How to Enroll In a Beauty School near Eastport Maine
Once you have decided to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Eastport ME, the task starts to find and enroll in the right school. It’s important that the school you choose not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be a little bit unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll speak a bit more about that in the upcoming segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Eastport residence. Tuition will likewise be an important aspect when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not always the right choice. There are a number of other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are available.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you take some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Eastport ME beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional names and are employed in a wide range of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As previously stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Certificates and Degrees
There are basically two options available to get cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, 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. Shorter programs are available if you want to focus on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Eastport ME business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you decide on, it’s essential to make sure that it’s approved by the Maine Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the next segment.
Online Beauty Programs
Online beauty schools are advantageous for Eastport ME students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced since many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Beauty Training Classes
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 Eastport ME home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like 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 even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the cosmetology college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 04631 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Eastport ME businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every cosmetology college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Eastport ME salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And finally, contact the Maine school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are expansive 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 typically 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 ambition 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 dream is to start a hair salon in Eastport ME, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering cosmetology skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out 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 allow students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. So look for alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a beauty program, it’s crucial that he or she receives help in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with Eastport ME businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Many cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to 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 with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option until you determine what financial help may be offered.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Eastport ME?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Eastport ME area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Eastport, Maine
Eastport is a small city (consisting entirely of islands) in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,331 at the 2010 census, making Eastport the least-populous city in Maine.[4] The principal island is Moose Island, which is connected to the mainland by causeway. Eastport is the easternmost city in the United States (although the nearby town of Lubec is the easternmost municipality).
The native Passamaquoddy Tribe has called this area home for at least 10,000 years. Some archeologists estimate the habitation at 20,000 years.[5] The first known European contact was the St. Croix colony founded by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1604. Near present-day Calais, the unsuccessful Saint Croix Island Acadia settlement predates the first successful English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, by three years. On June 25, 1604, Champlain and his men spent a long and severe winter on St. Croix Island with no fresh water and diminished supplies. Two-fifths of the men died of scurvy, and the colony moved across the Bay of Fundy to Port Royal in present-day Nova Scotia.[6]
Fishermen and traders visited the area in the 17th century. Moose Island was first settled in 1772 by James Cochrane of Newburyport, Massachusetts, who would be joined by other fishermen from Newburyport and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. On February 24, 1798, Eastport was incorporated as a town from Plantation Number 8 PS by the Massachusetts General Court, and named for being the easternmost port in the United States. Lubec, on the mainland, was set off and incorporated as a town on June 21, 1811.[7]
Choose the Right Cosmetology School near Eastport ME
Locating and enrolling in the right cosmetologist college is essential to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Eastport ME.
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