How to Pick a Cosmetology College near North East Pennsylvania

Now that you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near North East PA, the task starts to locate and enroll in the right school. It’s essential that the program you choose not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit confused 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 little bit further about that in the next section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your North East home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not always the ideal option. There are a number of other considerations 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 considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be almost anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you go through some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only North East PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by 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 formerly stated, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Cosmetology Degrees and Certificates

There are essentially 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 typically call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to focus on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely include management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other North East PA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you choose, it’s essential to make sure that it’s certified by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next segment.

Online Beauty Courses

Online beauty programs are accommodating for North East 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 cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced since many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the school you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Cosmetology Schools

Following is a list of questions that you should investigate for any cosmetologist training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your North East PA home, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn 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 take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the cosmetology training program you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 16428 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many North East PA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Any cosmetologist institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with North East PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  A number of beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to start a hair salon in North East PA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from a cosmetology academy, it’s crucial that she or he receives aid in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with North East PA businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating 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 Available?  The majority of cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may 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 meets each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an alternative before you determine what financial assistance may be available.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near North East PA?

If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater North East PA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.

Select the Right Beauty School near North East PA

Choosing and enrolling in the right beauty college is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to collect 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 compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to start your career as a professional cosmetologist in North East PA.

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