How to Find the Right Beauty College near Shartlesville Pennsylvania
Now that you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Shartlesville PA, the task begins to find and enroll in the right school. It’s imperative that the school you select not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be a little bit confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit more concerning that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Shartlesville residence. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not always the best option. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as 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 talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous 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 almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you go through some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Shartlesville PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a client base, open 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 have 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 formerly mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, such as 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.
Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees
There are primarily 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 ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all 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 likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Shartlesville 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 course you decide on, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the following section.
Online Cosmetology Training
Online beauty programs are convenient for Shartlesville PA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced given that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the school you choose can provide internship training in local 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 impossible to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetologist Training Courses
Below is a list of questions that you need to look into for any cosmetology training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Shartlesville PA home, together with the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the cosmetology school you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 19554 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Shartlesville PA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every cosmetologist 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 businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Shartlesville PA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with 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 Focus? Many beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you enroll in 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 vision is to open a hair salon in Shartlesville PA, then you want 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 deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a cosmetology program, it’s imperative that he or she gets assistance in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid develope relationships with Shartlesville PA employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Almost all beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may qualify 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 fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative before you learn what financial assistance may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Shartlesville PA?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Shartlesville PA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Shartlesville, Pennsylvania
It is located just south of Interstate 78 and is served by the Hamburg Area School District. It is home to the Shartlesville Hotel, which suffered major roof damage in February 2009 during a wind storm, which also knocked down a billboard in Reading and blew off roof tiles of the Pagoda in eastern Reading.
The community is also the home of Roadside America, a large community of miniature trains and villages, located off Interstate 78, that is open to the public. Just to the north of Shartlesville is located the Mountain Springs Arena, which hosts events including rodeos, concerts, horse shows, demolition derbies, tractor pulls, and an annual country fair.
The village is located on the south side of Blue Mountain and is drained by the Wolf Creek south into the Northkill Creek, a tributary of the Tulpehocken Creek. While the village has its own box post office with the ZIP code of 19554, outlying areas have the Bernville ZIP code of 19506 or the Hamburg ZIP code of 19526.[4][5]
Choose the Right Beauty Program near Shartlesville PA
Finding and enrolling in the ideal cosmetology program is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your career as a professional cosmetologist in Shartlesville PA.
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