How to Pick a Beauty College near Allentown Georgia

Once you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Allentown GA, the task begins to search for and enroll in the right school. It’s essential that the program you choose not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit further about that in the upcoming segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Allentown residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical factor when reviewing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not always the right choice. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for instance 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 discuss a 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 with the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you go through some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Allentown GA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many names 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 earlier mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Cosmetologist Degrees

There are essentially two avenues offered to receive 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 typically require 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 each of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to focus on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Allentown GA business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you decide on, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the Georgia Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming section.

Online Cosmetologist Schools

Online beauty classes are accommodating for Allentown GA students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large 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 numerous hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Beauty Training Classes

Following is a list of questions that you need to look into for any cosmetologist training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Allentown GA residence, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn 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 initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the cosmetology school 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 31003 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Allentown GA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Each beauty institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Allentown GA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Georgia 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 Specialty?  A number of beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you decide on a school that specializes in 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 well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to start a hair salon in Allentown GA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Learning and refining cosmetology skills and techniques involves lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses 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 offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So look for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s imperative that he or she receives help in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Allentown GA businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Most cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you determine what financial aid may be offered.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Allentown GA?

If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Allentown GA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.

Select the Right Cosmetology Program near Allentown GA

Finding and enrolling in the right beauty college is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Allentown GA.

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