How to Find the Right Beauty School near Enid Oklahoma
Since you have decided to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Enid OK, the process starts to find and enroll in the ideal school. It’s important that the school you pick not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be rather unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll speak a little bit more regarding that in the next segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Enid residence. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when assessing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the ideal option. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many 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, the majority of states require that you go through some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Enid OK beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a clientele, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known 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 earlier stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those offering 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 get licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates
There are basically two options offered to obtain 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 usually take 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 prefer 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 Enid OK business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you go with, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the Oklahoma Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize 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 decide on in the next segment.
Online Beauty Training
Online cosmetology programs are advantageous for Enid OK students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced because 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 courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetologist Training Classes
Following is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any beauty training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Enid 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 initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Program 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 73701 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 Enid 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 a Great Reputation? Every beauty college that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Enid 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 may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, contact the Oklahoma school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating 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 typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to start a hair salon in Enid OK, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and refining cosmetology skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore look for other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s essential that she or he receives support in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develope relationships with Enid OK employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Most cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an option until you determine what financial aid may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Enid OK?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Enid OK area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Enid, Oklahoma
Enid (ē'nĭd) is a city in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 49,379, making it the ninth-largest city in Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County.[7] Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a character in Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King. In 1991, the Oklahoma state legislature designated Enid the "purple martin capital of Oklahoma."[8] Enid holds the nickname of "Queen Wheat City" and "Wheat Capital" of Oklahoma and the United States for its immense grain storage capacity, and has the third-largest grain storage capacity in the world.[1]
In summer 1889, M.A. Low, a Rock Island official, visited the local railroad station then under construction, and inquired about its name. At that time, it was called Skeleton. Disliking the original name, he renamed the station Enid after a character in Alfred Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King.[9] However, a more fanciful story of how the town received its name is popular. According to that tale, in the days following the land run, some enterprising settlers decided to set up a chuckwagon and cook for their fellow pioneers, hanging a sign that read "DINE". Some other, more free-spirited settlers, turned that sign backward to read, of course, "ENID". The name stuck.
During the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, Enid was the location of a land office which is now preserved in its Humphrey Heritage Village, part of the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center. Enid, the rail station, (now North Enid, Oklahoma) was the original town site endorsed by the government.[10] It was platted by the surveyor W. D. Twichell, then of Amarillo, Texas.[11]
Enroll in the Right Beauty College near Enid OK
Picking and enrolling in the ideal cosmetologist college is imperative to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to consolidate all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, 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 test, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your career as a professional cosmetologist in Enid OK.
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