How to Enroll In a Beauty School near Aspen Colorado
Since you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Aspen CO, the process begins to search for and enroll in the best school. It’s essential that the school you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a bit further regarding that in the next segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Aspen home. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the best option. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are offered.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you take some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Aspen CO beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a clientele, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many titles and are employed in a wide range of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As formerly stated, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Degrees and Certificates
There are essentially two avenues offered to get cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually take 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you prefer to specialize in just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Aspen CO business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you go with, it’s important to make certain that it’s certified by the Colorado Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the upcoming section.
Online Cosmetologist Schools
Online beauty programs are advantageous for Aspen CO students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced since many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it’s essential that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetologist Programs
Below is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any cosmetology training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Aspen CO home, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the cosmetology training program you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in 81611 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Aspen CO businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each beauty institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Aspen CO salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And finally, contact the Colorado school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to launch a hair salon in Aspen CO, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting cosmetology skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty school offers limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a cosmetology academy, it’s imperative that he or she gets help in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develope relationships with Aspen CO employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an alternative before you learn what financial assistance may be offered.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Aspen CO?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Aspen CO area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Aspen, Colorado
Aspen is the home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States.[3][4] Its population was 6,658 at the 2010 United States Census. Aspen is in a remote area of the Rocky Mountains' Sawatch Range and Elk Mountains, along the Roaring Fork River at an elevation just below 8,000 feet (2,400 m) above sea level on the Western Slope, 11 miles (18 km) west of the Continental Divide.
Founded as a mining camp during the Colorado Silver Boom and later named "Aspen" because of the abundance of aspen trees in the area, the city boomed during the 1880s, its first decade of existence. The boom ended when the Panic of 1893 led to a collapse in the silver market, and the city began a half-century known as "the quiet years" during which its population steadily declined, reaching a nadir of fewer than a thousand by 1930. Aspen's fortunes reversed in the mid-20th century when neighboring Aspen Mountain was developed into a ski resort, and industrialist Walter Paepcke bought many properties in the city and redeveloped them. Today it is home to three institutions, two of which Paepcke helped found, that have international importance: the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Aspen Institute, and the Aspen Center for Physics.[5]
In the late-20th century, the city became a popular retreat for celebrities. Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson worked out of a downtown hotel and ran unsuccessfully for county sheriff. Singer John Denver wrote two songs about Aspen after settling there. Both of them popularized Aspen among the counter-cultural youth of the 1970s as an ideal place to live, and the city continued to grow even as it gained notoriety for some of the era's hedonistic excesses (particularly its drug culture).[citation needed]
Pick the Right Cosmetology Program near Aspen CO
Picking and enrolling in the right cosmetologist college is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Aspen CO.
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