Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Alburtis PA

How to Choose a Beauty School near Alburtis Pennsylvania

nail technicians training at Alburtis PA beauty school Now that you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Alburtis PA, the process begins to search for and enroll in the right school. It’s imperative that the school you choose not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a bit more 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 Alburtis home. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when reviewing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the best option. There are a number of other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.

Defining Cosmetology

Alburtis PA makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the use 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 actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you go through some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Alburtis PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a customer base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional 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 already mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees

Alburtis PA hairdresser cutting hair There are basically two options available to receive cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually take 12 to 18 months to complete, 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 offered if you prefer to specialize in just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely include management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Alburtis PA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you opt for, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next segment.

Online Cosmetologist Courses

student attending cosmetology school online in Alburtis PA Online beauty schools are convenient for Alburtis PA students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional 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 spending many hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Beauty Programs

Questions to ask Alburtis PA beauty schools Below is a list of questions that you should investigate for any cosmetologist training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Alburtis PA home, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the cosmetology training program you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized 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 quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 18011 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Alburtis PA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each beauty school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Alburtis PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the Pennsylvania 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 comprehensive 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 frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you choose 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 respected for that program. If your vision is to open a hair salon in Alburtis PA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. So look for other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a beauty academy, it’s essential that she or he receives assistance in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develope relationships with Alburtis PA employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments 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 Offered? Most beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with 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 offered to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option until you determine what financial assistance may be available.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Alburtis PA?

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

Alburtis, Pennsylvania

Alburtis is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. Alburtis is included in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the New York City-Newark, New Jersey, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2), all of it land. However, the Alburtis ZIP code (18011) comprises two separate areas stretching from south of Trexlertown well into District township of neighboring Berks County.[3]

Local tradition holds that the town was named after Edward K. Alburtis, a civil engineer involved in the construction of the East Pennsylvania Branch of the Philadelphia and Reading Railway. When a railroad station was established in the town, the railroad's Board of Directors named it in honor of Alburtis in 1859.[4]

Find the Right Beauty School near Alburtis PA

Alburtis PA barber blow drying client's hair Locating and enrolling in the right cosmetology school is important to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional cosmetologist in Alburtis PA.