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If you are considering a career in Cosmetology, please do your research! I was taken in by a very convincing speech about why I should go the STL Academy (it has since changed it's name to Paul Mitchell The School-St. Louis, but has all of the same incompetent staff still employed.) I regret it more than anything in the world.

When I was first looking into schools in early 2007, I was immediately drawn into the glitz and glamour of going to a Paul Mitchell School. I love PM products, and thought if the school is half as good as the products, it's gonna be the best experience of my life. I was so wrong.

I was told on my tour that my $15,000 tuition would cover EVERYTHING I would need for the entire 1 year duration of the program. While it did include a mediocre kit and lackluster training dvds and books, I was still forced to buy additional training supplies on a weekly basis...extra doll heads, scissor sharpening and razors, make-up for required make-up courses that would have to be used on several other students during classtime, combs, clips, papers, pens, dye...and a monster car park fee because there was absolutely NO free on-street parking. I had to pay on average an extra $20-50 a week on extra training materials, transportation, and clothes that would get easily worn working 35 hrs a week being splashed with dye, etc.

My kit was pathetic, cheap, and virtually useless. The scissors are not good enough quality to be used in your career after school. The combs and brushes are flimsy and most are not heat resistant. The clippers' batteries only last for about ten minutes before needing a charge. On time after all of the students left for the day, the kits were raided by administrators to retrieve our capes. We were no allowed to take our kits home with us, yet admin could just raid out kits whenever they wanted? These kits, btw, cost $3,000! If we were allowed to assemble our own kits, we could have had better materials for half as much. It was just another way to gauge students for every penny they could.

The staff is dreadfully incompetent! I cannot believe how many stories I heard of our teachers being irresponsible! In the 6 short months I went to this school, guess how many staff members had either quit or been fired: 6! Six out of the less than dozen people that are employed by the school at a given time, were fired or quit in six months. Why is turnover so high here, yet some teachers are allowed to stay and continually slack off and get "chummy" with students?

Besides the teachers, be prepared to deal with a TON of student drama! The people that go here are straight up CATTY. Police have been called, fights have been started, numerous things had been stolen. One girl had her camera stolen by a girl in her own class. Even the nicest person is not immune to the name-calling and cliquey-ness. Prepare to enter high school, part 2. This school constantly promotes a book called BE NICE OR ELSE, a book that encourages students to supress negativity in their lives, not watch violent movies, and basically be fake to everybody they meet in order to get what they want, yet it's one of the meanest environments I've ever been in.

Speaking of high school, be prepared to spend a lot of time making posters with magic markers and magazine cut-outs. And they waste a lot of valuable learning time doing things like pancake breakfasts, "free hugs," and charity. I know a ton of students that can't get jobs because they just aren't taught anything! Favorite students get passed without a second thought, and the others are either forced out or made to work twice as hard for their grades.

I could go on, but if this isn't enough to change your mind, I don't know what will!

P.S. This school IS NOT ACCREDITED! That means no government loans or grants. The only fin. aid available to students is a loan from Sallie Mae at a very high interest rate. This is a $15,000 program that is not accredited, when you could get thousands of dollars from the US government in grants and low-interest loans if you simply choose an accredited school!

Location: Saint Louis, Missouri

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Guest

I worked there and I agree with you 100% they say it's their culture to me it's a cult

Guest

I am a professional hairdresser. The individual writing this article obviously does not know their State Board of Cosmetology laws very well.

The school's are only required by state law to supply you with specific items in order to know the basics to build on when you get into another salon to learn their techniques and to pass your state board examinations. As for your shears and clippers, shears alone can be upwards of $700 or more alone depending on the material it is constructed your preferred fit to your hand and design. Clippers are the same story. You are always more than welcome to purchase your own supplies to use at beauty collage to make the task easier but beware your classmates will steal them if you leave it there.

It has happened to me, so that is why you get the nice supplies after you graduate. After all said and done, I wish you luck in this industry. You have to work nights, weekends and holidays in order to make good money because that is when people are available to come in.

Your co-workers gossip A LOT and if you take vacation be aware that you may loose a few of your regular customers to another technician. It is a cutthroat industry but the only one where you can get paid as much as you want the more you are willing to work.

Guest

Im in charleston but from st. Louis.

This school is great! They are a franchise though. I do reccomend this program! Our leaders students and staff are all amazing!

Please don't listen to the original poster!

If you are serious about enrolling there really is no better place:) Eric&bart(forget last name) arethe owners of the sc and Fayetteville locations(I believe they have like 5 schools) they run an amazing school! I'm very happy with my decision to go to PMTS charleston.

Guest

i am more cofused after reading all of this. But if u stay away from the chaos u will be better off

Guest

i have been really thinking about PMTS spokane and went on a tour and everyone seemed really nice. But to me it seems like the kind of place where you have to look a certian way and act a certian way.....im really not sure if i will fit in there....???

Guest

I am a future professional at paul mitchell the school stl and I WOULDN'T CHANGE IT FOR THE WORLD. First of all, our kits are not cheap, the hair dryer alone costs $150.00 if you were to buy it on your own time.

Second off, the only reason you should have to keep buying more tools every week is if you are intentionally breaking them. It sounds to me you are just lazy and poor. Sorry you couldn't afford to go somewhere nice so you have to bash them. Have fun putting "national beauty academy" on your resume while the rest of us put "paul mitchell".

we'll see who makes it further in our career ;) also, you can't take your kits home because it is AGAINST STATE BOARD RULES.

So any school that let's you is the real JOKE. :grin

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-413890

I totally agree with you. i had a license some years ago that i let lapse so i have to retake the whole course which is fine with me.

I chose paul mitchell school because on a job interview before another girl and i both applied for the same job and i was way better styling hair than she was and she got the job because Paul Mitchell was on her resume' and the salon owner let me know this. :)

Guest

I just enrolled in Paul Mitchell The School Columbia. I think it's a very nice school and they're all so nice.

I thought we got to take our kits home though... :(

Guest

obviously you went to the school because you thought it would be easier then going to college. There IS free parking you just have to not be lazy and walk two blocks.

There is no way you spent 20-50 dollars a week extra. maybe 20 a month. you knew you would have to drive to to school, did you think they would pay for your gas? of course there is going to be fights it is a school mostly made up of girls.

i graduated from paul mitchell almost three years ago and i have no regrets choosing that school. it helped me get my job, taught me how important rebooking and selling products in, and taught me how to do amazing work. cosmotology school is not an easy way out, its hard work and and you have to be dedicated and not lazy. you get what you take out things in life.

maybe you should have had a positive view and you would have gotten a better outcome.

also yes they do use markers and do fun things, what is the harm in that when you are going to school 35 hours a week? honey please go and talk to any other beauty school and tell me they are better. also, fyi you dont just get out of school and make money.

you have to work your way up just like any other career. try to stick to something..

Guest

Paul Mitchell the School STL is the best cosmetolgy school you could ever enroll in. i have been going for eight months and am due to graduate in a couple more.

i cannot express how amazing this experience has been for me. for the ones who dont agree with me, maybe you should look into what other cosmetology schools offer, i think you will find that you had it VERY good at Paul Mitchell stl. As for our learning leaders, they are patient, helpful, fun, and actually care about us. not once have i ever been told anything negative while at school, it is a completely up beat, positive enviroment where every person is valued for who they are, where they come from, and what they hope to achieve.

Bad experiences are not a normal occurance at my school, if you have one, you probably put yourself in that situation.

If you are looking into schools to attend, this is by far the best learning expierence you could have. people will care about you, people will love you, you will love them back, and you will be sad to leave it behind.

Guest

Part two...

almost forgot to add that PMStL IS accredited now, they DO offer finicial aid through the government and recently started night class for those that want to get into our exciting career but our unable to do it during our 40 hour a week days.

1

Guest

after reading this ridiculous article I felt liek I had to respond in order to get out my frustration, but "get off your high horse..." you took the words right out of my mouth, thanks so much for posting that rebuttle. So I don't have too much other to say than that. I must add that PMSTL changed my life and I KNOW it changed many other people's lives while we were there. Based on the date that this article was posted I was in school at Paul Mitchell StL the same time you, the poster of this heinous complaint, was. I HOPE and PRAY that I do not cross paths with you ever again in life becuase it is people like you, people who are constantly negative and critical about our industry, that make the outside world so hard to accept us as serious individuals.

oh P.S. the whole part about wasting time with doing our FREE pancake breakfast (which is only for 2 hours every 6WEEEKS mind you), being creative with magazine cut outs (which is where I would guess almost MOST women get their HAIR STYLE IDEAS from), giving free hugs ONCE A YEAR out to the public to make them feel loved and cared about, and giving back to charity in our area to show PAUL MITCHELL CARES, oh my GOSH! Are you seriously complaining about that?? TAke a step back from life for 2 minutes and understand that in NO way is a negative about the school, the Paul Mitchell brand or anyone that participates in these things.

I hope you ended up goin to a second rate school and regretted every uttering a bad world about PMStL.

Guest

I am thinking of going to Paul Mitchell School or any other that is availble for me to get an esthetician certification in NJ or NY so I can get started on my new career in this field. But it is extremely hard to find a right school.

Can someone recommend a good esthetican school and a school that I can get Laser Technician Certification? Please HELP!!

Guest

Wasconsidering Paul Mitchell but the whole unaccreditted issue is a bkg concern 4 me! I also watched the utube video & I didn't see any african american students.

I'm starting to think maybe I shuold consider Grabber instead. :cry

Guest

maybe you were just to negative, obiously you made the worst of your time, thats your fault pal, i having a blast and its a great experience. :)

Guest

I am responding to the comment that on a tour you are caught up in the energy and positive environment. These are scripted tours and must follow a format.

The idea is to get you hooked and is staged.

They have a training department dedicated to teaching these tours. Cookie cutter.

Guest

I AGREE 100% WITH THAT WHOLE PAGE!

PAUL MITCHELL NORTH HAVEN ACADEMY IN NORTH HAVEN CONNECTICUT IS A SCAM! SAME THING THEY RAID YOU OF YOUR MONEY, GIVE YOU A CHEAP KIT, SEND YOU HOME EVERY CHANGE THEY GET - AFTER ALL THEY MAKE 12 BUCKS AN HOUR YOU GO ON YOUR OVER TIME.

PAUL MITCHELL SCHOOLS ARE A SCAM AND I THANK THE LORD I GRADUATED BECAUSE I COULDNT STAND ONE MORE DAY IN THAT LIVING ***! ITS FAKE...

BEWARE!!! READ THE FINE FONT & GO TO A SCHOOL WITHOUT A *** WORTHLESS NAME LIKE "PAUL MITCHELL" ITS A JOKE!!!!!

Guest

I AGREE 100% WITH THAT WHOLE PAGE!

PAUL MITCHELL NORTH HAVEN ACADEMY IN NORTH HAVEN CONNECTICUT IS A SCAM! SAME THING THEY RAID YOU OF YOUR MONEY, GIVE YOU A CHEAP KIT, SEND YOU HOME EVERY CHANGE THEY GET - AFTER ALL THEY MAKE 12 BUCKS AN HOUR YOU GO ON YOUR OVER TIME.

PAUL MITCHELL SCHOOLS ARE A SCAM AND I THANK THE LORD I GRADUATED BECAUSE I COULDNT STAND ONE MORE DAY IN THAT LIVING ***! ITS FAKE...

BEWARE!!! READ THE FINE FONT & GO TO A SCHOOL WITHOUT A *** WORTHLESS NAME LIKE "PAUL MITCHELL" ITS A JOKE!!!!!

Guest

I AGREE 100% WITH THAT WHOLE PAGE!

PAUL MITCHELL NORTH HAVEN ACADEMY IN NORTH HAVEN CONNECTICUT IS A SCAM! SAME THING THEY RAID YOU OF YOUR MONEY, GIVE YOU A CHEAP KIT, SEND YOU HOME EVERY CHANGE THEY GET - AFTER ALL THEY MAKE 12 BUCKS AN HOUR YOU GO ON YOUR OVER TIME.

PAUL MITCHELL SCHOOLS ARE A SCAM AND I THANK THE LORD I GRADUATED BECAUSE I COULDNT STAND ONE MORE DAY IN THAT LIVING ***! ITS FAKE...

BEWARE!!! READ THE FINE FONT & GO TO A SCHOOL WITHOUT A *** WORTHLESS NAME LIKE "PAUL MITCHELL" ITS A JOKE!!!!!

Guest

i also went to a paul mitchell school in ct and i agree that the school sucks..so maybe the 2 girls who loved it so much should take their heads outa one anothers ***. you 2 are prob the kiss *** students who were blind to the way that school took you for a ride..yes i do agree you wk for ***.

but paul itchell schools are all about the money..the school i went to had us playing childish games instead of learning valuable info. i wasted more time there then anything..i stayed for 2 yrs..i was part time. we had childish rules like mandatory fri. so when i was sick the owner had the nerve to tell me i need to come to school so she can see im sick..sorry hunnie im no child.

im a 26 yr old who is married and makes a very good living..i didnt come to school to play games.i know when i am sick and dont need some woman to tell me so. its very unprofessional to stand behind your clients when you are vomiting and running a fever.north haven academy is b/s and im sure all pm schools are..

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