How to Select a Beauty School near Florence Colorado
Since you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Florence CO, the task begins to find and enroll in the best school. It’s essential that the program you select not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be somewhat confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll speak a little bit further 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 Florence residence. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the best choice. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you take some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Florence CO beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s home, 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 formerly stated, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must 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, such as shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates
There are basically two avenues offered to get 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 usually require 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you prefer to specialize in just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Florence CO business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you choose, it’s important to make sure that it’s certified by the Colorado Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming segment.
Online Beauty Schools
Online beauty schools are convenient for Florence CO students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced given that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills required 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 provided in your area.
What to Ask Beauty Programs
Following is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any beauty training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Florence CO home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the cosmetology training program you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized 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 ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 81226 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Florence CO employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each beauty institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Florence CO salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And last, check with the Colorado school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you enroll in 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 respected for that program. If your dream is to start a hair salon in Florence CO, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Studying and mastering cosmetology skills and techniques demands lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So search for alternate schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s imperative that he or she gets support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Florence CO businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Almost all cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering 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 too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Florence CO?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Florence CO area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
ADX Florence
The United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX) is an American federal supermax prison for male inmates located in Fremont County, Colorado.[2][3] It is unofficially known as ADX Florence, Florence ADMAX, or the "Alcatraz of the Rockies."[4] It is part of the Florence Federal Correctional Complex, which is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), a division of the United States Department of Justice. It houses the male inmates in the federal prison system who are deemed the most dangerous and in need of the tightest control, including prisoners whose escape would pose a threat to national security. ADX also includes an adjacent minimum-security camp that, as of March 2014[update], houses more prisoners than the supermax unit.
The BOP does not have a designated "supermax" facility for women. Women in the BOP system who are classified as "special management concerns" due to violence or escape attempts are confined in the administrative unit of Federal Medical Center, Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas.[5]
In 1983, two federal correction officers were stabbed to death in separate incidents at United States Penitentiary, Marion by members of the Aryan Brotherhood. The stabbings were blamed on inadequate prison design.[8] As a result, Norman Carlson, director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, argued for the creation of a new type of facility where the most dangerous, uncontrollable inmates could be isolated from correction officers and other prisoners for security and safety. USP Marion, which went into "permanent lockdown" following the 1983 murders, became a model for the construction of ADX, designed as a control unit prison.[9] Carlson said that such a prison would hold inmates desperate enough to murder guards or other inmates in the hopes of being sentenced to death.[8]
Enroll in the Right Cosmetologist College near Florence CO
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal beauty college is essential to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Florence CO.
Other Beautiful Locations in Colorado
Business Results 1 - 10 of 2
3 Reviews 
95 Reviews 