How to Find the Right Cosmetologist School near Seven Valleys Pennsylvania
Now that you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Seven Valleys PA, the process begins to search for and enroll in the best school. It’s essential that the school you choose not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather confused 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 talk a little bit further about 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 Seven Valleys home. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when assessing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the right choice. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are available.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So naturally 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 really a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you undergo some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Seven Valleys PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a customer base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional names and work in a wide range of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As previously mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Degrees and Certificates
There are primarily two avenues available to receive 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 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 each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to concentrate on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Seven Valleys PA business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you go with, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s recognized by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next section.
Online Cosmetologist Training
Online cosmetology programs are convenient for Seven Valleys PA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Cosmetologist Programs
Following is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any beauty training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Seven Valleys PA home, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely 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 choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the cosmetology school you select 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 17360 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Seven Valleys PA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every cosmetologist college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Seven Valleys PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you pick 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 start a hair salon in Seven Valleys PA, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering cosmetology skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s important that he or she receives assistance in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid develope relationships with Seven Valleys PA businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and learn 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 as well. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you determine what financial help may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Seven Valleys PA?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Seven Valleys PA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania
The Seven Valleys basin was settled by forty families of the German Lutheran and Reformed faiths. They originated in the Hunsruck Mountains of the Rhineland Palatinate and arrived in this valley of the Codorus during the early fall of 1738. The lush meadows and gently rolling hills here reminded them of their homeland, even to the presence of seven valleys in the vicinity, and they called it Das Siebenthal, which in German means Seven Valleys.
By 1752 these religious hardworking farmers had organized churches and parochial schools, and holding fast to their German heritage, worshipped God and taught their children in the Pfalzer dialect of the German language for nearly 150 years.
With the coming of the railroad in 1838 and the opportunity to trade commercially with the outside world, the use of the English language gradually crept into the culture and by the end of the Civil War the use of German slowly began fading into the background.
Pick the Right Cosmetology School near Seven Valleys PA
Selecting and enrolling in the right beauty program is important to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty 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 sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Seven Valleys PA.
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