Cosmetology Training Lehigh Valley PA - Train to Be a Cosmetologist

How to Find the Best Beauty Program near Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania

Lehigh Valley PA beauty salon Since you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Lehigh Valley PA, the task starts to locate and enroll in the right school. It’s essential that the school you pick not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather puzzled about the difference 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 discuss a bit further concerning that in the upcoming segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Lehigh Valley residence. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when evaluating possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not always the best option. There are various other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are available.

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Definition of Cosmetology

Lehigh Valley PA makeup school student Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human body look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you undergo some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Lehigh Valley PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by 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 previously mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

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Cosmetologist Degrees

Lehigh Valley PA hair design student cutting hair There are primarily two avenues offered to receive cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically require 12 to 18 months to complete, 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 major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you want to focus on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Lehigh Valley PA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you opt for, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.

Online Cosmetologist Schools

Lehigh Valley PA student attending online beauty school Online beauty programs are accommodating for Lehigh Valley PA students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced since many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it’s vital that the program you select 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 part of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Beauty Training Classes

Questions to ask Lehigh Valley PA cosmetology schools Below is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any beauty training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Lehigh Valley PA residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every 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 acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 18001 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Lehigh Valley PA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any cosmetology college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Lehigh Valley PA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And last, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Many beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing 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 essential that you enroll in a school that focuses on 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 well regarded for that program. If your desire is to open a hair salon in Lehigh Valley PA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting cosmetology skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for other schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s crucial that he or she receives help in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid develope relationships with Lehigh Valley PA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Almost all cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 offered to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you learn what financial assistance may be offered.

Cosmetology Training Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania

Lehigh Valley PA nail tech students in training Selecting and enrolling in the ideal cosmetologist program is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. You originally came to this website because you have an interest in Cosmetology Training and learning more about the topic Cosmetology Colleges Near Me. So make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to compile all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter 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 qualified to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Lehigh Valley PA.

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Lehigh Valley

The Lehigh Valley (/ˈliːhaɪ/), known officially by the United States Census Bureau and the United States Office of Management and Budget[3] as the Allentown–Bethlehem–Easton, PA–NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area and referred to colloquially as The Valley,[4] is a metropolitan region officially consisting of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties in eastern Pennsylvania and Warren county on the western edge of New Jersey, in the Eastern United States.[5] The Lehigh Valley's largest city, with a population of 120,443, is Allentown.[6]

The region is a part of the larger New York City metropolitan area, but borders the Philadelphia metropolitan area. All of the region, except Warren County, New Jersey, is part of Philadelphia's designated media market.

The Lehigh Valley is the third most populous Metropolitan Statistical Area in the state of Pennsylvania with a population of 821,173 residents as of the 2010 U.S. Census.[2] The region is eclipsed in total population in Pennsylvania only by the metropolitan areas of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh metropolitan areas.[2] It is the 64th most populated metropolitan area in the United States. Lehigh County, the Valley's largest county in terms of overall population, is among the fastest growing in the state and, as of 2010–2012, ranks in the 79th percentile for population growth nationally. The core population centers are located in southern and central Lehigh and Northampton counties along U.S. Route 22 and Interstate 78. The Lehigh Valley is proximate to two of the nation's largest cities: New York City, which is about 75 miles to its east, and Philadelphia, which is 50 miles to its southeast.