How to Pick the Best Esthetician School Near Colorado Springs Colorado
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Colorado Springs CO, the task starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the program you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start 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 pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Colorado Springs residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not always the best choice. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of programs are offered.
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Esthetics Degrees and Certificates
There are primarily two options offered to obtain esthetician 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 generally call for 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate's degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you want to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Colorado Springs CO business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master's degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you go with, it's important to make sure that it's recognized by the Colorado Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the following segment.
Online Esthetician Classes
Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Colorado Springs CO students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's important that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Schools
Following is a series of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Colorado Springs residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician school you choose 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 ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Colorado Springs CO businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating 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 Colorado Springs CO salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the Colorado school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since 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 launch a Colorado Springs CO beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician 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 enable students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program offers limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's crucial that she or he receives assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Colorado Springs CO businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an alternative before you learn what financial aid may be available.
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Enroll in the Best Colorado Springs Esthetician Course
Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Colorado Springs Colorado.
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