Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Saint Charles IL

How to Enroll In a Cosmetologist School near Saint Charles Illinois

nail technicians training at Saint Charles IL beauty school Now that you have decided to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Saint Charles IL, the process begins to search for and enroll in the ideal school. It’s essential that the program you select not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be a little bit confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a bit further concerning that in the following section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Saint Charles home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not always the best option. There are a number of other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

Saint Charles IL makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most 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, almost all states mandate that you go through some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Saint Charles IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin 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 formerly mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees

Saint Charles IL hairdresser cutting hair There are essentially 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 usually 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 trained in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to specialize in just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Saint Charles IL business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you go with, it’s essential to make certain that it’s recognized by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming section.

Online Cosmetologist Schools

student attending cosmetology school online in Saint Charles IL Online beauty programs are convenient for Saint Charles IL students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Cosmetology Programs

Questions to ask Saint Charles IL beauty schools Following is a series of questions that you should research for any cosmetology training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Saint Charles IL home, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices 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 compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the cosmetology training program you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, 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 may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 60174 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Saint Charles IL employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every cosmetologist institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Saint Charles IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Some cosmetology schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to start a hair salon in Saint Charles 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 poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and refining cosmetology techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s imperative that he or she receives aid in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develope relationships with Saint Charles IL employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Many beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Consult with 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 fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option before you determine what financial aid may be offered.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Saint Charles IL?

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

St. Charles, Illinois

St. Charles is a city[6] in DuPage and Kane counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It lies roughly 40 miles (64 km) west of Chicago on Illinois Route 64. According to a U.S. Census Bureau estimate in July 2012, the city had a total population of 33,327.[7] The official city slogan is Pride of the Fox, after the Fox River that runs through the center of town. St. Charles is part of a tri-city area along with Geneva and Batavia, all western suburbs of similar size and relative socioeconomic condition.

St Charles was the location of the Native American community for the chief of the Pottawatomie that inhabited the area. A city park overlooking the river was dedicated to this Native American past.[8] After the Black Hawk War in 1832, the entire area of the Fox Valley was opened to American settlement. Evan Shelby and William Franklin staked the first claim in what is now St. Charles in 1833. They came back in 1834 with their families from Indiana, and were joined by over a dozen other families later that year. The township was initially known as Charleston, but this name was already taken by the downstate city of Charleston, Illinois so the name of St. Charles (suggested by S. S. Jones, a lawyer) was adopted in 1839.[9] St. Charles became incorporated as a city February 9, 1839 and reincorporated October 17, 1874 (under the 1870 Illinois Constitution).[10]

Several "stations" of the slavery-era Underground Railroad were in St. Charles homes, complete with tunnels and false doorways; there was also an open abolitionist group called the Kane County Anti-Slavery Society, founded in 1842, with about 180 members. Most accounts lead back to a local blacksmith who set up shop in a building now known as 305 W Main St. This was most likely "the hub," This address is the easiest to visit from the dozen "stations" known. As of 2015 a fine dining establishment holds residence at that address bearing a name in honor of that Blacksmith.

Choose the Right Cosmetologist Vocational School near Saint Charles IL

Saint Charles IL barber blow drying client's hair Selecting and enrolling in the right cosmetologist school is important to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to compile all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Saint Charles IL.