How to Find the Right Beauty School near Georgetown Pennsylvania
Once you have decided to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Georgetown PA, the task begins to search for and enroll in the best school. It’s imperative that the program you pick not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you may be a little bit unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a bit further concerning that in the upcoming segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Georgetown residence. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the best option. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses 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 naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Georgetown PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles 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 previously stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees
There are primarily two avenues offered to get cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually call for 12 to 18 months to finish, 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 offered if you want to concentrate on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Georgetown PA business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you decide on, it’s essential to make sure that it’s recognized by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the next section.
Online Beauty Schools
Online beauty classes are convenient for Georgetown PA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are often fast paced given that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the school you select 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 difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetologist Trade Schools
Following is a series of questions that you need to look into for any cosmetologist training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Georgetown PA residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will probably 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 options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the cosmetology training program you enroll in 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 15043 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Georgetown PA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every beauty college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding 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. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Georgetown PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, contact 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 Specialty? Some beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you enroll in a school that focuses on 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 vision is to start a hair salon in Georgetown PA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering cosmetology skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology 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 real people. If a beauty program furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So search for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a beauty program, it’s important that she or he gets assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid develope relationships with Georgetown PA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Almost all beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option until you determine what financial help may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Georgetown PA?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Georgetown PA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Georgetown, Pennsylvania
Select the Right Beauty School near Georgetown PA
Locating and enrolling in the right cosmetologist school is important to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to organize 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 certain that the institution and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Georgetown PA.
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