How to Choose a Beauty College near Palmer Kansas
Now that you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Palmer KS, the task starts to locate and enroll in the ideal school. It’s essential that the program you select not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit further concerning that in the next section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Palmer home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the right choice. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you undergo some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Palmer KS beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many professional 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 formerly stated, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Certificates and 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 typically 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 trained in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you want to concentrate on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Palmer KS business. More advanced degrees are not typical, 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 imperative to make sure that it’s certified by the Kansas Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the following section.
Online Beauty Classes
Online beauty classes are convenient for Palmer KS students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced because many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large 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 driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure 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 necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Beauty Training Courses
Following is a series of questions that you need to research for any cosmetology training school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Palmer KS residence, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue 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 even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the cosmetology college 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 66962 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Palmer KS businesses 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? Each beauty school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Palmer KS salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And finally, contact the Kansas school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted 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, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently 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 intention 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 vision is to launch a hair salon in Palmer KS, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting cosmetology skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. So look for other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a cosmetology academy, it’s essential that she or he receives support in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Palmer KS employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most cosmetology schools provide 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 might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you find out what financial assistance may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Palmer KS?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Palmer KS area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Palmer, Kansas
Palmer is located at 39°37′58″N 97°8′24″W / 39.63278°N 97.14000°W / 39.63278; -97.14000 (39.632737, -97.140028).[10] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.31 square miles (0.80 km2), all of it land.[1]
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 111 people, 50 households, and 34 families residing in the city. The population density was 358.1 inhabitants per square mile (138.3/km2). There were 62 housing units at an average density of 200.0 per square mile (77.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 89.2% White and 10.8% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.5% of the population.
There were 50 households of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.0% were married couples living together, 2.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.0% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.76.
Enroll in the Right Beauty Vocational School near Palmer KS
Selecting and enrolling in the right beauty program is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to collect all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you select 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 narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper 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 Palmer KS.
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