Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Vernon Hills IL

How to Choose a Cosmetology College near Vernon Hills Illinois

nail technicians training at Vernon Hills IL beauty school Now that you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Vernon Hills IL, the process begins to locate and enroll in the right school. It’s important that the school you choose not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start 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 basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a bit further concerning that in the following segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Vernon Hills residence. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the right option. There are several other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are offered.

What is Cosmetology

Vernon Hills IL makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you take some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Vernon Hills IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a clientele, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional 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 earlier stated, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for example 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.

Cosmetologist Certificates and Degrees

Vernon Hills IL hairdresser cutting hair There are primarily two options offered to get 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 typically call for 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 each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, for instance 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 Vernon Hills IL business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you go with, it’s essential to make certain that it’s certified by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only certify schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the upcoming section.

Online Cosmetology Programs

student attending cosmetology school online in Vernon Hills IL Online cosmetology schools are advantageous for Vernon Hills IL students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced because many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s important that the school you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Beauty Programs

Questions to ask Vernon Hills IL beauty schools Following is a list of questions that you need to look into for any beauty training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Vernon Hills IL home, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the cosmetology school 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 assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in 60061 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Vernon Hills 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? Any beauty school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Vernon Hills IL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. Finally, check with the Illinois school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you select 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 vision is to launch a hair salon in Vernon Hills IL, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct 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 require.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities requires 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 enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So try to find alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a beauty academy, it’s imperative that she or he receives support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Vernon Hills IL employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Almost all cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an option before you determine what financial help may be provided.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Vernon Hills IL?

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

Vernon Hills, Illinois

Vernon Hills is an affluent suburb north of Chicago, Illinois in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 20,120 at the 2000 census, and 25,113 in 2010. Vernon Hills serves as a retail hub for its surrounding area (Libertyville, Lake Forest, Long Grove, Lincolnshire and Buffalo Grove).

The land that was to become Vernon Hills, founded by Richard Theodore Freese, Ron Freese, and Jim Carswell, began with the establishment of a 200-acre (0.81 km2) farm in 1851. Use of the land remained relatively static until the 1950s, when part of it was purchased for a residential community and golf course; the development was the first use of the name "Vernon Hills." On June 16, 1958, the village officially incorporated with 123 residents and 125 houses in a single subdivision built by Quinn Hogan and Barney Loeb.[3] During these times, the village and police department were run from a local motel until 1971 when village trustees bought two portable buildings.[3] It saw steady but slow growth until the annexing of a plot of land near the corner of IL-60 and IL-21 in 1971, which led to the building of 1,200,000-square-foot (110,000 m2) Hawthorn Center. By 1980, the village's population had grown to almost 10,000 residents, and by 2000, it had surpassed 20,000.

Through the 1980s and 1990s, the village grew geographically through the annexation of surrounding areas. This included land that would become the Corporate Woods business park and Centennial Crossing residential development (1986), a 1,200-acre (4.9 km2) section of Hawthorne-Mellody Farms (1988), and part of the village of Half Day (1994). In 2000, the village acquired land that had belonged at different times to the U.S. Army as a Nike missile base, the U.S. Navy as a naval training center, and the Curtiss Candy Company; it was converted to what is now the 184-acre (0.74 km2) Vernon Hills Athletic Complex (VHAC).

Enroll in the Right Cosmetology Training Program near Vernon Hills IL

Vernon Hills IL barber blow drying client's hair Locating and enrolling in the ideal cosmetologist program is essential to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this post, 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 prepared to begin your career as a professional cosmetologist in Vernon Hills IL.