Beauty School Elkins Park PA

How to Pick the Right Cosmetologist Program near Elkins Park Pennsylvania

Elkins Park PA wedding makeup artist with client Once you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Elkins Park PA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the ideal school. It’s important that the school you choose not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be somewhat unclear about the difference 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 talk a bit further concerning that in the upcoming section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Elkins Park home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when evaluating possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the right option. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for instance 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 bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

Elkins Park PA hair stylist cutting hair Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more attractive with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may 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 go through some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Elkins Park PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a clientele, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and are employed in a wide range of specializations including:

Hairdressers
Hairstylists
Beauticians
Barbers
Manicurists
Nail Technicians
Makeup Artists
Hair Coloring Specialists
Estheticians
Electrolysis Technicians

As earlier stated, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Cosmetologist Certificates and Degrees

nail techs training at Elkins Park PA beauty school There are basically two avenues offered to get 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 call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you wish to focus on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Elkins Park PA business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you go with, it’s essential to make sure that it’s certified by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only certify schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming section.

Online Beauty Schools

student attending online beauty school in Elkins Park PA Online beauty schools are accommodating for Elkins Park PA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced given that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not spending many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the school you choose can provide internship training in area 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 obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Cosmetologist Schools

Questions to ask Elkins Park PA cosmetology schools Following is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any cosmetology training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Elkins Park PA residence, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you want 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 even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those supplemental 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 training program you enroll in 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 meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 19027 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Elkins Park PA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each cosmetology school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Elkins Park PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. Finally, contact the Pennsylvania 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 broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you enroll in a school that specializes in 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 aspiration is to start a hair salon in Elkins Park PA, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. So try to find alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from a cosmetology program, it’s crucial that he or she gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Elkins Park PA employers that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses 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 Assistance Available? The majority of beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an option until you find out what financial aid may be available.

Considering Cosmetology Schools in Elkins Park PA?

If you are considering attending Beauty School in Elkins Park PA or in a nearby area, following is some interesting and useful information regarding the location of your new school campus.

Elkins Park, Pennsylvania

Elkins Park is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the suburbs of Philadelphia, which it borders along Cheltenham Avenue roughly 6 miles (9.7 km) from downtown. An affluent community, it is the home of Lynnewood Hall, a 110-room, derelict Gilded Age mansion.

Elkins Park is served by SEPTA Regional Rail trains on the Warminster Line, West Trenton Line and Lansdale/Doylestown Line at the Elkins Park station. The Jenkintown and Melrose Park stations are also found near the neighborhood of Elkins Park, and are served by the same regional rail lines. SEPTA bus routes 28, 55, 70 and 77 also provide service to Elkins Park.

Toward the western end of Elkins Park is Pennsylvania Route 611 (Old York Road). In Elkins Park, Pennsylvania Route 73 runs along Township Line Road, mostly marking the border between Cheltenham and Abington townships.

Elkins Park PA barber trimming hair Locating and enrolling in the ideal cosmetology college is imperative to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. You originally came to this website because you have an interest in learning more about Beauty School. So be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Elkins Park PA.