Would growing (neat) dreadlocks hurt my chances?

[MidnightMoon]

So yesterday I started the dreadlock process and Im loving it already, but will it hurt my chances of getting into vet school? The dreads wont be the messy kind, they will be medium sized (around the size of a pencil), uniform, and lay flat around my head. Im still in twists right now so I can just not do it if it really is bad- and Im a black female if that makes a difference 😀

Im hoping it wont hurt my chances because you can make some pretty classy and professional looks using dreads without the fight I have to go through for my hair to look half decent- which is waht I was doing this for anyway.

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[Bill59]

As long as they look neat and clean I think you're fine.

 

[sumstorm]

some of the girls in my school have very neat, tidy, tight dreads (pencil size or thinner) and there doesn't seem to be a problem. IvyLynx has dreads, so she might be able to share. the one thing I have noticed is the folks who have dreads treat them similar to braids; tie them up in some classes, arrange them tidily, etc...which is very different than what I saw in UG where folks seemed to just let dreads go crazy and everywhere.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Perhaps other posters are correct, and it will not be a problem. Ideally, it really shouldn't be a problem. But for your consideration:

When dealing with (sometimes) stodgy institutions like universities, it is usually better to take the more conservative approach when it comes to personal appearance. Why even take the chance of annoying a pig-headed, old-fashioned, inflexible, or judgemental member of an ad-com? We all hope that these people could never make it onto a committee, but if they exist in life, they can exist in adcoms.

If you feel your appearance is so much a part of your identity that you wouldn't want to even attend a school that had such a person on their adcom, then I would say go ahead. But otherwise, I say, wait until after interviews are over in a couple of months and then go back to the dreads.

I am probably being overly cautious, but I just don't see the point in taking a chance.

 

[sumstorm]

I'm going to be honest; I know quite a few stodgy folks who can't distinguish small tidy dreads from braids. Having dated a guy through braids and dreads and neither....I can't imagine handling some of the hair types without some method of control like dreads/braids. I do emphasize tidy. I honestly have a sad feeling that there are bigger problems if they are that stodgy (especially if the overall appearance is professional) but YMMV.

 

[nyanko]

I am probably being overly cautious, but I just don't see the point in taking a chance.

I agree with the old man, which is why I dyed my (usually pink) hair (mostly) black for my interview, even though my school is probably one of the least stodgy as far as judging people on appearance.

Nobody said anything negative when I showed up on the first day of orientation with bright pink hair, though. 😎

 

[StartingoverVet]

I agree with the old man,

Old man? 🙁

There was a time (2 weeks ago) when I might have taken offense at that comment. Now? Now, I feel it an apt descriptor. 😴

 

[MidnightMoon]

Sorry sorry! Im not interviewing or applying anytime soon. I dont even graduate undergrade until 2013- Im just think of the future because by then itll be too late to turn back. And Im doing this TO be neat. As someone posted my hair type is so...horrible that trying to wear it any other natural way just isnt worth it. Do you guys remember Max from Living Single? My dreads will look a lot like hers (hopefully) by the time I interview. Do you think that look is okay? It looks so much like braids anyway.