How to Enroll In a Beauty College near Lincoln’s New Salem Illinois
Once you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Lincoln’s New Salem IL, the process starts to search for and enroll in the right school. It’s important that the school you choose not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be rather puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll speak a bit further concerning that in the following segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Lincoln’s New Salem residence. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when assessing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the best choice. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession 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 referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you take some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Lincoln’s New Salem IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many professional names and work in a wide variety of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As previously stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates
There are basically two avenues offered to obtain 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 normally 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 major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Lincoln’s New Salem IL business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you go with, it’s important to make certain that it’s approved by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the next segment.
Online Beauty Courses
Online beauty schools are advantageous for Lincoln’s New Salem IL students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are often fast paced since many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the training program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Beauty Degree Programs
Following is a list of questions that you need to research for any cosmetology training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Lincoln’s New Salem IL residence, in addition to 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 preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected several of those additional questions that you should 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 acknowledged local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 62659 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Lincoln’s New Salem IL businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those 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 references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Lincoln’s New Salem IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And finally, consult the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some cosmetology schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing 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 typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your goal 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 desire is to launch a hair salon in Lincoln’s New Salem IL, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a beauty program, it’s essential that he or she gets help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develope relationships with Lincoln’s New Salem IL businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Most beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 available to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an option before you learn what financial help may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Lincoln’s New Salem IL?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Lincoln’s New Salem IL area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Lincoln's New Salem
Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site is a reconstruction of the former village of New Salem in Menard County, Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln lived from 1831 to 1837.[1] While in his twenties, the future U.S. President made his living in this village as a boatman, soldier in the Black Hawk War, general store owner, postmaster, surveyor, and rail splitter, and was first elected to the Illinois General Assembly.
Lincoln left New Salem for Springfield in 1837, and the village was generally abandoned by about 1840, as other towns developed. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built a historic recreation of New Salem based on its original foundations, establishing a state park commemorating Lincoln and Illinois' frontier history.[2] The village is located 15 mi (24 km) northwest of Springfield, and approximately 3 mi (4.8 km) south of Petersburg.
New Salem was founded in 1829, when James Rutledge and John Camron built a gristmill on the Sangamon River. They surveyed and sold village lots for commercial business and homes on the ridge stretching to the west above the mill. Over the first few years of its existence, the town grew rapidly, but after the county seat was located in nearby Petersburg, the village began to shrink and by 1840, it was abandoned. The fact that the Sangamon River was not well-suited for steamboat travel was also a reason for the town's decline.
Choose the Right Cosmetology Program near Lincoln’s New Salem IL
Picking and enrolling in the right cosmetologist school is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to compile all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Lincoln’s New Salem IL.
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