How to Pick a Cosmetology School near Lemont Pennsylvania

Now that you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Lemont PA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the best school. It’s imperative that the program you pick not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be somewhat puzzled 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 type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further regarding that in the following segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Lemont home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when reviewing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the best choice. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding 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 types of courses are offered.

What is Cosmetology

Cosmetology is a profession that is everything 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 described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you undergo some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Lemont PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a clientele, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many professional names and work in a wide range of specialties including:

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

As earlier mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates

There are primarily two options offered to obtain cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally call for 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 all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to focus on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Lemont PA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you choose, it’s important to make certain that it’s approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the upcoming section.

Online Cosmetology Schools

Online cosmetology programs are accommodating for Lemont PA students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced since many courses are as short 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 numerous hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it’s imperative that the school you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Cosmetology Trade Schools

Below is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any cosmetologist training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Lemont PA residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the cosmetology training program you enroll in 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 16851 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Lemont PA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Any cosmetology college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references 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 sought after. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Lemont PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And finally, consult the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you select a school that focuses on 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 well regarded for that program. If your vision is to launch a hair salon in Lemont PA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided?  Studying and refining cosmetology skills and techniques involves lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So look for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  As soon as a student graduates from a beauty program, it’s important that she or he receives support in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Lemont PA employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire 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 broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  Many beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with 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 as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an alternative before you find out what financial help may be available.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Lemont PA?

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

Find the Right Beauty Vocational School near Lemont PA

Picking and enrolling in the right cosmetologist school is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you pick are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, 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 test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Lemont PA.

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