How to Find the Right Beauty College near Crawfordsville Oregon
Since you have decided to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Crawfordsville OR, the process starts to find and enroll in the right school. It’s important that the program you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit further about that in the upcoming segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Crawfordsville home. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not always the best option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are offered.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the application 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 word cosmetics, but really 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 go through some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Crawfordsville OR beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by 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 already mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Degrees
There are essentially two avenues 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 generally take 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Crawfordsville OR business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you go with, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s recognized by the Oregon Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the next segment.
Online Beauty Programs
Online beauty classes are accommodating for Crawfordsville OR students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced because many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetology Schools
Below is a list of questions that you should investigate for any beauty training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Crawfordsville OR residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the School 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 recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 97336 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Crawfordsville OR businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might 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 outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent 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, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Crawfordsville OR salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. Finally, check with the Oregon school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden 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 objective 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 desire is to open a hair salon in Crawfordsville OR, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and refining cosmetology skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty program furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore search for other schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a cosmetology program, it’s essential that she or he gets help in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Crawfordsville OR employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Almost all beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify 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 offered to students also. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you find out what financial aid may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Crawfordsville OR?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Crawfordsville OR area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Crawfordsville is a city in Montgomery County in west central Indiana, U.S., 49 mi. west by northwest of Indianapolis.[7] As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,915. The city is the county seat of Montgomery County, the only chartered city and largest populated place in the county.[8] The nearest populous city is Lafayette/West Lafayette metropolitan area, 30 mi. north by road. It is home to Wabash College, which was ranked by Forbes as #12 in the United States for undergraduate studies in 2008.[9]
Crawfordsville was founded adjacent to Sugar Creek, a southern tributary of the Wabash River, in 1823 by Virginian Major Ambrose Whitlock, U.S. army, who served under Gen. "Mad" Anthony Wayne in the Northwest Indian War. The city was named for fellow Virginian William H. Crawford, who was Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Madison and Monroe at that time. Whitlock was the first settler in the town.
In 1813, Williamson Dunn, Henry Ristine, and Major Ambrose Whitlock noted that the site of present-day Crawfordsville was ideal for settlement, surrounded by deciduous forest and potentially arable land, with water provided by a nearby creek, later named Sugar Creek. They returned a decade later to find at least one cabin built. In 1821, William and Jennie Offield had built a cabin on a little creek, later to be known as Offield Creek, four miles southwest of the future site of Crawfordsville.
Find the Right Cosmetology School near Crawfordsville OR
Locating and enrolling in the right cosmetologist college is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to compile all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Crawfordsville OR.
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