How to Select a Beauty College near Laurinburg North Carolina
Since you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Laurinburg NC, the process starts to find and enroll in the best school. It’s essential that the program you pick not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a bit more concerning that in the following section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Laurinburg home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when reviewing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the ideal choice. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are available.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Laurinburg NC beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and work in a wide range of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As already stated, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetology 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 typically require 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 instructed in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to focus on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Laurinburg NC business. More advanced degrees are not common, 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 important to make certain that it’s approved by the North Carolina Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, 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 Courses
Online beauty schools are accommodating for Laurinburg NC students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it’s important that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetology Degree Programs
Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any cosmetologist training school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Laurinburg NC residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below 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 essential to make sure that the cosmetology school you select 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 quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 28352 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Laurinburg NC businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each beauty institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Laurinburg NC salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And last, consult the North Carolina school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total 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, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you choose 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 respected for that program. If your aspiration is to open a hair salon in Laurinburg NC, 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 weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Studying and refining cosmetology skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So search for alternate schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a cosmetology program, it’s important that she or he gets support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help develope relationships with Laurinburg NC employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Almost all cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an option before you find out what financial help may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Laurinburg NC?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Laurinburg NC area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Laurinburg, North Carolina
Laurinburg is a city in and the county seat of Scotland County, North Carolina, United States.[6] Located in southern North Carolina near the South Carolina border, Laurinburg is southwest of Fayetteville and is home to St. Andrews University. The Laurinburg Institute, a historically African-American school, is also located in Laurinburg. The population at the 2010 Census was 15,962 people.
A line of the Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad was built through Laurinburg in the 1850s, with the first train reaching Laurinburg in 1861.[1] The railroad's shops were moved to Laurinburg in 1865 in the hope they would be safer from Union Army attack, however, in March of that year Union forces reached Laurinburg and burned the railroad depot and temporary shops.[7]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.6 square miles (33 km2), of which 12.4 square miles (32.1 km²) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (1.27%) is water.
Choose the Right Beauty Vocational School near Laurinburg NC
Locating and enrolling in the right beauty program is essential to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to collect all of the responses you get from the beauty 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 process is to make sure that the academy and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional cosmetologist in Laurinburg NC.
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