How to Choose a Cosmetology College near Plainfield Connecticut
Now that you have decided to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Plainfield CT, the task starts to find and enroll in the ideal school. It’s essential that the school you pick not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be rather puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a bit more about that in the following section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Plainfield home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when assessing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the right choice. There are a number of other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are offered.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you undergo some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Plainfield CT beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a customer base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing 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 are employed in a wide variety of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As earlier mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Certificates and Degrees
There are primarily two avenues available to obtain cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually 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 trained in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you wish to specialize in just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Plainfield CT business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you choose, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the Connecticut Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming section.
Online Cosmetology Programs
Online cosmetology programs are convenient for Plainfield CT students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced given that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s important that the training program you choose 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 impossible to obtain the skills required 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 Programs
Following is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any beauty training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Plainfield CT home, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
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 acknowledged local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 06374 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Plainfield CT businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any cosmetologist college that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Plainfield CT salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And last, contact the Connecticut 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? Some beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your objective 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 desire is to launch a hair salon in Plainfield CT, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and refining cosmetology techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a beauty program, it’s essential that she or he receives assistance in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid develope relationships with Plainfield CT employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Almost all cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at 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 available to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an option before you learn what financial assistance may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Plainfield CT?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Plainfield CT area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Plainfield, Connecticut
Plainfield is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 15,405 at the 2010 census. The town comprises four villages: Plainfield (south, ZIP code 06374), Moosup (northeast, 06354), Wauregan (northwest, 06387), and Central Village (west, 06332). Each village has their own respective United States Post Office and fire department. The entire town is serviced by the 860 area code.
Plainfield was incorporated in 1699 as the town of Quinebaug and renamed the following year to its current name. The present name of "Plainfield" is descriptive of the original town site.[1] Plainfield proved to be an industrial heavyweight in the 19th and early 20th centuries due largely to the ability of the Moosup and Quinebaug Rivers to provide power to the different mills throughout town. Combined with the mills, Plainfield had incredible commerce for a small town because four railways from Hartford, New York, Boston, and Providence intersected within the town. There was also a highly acclaimed school on Academy Hill, which is how the present Academy Hill Road got its name.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 43.0 square miles (111.5 km²), of which, 42.3 square miles (109.5 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.0 km²) of it (1.81%) is water. From the southernmost point, Plainfield is 20 miles inland of the Long Island Sound and Block Island Sound (Atlantic Ocean). Plainfield is the southernmost town of Windham County. The Quinebaug River generally forms the western border of the town. The Moosup River feeds the Quinebaug and runs across the northern portion of town.
Pick the Right Cosmetology Vocational School near Plainfield CT
Finding and enrolling in the right cosmetology school is imperative to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your career as a professional cosmetologist in Plainfield CT.
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