How to Choose a Beauty School near Rocky Oklahoma
Now that you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Rocky OK, the task starts to find and enroll in the right school. It’s important that the program you choose not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit puzzled 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 talk a bit further regarding that in the next section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Rocky residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not always the right option. There are several other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are offered.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term 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 take some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Rocky OK beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a clientele, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and work in a wide variety of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As already stated, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees
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 work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally take 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 major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Rocky OK business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you opt for, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the Oklahoma Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the next section.
Online Cosmetologist Courses
Online beauty programs are advantageous for Rocky OK students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are typically fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not spending many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s imperative that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Cosmetology Programs
Following is a series of questions that you should look into for any cosmetologist training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Rocky OK home, as well as the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the cosmetology college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized 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 quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 73661 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Rocky OK businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each cosmetologist school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Rocky OK 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 suggest others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the Oklahoma school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you enroll in 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 desire is to open a hair salon in Rocky OK, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining cosmetology techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons 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 academy furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a beauty program, it’s essential that she or he receives support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develope relationships with Rocky OK businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Many cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option until you learn what financial assistance may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Rocky OK?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Rocky OK area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Rocky, Oklahoma
Rocky is a town in Washita County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 162 at the 2010 United States Census, a 6.9 percent decline from 174 at the 2000 census.[3] The town lies along U.S. Route 183.
Two men, W. F. Shultz and John C. Riffee, arrived at this location in 1897 to open a trading establishment with the local natives.[a] They erected a building constructed of rock they gathered at the Kiowa Reservation, about 8 miles (13 km) southwest of their site. They opened for business in 1898 as the Rocky Mercantile Store. [b] The community was named for the store. A post office was established inside the store on July 12, 1898, with John Riffee named as the first postmaster. According to the local newspaper, Rocky handled more than one-third of all mail delivered in Washita County in 1906.[4]
The Orange Blossom School System was organized about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) south of Rocky in 1902. The town built a new school in 1907. The Works Progress Administration built another school building in the late 1930s. However, the 1930 census marked the highest point of Rocky's growth, so no more schools were ever built. Instead, Rocky voters closed the district and merged it into the Sentinel district in 1967. The WPA-built school became a community center.[4]
Enroll in the Right Beauty Vocational School near Rocky OK
Finding and enrolling in the ideal beauty program is imperative to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to compile all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions presented 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 examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Rocky OK.
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