Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Downingtown PA

How to Find the Right Cosmetologist School near Downingtown Pennsylvania

nail technicians training at Downingtown PA beauty school Now that you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Downingtown PA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the best school. It’s imperative that the school you select not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll speak a little bit further concerning that in the next segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Downingtown home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when reviewing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the best choice. There are many other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

Downingtown PA makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more attractive with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you take some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Downingtown PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known 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 some states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates

Downingtown PA hairdresser cutting hair There are basically two options offered to receive cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally require 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 each of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you wish to focus on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Downingtown PA business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you go with, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the next section.

Online Cosmetologist Schools

student attending cosmetology school online in Downingtown PA Online beauty schools are accommodating for Downingtown PA students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting many hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. However, it’s important that the training program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Cosmetology Schools

Questions to ask Downingtown PA beauty schools Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any beauty training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Downingtown PA residence, together with the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the cosmetology school you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified 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 superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 19335 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Downingtown PA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each cosmetology institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Downingtown PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Many beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently 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 intention 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 aspiration is to open a hair salon in Downingtown PA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and refining cosmetology skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty school furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s important that he or she receives aid in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Downingtown PA businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? Most cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be offered.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Downingtown PA?

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

Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Downingtown is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, 33 miles (53 km) west of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 7,891. Downingtown was settled by English and European colonists in the early 18th century and has a number of historic buildings and structures.

The town was originally named Milltown due to its number of mills along the East Branch Brandywine Creek, the first of which was founded by Daniel Butter. The Butter family also had paper mills in the area, and Frederick Bicking from Winterburg, Germany, was the patriarch of the Bicking paper families. Around the time of the American Revolution, Milltown became more commonly known as Downingtown after the prominent businessman Thomas Downing,[3] a Quaker immigrant in 1717 from Bradninch, Devon, England, who owned a number of those mills. The town was officially named Downingtown in 1812.

The town is located along the Lincoln Highway (now part of U.S. Route 30) which runs from the East Coast to the West Coast. It was an early westward road in the wagon days as the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike. The Lincoln Highway was the first paved road to cross the nation from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike started in the early 1940s and was completed in the early 1950s; it runs north of US 30, bypassing Downingtown.

Find the Right Beauty College near Downingtown PA

Downingtown PA barber blow drying client's hair Selecting and enrolling in the right beauty college is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to collect all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your career as a professional cosmetologist in Downingtown PA.