At the beginning of the program, I truly thought everything was fine. For the first month and a half to two months, I believed I had made the right choice. However, as time went on, I started noticing serious flaws in the way the program was run. What initially seemed structured quickly began to feel overwhelming, disorganized, and unsupportive.
My experience at this school became mentally exhausting and emotionally draining. It felt more like intimidation than education. The environment is harsh, unsupportive, and at times completely unprofessional.
Students are pressured to retake failed tests within Three days and are threatened with suspension if they don't comply. You are constantly reminded that after two suspensions, you are automatically removed from the program. That kind of pressure creates fear and anxiety, not growth. Instead of feeling encouraged to learn, I felt like I was constantly walking on eggshells.
Hours are tied to exit exams, and I was told 21.5 hours would be deducted due to outstanding tests. These were hours already completed. What makes this even more frustrating is that I had no clear understanding that exit exams would impact our hours until the last week of school, when we were asked to sign paperwork acknowledging them. It felt less like transparency and more like a last-minute disclosure. I was completely blindsided.
It appeared to me that hours were adjusted in relation to the 13 exit exams. Based on my understanding of Illinois regulations, this did not seem consistent with how completed hours are supposed to be handled, which was extremely concerning. It also did not make sense to me that 13 exit exams could impact or reduce hours when we were required to complete all 750 instructional hours before even beginning the exit exams. That contradiction raised serious questions for me about how the hours were being calculated and documented.
When I asked to review my clocked-in hours because they did not match my transcript, I was not given transparency and was refused access to see my own documented hours. For a 750-hour program that costs significant tuition, students deserve full visibility into their documented time. When that access is denied, it creates distrust.
There was a topic in the book I genuinely did not understand. I went to the Director of Education and asked for help explaining it. Instead of being taught, I was told to figure it out on my own. When I said I still didn't understand, I was told, "I don't know what to tell you." That moment was extremely discouraging. This is a school -- students should be taught. I felt dismissed, embarrassed, and completely let down.
When enrolling, you are told there are final exams, but you are not clearly told how many until the very end when you are asked to sign paperwork. That was shocking to me. Important academic requirements should be transparent from day one, not disclosed at the end.
The workload is heavy, which in itself is not the issue. The issue is the tone, the attitude, and the lack of support when students are struggling. When you don't understand something, instead of guidance, you're met with pressure. Over time, that affects your confidence and your ability to succeed.
I personally witnessed the owner yell at a student in front of the entire class. It was uncomfortable and unprofessional. I also witnessed a student lose consciousness, and from my perspective the response lacked urgency. It was alarming and upsetting to watch.
The overall atmosphere feels punitive and cold. It does not feel like a place that genuinely wants students to succeed. It feels like a place that enforces policies through pressure and fear rather than mentorship and accountability.
A school should be a place that understands students and supports what they need to truly succeed -- both academically and in the esthetics world -- not a place where fear, anxiety, and punishment drive the experience. read more