. I also googled the yearly tuition.And we asked cosmetologists we visited what schools they attended, what their opinions were, etc.

We wound up choosing a cosemtology school instead of the other routes based on price and intuition, really. She did get some scholarship money and the rest is financed. The school is about 2 grand cheaper than the local cc would have been. Plus, the local cc required other courses and she was not at all intersted in doing more math or public speaking or english (composition). And she will graduate from cosmetology school in a year instead of 2.

She LOVES it there and is very happy. This will be her 7th week and has already learned more in 6 weeks than a girl she knows from church who is attending the vocational school for the same thing.

Since you have so much time, ask around, talk to people, shop at local beauty supply stores, and find out what real people think. All the schools will say theirs is the best. :-)

[Guest CBlack0]

Its always great to encourage your kids to follow their passion. If Your kid loves anything related to beauty, then it would be wise to just let them be. After all, there are very many successful people on the beauty industry. When looking for a cosmetology school, its always great to check whether the school is accredited or not, whether it offers the specific course your child is interested in, and whether they offer hands on training. You can also talk to your friends and ask them to recommend a cosmetology school. 

[Momof3littles]

I don't know much, other than my hair stylist is rather pricey in a moderate COL area. 

 

One thing to consider is that carpal tunnel and other hand/wrist/upper extremity overuse injuries are somewhat common.  Many hairdressers I've talked to struggle off and on with those issues (this comes up because I am a physical therapist but not currently practicing).

 

I know the salon I go to hires salon assistants out of cosmetology school and it seems like if they are professional and good, they get hired on as official stylists.  I know my hairdresser gets annoyed with about 75% of the students and assistants they hire, as they disappear, head out to smoke, don't follow instructions, or don't proactively look for things to do vs. sitting around and waiting for someone to directly ask them to do something.  The ones that proactively seek out things to do, are attentive, etc. seem to be very valued by the staff and I've noticed they tend to hire those students.  So a student with a real understanding of professionalism should be at a great advantage.

 

It is great you are supporting her. 

 

[Lori D.]

LOL! Another zombie thread, back to life! So, Angie, what DID you decide (or discover) re: cosmetology school??!? :)