How to Select a Cosmetologist School near Felton Pennsylvania
Since you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Felton PA, the process starts to locate and enroll in the right school. It’s essential that the program you choose not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a bit further concerning that in the following section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Felton home. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the best choice. There are a number of other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning 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 courses are offered.
Defining 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 a number of 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 improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you go through some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Felton PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a customer base, open their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many professional names and work in a wide variety of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As already mentioned, in the majority of states working 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. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Degrees and Certificates
There are primarily two avenues available to receive 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 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 instructed in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered 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 so that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Felton PA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you decide on, it’s important to make certain that it’s recognized by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming segment.
Online Beauty Programs
Online cosmetology classes are advantageous for Felton PA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced because many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. However, it’s important that the program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Cosmetology Schools
Below is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any cosmetology training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Felton PA residence, as well as the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the cosmetology training program you enroll in 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 17322 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Felton PA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every beauty institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Felton PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. Finally, check with the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing 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 expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your goal 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 dream is to open a hair salon in Felton PA, 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 pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and refining cosmetology skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from a beauty program, it’s important that he or she receives aid in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develope relationships with Felton PA employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and learn 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 offered to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you determine what financial help may be offered.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Felton PA?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Felton PA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Felton, Pennsylvania
Felton is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 506 at the 2010 census.[3] The borough is located within the Red Lion Area School District. Local services include the Felton Fire Company and the Felton US Post Office.
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 449 people, 173 households, and 131 families residing in the borough. The population density was 688.4 people per square mile (266.7/km²). There were 182 housing units at an average density of 279.1 per square mile (108.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.44% White, 0.45% African American, 0.45% Asian, 0.67% from other races.
There were 173 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.8% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 2.98.
Enroll in the Right Cosmetology Vocational School near Felton PA
Finding and enrolling in the right beauty school is imperative to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy 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 narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Felton PA.
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