What do you do if your daughter wants to drop out of college and go to cosmetology school?

[Anonymous]

Can't outsource hair styling overseas! I'd let DD pursue it, if that's what she really wants and has thought it through.

[Anonymous]

My DD is AA and I just paid someone $50 yesterday ( cash in hand) to spend an hour and 20 mins doing her hair for me. This women does all her clients in her own home and im pretty sure she makes bank.

Not everyone needs to go to college, this mentality that we need to spend all this money so we can have a degree is craziness. If she wants to do something else and has a plan I would let her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you seen what DCUMers pay for hair services? If your daughter is talented she can do really well.

The woman who cuts my hair is a college graduate and seems perfectly happy doing what she’s doing.

This is the key.

She needs to get a college degree first. Then go to cosmetology school.

Maybe help her identify classes that she thinks will help her with a career in cosmetology. Business skills (marketing, accounting), communication skills, art/aesthetics/theater?

[Anonymous]

Let her do it. If she is talented she can make quite a lot of money.

[Anonymous]

Watch Grease with her. At least she doesn't want to drop out of high school.

Since she's already in college, it would probably be better if she finished there and then go to cosmetology school.

[Anonymous]

Make her learn to type before paying for cosmetology school. My friend's daughter did this to become a "makeup artist." She found out that meant waxing people's private parts. She quit.

[Anonymous]

Why is everyone so obsessed with OP's DD getting a college degree first? She has the credits, she can always return to school if she wants to. Why waste the money on 2.5 more years - particularly if DD's grades aren't very good?

[Anonymous]

My sister did this. She owns her own salon and is very happy.

[Anonymous]

Can she support herself in her chosen field? Then yes.

College is not for every person, DCUM snobs will not acknowledge that.

[Anonymous]

For me, there are a few questions. How far along is she? If she has more than 2 years in, then I'd recommend finishing the degree then going to cosmetology school. Once you're past the halfway point, you should finish the program and get the degree so that you have options if you decide later on a career change. Many, many people have a career change somewhere in their post-college career and giving yourself options if/when you make a career change is always good. Is she borrowing money? If you are paying for her tuition, then she should finish. If she is taking on debt, she can stop before her debt gets too large. I know lots of millennials who have problems moving forward in life (buying cars or homes, making choices about kids, whether to have them, choices around childcare, choices around schooling, etc) because of large amounts of college debt. Does she have a network to help her in cosmetology school or afterwards. For example, if she has friends that own shops or work in larger shops that hire, that's a bonus. One of the problems with cosmetology is that it is very competitive. There are many more people who get those degrees than there are good paying positions. While there are many who make that $200K or over $100K doing it, those are the tip of the iceberg. There are many who work in bad conditions, unsafe salons (lots of chemicals, poor ventilation, poor hours, poor wages) who make under $40K. And there are also many who get those degrees and don't find work. Don't let the top 5% cloud your judgment about whether it is lucritive or not.

[Anonymous]

Most beauticians are broke as a joke bimbos. Make her finish her BA and tell her you’ll help pay for cosmo school after. Unlikely it’ll still be a “passion” by then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She needs to get a degree, and then she can do what she wants. That's the deal.

Except, she'll probably end up knocked up in a few years and being able to cut hair is a good skill to have during the baby, toddler and elementary years.

[Anonymous]

My ex DIL has her own salon, works the hours she feels like working, paid cash for her new construction home and makes her best money during prom, homecoming, wedding seasons.

I would not look down on anyone doing hair for a living. You may look down but my grand daughter never does without.

[Anonymous]

Finish her college degree and go toward business so she can understand the business side, then go for a cosmetology school afterward.

[Anonymous]

Why not compromise and have her get an associate’s degree instead, and then cosmetology school?

I live in the real world—as in, not DC. I live in a small town in PA not near a major city. Many, many of my friends have trade jobs and do very well for themselves and are very happy. Think outside of your bubble. All is not lost if she doesn’t go to college and doesn’t stay in the most expensive part of the country for her whole life.