How to Find the Right Beauty College near Titusville Pennsylvania
Now that you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Titusville PA, the process begins to search for and enroll in the ideal school. It’s important that the program you pick not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a bit more regarding that in the next segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Titusville home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when reviewing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the ideal choice. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are available.
Defining 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. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you undergo some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Titusville PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing clients either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by 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 already stated, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates
There are basically two avenues offered to receive cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue 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 trained in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you wish to focus on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Titusville PA business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you decide on, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.
Online Cosmetologist Training
Online beauty schools are convenient for Titusville PA students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are often fast paced given that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify 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 research for any beauty training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Titusville PA home, together with the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the cosmetology training program you choose 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 measure up to their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 16354 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Titusville PA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any cosmetology school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Titusville PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. Finally, consult the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your objective 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 start a hair salon in Titusville PA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a cosmetology academy, it’s important that he or she gets help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Titusville PA businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at 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 verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Many beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an option until you find out what financial assistance may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Titusville PA?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Titusville PA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Titusville, Pennsylvania
Titusville is a city in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,601 at the 2010 census,[2] and the city is part of the Meadville, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area and Erie-Meadville, PA Combined Statistical Area. Titusville is where the modern oil industry began.[3]
The area was first settled in 1796 by Jonathan Titus. Within 14 years, others bought and improved the land lying near him, along the banks of the now-named Oil Creek. He named the village Edinburg(h), but as the village grew, the settlers began to call this little hamlet Titusville. The village was incorporated as a borough in 1849.
Oil was known to exist here, but there was no practical way to extract it. Its main use at that time had been as a medicine for both animals and humans.[5] In the late 1850s Seneca Oil Company (formerly the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company) sent Col. Edwin L. Drake, to start drilling on a piece of leased land just south of Titusville near what is now Oil Creek State Park.[3] Drake hired a salt well driller, William A. Smith, in the summer of 1859. They had many difficulties, but on August 27 at the site of an oil spring just south of Titusville, they finally drilled a well that could be commercially successful.
Find the Right Beauty College near Titusville PA
Locating and enrolling in the ideal cosmetologist college is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to compile all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, 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 selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Titusville PA.
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