Beautician School Granite City IL - Train to Be a Cosmetologist

How to Choose the Best Cosmetology College near Granite City Illinois

Granite City IL beauty salon Now that you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Granite City IL, the task starts to search for and enroll in the right school. It’s imperative that the program you choose not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be rather confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further concerning that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Granite City home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when assessing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the ideal choice. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing 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 courses are offered.

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What is Cosmetology

Granite City IL makeup school student Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human body look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Granite City IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a customer 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 go 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 formerly mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

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Cosmetologist Certificates and Degrees

Granite City IL hair design student cutting hair There are basically two avenues available to get cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually call for 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 main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you wish to concentrate on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Granite City IL business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you opt for, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s approved by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the next segment.

Online Beauty Schools

Granite City IL student attending online beauty school Online cosmetology schools are advantageous for Granite City IL students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced given that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get 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 program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Cosmetologist Degree Programs

Questions to ask Granite City IL cosmetology schools Following is a list of questions that you need to look into for any cosmetologist training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Granite City IL residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely be your primary 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 initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 62040 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Granite City IL businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each cosmetology institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Granite City IL 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, contact the Illinois school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to launch a hair salon in Granite City IL, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. So look for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a cosmetology academy, it’s crucial that she or he gets aid in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Granite City IL businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? Many cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and learn 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 accessible to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an option before you learn what financial assistance may be available.

Beautician School Granite City Illinois

Granite City IL nail tech students in training Picking and enrolling in the ideal cosmetology college is important to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. You originally came to this website because you have an interest in Beautician School and learning more about the topic Study Cosmetology. So make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the information you receive 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 procedure is to make sure that the college and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Granite City IL.

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Granite City, Illinois

Granite City is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States, within the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. The population was 29,849 at the 2010 census, making it the second-largest city in the Metro East and Southern Illinois regions, behind Belleville. Officially founded in 1896, Granite City was named by the Niedringhaus brothers, William and Frederick, who established it as a steel making company town for the manufacture of kitchen utensils made to resemble granite.

The area was settled much earlier than Granite City's official founding. In the early 19th century, settlers began to farm the rich fertile grounds to the east of St. Louis. Around 1801, the area saw the establishment of Six Mile Settlement, a farming area that occupied the area of present-day Granite City, six miles (10 km) from St. Louis.[3] Soon after, around 1806, the National Road was to be constructed through the area, but it was never completed.[3] By 1817, the area became known as Six Mile Prairie, to distinguish it from Six Mile Township.[3] By 1854, the first railroad was built.[4] In 1856, the area known as Six Mile would be changed to Kinder.[4]

Granite City was founded in 1896 to be a planned company city similar to Pullman, Illinois, by German immigrant brothers Frederick G. and William Niedringhaus for their Granite ware kitchen supplies factory.