How to Pick a Cosmetology College near Greenfield Illinois
Since you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Greenfield IL, the task begins to find and enroll in the right school. It’s imperative that the program you pick not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll speak a little bit more regarding that in the next segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Greenfield home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the best option. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you undergo some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Greenfield IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As earlier mentioned, in most 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 working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees
There are primarily two avenues offered to get cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually require 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you wish to concentrate on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Greenfield IL business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you decide on, it’s important to make sure that it’s certified by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the next segment.
Online Cosmetologist Classes
Online beauty schools are advantageous for Greenfield IL students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be attended by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it’s essential that the program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Cosmetologist Schools
Below is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any beauty training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Greenfield IL residence, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the cosmetology training program you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, 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 superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 62044 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Greenfield IL businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every cosmetology institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good 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, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Greenfield IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And finally, contact the Illinois school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative 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 vision is to launch a hair salon in Greenfield IL, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting cosmetology skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on using mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a cosmetology program, it’s crucial that he or she gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with Greenfield IL businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Greenfield IL?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Greenfield IL area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Greenfield, Illinois
Greenfield is located in eastern Greene County at 39°20′35″N 90°12′35″W / 39.34306°N 90.20972°W / 39.34306; -90.20972 (39.342969, -90.209798).[4]Illinois Route 267 passes through the city, leading north 27 miles (43 km) to Jacksonville and south 13 miles (21 km) to Medora. Carrollton, the Greene County seat, is 13 miles (21 km) to the southwest via Routes 267 and 108.
According to the 2010 census, Greenfield has a total area of 1.783 square miles (4.62 km2), of which 1.72 square miles (4.45 km2) (or 96.47%) is land and 0.063 square miles (0.16 km2) (or 3.53%) is water.[3]
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 1,179 people, 500 households, and 330 families residing in the city. The population density was 687.2 people per square mile (264.7/km²). There were 531 housing units at an average density of 309.5 per square mile (119.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.24% White, 0.08% African American, 0.42% Native American, and 0.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.
Choose the Right Cosmetology Vocational School near Greenfield IL
Locating and enrolling in the ideal cosmetologist college is essential to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address 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 choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your career as a professional cosmetologist in Greenfield IL.
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