How to Select a Cosmetologist College near Oberlin Kansas
Once you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Oberlin KS, the task starts to find and enroll in the best school. It’s important that the program you choose not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be rather puzzled about the distinction 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 little bit more concerning that in the upcoming section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Oberlin residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the ideal option. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are available.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be almost 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 undergo some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Oberlin KS 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, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many names and work in a wide range 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 certain 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.
Cosmetology Degrees and Certificates
There are essentially two avenues available to get cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally take 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the major 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 most likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Oberlin KS business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you go with, it’s essential to make sure that it’s certified by the Kansas Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the upcoming section.
Online Beauty Schools
Online cosmetology classes are advantageous for Oberlin KS students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs available that can be attended via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult 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.
What to Ask Beauty Training Programs
Following is a series of questions that you should investigate for any beauty training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Oberlin KS home, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt 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 should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the cosmetology training program you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, 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 may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 67749 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Oberlin KS employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any beauty school that you are seriously evaluating 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 businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Oberlin KS salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And finally, consult the Kansas school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as 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 intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to start a hair salon in Oberlin KS, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s imperative that he or she gets assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develope relationships with Oberlin KS employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Talk to 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 accessible to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you find out what financial help may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Oberlin KS?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Oberlin KS area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Oberlin, Kansas
On September 30, 1878, Northern Cheyenne fleeing from Indian Territory to their homes in the north, the Northern Cheyenne Exodus, attacked homesteaders near Oberlin, then a tiny hamlet. The Last Indian Raid in Kansas room in the Decatur County Museum and a monument in the town cemetery near the graves of the victims commemorate those depredations.[12][13]
Oberlin is located at 39°49′16″N 100°31′42″W / 39.82111°N 100.52833°W / 39.82111; -100.52833Coordinates: 39°49′16″N 100°31′42″W / 39.82111°N 100.52833°W / 39.82111; -100.52833 (39.821235, -100.528369) at an elevation of 2,562 feet (781 m).[6][15] It lies on the northwest side of Sappa Creek, a tributary of the Republican River, in the High Plains region of the Great Plains.[16] Located at the intersection of U.S. Route 36 and U.S. Route 83 in northwest Kansas, Oberlin is 228 miles (367 km) northwest of Wichita, 238 miles (383 km) east of Denver, and 320 miles (510 km) west-northwest of Kansas City.[16][17]
Oberlin has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), with hot, dry summers and cold, dry winters. The average temperature in Oberlin is 52 °F (11 °C) with temperatures exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) an average of 62 days a year and dropping below 32 °F (0 °C) an average of 158 days a year. Oberlin typically experiences precipitation 66 days a year and snowfall 11 days a year. Precipitation averages 23 inches (574 mm) per year, and snowfall averages 32 inches (80 cm) per year.[18] On average, January is the coldest month, and July is both the hottest month and the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in Oberlin was 111 °F (44 °C) in 1954; the coldest temperature recorded was -31 °F (-35 °C) in 1989.[19]
Pick the Right Beauty Program near Oberlin KS
Finding and enrolling in the right cosmetologist program is imperative to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this article, 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 exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Oberlin KS.
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