Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Ellwood City PA

How to Find the Right Cosmetology College near Ellwood City Pennsylvania

nail technicians training at Ellwood City PA beauty school Now that you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Ellwood City PA, the process begins to find and enroll in the right school. It’s important that the school you choose not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you may be somewhat confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll speak 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 Ellwood City home. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when evaluating potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the ideal option. There are several other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

Ellwood City PA makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So of course 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 basically a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you take some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Ellwood City PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known 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 earlier mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, for instance 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.

Cosmetology Degrees

Ellwood City PA hairdresser cutting hair There are essentially 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 usually require 12 to 18 months to finish, 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 main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to specialize in just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Ellwood City PA business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you opt for, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s certified by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve 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 upcoming segment.

Online Cosmetology Classes

student attending cosmetology school online in Ellwood City PA Online beauty programs are convenient for Ellwood City PA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are frequently fast paced because many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Cosmetology Schools

Questions to ask Ellwood City PA beauty schools Below is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any beauty training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Ellwood City PA residence, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the cosmetology training program you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified 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 important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 16117 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Ellwood City PA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each cosmetologist school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Ellwood City PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And last, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Many beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your ambition 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 Ellwood City PA, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining cosmetology techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So search for other schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from a beauty academy, it’s imperative that he or she receives support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develope relationships with Ellwood City PA employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. 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 offered to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be provided.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Ellwood City PA?

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

Ellwood City, Pennsylvania

Ellwood City is a borough primarily in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a small portion in Beaver County. Ellwood City is 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Pittsburgh and some 8 miles (13 km) southeast of New Castle. In the past, Ellwood City sustained many heavy industries such as steel-tube mills, steel-car works, building-stone and limestone quarries, foundries and machine shops, and coal-mining. The population was 7,921 at the 2010 census.[6] Of the population, 7,289 lived in Lawrence County, while 632 lived in Beaver County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2), of which 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 2.09%, is water.

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 8,688 people, 3,716 households, and 2,393 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,716.6 people per square mile (1,433.5/km2). There were 4,006 housing units at an average density of 1,713.7 per square mile (661.0/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.22% White, 0.81% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.18% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.

Select the Right Cosmetologist Vocational School near Ellwood City PA

Ellwood City PA barber blow drying client's hair Picking and enrolling in the right cosmetology school is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Ellwood City PA.