Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Dorchester MA

How to Pick a Beauty School near Dorchester Massachusetts

nail technicians training at Dorchester MA beauty school Once you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Dorchester MA, the process starts to find and enroll in the right school. It’s imperative that the program you pick not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather 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 talk a little bit more about that in the next segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Dorchester home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when assessing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the best choice. There are a number of other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning 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 kinds of programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

Dorchester MA 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 of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you undergo some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Dorchester MA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses 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 clients either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles 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 have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Cosmetologist Certificates and Degrees

Dorchester MA 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) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally require 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 main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you want to concentrate on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Dorchester MA business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you opt for, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the Massachusetts Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.

Online Cosmetologist Schools

student attending cosmetology school online in Dorchester MA Online beauty schools are advantageous for Dorchester MA students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Beauty Schools

Questions to ask Dorchester MA beauty schools Following is a series of questions that you should investigate for any beauty training school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Dorchester MA home, as well as the price of tuition, will undoubtedly 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 choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the cosmetology training program you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national organization, 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 can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 52140 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 Dorchester MA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each beauty institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Dorchester MA 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 considered. And last, contact the Massachusetts school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your goal 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 launch a hair salon in Dorchester MA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting cosmetology skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a beauty academy, it’s crucial that he or she receives support in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Dorchester MA businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, find out 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? Almost all cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an option until you find out what financial assistance may be provided.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Dorchester MA?

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

Dorchester, Boston

Dorchester (colloquially referred to as Dot)[3] is a Boston neighborhood comprising more than 6 square miles (16 km2) in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Originally, Dorchester was a separate town, founded by Puritans who emigrated in 1630 from Dorchester, Dorset, England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. This dissolved municipality, Boston's largest neighborhood by far,[4] is often divided by city planners in order to create two planning areas roughly equivalent in size and population to other Boston neighborhoods.

Founded in 1630, just a few months before the founding of the city of Boston, Dorchester now covers a geographic area approximately equivalent to nearby Cambridge.[6] It was still a primarily rural town and had a population of 12,000 when it was annexed to Boston in 1870. Railroad and streetcar lines brought rapid growth, increasing the population to 150,000 by 1920. In the 2010 United States Census, the neighborhood's population was 92,115.

The Dorchester neighborhood has a very diverse population, which includes a large concentration of African Americans, European Americans (with large Irish American and Polish American immigrant populations), Caribbean Americans, Latinos, and East and Southeast Asian Americans. Dorchester also has a significant LGBT population, with active political groups and the largest concentration of same-sex couples in Boston after the South End and Jamaica Plain.[7] Most of the people over the age of 25 have completed high school or obtained a GED.[8]

Find the Right Cosmetology Program near Dorchester MA

Dorchester MA barber blow drying client's hair Finding and enrolling in the right cosmetologist college is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, 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 test, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Dorchester MA.