How to Choose a Beauty School near Aberdeen Proving Ground Maryland
Now that you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Aberdeen Proving Ground MD, the process starts to find and enroll in the right school. It’s essential that the program you pick not only furnishes the proper education 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 unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a bit further regarding that in the following segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Aberdeen Proving Ground residence. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the ideal option. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.
What is 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 many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may 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 mandate that you go through some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Aberdeen Proving Ground MD beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a clientele, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles 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 already stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees
There are essentially two options offered to get 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 generally require 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily 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 specialize in just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Aberdeen Proving Ground MD business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you opt for, it’s essential to make certain that it’s certified by the Maryland Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming segment.
Online Beauty Classes
Online beauty programs are convenient for Aberdeen Proving Ground MD students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced since many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Beauty Schools
Below is a list of questions that you should look into for any beauty training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Aberdeen Proving Ground MD residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure 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 assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 21005 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Aberdeen Proving Ground MD businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each cosmetologist school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Aberdeen Proving Ground MD salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the Maryland school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you decide on a school that focuses on 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 well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to open a hair salon in Aberdeen Proving Ground MD, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and refining cosmetology techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s imperative that she or he receives help in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Aberdeen Proving Ground MD employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Almost all beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify 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 offered to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Aberdeen Proving Ground MD?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Aberdeen Proving Ground MD area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) (sometimes erroneously called Aberdeen Proving Grounds) is a United States Army facility located adjacent to Aberdeen, Maryland (in Harford County). Part of the facility is a census-designated place (CDP), which had a population of 3,116 at the 2000 census, and 2,093 at the 2010 census.
APG is the U.S. Army's oldest active proving ground, established on October 20, 1917, six months after the U.S. entered World War I.[1][2] Its location allowed design and testing of ordnance materiel to take place near contemporary industrial and shipping centers. The proving ground was created as a successor to the Sandy Hook Proving Ground, which was too small for some of the larger weapons being tested. At the peak of World War II, APG had billeting space for 2,348 officers and 24,189 enlisted personnel.
Although civilian contractors produced the major portion of conventional munitions for World War I, the United States government built federally owned plants on Aberdeen Proving Ground for the manufacture of toxic gas. These poison gas manufacturing facilities came to be known as Edgewood Arsenal. Edgewood Arsenal included plants to manufacture mustard gas, chloropicrin and phosgene, and separate facilities to fill artillery shells with these chemicals. Production began in 1918, reached 2,756 tons per month, and totaled 10,817 tons of toxic gas manufactured at Edgewood Arsenal before the November 1918 armistice. Some of this gas was shipped overseas for use in French and British artillery shells.[3]
Select the Right Beauty Training Program near Aberdeen Proving Ground MD
Picking and enrolling in the right beauty college is essential to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to collect all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter 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 new career as a professional cosmetologist in Aberdeen Proving Ground MD.
Other Beautiful Locations in Maryland
Business Results 1 - 10 of 0
