How to Select a Beauty College near Mentone Texas
Since you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Mentone TX, the process begins to find and enroll in the right school. It’s essential that the program you choose not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit further regarding that in the next segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Mentone residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when reviewing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the right choice. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are offered.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human body look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be 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 undergo some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Mentone TX beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a client base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing clients either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many names and are employed 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 most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Certificates and Degrees
There are primarily two avenues available to get cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally 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 trained in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you prefer to specialize in just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Mentone TX 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 program you choose, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s certified by the Texas Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming segment.
Online Beauty Training
Online cosmetology programs are accommodating for Mentone TX students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s imperative that the training program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training necessary 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 don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Beauty Trade Schools
Following is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any cosmetologist training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Mentone TX residence, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the cosmetology college you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 79754 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Mentone TX businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every beauty college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Mentone TX salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Texas 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? Some cosmetology schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your objective 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 open a hair salon in Mentone TX, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining cosmetology skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty academy offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from a cosmetology program, it’s important that she or he gets assistance in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develope relationships with Mentone TX businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering 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 confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Most beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and learn 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 accessible to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an option before you learn what financial aid may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Mentone TX?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Mentone TX area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Mentone, Texas
Mentone (/ˌmɛnˈtoʊn/) is a small town in Loving County, Texas, United States. As the county's only community, it serves as the county seat and has a 2010 population of 19, almost a quarter of the county's 82 people.[1] Mentone was until recently the least-populated unincorporated county seat in the United States, but lost that distinction with the 2010 census to Gann Valley, South Dakota, which has a population of 14. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1967 as the "Smallest County Seat in Texas".[2]
Mentone experiences an arid desert climate with hot summers and cool winters. Due to Mentone's aridity, the diurnal temperature variation is substantial, and helps lower nighttime temperatures. Most precipitation falls in the summer and early fall.
Named after Menton, France by a French surveyor, present-day Mentone is actually the second such named community in Loving County; an earlier Mentone was founded south of the current town in 1893, but was abandoned in 1905. A second town on that site was called Juanita and then Porterville, but was deserted anew when Mentone was reestablished in 1931, with most residents moving to the new town. The town on the current site was named Ramsey before being renamed. During its heyday, Mentone boasted five cafes, five gas stations, two hotels, two drugstores, two recreation halls, two barbershops, a dance hall, a machine shop and a dry cleaner. It also had its own newspaper, the Mentone Monitor, which published from 1932 to 1935. After reaching a high population mark of approximately 600 residents in the 1930s, the population has declined ever since, and in 2000 there were only 15 people, "more or less", according to National Geographic magazine (the total population of Loving County itself (as of 2010) is 82.[4])
Choose the Right Cosmetologist Training Program near Mentone TX
Picking and enrolling in the ideal cosmetology program is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to consolidate all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, 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 right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your career as a professional cosmetologist in Mentone TX.
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