How to Select a Cosmetologist College near Etters Pennsylvania
Once you have decided to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Etters PA, the process starts to find and enroll in the ideal school. It’s essential that the school you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be a little bit unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further concerning that in the following section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Etters home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not always the right choice. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in 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 anatomy look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be 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 take some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Etters PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a client base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and are employed in a wide range of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As earlier mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Certificates and Degrees
There are essentially two pathways available to get cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to specialize in just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Etters PA business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you opt for, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the upcoming section.
Online Cosmetology Courses
Online beauty programs are convenient for Etters PA students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced given that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Beauty Programs
Following is a series of questions that you will want to research for any cosmetology training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Etters PA home, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the cosmetology training program you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 17319 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Etters PA employers 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? Any beauty school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Etters PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And finally, contact the Pennsylvania 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 Specialty? Some cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly 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 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 aspiration is to start a hair salon in Etters PA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining cosmetology techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided 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 developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore search for other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s important that he or she gets assistance in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Etters PA businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Most beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Talk to 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 available to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an option until you determine what financial help may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Etters PA?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Etters PA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Goldsboro, Pennsylvania
For historical reasons, the post office in Goldsboro is named "Etters" even though there is no incorporated place known by that name, and the United States Postal Service (USPS) states[6] that the name "Etters" is preferred over "Goldsboro" for addressing mail to ZIP code 17319. (See § History, below.)
In 1738 Nathan Hussey, a Quaker, from New Castle County, Delaware, obtained a grant for land on which the Village of Goldsboro now stands. In 1743 a road from Walnut Bottom, now in Cumberland County, to Hussey's ferry was built. In 1838 Henry Etter established the Etter's Post Office. Goldsboro was founded in 1850 upon completion of the Turnpike. Prior to completion of the turnpike the 20 or so houses that made up Goldsboro, were affectionately referred to as Martinsville for Martin P. Burger who owned a store north of the village. When the railway was completed in 1850, the village was named Goldsboro in honor of J.M. Goldsboro, the civil engineer of the road. Dr. Alexander Small in 1849 surveyed Goldsboro and officially advertised lots for sale in the village of Goldsboro as early as November 19, 1850. The Borough of Goldsboro was incorporated in 1864. A historical association was founded in 1976. The Goldsboro Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[7]
The name "Etters", used by the USPS to refer to the post office in Goldsboro, comes from the establishment in 1838 of a post office inside a tavern owned by Henry Etter, a former Revolutionary War soldier, about a mile north of the current location of Goldsboro. The post office was moved to Goldsboro in 1850, at which time it retained the name "Etter's" to avoid confusion with the already established post office in Gouldsboro, Wayne County, PA.[8][9][10] The 17319 ZIP code also covers other parts of York County well beyond the borough of Goldsboro, including parts of Valley Green, Newberry Township, Lewisberry Borough, and Yocumtown Village[11].
Select the Right Cosmetology Vocational School near Etters PA
Locating and enrolling in the right cosmetology school is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to compile all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Etters PA.
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