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Secondary education

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Original poster

Y13 son told to cut hair for University interviews......thoughts???

87 replies

NotanOtter · 21/09/2009 20:37

Because I was [shocked]

even more so that ds thought it quite justified and said he was going to even though he loves his hair

Will put pic on profile!

OP posts:
inveteratenamechanger · 21/09/2009 22:08

Completely agree with Penth. Schools often talk a lot of tosh about what admissions tutors do/do not like.

Your DS is well within the range of prospective student 'normal'.

I teach lots of posh boys and they are the scruffiest. Key look: mop of hair, stripy shirt half open, hanging out over tracky bottoms. Grim.

ReducedToThis - glad to hear that DS1 is coming to some decisions. We chatted about this under different names.

TheFallenMadonna · 21/09/2009 22:11

LOL at "a bit different". I teach two subjects (one science, one social science) at A level and every boy I teach has the same hair, bar one. So he with the short back and sides is the individual in my classes.

I love it though NAO, although I am constantly offering hairclips...

lazymumofteenagesons · 21/09/2009 22:16

short neat hair with suit and tie. That would make me really wonder if they had a mind of their own. Its not natural.

Don't make him cut his hair. It looks clean and neat and its his personality. My sons would love to have their hair flopping over their faces, but they've both got curls and it just grows outwards!

VulpusinaWilfsuit · 21/09/2009 22:17

well, yes . More excellent arguments which I also have to agree with.

Arf at 'do I mix with many young men'. What, with my three boy who refuse to go anywhere near a blade, and my many, many students?

Point taken.

But the point is, its what he wants, and not what some school teacher wants that matters.

Original poster
NotanOtter · 21/09/2009 22:18

thankyou all

it is maybe a wee bit more annoying floppy than pics depict but he will deffo be having it 'tidied' at least..i think maybe it is the flicking about i should put pay to rather than reaching for the scissors..

OP posts:
TheFallenMadonna · 21/09/2009 22:22

The flicking, or rather the careful smoothing of the ridiculously long fringe artfully over one eye, is really annoying...

inveteratenamechanger · 21/09/2009 22:23

Yes, I have to admit that flicking around would irritate me.

frogs · 21/09/2009 22:23

This is daft.

I've done UCAS interviews (as a lecturer, lol) and we couldn't give a rats arse what an applicant's hair looks like. They will be far more interested in what he has to say for himself than in what he looks like.

The only real no-nos are (1) being seriously filthy (2) BO (3) T-shirts with obviously provocative or obscene slogans and (4) personal appearance that is so unusual, extreme or unkempt that it causes you to wonder about the candidate's mental health.

frogs · 21/09/2009 22:24

yy, agree re the constant primping/smoothing/flicking.

lazymumofteenagesons · 21/09/2009 22:26

frogs, did you ever get to interview any of your no.4? Give us a description.

VulpusinaWilfsuit · 21/09/2009 22:30

Oh dear. The 'no obscene slogans' reminds me of a postcard that DH (an academic also) has in his office, from back in the day when we worked in Manchester. Promotional materials from a bar/club. Which reads:

"Students! Fuck off down South"

Fortunately he doesn't do too many interviews or visits in his office. Though he does have to explain to the odd timid Fresher.

Original poster
NotanOtter · 21/09/2009 22:35

i remember one of our lecturers at university had a HUGE photograph of Debbie Harry in his office

Just her face all glistening lipgloss

did not instill confidence in my statistics tutorials

OP posts:
frogs · 21/09/2009 22:36

Well, an armful of cuts from self-injury isn't a good look. Or a faceful of serious slap on a bloke. Or hair that looks like it should have a few limericks-worth of wildlife living in it.

Essentially, any look that would cause total strangers to stop and gawp in the street ought to give the aspiring student pause for thought.

The OP's ds's hair is fine, the school are being numpties.

edam · 21/09/2009 22:41

Why do people make stuff up and pretend that it is The Law? Clearly there is more than one teacher making up his own bizarre 'rules' about university admissions going by this thread. Then you get the HVs who make up stuff about breastfeeding or weaning... am sure I've come across other examples too.

What on earth are they thinking?

EachPeachPearMum · 21/09/2009 22:44

I was expecting shoulder-blade length at least! That's not long....

But how can that be your DS? He's so grown up!

ReducedToThis · 21/09/2009 22:46

This is all very well a few Mumsnetters who happen to serve on Uni admissions panels saying they have nothing against long hair but there are people who do.

One of DS's teachers serves on the UCL panel for medicine ( he is a qualified medic and a Minsiter and now teaches) and he personally prefers applicants to look smart and well turned out and finds long hair a bit off- putting. He is a lovely chap but sharing his silly prejudices.

VulpusinaWilfsuit · 21/09/2009 22:54

No, ReducedToThis round vegetable, I think most of us do concur that medicine is a different matter. Maybe some business subjects have different expectations also.

And I accept that there are people who will be prejudiced also. But I don't think it would be a very credible university that would prioritise hair over what came out of a mouth. We expect them to look like teenagers, that's all. Not bankers.

MrsGokWantstogocampingagain · 21/09/2009 23:22

Right Notanotter we've sorted your son's hair out now I've got a more important question

"can you come round and sort my linen out like that?"

ReducedToThis · 21/09/2009 23:28

I think university interviews should be fancy dress.

Dear Master NotanOtter

Please come for your Natural Sciences intervew at XXXXX College, Oxford. Please come dressed as Alice In Wonderland.

Original poster
NotanOtter · 21/09/2009 23:36

mrs gokwan i now have two like that and would DELIGHT in 'life laundrying' peoples homes

i wont iron the stuff but love the sorting binning replacing

reducedtothis sadly said son would also DELIGHT in the fancy dress!

OP posts:
MrsGokWantstogocampingagain · 22/09/2009 08:56

Cheers Notanotter, could pay you in chocolate hobnobs

GrendelsMum · 23/09/2009 09:55

"The only real no-nos are (1) being seriously filthy (2) BO (3) T-shirts with obviously provocative or obscene slogans and (4) personal appearance that is so unusual, extreme or unkempt that it causes you to wonder about the candidate's mental health. "

Really? We seem to have no shortage of 2, and a fair amount of 4. It would certainly make the lecture theatres more fragrant if we did start weeding them out based on hygene.

Actually, I'm actually rather taken with the idea...

frogs · 23/09/2009 10:03

Oh, once they're in they all revert to type.

But I think for interview it's advisable to pay some nod to social norms, don't you think?

I'm sure many people with BO are lovely and intelligent, yadda yadda. But a good wash before an interview never goes amiss, imo. Ditto brushing your hair, and putting on clothes that you haven't slept in all week.

Just a thought.

flamingtoaster · 23/09/2009 10:11

My DS did natural sciences at Cambridge, followed by a Masters in Physics - from what I have seen on visits your DS would fit in beautifully with that haircut. However, if he is to be interviewed at Cambridge he won't have time to fiddle with, flick back his hair, etc. - my son's interview included working out increasingly complex mathematical/physics problems while giving a running commentary what he was doing. If you think the hair will distract him might be best to get it trimmed at least a bit!

snorkie · 23/09/2009 11:06

He's a great looking kid notanotter & I love his hair as it is. Also think it would be just fine in a Nat. Sci. student environment & 99% interviewers wouldn't turn a hair (sorry) at it. If he wants to trim it against the possibility that he gets one of the 1% of old school interviewers then fair enough - but I do think in Physical Science they will not be too concerned by appearance (as long as clean) - it's brain power they are looking for.