How to Pick a Beauty College near Leesport Pennsylvania
Now that you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Leesport PA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the ideal school. It’s imperative that the program you choose not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a bit more concerning that in the upcoming segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Leesport residence. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not always the best choice. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are offered.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you undergo some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Leesport 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 start seeing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional names and work in a wide range of specializations 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 some states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Certificates and Degrees
There are primarily two pathways available to obtain 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 usually take 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you prefer to focus on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Leesport PA business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you decide on, it’s essential to make certain that it’s recognized by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming section.
Online Cosmetologist Courses
Online cosmetology classes are convenient for Leesport PA students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to gain 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 confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Beauty Training Courses
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 Leesport PA home, as well as the cost of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue 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 must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the cosmetology training program you select 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 guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 19533 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 Leesport PA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every beauty school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Leesport PA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And finally, check with 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 Focus? Many beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular 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 pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a hair salon in Leesport PA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s important that he or she receives aid in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid develope relationships with Leesport PA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify 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 as well. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you learn what financial aid may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Leesport PA?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Leesport PA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Leesport, Pennsylvania
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2), of which, 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (4.00%) is water.
As of the census[5] of 2010, there were 1,918 people, 747 households, and 523 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,740 people per square mile (1,059.7/km²). There were 790 housing units at an average density of 1128.6 per square mile (436.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.8% White, 1.5% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 1.4% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.2% of the population.
There were 747 households, out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.03.
Choose the Right Beauty Training Program near Leesport PA
Locating and enrolling in the right cosmetology program is important to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Leesport PA.
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