How to Find the Right Cosmetology School near Catawba Ohio
Once you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Catawba OH, the task starts to search for and enroll in the right school. It’s essential that the program you choose not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further concerning that in the next section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Catawba residence. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the ideal choice. There are various other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are offered.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you go through some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Catawba OH beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a client base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and are employed 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 have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates
There are basically two avenues 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 normally call for 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily 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 specialize in just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Catawba OH business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you opt for, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s recognized by the Ohio Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming segment.
Online Beauty Schools
Online beauty programs are convenient for Catawba OH students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced because many courses are as brief 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’re not devoting many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetology Training Programs
Following is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any beauty training school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Catawba OH home, as well as the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the cosmetology training program 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 43010 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Catawba OH employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every cosmetology school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Catawba OH salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Ohio school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you enroll in 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 launch a hair salon in Catawba OH, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore 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 important that she or he receives help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Catawba OH businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Almost all cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Speak 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 offered to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you find out what financial assistance may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Catawba OH?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Catawba OH area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Catawba, Ohio
As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 272 people, 95 households, and 72 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,046.2 inhabitants per square mile (403.9/km2). There were 104 housing units at an average density of 400.0 per square mile (154.4/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 98.9% White, 0.7% African American, and 0.4% Asian. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population.
There were 95 households of which 44.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 24.2% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.32.
The median age in the village was 36.5 years. 30.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.3% were from 45 to 64; and 11.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 51.8% male and 48.2% female.
Choose the Right Cosmetologist College near Catawba OH
Picking and enrolling in the ideal cosmetologist program is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Catawba OH.
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