How to Select a Cosmetology College near Boley Oklahoma
Since you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Boley OK, the task starts to search for and enroll in the best school. It’s important that the program you select not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a bit more about that in the following section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Boley home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the right choice. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are offered.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So naturally 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 really a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you undergo some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Boley OK beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and are employed in a wide variety of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As earlier mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates
There are essentially two avenues offered to obtain cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally call for 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 trained in each of the major 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 operate a parlor or other Boley OK business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you go with, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the Oklahoma Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming segment.
Online Cosmetologist Courses
Online cosmetology schools are convenient for Boley OK students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetologist Training Classes
Below is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any beauty training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Boley OK home, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you want 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 initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together 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 training program 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 74829 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 Boley OK businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each cosmetology school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed 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 connections with Boley OK salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Oklahoma 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? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing 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 imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to launch a hair salon in Boley OK, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s important that he or she receives help in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develope relationships with Boley OK employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Almost all cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you find out what financial assistance may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Boley OK?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Boley OK area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Boley, Oklahoma
Boley is a town in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,184 at the 2010 census, a gain of 5.2 percent from 1,126 in 2000.[3] Boley was established in 1903 as a predominantly Black pioneer town with persons having Native American ancestry among its citizens.[4] Boley is currently home to barbeque equipment maker, Smokaroma, Inc, and the John Lilley Correctional Center.
The Boley Public School District is one of the smallest public school districts in the state of Oklahoma. For the most recent data available, it tied with Sweetwater for the smallest high school with 15 students. For a combined district, K-12, Boley finished first, just ahead of Clarita (58) and Sweetwater (60), with 51 students.[5] The Boley Historic District is a National Historic Landmark.[6][7] Currently Boley hosts The Annual Boley Rodeo & Bar-B-Que Festival.[8]
This area was settled by Creek Freedmen, whose ancestors had been held as slaves of the Creek at the time of Indian Removal in the 1830s. After the American Civil War, the United States negotiated new treaties with tribes that allied with the Confederacy. It required them to emancipate their slaves and give them membership in the tribes. Those formerly slaves were called the Creek Freedmen. At the time of allotments to individual households under the Dawes Commission, Creek Freedmen were registered as such on the Dawes Rolls (even if they were of mixed-race and also descended directly from Creek ancestors.) Creek Freedmen set up independent townships, of which Boley was one. The town was established on the land allotted to Abigail Barnett, daughter of James Barnett, a Creek freedman.[9]
Pick the Right Beauty School near Boley OK
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal cosmetology college is imperative to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Boley OK.
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