How to Find the Right Beauty School near Portage Wisconsin
Once you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Portage WI, the process starts to locate and enroll in the best school. It’s essential that the program you select not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be somewhat unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more about that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Portage home. Tuition will also be a critical factor when assessing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the ideal choice. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are offered.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more attractive with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you take some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Portage WI beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a client base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many names and are employed in a wide variety of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As previously mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees
There are basically two options offered to obtain cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically take 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 wish to specialize in just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Portage WI business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you go with, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the Wisconsin Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the following segment.
Online Beauty Schools
Online beauty programs are accommodating for Portage WI students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable 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 away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part 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 choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetologist Training Courses
Following is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any cosmetology training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Portage WI residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the cosmetology college you enroll in 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 53901 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Portage WI employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any cosmetology school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Portage WI salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Wisconsin school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you choose a school that specializes in 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 respected for that program. If your dream is to start a hair salon in Portage WI, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Studying and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore search for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a cosmetology program, it’s essential that he or she receives assistance in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with Portage WI businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Many cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Speak 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 offered to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative before you find out what financial help may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Portage WI?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Portage WI area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Portage, Wisconsin
Portage is a city in and the county seat of Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States.[6] The population was 10,662 at the 2010 census[5] making it the largest city in Columbia County. The city is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Portage was named for the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway, a portage between the Fox River and the Wisconsin River, which was recognized by Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet during their discovery of a route to the Mississippi River in 1673. The city's slogan is "Where the North Begins."
The Native American tribes that once lived here, and later the European traders and settlers, took advantage of the lowlands between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers as a natural "portage". In May 1673, Jacques Marquette joined the expedition of Louis Jolliet, a French-Canadian explorer, to find the Mississippi River. They departed from St. Ignace on May 17, with two canoes and five voyageurs of French-Indian ancestry (Métis).[3] They followed Lake Michigan to Green Bay and up the Fox River, nearly to its headwaters. From there, they were told to portage their canoes a distance of slightly less than two miles through marsh and oak plains to the Wisconsin River. Later, French fur traders described the place as "le portage", which eventually lent itself to the name of the community. As a portage, this community developed as a center of commerce and trade; later, a canal was constructed to facilitate this trade. When the railroads came through, the community continued in this role.
Pick the Right Beauty Training Program near Portage WI
Choosing and enrolling in the right cosmetologist college is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to compile all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Portage WI.
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