Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Geigertown PA

How to Find the Right Beauty School near Geigertown Pennsylvania

nail technicians training at Geigertown PA beauty school Now that you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Geigertown PA, the process starts to locate and enroll in the ideal school. It’s essential that the school you pick not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather unclear 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 talk a little bit more about that in the next section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Geigertown home. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the right choice. There are a number of other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review 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

Geigertown PA makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you take some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Geigertown PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:

Hairdressers
Hairstylists
Beauticians
Barbers
Manicurists
Nail Technicians
Makeup Artists
Hair Coloring Specialists
Estheticians
Electrolysis Technicians

As earlier stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees

Geigertown 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 normally take 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree usually 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 wish to specialize in just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Geigertown PA 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 program you choose, it’s important to make sure that it’s recognized by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming section.

Online Cosmetology Programs

student attending cosmetology school online in Geigertown PA Online cosmetology classes are advantageous for Geigertown PA students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced given that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the training program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Beauty Training Courses

Questions to ask Geigertown PA beauty schools Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any cosmetologist training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Geigertown PA residence, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the cosmetology training program you pick 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 19523 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Geigertown PA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any beauty institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Geigertown PA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And finally, 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 Specialty? Many beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to open a hair salon in Geigertown PA, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering cosmetology skills and techniques demands lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s important that she or he receives support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help develope relationships with Geigertown PA employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Many beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be available.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Geigertown PA?

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

Berks County, Pennsylvania

Reading developed during the 1740s when the inhabitants of northern Lancaster County sent several petitions requesting that a separate county be established. With the help of German immigrant Conrad Weiser, the county was formed on March 11, 1752 from parts of Chester County, Lancaster County, and Philadelphia County.[4]

It was named after the English county in which William Penn's family home lay - Berkshire, which is often abbreviated to Berks. Berks County began much larger than it is today. The northwestern parts of the county went to the founding of Northumberland County in 1772 and Schuylkill County in 1811, when it reached its current size. In 2005, Berks County was added to the Delaware Valley Planning Area due to a fast-growing population and close proximity to the other communities.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 866 square miles (2,240 km2), of which 857 square miles (2,220 km2) is land and 9.2 square miles (24 km2) (1.1%) is water.[5] Most of the county is drained by the Schuylkill River, but an area in the northeast is drained by the Lehigh River via the Little Lehigh Creek and areas are drained by the Susquehanna River via the Swatara Creek in the northwest and the Conestoga River (which starts in Berks County between Morgantown and Elverson) in the extreme south. It has a humid continental climate (Dfa except for some Dfb on Blue Mountain at the northern boundary and on Mount Penn) and the hardiness zone is mostly 6b with 6a in some higher areas and 7a along the Schuylkill in the SE part of the county.

Find the Right Beauty Vocational School near Geigertown PA

Geigertown PA barber blow drying client's hair Finding and enrolling in the ideal cosmetology college is imperative to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Geigertown PA.