How to Pick a Beauty College near Elmwood Illinois
Once you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Elmwood IL, the process begins to locate and enroll in the right school. It’s important that the school you choose not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit more about that in the upcoming section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Elmwood residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when assessing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the right option. There are many other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are offered.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human body look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you go through some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Elmwood IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles 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 formerly mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must 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, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees
There are essentially two pathways offered to receive 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 typically call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you prefer to focus on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Elmwood IL business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you decide on, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s certified by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the following segment.
Online Cosmetologist Programs
Online cosmetology programs are convenient for Elmwood IL students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced since many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetology Training Courses
Following is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any beauty training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Elmwood IL home, together with the expense of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the cosmetology school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 61529 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 Elmwood IL employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each cosmetologist institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Elmwood IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. Finally, contact the Illinois school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you decide on a school that focuses on 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 well regarded for that program. If your dream is to open a hair salon in Elmwood IL, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and perfecting cosmetology skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a cosmetology academy, it’s essential that she or he receives help in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Elmwood IL employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Elmwood IL?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Elmwood IL area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Elmwood Park, Illinois
Elmwood Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 24,883 at the 2010 census.[3] The community has long maintained a large Italian-American population, with a more recent influx of Polish-American and Hispanic residents.
Elmwood Park was incorporated as a village in early April 1914 in order to prevent annexation by the greater city of Chicago. Today one can still see evidence of a minority of landowners, or share farmers who voted for annexation to the city by the odd chunk taken out of Elmwood Park's northeast corner which kept the community from achieving a full square rectangular border.
At the turn of the Century urban dwellers would take the train westward out of the harsh concrete city for family picnics at the "Elm-Wood-Park", which was an ancient "Grove of majestic 180 year old Elms" found near 72nd Ave/Harlem and Irving Park road. Taking advantage of the park's provenance, a new cemetery was named Elmwood, while the closest train stop to both cemetery and park in unincorporated Marwood/Ellsworth became identified with the official name of "Elmwood Park". During the pressure era of incorporation a decade later, the village's founding representatives thought it most ideal to legally title the community after the stop, and after the namesake elm which is a native, locally evolved, riparian prairie "bottomland" tree species.
Choose the Right Beauty Vocational School near Elmwood IL
Choosing and enrolling in the right cosmetologist college is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to consolidate all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Elmwood IL.
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