Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools River Grove IL

How to Pick a Cosmetology College near River Grove Illinois

nail technicians training at River Grove IL beauty school Once you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near River Grove IL, the task starts to locate and enroll in the right school. It’s important that the school you pick not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be somewhat unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit more concerning that in the next segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your River Grove residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when reviewing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the ideal choice. There are several other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

River Grove IL makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So naturally 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 basically a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you take some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only River Grove IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a clientele, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and work in a wide variety of specialties including:

Hairdressers
Hairstylists
Beauticians
Barbers
Manicurists
Nail Technicians
Makeup Artists
Hair Coloring Specialists
Estheticians
Electrolysis Technicians

As formerly mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees

River Grove IL hairdresser cutting hair There are basically two pathways available 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 generally 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 all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you wish to specialize in just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other River Grove IL business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you decide on, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s recognized 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 examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the following section.

Online Cosmetologist Classes

student attending cosmetology school online in River Grove IL Online cosmetology schools are advantageous for River Grove IL students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended by means of a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced since many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. However, it’s vital that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Cosmetologist Training Programs

Questions to ask River Grove IL beauty schools Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any beauty training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your River Grove IL residence, together with the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each 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 recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 60171 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous River Grove IL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each cosmetologist college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with River Grove IL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Many beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular 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 select a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your intention 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 aspiration is to launch a hair salon in River Grove 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 deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining cosmetology techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So look for other schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s imperative that she or he gets aid in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develope relationships with River Grove IL businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? Most beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option before you learn what financial aid may be offered.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near River Grove IL?

If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater River Grove IL area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.

River Grove, Illinois

River Grove is located at 41°55′33″N 87°50′24″W / 41.92583°N 87.84000°W / 41.92583; -87.84000 (41.925830, -87.840135).[4] According to the 2010 census, River Grove has a total area of 2.39 square miles (6.19 km2), all land.[5]

Just as nearby Elmwood Park and Oak Park are named after their historic elm and oak trees, River Grove gets its two-part name first from the community's shallow muddy plains river, and second from the majestic groves of American ash trees lining shore of the (Aux) Des Planes River "Bottomland." Credit goes to the village's early German and Nordic settlers who, already holding a great reverence for the "mystic ash" through old world traditions, felt that they were home again among the familiar groves of ash trees, "just like the ones they left behind." Up until the modern day extinction event of the American ash tree species 2006–2018, River Grove was the home to Cook County's second-oldest green ash with an estimated age of 240 in the "old growth" Lafrombose Woods, along with several other living examples of locally evolved white, green, black and blue ash types 110–160 years of age scattered around the village. Because the invasive Asian emerald ash borer kills off young trees long before they reach seeding age of 10, scientists theorize that the "Fraxinus/ash" species will no longer be able to germinate continued generations by 2018 within the local woods, or only 12 years after EAB was first discovered in River Grove.[6][7]

As of the census[9] of 2010, there were 10,227 people and 4,427 households in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 87.5% White (76.7% Non-Hispanic white), 1.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.2% Asian, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.6% of the population.

Find the Right Beauty Training Program near River Grove IL

River Grove IL barber blow drying client's hair Picking and enrolling in the ideal beauty college is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in River Grove IL.