How to Choose a Cosmetology College near Nauvoo Illinois
Once you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Nauvoo IL, the task starts to search for and enroll in the ideal school. It’s imperative that the program you pick not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a bit further 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 Nauvoo residence. Tuition will also be an important aspect when reviewing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not always the right option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are offered.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can be anything that enhances 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 you are licensed, the work environments include not only Nauvoo IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many professional names and work in a wide range of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As already mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates
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 pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally call for 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 instructed in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you wish to concentrate on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Nauvoo IL business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you go with, it’s important to make sure that it’s certified by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the next section.
Online Beauty Courses
Online cosmetology schools are convenient for Nauvoo IL students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced since many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s important that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Beauty Programs
Below is a series of questions that you should research for any cosmetologist training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Nauvoo IL home, together with the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue 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 additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the cosmetology school you choose 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 meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 62354 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Nauvoo IL businesses 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? Every cosmetologist institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Nauvoo IL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And last, consult the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to start a hair salon in Nauvoo IL, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting cosmetology skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. So search for alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from a beauty program, it’s important that he or she gets support in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with Nauvoo IL employers that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Many beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Speak 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 satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an option before you find out what financial assistance may be offered.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Nauvoo IL?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Nauvoo IL area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo (/ˈnɔːvuː/; etymology: Hebrew: נָאווּ, Modern Navu, Tiberian Nâwû, “they are beautiful”) is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States, on the Mississippi River near Fort Madison, Iowa. The population of Nauvoo was 1,149 at the 2010 census. Nauvoo attracts visitors for its historic importance and its religious significance to members of several groups: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church); the Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS); other groups stemming from the Latter Day Saint movement; and the Icarians. The city and its immediate surrounding area are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Nauvoo Historic District.
The area of Nauvoo was first called Quashquema, named in honor of the Native American chief who headed a Sauk and Fox settlement numbering nearly 500 lodges. By 1827, white settlers had built cabins in the area. By 1829 this area of Hancock County had grown sufficiently so that a post office was needed and in 1832 the town, now called Venus, was one of the contenders for the new county seat. However, the honor was awarded to a nearby city, Carthage. In 1834 the name Venus was changed to Commerce because the settlers felt that the new name better suited their plans.
In late 1839, arriving Mormons bought the small town of Commerce and in April 1840 it was renamed Nauvoo[3] by Joseph Smith, who led the Latter Day Saints to Nauvoo to escape conflict with the state government in Missouri. The name Nauvoo is derived from the traditional Hebrew language with an anglicized spelling. The word comes from Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains...” It is notable that “by 1844 Nauvoo's population had swollen to 12,000, rivaling the size of Chicago” at the time.[4][5]
Pick the Right Beauty School near Nauvoo IL
Locating and enrolling in the right beauty college is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Nauvoo IL.
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