Find Top Barber Schools near Evanston IL 60201

How to Choose a Barber College near Evanston Illinois

Evanston IL barber blow drying hair Since you have made a decision to attend a barber school near Evanston IL, the task starts to search for and enroll in the best school. It’s important that the school you select not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be a little bit confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit more concerning that in the following segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Evanston home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when assessing possible barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not always the best choice. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

Evanston IL barber razor cutting hair Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a barber and a cosmetologist, most states require that you take some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Evanston IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and work in a wide variety of specializations including:

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

As formerly stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, for example barbers or hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Barber Colleges Online

Online barber colleges are convenient for 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 barbering programs available that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional barber schools are often fast paced because many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours away from your Evanston IL home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the program you choose can provide internship training in local Evanston IL shops or salons in order that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online barber school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Barber Schools

Evanston IL barber trimming beard Below is a list of questions that you need to research for any barber school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Evanston IL home, as well as the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue 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 must research and consider before enrolling in a barber college. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Barber College Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the barber college 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 meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in Evanston IL for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each barber college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred 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 agencies. If you have any relationships with Evanston IL barber shop owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, consult the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Many beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example barbering. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as a barber, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to open a barber shop in Evanston IL, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a poor program in barbering will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting barbering skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the barber classes you will be attending. Some schools have shops on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a Evanston IL barber college provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So look for other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from a barber school, it’s imperative that she or he gets support in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with area businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which Evanston IL area shops 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 regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak 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 offered to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be provided in Evanston IL.

Considering Barber School near Evanston IL?

Evanston, Illinois

Evanston (/ˈɛvənˌstən/) is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, 12 miles (19 km) north of downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north. It had a population of 74,486 as of 2010[update].[6] It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan and is the home of Northwestern University. The boundaries of the city of Evanston are coterminous with those of the former Evanston Township, which was dissolved in 2014 by voters with its functions being absorbed by the city of Evanston.[7]

Prior to the 1830s, the area now occupied by Evanston was mainly uninhabited, consisting largely of wetlands and swampy forest. However, Potawatomi Indians used trails along higher lying ridges that ran in a general north-south direction through the area, and had at least some semi-permanent settlements along the trails.

French explorers referred to the general area as "Grosse Pointe" after a point of land jutting into Lake Michigan about 13 miles (21 km) north of the mouth of the Chicago River. After the first non-Native Americans settled in the area in 1836, the names "Grosse Point Territory" and "Gross Point voting district" were used through the 1830s and 1840s, although the territory had no defined boundaries.[8][9] The area remained only sparsely settled, supporting some farming and lumber activity on some of the higher ground, as well as a number of taverns or "hotels" along the ridge roads. Grosse Pointe itself steadily eroded into the lake during this period.

In 1850, a township called Ridgeville was organized, extending from Graceland Cemetery in Chicago to the southern edge of the Ouilmette Reservation, along what is now Central Street, and from Lake Michigan to Western Avenue in Chicago. The 1850 census shows a few hundred settlers in this township,[9] and a post office with the name of Ridgeville was established at one of the taverns. However, no municipality yet existed.

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Select the Right Barber College near Evanston IL

Picking and enrolling in the right barber college is essential to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the information you get from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional barber in Evanston IL.