Has anyone been to Aveda?

Nov 5, 2013

Anna C.

Hello, I was wondering if anyone has been in or is involved with Aveda. I'm looking into it for after high school and I would love to get some feedback about it from anyone who has attended or is.

Nov 5, 2013

Megan S.

I graduated from the aveda institute Minneapolis a year ago, and I loved it! I attended aveda right after highschool and couldn't be happier with my decision! you will be ahead of every one else! You will definitely learn a lot there, the teachers are amazing, it isn't easy but if you want to be in cosmetology it is definitely the school to go to, aveda has one of the best reputations and a lot of salons will hire you seeing you have an aveda education. at aveda they had a lot of fun student competitions and shows, which is nice so you get a feel for runway hair. their products and color line are amazing and they really focus on becoming a well rounded stylist! let me know if you have any specific questions about it there! (:

Nov 5, 2013

Antonia S.

I'm a high school senior as well and am in the same boat you are! I toured the school about two weeks ago and I absolutely fell in love. I've decided that that is where I would like to attend. I for sure recommend touring the school near you or the one you are interested in going to, and try to go on a day classes are in session (I went at 10:30am on a Saturday and the school was packed) that way you get to see the students working, the teachers teaching and the kind of environment it will be while you're in school there. Whoever runs your tour will give you lots of information about the admissions process, financial aid and lots of other useful things. Good luck to you!

Nov 5, 2013

Megan S.

Alright, so you have some positive feedback on Aveda, I'm going to give you the bummer negatives. Megan is100% right, coming out of Aveda gives you a great name and salons automatically like you. The cos. program was 10.5 months for me (1500 hours), depending on your state it could be a little longer or a little shorter. So I loved that it wasn't a program that went on forever. However, there were a lot of sketchy things during my time there. I went to Aveda Institute Chapel Hill. Things changed A LOT. One week the rule would be "if you fail a test,you have to retake it everyday until you pass it", the next week it would change to "if you fail a test,you are not allowed to retake it,that goes on your permanent grade for good." Instructors would get sick of the shenanigans going on and they'd leave. Some classes focused more on one topic than others. Personally I didn't like their color line at all, but everyone has their preferences. However, even though I didn't like the color line, I am so grateful that I learned color from them, because their color is the hardest to learn. When you start by learning the hardest, everything else is a breeze once you're out!

Aside from all the drama and these other things, I am glad I went there. With everything there are pros and cons. I also graduated from there early 2010, so your other accounts are more recent.They may have gotten things straightened out more. But whatever you choose, I can say Aveda is a great name to have and a good program. I have friends that went through Cos school in a community college program and they've expressed that they didn't feel like they prepared them for the state board test enough. Aveda drills state board into you, which is a very good thing. I am also here if you have more questions:]

Nov 5, 2013

Carolyn H.

I didn't personally attend aveda but just had 3 assistants currently enrolled.

If you want to pursue makeup I feel aveda is not the place to go the girls assisted me during a fashion show and were really unprepared for simple application. I was basically teaching makeup and kit 101 and when I asked they said that aveda never touched on any of that.

They said as for facials and skincare they did learn a lot. So that's what I know of aveda- those same 3 girls enrolled in the beauty school I went to within the next month.

Nov 5, 2013

Antonia S.

Megan, that's crazy that you say that. I live in Charlotte, NC but was thinking about moving to attend the Chapel Hill school. My dad's employee went to Aveda in Chapel Hill and my dad has her kind of "mentoring" me in a way. She told me that the Chapel Hill location is one of the most prestigious Aveda locations in the country, people literally move from California to go to school here in North Carolina. I'll ask her more about some of the things that you've listed goes on and see if that still occurred when she went there. May I ask what you do for a living now?
Carolyn, what beauty school did you attend?

Nov 5, 2013

Sophia G.

I want to go to the Denver one!!

Nov 6, 2013

Megan S.

OH, Antonia's message reminded me...I know someone that went to the Aveda Institute in Charlotte and they got to keep their tips. AICH made you donate your tips to their causes,which was really great, but the fact that some schools let you keep the tips and some didn't, really stink. Parking was 6 dollars a day there, it really added up fast.

Nov 6, 2013

Jennie P.

I will be attending the Aveda Institute in Mpls MN and so far have been there twice. I took a tour and went on a Saturday morning. I was able to see all the interaction that was going on there and loved it. I looked into 3 other schools before making my decision and let me tell you I didn't think twice about Aveda. I fell in love with the school right away and they gave me a lot of great information on everything from admissions to financial aid. I start Jan 2014 and can't wait to start my journey. I will be doing the esthetician program 1st then my hours will roll over into cosmetology program. I just want to get more advance training on the make up part of it and skin rather then just the basics you would get in the cosmetology program.Plus you can always take advance courses for make up too. :) Good luck on your journey.

Nov 9, 2013

Kelly V.

Aveda schools are wonderful. BUT in the long run, I feel that it doesn't matter where you get your cos license from. I've been doing hair for 13 years, and working at Aveda salons for the past 5 1/2 years. I see girls come into the salon I work at from all different schools. I would say Aveda will put you ahead with the color and product knowledge. once you get into a salon you get trained by actual stylist. What you learned at school will help, but you will still have a long ways to go. if that makes any sense. Aveda schools are super expensive too. I think as long as the school has a good reputation (Aveda or not) then go for it. sometimes your just paying extra for a name.

Nov 14, 2013

Audra B.

The problem with aveda is that you have to master all areas of beauty. you can't just go for makeup or hair, its a combination of nails, spa treatments, hair cut and color and makeup. you also can't really work while going there. its very demanding. you only need to be lisensed if you want to work in a salon for the most part but they don't really pay that well. many artists are self taught and got jobs at a counter in a dept store where they learned more and more every day. the possiblities are endless if you have the desire for it. start a portfolio, try different techniques, get familiar with application and read books.

Nov 15, 2013

Kimberly S.

I work at an aveda salon

Dec 30, 2013

Somica S.

I attended Aveda in 2010 for esthetics but did not complete the program. Overall, my experience was unfulfilling. I have been doing makeup and holistic studies for several years prior to joining their institute but I wanted to obtain my license so I could expand my business and such. Although becoming a makeup artist is one of the few professions where you are not required to have formal education, I wanted to make everything legit, you know? Esthetics and cosmetology DO NOT teach makeup exclusively. Depending on the state, you are getting about 30-60 hours of makeup artistry knowledge and it is only the basics. I am a self taught mua and while I was there as a STUDENT, I ended up teaching the others... hell I even provided the program with a photographer so the girls could start building their portfolios BC I was a working artist and had contacts. As far as the holistic side, I did learn quite a bit about massage but again everything else was something I was familiar with. In my opinion, if you are just interested in being a mua, you have much better options out there. The best and most well known artists are self taught but attending workshops or even a makeup academy are still equally beneficial.