How to Choose a Cosmetologist College near Harborside Maine
Now that you have decided to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Harborside ME, the process begins to locate and enroll in the best school. It’s essential that the program you choose not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more about that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Harborside residence. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when reviewing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the best option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are available.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So naturally 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 basically a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you undergo some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Harborside ME beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a client base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and are employed in a wide range of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As already stated, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees
There are basically two pathways offered to receive 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 generally require 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you wish to concentrate on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Harborside ME business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you go with, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s approved by the Maine Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the following segment.
Online Beauty Programs
Online beauty programs are convenient for Harborside ME students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be attended by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not spending many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the school you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Cosmetology Schools
Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any beauty training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Harborside ME home, in addition to the price of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly 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. Below we have collected several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the cosmetology college you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 04642 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Harborside ME employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each cosmetology school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred 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 contacts with Harborside ME salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, check with the Maine 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? Some cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad 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 frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to launch a hair salon in Harborside ME, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So search for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s essential that he or she receives support in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Harborside ME businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Many 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 identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you learn what financial assistance may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Harborside ME?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Harborside ME area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Scott Nearing
Nearing was born in Morris Run, Tioga County, Pennsylvania, the heart of the state's coal country. Nearing's grandfather, Winfield Scott Nearing, had arrived in Tioga County with his family in 1864, at the age of 35, when he accepted a job as a civil and mining engineer. Before the end of the year he had assumed full control of mining operations as the superintendent of the Morris Run Coal Company, a position of authority which he held for the remainder of his working life.[1] An intense, driven man, Scott Nearing's grandfather studied science and nature, practiced gardening and carpentry, and regularly received crates of books from New York City, amassing a large personal library.[2] In his memoirs written late in his life, Scott Nearing would recall his grandfather as one of the four most influential figures in his life.[3] Nearing's upbringing was that of a young bourgeois, his mother employing a part-time tutor and two Polish servants to clean the gleaming white house atop a hill overlooking the town.[4] Scott's brother recalled that the citizens of Morris Run had treated the handsome and intelligent Scott "the way they would treat the heir to the nobleman.... They all treated him with awe."[4]
Nearing's father was a small businessman and stockbroker, his mother a vigorous, energetic, and idealistic woman whom Nearing later credited with instilling in him an appreciation for the higher things in life: nature, books, and the arts.[5] Despite an upbringing in a life of privilege made possible in no small measure by the harsh anti-union policies of his patriarchal grandfather,[6] young Scott nevertheless developed a social conscience, which one of his biographers describes as "a burr under his skin that none of his relatives acquired and that no interpretation satisfactorily explains."[4]
Nearing graduated from high school in 1901 and enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania Law School, "where corporate bias so violated his idealism that after one year he quit."[7] Instead, he studied oratory at Temple University in Philadelphia and enrolled in the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania, where he immersed himself in the emerging science of economics. At the Wharton School, Nearing was deeply influenced by Simon Nelson Patten, an innovative and unconventional educator and founding father of the American Economic Association.[8] Nearing distinguished himself as a "Wharton man" during the progressive era, one of the proverbial "best and brightest" trained in practical economics to be readied for a place as a responsible leader of the community.[9] In the words of another of his students, Patten taught innovative thinking—"making use of creative intelligence to master new situations irrespective of received dogma."[10] Nearing seems to have found these new intellectual tools for potential social change to be exciting and liberating. He completed his undergraduate program in just three years, while simultaneously engaging in campus politics and competitive debate.[8]
Pick the Right Cosmetology Vocational School near Harborside ME
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal cosmetologist school is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Harborside ME.
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