Admission Procedures

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The following admissions procedures apply to all new and transfer students. Transfer students are required to complete additional requirements if they would like their prior academic coursework to be considered for the awarding of transfer credits (please see the Transfer Students section of the catalog).

  1. Complete an Application for Admission: Complete and submit the application for admission. The application for admission may be obtained from an admissions advisor.
  2. Pay the Application Fee: The application fee of $25.00 can be paid in the form of cash, credit card, or personal check payable to Paul Mitchell The School Columbia, Paul Mitchell The School Charleston, or Paul Mitchell The School Greenville. An application for admission cannot be processed until the application fee is received. The application fee is not included in the cost of tuition and must be paid prior to being admitted to the school. The school may opt to waive the application fee for students who transfer from a school that has closed without notice.
  3. Interview: All applicants must complete an interview with an admission’s advisor.
  4. Provide Secondary Education Verification Documents: Applicants are required to provide proof of identification as part of the application of admission process. The school will maintain a copy of the identification presented as part of the student’s admission file.
    Acceptable forms of photo identification include:
    • Government-issued driver’s license
    • Government-issued non-driver ID card
    • Government-issued passport
    • National identification card (Consulate, Permanent Resident Card, Immigrant Visa Card, Employment Authorization Card)
    • Tribal Photo ID (no photocopies accepted)
    • Government-issued military ID – Acceptable military IDs:
      • The Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
      • Veteran Identification Card (VIC)
      • Personal Identity Verification Card (PIV)

*Photocopying of military identification cards for the purpose of receiving federal benefits other than military-related benefits is not authorized and therefore is unacceptable proof of identification. For this reason, any other form of military ID cards is unacceptable.

Photo IDs must contain:

  1. Applicant Students Full Name
  2. Contain a photograph of the applicant
  3. Be an original document
  4. Be Current and valid: expired documents are not acceptable
  5. Match the name used in the application
    1. If the name has changed, supporting documentation including but not limited to a marriage certificate, court approval documentation, or related documents are required.
  1. High School or Equivalent Verification Documents: Applicants must demonstrate that they meed the High School requirements. The school considers a high school diploma, high school transcripts, GED certificate, GED transcript or high school equivalency certificate valid if granted by a high school or agency/program accredited or recognized by a state department of education (e.g. The State of South Carolina Department of Education). 

A student’s self-certification is not sufficient to validate a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate or that they have completed secondary school through homeschooling as defined by state law. 

If we determine that your diploma or high school equivalency diploma is not valid you will be denied admission to the school.

Students who are homeschooled must be able to demonstrate and document that they meet their states high school graduation requirements. Secondary school education at a homeschool is valid if their secondary school education was in a homeschool that state law treats as a home or private school (see https://hslda.org/legal for requirements for each state). Applicants who completed homeschooling must submit their high school transcripts for review and evaluation. 

Applicants who received their high school diploma in another country are required to submit their official high school transcripts to a foreign credentialing evaluation service. 

Please note the document must be translated into English by a certified translator and accompanied by an evaluation of a credentialed evaluation service certifying it is equivalent to a U.S. high school diploma. We can accept credentials translated and evaluated by any agency under NACES. A list of approved agencies is located at NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services ) under: https://www.naces.org/ members. We must receive a credential report directly from the evaluation services. Copies will not be accepted. Applicants are responsible for paying the costs of the translation and evaluation.
Applicants who have successfully completed at least a two-year college-level program that did not result in the awarding of an associate degree must submit official college transcripts demonstrating successful completion of at least 60 semester or trimester credits hours or 72 quarter credit hours that is acceptable for full credit towards a bachelor’s degree at an institution.

Applicants who have successfully completed an associate degree or bachelor’s degree may show completion of the degree by providing the degree or official transcripts. 

Note that merely possessing a certificate of attendance and/or high school completion is not sufficient for a student to be Title IV aid eligible.

  1. Social Security Card: Applicants must provide a copy of their Social Security card.
  2. Student Instructor/Instructor program: Students enrolling in the student instructor/instructor programs must provide a copy of a valid cosmetology license prior to enrollment.

The school does not recruit students who are already enrolled in a similar program at another institution.

Admitted students who would like to request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the ADA Compliance Coordinator.

The school accepts re-entry students if they qualify. Please review the re-entry policy for specific requirements.

Once an applicant has completed the process to apply to the school, the admissions team and director reviews each applicant and their required application materials to determine if the applicant will be admitted.

The applicant will be notified of the decision in writing.

If the applicant is admitted, they will be notified of the next steps to enroll in their academic program. I

f an applicant is not admitted and wishes to appeal the decision, they must write a letter/email to the School Director. Once the Director has evaluated the reasons for denial, the Director may either redo the personal interview for a second opinion or provide a response to the student. Appeals will not be considered if an applicant is not admitted because they do not meet the minimum education requirements to be admitted or if they have provided false information during the admission process.