How to Find the Right Beauty College near Lee Center Illinois
Since you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Lee Center IL, the task begins to search for and enroll in the right school. It’s important that the school you choose not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more regarding that in the following section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Lee Center home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the ideal choice. There are a number of other factors that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are offered.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you undergo some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Lee Center IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a client base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many names and are employed in a wide variety of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As previously mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Certificates and Degrees
There are basically two options offered to obtain cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually require 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to concentrate on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Lee Center 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. Whichever type of course you go with, it’s essential to make sure that it’s recognized by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following segment.
Online Cosmetologist Programs
Online cosmetology schools are convenient for Lee Center IL students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced because many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. However, it’s imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetology Schools
Below is a list of questions that you should research for any beauty training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Lee Center IL home, in addition to the price of tuition, will probably be your first 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 options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the cosmetology school 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 important for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 61331 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Lee Center IL employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every cosmetologist college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Lee Center IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, consult the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to launch a hair salon in Lee Center IL, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering cosmetology skills and techniques involves lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s crucial that she or he gets aid in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Lee Center IL businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Many cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an option before you determine what financial assistance may be offered.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Lee Center IL?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Lee Center IL area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Il Lee
Il Lee (Korean: 이일) is a Korean American contemporary artist. He was born in South Korea and has been living in America since the mid-1970s.[1] Il Lee is best known for his ballpoint pen artwork; large-scale abstract imagery on paper and canvas.[1] He also creates artwork in a similar vein utilizing acrylic and oil paint on canvas.[2] Exhibitions of Il Lee's artwork have been held in Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris, New Delhi, Mexico City, and numerous cities across the United States.[3] The New York Times has described Lee's ballpoint artwork as "deceptively casual; sweeping, rhythmical abstractions in blue."[1]
Il Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1952.[1] His family originates from the mountains of North Korea, who made their way to South Korea in the years prior to the Korean war. His father studied architecture and engineering, but was unable to pursue it due to the outbreak of war. Lee has five siblings, and describes his family as "big" for his generation.[4]
Lee received his B.F.A. (painting) in 1976 from Hongik University, a Korean school said to be "Western oriented."[5] His paintings during the late-1970s were oil on canvas, presented as "geometric abstraction." The artist himself later described some of those works as "labor-intensive."[4]
Choose the Right Cosmetologist Training Program near Lee Center IL
Finding and enrolling in the right beauty college is important to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional cosmetologist in Lee Center IL.
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