How to Choose the Best Aesthetician College Near Collinsville Illinois

Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Collinsville IL, the task begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you pick not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Collinsville home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when reviewing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the best choice. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of training programs are offered.

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Esthetician Degrees

There are essentially two avenues available to receive 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 typically call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate's degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you want to specialize in just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Collinsville IL business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master's degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you opt for, it's important to make certain that it's certified by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the next segment.

Online Esthetics Schools

Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Collinsville IL students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced because many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the training program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Schools

Following is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Collinsville home, as well as the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn 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 even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician school you enroll in 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 comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Collinsville IL employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials 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 along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Collinsville IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Illinois 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 Focus?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your goal 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 desire is to open a Collinsville IL beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that he or she receives support in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Collinsville IL businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be provided.

Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Collinsville

Enroll in the Best Collinsville Esthetician Program

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to collect all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Collinsville Illinois.

 

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