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Spotlight New York Schools Related to This Career
- Locations: New York, Queens
- Programs: 5 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Diploma
Austin's School of Spa Technology
- Locations: Albany
- Programs: 4 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Certificate
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Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Broome-Tioga BOCES • Binghamton, NY
Studying Cosmetology (completion in 2010)
• 10/29/2011
"I feel they did a good job teaching us what they could. While I felt it could be more organized, the academics themselves were sufficient."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school strives to give the students the best experience they can. While I feel that there could be more information learned, the amount taught is sufficient. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | In comparison to other Cosmetology programs in our area, BTB offers the most prestigious of the bunch. Salons are more likely to hire students from BOCES than other programs. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The school provides the best resources and information possible. They probably don't have as much funding as they could have to make the program more detailed and enriching. |
| Instruction | 8 | The teachers I had were very friendly and encouraging, but they weren't always on track. We learned as much as they had resources to teach us about. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Different aspects of the education are more difficult than others. It takes a lot of dedication and willingness to learn about color theory and the properties of different chemicals and the effects they have on hair types. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was an equal amount of both. During the 2nd year of training, it was more hands on. During the 1st year, it was more book related. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | There is the option to take morning, afternoon, or evening classes. The morning/afternoon classes are offered for high school students, while the evening classes are for adult students. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The school provides as much as they can with the amount of funding they receive. The more help you ask for, and the more help you seek out, the more you will get. |
| Social Life | 7 | I loved the school itself and the teachers I had. As for athletics, there weren't any. There were a few organized events, but this was minimal. |
| Placement Services | 7 | How hard the teachers look for a job for you is dependent on how dedicated you are. If you ask for help and they believe you truly want to advance in your cosmetology career, the teachers will help you in finding a job. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I've stopped to visit the school since graduation, and while they were welcoming and accepting of my visit, they were busy trying to deal with the current class. They do not organize any means of communication with students after graduating. |
OCM BOCES • Cortland, NY
Studying Cosmetology (completion in 2005)
• 11/9/2011
"I have mixed reviews about the school I went to. I felt kind of out of place even though I was in the small percentage of girls who actually followed through with the 2 year course and actually passed."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would have to check out reviews of my school now to see if it has improved before I would recommend it to someone else. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | I am not sure, I no longer live around there. I assume it is going well, since the year I graduated the room flooded and they got all this nice, new equipment and grants. |
| Program Quality | 4 | I do not feel that the school I went to gave me enough training. I am now working on the side and not in a salon because of my lack of confidence in a few areas. |
| Instruction | 4 | The teachers were good. However, they interacted with other students too much and got off subject too often. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The hands on practical exams were easier for me to take and pass than the written exams. I didn't like the wording of the questions. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We learned both out of the book and did hands on practical exams. It was about 50/50. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | If we missed time, we were able to go in the evenings with the adult classes. They also had pedicure classes on a weekend once. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | For a period of time, the science class was outside in a trailer and we had to go out rain or shine. The teachers didn't really seem to want to help after classes. |
| Social Life | 1 | There was none of that provided for our course. |
| Placement Services | 3 | While we were shadowing, they didn't really help us. Then once we graduated, there was no help whatsoever. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | Previous graduates would call during classes to talk with the teachers, but they never came in to visit or anything. |
Contemporary School Of Beauty Culture • Syracuse, NY
Studying Cosmetology/Hairdressing (completion in 1973)
• 1/3/2012
"I felt very prepared at graduation. I felt as if I had the chance to really hone a wide variety of skills."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend the school to others. Everyone that I knew found employment in the field after graduation and did very well. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | They had an extremely good reputation at the time. I have not lived in that area for many, many years. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The school offered a very comprehensive program. I felt very prepared upon graduation. |
| Instruction | 9 | The standards were quite high at the time. The instructors did not just pass students through. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I felt that the amount of information was somewhat challenging. Back then, people did not specialize as much as they do now; we had to learn everything. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The program had a good balance between theory and practical. We were in an area that had a lot of foot traffic, so models were never an issue. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I went full-time, Monday through Friday. I know they offered evening and Saturday classes for those going part-time and for those needing to make up hours for graduation. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The facilities were more than adequate. I don't remember specific tutoring programs; however, the instructors were always available for extra help. |
| Social Life | 10 | I had a wonderful time at school. The group I started with were all great. We went to a lot of trainings and conventions together. We worked hard and played hard. The 70s were a great time! |
| Placement Services | 8 | I never had to use the services, but I knew several students who did receive help to secure positions. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I recall getting several phone calls for a couple of years after graduation, inquiring how things were going and if I were doing hair. They also had one or two reunions that I can remember. |
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