How to Enroll In a Cosmetologist School near West Lafayette Indiana
Once you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near West Lafayette IN, the process starts to find and enroll in the best school. It’s essential that the program you select not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further about that in the following section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your West Lafayette home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not always the best choice. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you go through some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only West Lafayette IN beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and work in a wide variety of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As earlier mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees
There are primarily two avenues available 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 usually 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 each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you wish to concentrate on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other West Lafayette IN business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you opt for, it’s essential to make sure that it’s approved by the Indiana Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the following section.
Online Cosmetology Courses
Online beauty programs are advantageous for West Lafayette IN students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced since many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it’s important that the program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Beauty Schools
Following is a series of questions that you should research for any cosmetologist training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your West Lafayette IN home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the cosmetology college you enroll in 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 comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 47906 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous West Lafayette IN employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any beauty school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with West Lafayette IN salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the Indiana school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently 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 intention 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 desire is to open a hair salon in West Lafayette IN, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So try to find other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a beauty academy, it’s essential that he or she gets assistance in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develope relationships with West Lafayette IN employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, 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 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 investigating have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an option before you find out what financial assistance may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near West Lafayette IN?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater West Lafayette IN area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
West Lafayette, Indiana
West Lafayette /ˌlɑːfiˈɛt/ is a city in Wabash Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States,[6] about 65 miles (105 km) northwest of the state capital of Indianapolis and 103 miles (166 km) southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette is directly across the Wabash River from its sister city, Lafayette. As of the 2016 census estimate, its population was 45,872.[7] It is the most densely populated city in Indiana and is home to Purdue University.
Augustus Wylie laid out a town in 1836 in the Wabash River floodplain south of the present Levee. Due to regular flooding of the site, Wylie's town was never built. The present city was formed in 1888 by the merger of the adjacent suburban towns of Chauncey, Oakwood, and Kingston, located on a bluff across the Wabash River from Lafayette, Indiana.[8] The three towns had been small suburban villages which were directly adjacent to one another. Kingston was laid out in 1855 by Jesse B. Lutz. Chauncey was platted in 1860 by the Chauncey family of Philadelphia, wealthy land speculators. Chauncey and Kingston formed a municipal government in 1866 which selected the name "Chauncey".[8]
The new town of Chauncey remained a small suburban village until Purdue University opened in 1869. In 1871 Chauncey voted to be annexed by Lafayette because it was unable to provide the infrastructure (such as improved streets, waterworks, police and fire protection). Lafayette voted against annexing Chauncey because of the high cost of the many improvements that the village lacked.[9] In May 1888, the town of Chauncey voted to change its name to West Lafayette after a petition signed by 152 electors.[10] By that time, the growth of the university was fueling the growth of the little town. The address of Purdue University was given as "Lafayette, Indiana" until well into the twentieth century. West Lafayette never gained a railroad depot and lagged several years behind Lafayette in the establishment of municipal infrastructure and services. Today, West Lafayette has established itself as a separate city, with independent services and unique neighborhoods distinct from those of its sister city, Lafayette.
Find the Right Cosmetology Training Program near West Lafayette IN
Finding and enrolling in the ideal cosmetology school is essential to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain 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 use that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional 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 proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional cosmetologist in West Lafayette IN.
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