Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools East Saint Louis IL

How to Pick a Cosmetology School near East Saint Louis Illinois

nail technicians training at East Saint Louis IL beauty school Now that you have decided to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near East Saint Louis IL, the process begins to search for and enroll in the ideal school. It’s important that the program you select not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be a little bit confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more about that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your East Saint Louis home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the best option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as 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 talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are offered.

Definition of Cosmetology

East Saint Louis IL makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually 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 require that you go through some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only East Saint Louis IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and work in a wide range of specializations including:

Hairdressers
Hairstylists
Beauticians
Barbers
Manicurists
Nail Technicians
Makeup Artists
Hair Coloring Specialists
Estheticians
Electrolysis Technicians

As earlier stated, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. 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 get licensed in those states.

Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees

East Saint Louis IL hairdresser cutting hair There are primarily two avenues available to receive cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally take 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other East Saint Louis IL business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you decide on, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s certified by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming section.

Online Beauty Schools

student attending cosmetology school online in East Saint Louis IL Online beauty programs are advantageous for East Saint Louis IL students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not spending many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s imperative that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Cosmetologist Degree Programs

Questions to ask East Saint Louis IL beauty schools Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any cosmetologist training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your East Saint Louis IL residence, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the cosmetology training program you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in 62201 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many East Saint Louis IL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every beauty institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with East Saint Louis IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And finally, consult the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you enroll in a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a hair salon in East Saint Louis IL, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and refining cosmetology skills and techniques demands lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a beauty program, it’s essential that he or she gets aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with East Saint Louis IL employers that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Many beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved 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 all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an alternative until you find out what financial help may be offered.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near East Saint Louis IL?

If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater East Saint Louis IL area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.

East St. Louis, Illinois

East St. Louis is a city in St. Clair county in southwestern Illinois. It is located across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri, in what is defined as the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois. Once a bustling industrial center, like many cities in the Rust Belt, East St. Louis has been severely affected by loss of jobs due to industrial restructuring during the second half of the 20th century. In 1950, East St. Louis was the fourth-largest city in Illinois when its population peaked at 82,366. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 27,006, less than one-third of the 1950 census.

A recent addition to the city's waterfront is the Gateway Geyser. Located on the grounds of Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park, the fountain is the second-tallest in the world. Designed to complement the Gateway Arch across the river in St. Louis, it shoots water to a height of 630 feet (190 m), the same height as the Arch.

Native Americans had long inhabited both sides of the Mississippi River. The Mississippian culture rulers organized thousands of workers to construct complex earthwork mounds at what later became St. Louis and East St. Louis. The center of this culture was the urban complex of Cahokia, located to the north of present-day East St. Louis within Collinsville, Illinois. Before the Civil War, settlers reported up to 50 mounds in the area that became East St. Louis, but most were lost to 19th-century development and later roadbuilding.

Pick the Right Cosmetologist School near East Saint Louis IL

East Saint Louis IL barber blow drying client's hair Choosing and enrolling in the ideal cosmetology program is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional cosmetologist in East Saint Louis IL.