Probably too late for this reply. Sorry that I didn't see your post earlier. I'm an employer (small retail business). I'm fine with 'alternate' looks and more concerned with issues such as cleanliness, does it look as though this person made an effort over their appearance (however alternate),etc. On the other hand my shop sells crafts, incense, jewellery and an 'alternate' look can go quite well with that. I suppose it depends an awful lot on what the 'alternate' look conveys. For example: personally I don't like tattoos but it wouldn't put me off employing someone unless it was things like H A T E tattooed across the knuckles or dotted lines around the neck with a 'cut here' message. Such things would so put my customers off! Some - not all - older customers really don't like 'ordinary' tattoos but they'll just ooh and aah about them, it wouldn't put them off coming in the shop.
I'd see business administration as being a more 'conservative' occupation but I'd suspect that at a college interview they'd be looking more at your attitudes and skills and desire to learn. I think they'd also be trying to suss out if you realise that at some point in the future, in order to get certain jobs that you might want, you might have to tone down your look a bit at least at the initial interview and in the early days as an employee. In many businesses once you are on board and showing how useful you are people start to care less about how you look but in other businesses there is a line about appearances and you have to toe it if you want to keep the job. This can cut both ways of course. I once asked interviewees to come to a job interview dressed in 'clean casual' because I would want them to do some practical tasks as part of the interview. One interviewee came in a suit and tie, nice person, but nevertheless by doing so he was telling me that he'd either not read the interview invitation carefully enough or that he didn't care what I said I wanted, both are big negative signs to an employer.
) luckily the actual company didn't have an issue with hair colour and piercings so it's all good and I get to keep everything as it is. I asked it on my tour prior to the interview just to make sure.