How to Pick a Cosmetologist School near Prairie City Illinois
Once you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Prairie City IL, the task begins to find and enroll in the right school. It’s imperative that the school you select not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further concerning that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Prairie City residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when reviewing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the best option. There are various other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are offered.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you take some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Prairie City IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues 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 customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional 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 earlier mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees
There are basically two pathways offered 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 usually require 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you want to concentrate on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Prairie City IL business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you opt for, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the next section.
Online Cosmetology Training
Online beauty schools are advantageous for Prairie City IL students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Cosmetologist Trade Schools
Following is a series of questions that you should research for any cosmetologist training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Prairie City IL home, in addition to the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the cosmetology training program you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 61470 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Prairie City IL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each cosmetologist institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Prairie City IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. Finally, check with 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 Specialty? Some cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your objective 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 aspiration is to open a hair salon in Prairie City IL, then you want 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 provide the training you need.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s essential that she or he receives aid in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help develope relationships with Prairie City IL employers that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn 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 as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an option before you determine what financial aid may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Prairie City IL?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Prairie City IL area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Prairie City, Illinois
From 1937-1950, Prairie City was home to the Decker Press, which in the mid-1940s was the largest publishing house in America devoted exclusively to putting out poetry. The business was not financially successful and its founder, Prairie City native James A. Decker, sold it to a local lumber dealer, Harry M. Denman, who in turn sold it several months later to Ervin Tax, a poet from Chicago. Decker left town, but his wife, Dorothy, remained.
Tax tried to make the business more efficient and profitable—buying new presses and binding equipment and hiring an artist, sales promoter and other employees. But The Decker Press came to a tragic end in May 1950 when Dorothy, who had fallen in love with Tax in a one-side relationship, shot Tax in the head with a rifle and then killed herself.[5]
Per the 2010 US Census, Prairie City had 379 people. Among non-Hispanics this includes 371 White (97.9%), 5 Black (1.3%), 1 Asian (0.3%), & 1 from two or more races. The Hispanic or Latino population included 1 person (0.3%).
Pick the Right Beauty Vocational School near Prairie City IL
Picking and enrolling in the right cosmetologist program is essential to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Prairie City IL.
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