How to Pick a Beauty School near Glenville Pennsylvania
Since you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Glenville PA, the process begins to find and enroll in the ideal school. It’s important that the school you select not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a bit further regarding that in the following section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Glenville home. Tuition will also be an important factor when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the best option. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you go through some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Glenville PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional names and work in a wide variety of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As formerly mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those offering 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 Certificates and Degrees
There are essentially two avenues offered to receive cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally call for 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. Shorter programs are offered if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Glenville PA business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you choose, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the next segment.
Online Beauty Classes
Online cosmetology schools are advantageous for Glenville 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 by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are often fast paced since many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the program you select can provide internship training in nearby 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 difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetology Degree Programs
Following is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any cosmetology training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Glenville PA residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt 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 need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the cosmetology school you enroll in 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 meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 17329 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Glenville PA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each cosmetology school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Glenville PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And last, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you enroll in a school that specializes in 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 well regarded for that program. If your vision is to launch a hair salon in Glenville PA, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach 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 Any Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining cosmetology skills and techniques involves lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So look for other schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a beauty academy, it’s essential that she or he receives help in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Glenville PA employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools 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. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Most cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an option until you learn what financial assistance may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Glenville PA?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Glenville PA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
York County, Pennsylvania
York County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 434,972.[1] Its county seat is York.[2] The county was created on August 19, 1749, from part of Lancaster County and named either after the Duke of York, an early patron of the Penn family, or for the city and shire of York in England.
York County comprises the York-Hanover, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Harrisburg-York-Lebanon, Pennsylvania Combined Statistical Area. It is in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania.
Based on the Articles of Confederation having been adopted in York by the Second Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, the local government and business community began referring to York in the 1960s as the first capital of the United States of America. The designation has been debated by historians ever since.[3] Congress considered York, and the borough of Wrightsville, on the eastern side of York County along the Susquehanna River, as a permanent capital of the United States before Washington, D.C., was selected.[4]
Enroll in the Right Cosmetology Vocational School near Glenville PA
Finding and enrolling in the ideal cosmetologist program is essential to get the appropriate 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 sure to compile all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, 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 exam, you will be confident that you are ready to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Glenville PA.
Other Beautiful Locations in Pennsylvania
Business Results 1 - 10 of 3
4 Reviews 
12 Reviews 
96 Reviews 