How to Pick a Cosmetology College near Highland Lake New York
Since you have decided to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Highland Lake NY, the process begins to search for and enroll in the best school. It’s imperative that the program you pick not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more about that in the following segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Highland Lake home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the right option. There are many other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are available.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all 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 regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you undergo some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Highland Lake NY beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional names and are employed in a wide variety of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As already mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. 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 and Certificates
There are primarily two avenues offered to obtain cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually require 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Highland Lake NY business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you go with, it’s important to make sure that it’s recognized by the New York Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the next section.
Online Beauty Schools
Online beauty schools are accommodating for Highland Lake NY students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced given that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetologist Schools
Below is a list of questions that you will want to research for any cosmetology training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Highland Lake NY residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected some of those supplemental 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 training program you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 12743 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Highland Lake NY employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each cosmetology institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Highland Lake NY 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 may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And last, check with the New York school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full 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 particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to launch a hair salon in Highland Lake NY, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting cosmetology skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of 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 relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing 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 cosmetology academy, it’s important that she or he gets help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Highland Lake NY employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have extensive 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. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 offered to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be offered.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Highland Lake NY?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Highland Lake NY area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Highland Lakes State Park
Highland Lakes State Park is a 3,115-acre (12.61 km2) undeveloped state park in the Town of Wallkill in Orange County, New York, United States. The park is located east of the city of Middletown on Route 211. It is the largest undeveloped park managed by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission.[2]
Highland Lakes State Park is a largely undeveloped park, and primarily offers opportunities for passive recreation including hiking, fishing, horseback riding and model airplane flying.[2][4] Although a series of informal trails and woodland roads exist within the park, no trails are officially maintained and maps of the network are not available.[2]
Select the Right Beauty Vocational School near Highland Lake NY
Locating and enrolling in the ideal cosmetology college is imperative to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Highland Lake NY.
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