How to Find the Right Cosmetology College near Atwood Oklahoma
Once you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Atwood OK, the process begins to find and enroll in the ideal school. It’s essential that the program you select not only furnishes the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit more regarding that in the upcoming segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Atwood home. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not always the ideal option. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are offered.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you undergo some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Atwood OK beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a customer base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As formerly mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees
There are basically two pathways available 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 take 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you want to concentrate on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Atwood OK 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 course you decide on, it’s essential to make sure that it’s approved by the Oklahoma Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the next section.
Online Cosmetologist Classes
Online beauty classes are accommodating for Atwood OK students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the training program you choose 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 part of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetologist Schools
Following is a series of questions that you should research for any cosmetologist training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Atwood OK home, together with the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.
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 acknowledged local or national agency, 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 may also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 74827 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Atwood OK employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every cosmetologist school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. 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, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Atwood OK salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the Oklahoma school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your intention 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 desire is to start a hair salon in Atwood OK, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s important that she or he gets assistance in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Atwood OK employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, 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 Available? The majority of beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify 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 with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an alternative before you determine what financial help may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Atwood OK?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Atwood OK area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Atwood, Oklahoma
The town is named for Chester C. Atwood, an early settler of what would later become Hughes County, Oklahoma. Atwood was an educated farmer, extensive area landowner, and elected commissioner of Hughes County. He was born in July 1862 in central Texas, to natives of Tennessee who had migrated to Texas before the Civil War. In 1881, Atwood left Texas for the Mushulatubbee District of the Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory. Settling in western Tobucksy County, some 28 miles (45 km) west of a pioneer general store owned by J.J. McAlester, Atwood in 1882 married a young woman named Patsy Ann, of the Choctaw Nation, giving him settlement rights by marriage. By 1885 he was farming 25 acres (100,000 m2) of what later would become eastern Hughes County, and was enumerated in the Choctaw Nation census of that year.
By 1900, Chester Atwood had increased his land holdings and his family included wife Patsy Ann (familiarly called Mattie), daughters Ottie (b. 1883) and Arrie (b. 1886), son Bennie (b. 1887), daughter Allie (b. 1889), son Coleman (b. 1891), and daughters Lizzie (b. 1893) and Ambrozia (b. 1895). Two other children born after 1900 died before reaching adulthood.
At statehood, county lines in place under the Choctaw Nation were redrawn, and that portion of Tobucksy County in which Newburg lay, fell inside the new boundary of Hughes County. On December 3, 1909, two years after Oklahoma statehood, the town of Newburg was renamed "Atwood", honoring Chester C. Atwood as one of the significant pioneer members of the community.
Pick the Right Cosmetology Training Program near Atwood OK
Selecting and enrolling in the right cosmetology program is imperative to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Atwood OK.
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