How to Choose a Cosmetology School near Prentice Wisconsin
Once you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Prentice WI, the task starts to find and enroll in the ideal school. It’s imperative that the school you pick not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit further regarding 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 Prentice home. Tuition will also be a critical factor when evaluating possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not always the right choice. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you go through some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Prentice WI beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a client base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles 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 formerly mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Degrees and Certificates
There are essentially two avenues offered to receive cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually call for 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily 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 specialize in just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Prentice WI business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you choose, it’s important to make certain that it’s recognized by the Wisconsin Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming section.
Online Cosmetology Courses
Online beauty programs are advantageous for Prentice WI students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced since many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it’s important that the school you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Cosmetologist Degree Programs
Following is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any beauty training school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Prentice WI home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the cosmetology school 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 54556 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Prentice WI employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every beauty college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. 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, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Prentice WI salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. Finally, consult the Wisconsin school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? 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 example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you decide on 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 respected for that program. If your desire is to start a hair salon in Prentice WI, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s essential that she or he gets help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develope relationships with Prentice WI businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Many beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an option before you find out what financial assistance may be offered.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Prentice WI?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Prentice WI area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Prentice, Wisconsin
Prentice began as a lumber town, when Alexander Prentice of Portage formed the Jump River Lumber Company in 1882. The mill there sawed as much as 100,000 board feet of lumber a day until timber in the surrounding country dwindled in the 1890s.[6]
After the sawmill closed, the U.S. Leather Company's tannery ran until 1915, using local hemlock bark for its tanning process. And more and more farmers settled on the surrounding cut-over lands left by logging. Around 1903 a creamery in town began buying milk from them and selling butter.[6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.02 square miles (5.23 km2), of which, 1.99 square miles (5.15 km2) of it is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2) is water.[1]
Enroll in the Right Cosmetology Training Program near Prentice WI
Locating and enrolling in the right beauty program is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A good start 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 begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Prentice WI.
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