How to Enroll In the Best Beauty Academy near West Chester Pennsylvania
Once you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near West Chester PA, the process starts to find and enroll in the ideal school. It’s essential that the program you pick not only furnishes the proper instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit further concerning that in the following section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your West Chester residence. Tuition will also be an important consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the right option. There are a number of other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are available.
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Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be almost 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 go through some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only West Chester PA 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, open their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and work in a wide variety of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As previously stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
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Cosmetologist Certificates and Degrees
There are primarily two avenues offered to receive 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 normally require 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 trained in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you prefer to specialize in just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other West Chester PA business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you decide on, it’s important to make certain that it’s approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the next segment.
Online Cosmetology Courses
Online cosmetology classes are convenient for West Chester PA students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs available that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced because many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not spending many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Beauty Degree Programs
Below is a list of questions that you should look into for any cosmetology training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your West Chester PA home, together with the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial 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 preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the cosmetology school you select 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 comply with their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 19380 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous West Chester PA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any beauty school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials 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 regarded. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with West Chester PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the Pennsylvania 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 Specialty? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular 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 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 dream is to open a hair salon in West Chester PA, 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 seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting cosmetology skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So search for other schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a cosmetology academy, it’s essential that she or he gets aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with West Chester PA employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Most cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you find out what financial help may be provided.
Top Ranked Cosmetology Schools West Chester Pennsylvania
Choosing and enrolling in the right cosmetologist school is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. You originally came to this website because you have an interest in Top Ranked Cosmetology Schools and learning more about the topic Requirements For Cosmetology School. So be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to compile all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this post, 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 exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in West Chester PA.
Other Beautiful Pennsylvania Locations
West Chester, Pennsylvania
Much of the West Chester University of Pennsylvania North Campus and the Chester County government are located within the borough. The center of town is located at the intersection of Market and High Streets.
The area was originally known as Turk's Head—after the inn of the same name located in what is now the center of the borough.[5] West Chester has been the seat of government in Chester County since 1786 when the seat was moved from nearby Chester in what is now Delaware County. The borough was incorporated in 1799.[6] In the heart of town is its courthouse, a classical revival building designed in the 1840s by Thomas U. Walter, one of the architects for the Capitol in Washington, D.C.[7] In the 18th century West Chester was a center of clockmaking. In the late 19th century the Hoopes, Bro. and Darlington company became a major wheelworks, first for wagons and later automobiles.[8][9] In the early 20th century, an important industry was the Sharples cream separator company.[10] In the late 20th century, Commodore International, one of the pioneers of home computers, giving its headquarters as West Chester, was located approximately a mile northeast of the borough.[citation needed]
The West Chester Downtown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Other listed buildings are the Bank of Chester County, Buckwalter Building, Butler House, Chester County Courthouse, William Everhart Buildings, Farmers and Mechanics Building, First Presbyterian Church of West Chester, New Century Clubhouse, Joseph Rothrock House, Sharples Homestead, Sharples Separator Works, Warner Theater, West Chester Boarding School for Boys, and the components of the West Chester State College Quadrangle Historic District.[11]
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