How to Choose a Beauty School near Saint Helena Island South Carolina
Now that you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Saint Helena Island SC, the process starts to locate and enroll in the best school. It’s essential that the program you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll talk a bit further about that in the upcoming section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Saint Helena Island home. Tuition will also be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the ideal option. There are various other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are offered.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Saint Helena Island SC beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a client base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional names and work in a wide range of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As earlier stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Certificates and Degrees
There are essentially two pathways offered to obtain 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 typically 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 trained in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you wish to concentrate on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Saint Helena Island SC business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you go with, it’s important to make certain that it’s recognized by the South Carolina Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the following section.
Online Cosmetology Training
Online beauty classes are convenient for Saint Helena Island SC students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be attended via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced since many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the training program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetology Programs
Following is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any cosmetology training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Saint Helena Island SC residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the cosmetology school you pick 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 meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 29920 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Saint Helena Island SC employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every cosmetologist school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers 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 companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Saint Helena Island SC salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And finally, check with the South Carolina school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you enroll in a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a hair salon in Saint Helena Island SC, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and refining cosmetology techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So look for other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s crucial that he or she receives assistance in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Saint Helena Island SC businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of 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 department. 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 also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an option before you find out what financial help may be offered.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Saint Helena Island SC?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Saint Helena Island SC area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Saint Helena Island (South Carolina)
St. Helena Island is a Sea Island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. The island is connected to Beaufort by U.S. Highway 21. The island has a land area of about 64 square miles and a population of 8,763 as of the 2010 census. It is included as part of the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan Area. The island is renowned for its rural Lowcountry character and being a major center of African-American Gullah culture and language. It is considered to be the geographic influence behind the children's television program Gullah Gullah Island.
The first European to explore St. Helena was most likely Spanish explorer Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón around 1520, as part of the Spanish exploration and colonization of the sea islands. Deepwater Port Royal was established as the center of the area, and at one time was the capital of the entire Spanish colony of Florida. The area was later colonized by the French, the Spanish again, then finally fell into English hands, who occupied it until the American Revolution. In the War of 1812, Saint Helena saw some British naval presence.
The area was noted to be similar to the rice growing region of West Africa and soon captured slaves were brought to the Sea Islands, many from what is today Sierra Leone. Rice, indigo, cotton and spices were grown by these slaves, as well as Native Americans, and indentured servants from Europe. The mix of cultures, somewhat isolated from the mainland, produced the Gullah culture.
Choose the Right Cosmetology Training Program near Saint Helena Island SC
Picking and enrolling in the ideal beauty program is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Saint Helena Island SC.
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