How to Choose a Beauty School near Oshkosh Wisconsin
Once you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Oshkosh WI, the process begins to locate and enroll in the ideal school. It’s essential that the program you pick not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather 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 type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further about that in the next segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Oshkosh residence. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when assessing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the right option. There are various other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are offered.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous 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 look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you take some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Oshkosh WI 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 begin servicing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and are employed in a wide variety of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As already stated, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Degrees and Certificates
There are basically two options available to obtain cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically require 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 wish to specialize in just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Oshkosh WI business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you choose, it’s important to make sure that it’s certified by the Wisconsin Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the next section.
Online Cosmetologist Training
Online beauty classes are accommodating for Oshkosh WI students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are often fast paced given that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Beauty Trade Schools
Below is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any cosmetologist training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Oshkosh WI home, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your primary 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 additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the cosmetology training program 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 ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 54901 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Oshkosh WI businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any beauty school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Oshkosh WI salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Wisconsin school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to start a hair salon in Oshkosh WI, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining cosmetology techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on using mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a beauty program, it’s essential that she or he gets help in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Oshkosh WI employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Almost all cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an option until you determine what financial aid may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Oshkosh WI?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Oshkosh WI area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States, located where the Fox River enters Lake Winnebago from the west. The population was 66,083 at the 2010 census. The city is located adjacent to and partially within the Town of Oshkosh.
Oshkosh was named for Menominee Chief Oshkosh, whose name meant "claw"[5] (cf. Ojibwe oshkanzh, "the claw").[6] Although the fur trade attracted the first European settlers to the area as early as 1818, it never became a major player in the fur trade. Soon after 1830, much of the trade moved west, as there had been over-trapping in the region.
The establishment and growth of the lumber industry in the area spurred development of Oshkosh. Already designated as the county seat, Oshkosh was incorporated as a city in 1853. It had a population of nearly 2,800.[7]
Choose the Right Cosmetology Vocational School near Oshkosh WI
Choosing and enrolling in the ideal cosmetologist college is imperative to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your career as a professional cosmetologist in Oshkosh WI.
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