How to Find the Best Barber College Near Baltimore Maryland
Now that you have decided to enroll in a barber school near Baltimore MD, the process starts to find and enroll in the right school. It's essential that the school you choose not only furnishes 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 might be somewhat unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We'll talk a bit more about that in the next section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Baltimore residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when assessing potential barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the best option. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the barber colleges you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what barbering is and why you may want to become a barber.
Why Choose Barbering?
Barbershops have always been a place for men to get their hair cut, socialize, and gab about everything from sports to stock tips. Although today some women visit barbershops and some men visit stylists and salons, the barbershop and its iconic red, white, and blue striped pole is still a cornerstone of male culture. If you’ve got an eye for style, a creative flair, and an appreciation for America’s unique barbershop culture, a career as a barber could be your calling. As a barber, you’ll cut, style, shape, and treat men’s hair, and sometimes women’s and children’s hair, too. You’ll give shaves and trim facial hair and sometimes perform neck and scalp massages. Like all specialists in the field of cosmetology, you’ll make a ritual out of maintaining your tools, station, and clients to the highest standards of hygiene and sanitization.
What to Ask Barbering Training Programs
Following is a list of questions that you will want to research for any barber college you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Baltimore MD home, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably 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 must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber school. Below we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Barber School Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the barber 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in Baltimore MD for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous 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 Great Reputation? Each barber school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Baltimore MD barber shop owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And finally, contact the Maryland school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as barbering. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you enroll in a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal 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 desire is to start a barber shop in Baltimore MD, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly ranked school with a poor program in barbering will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and refining barbering skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the barber courses you will be attending. Some schools have shops on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a Baltimore MD barber school offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a barber college, it's important that she or he gets assistance in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develop relationships with area businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which Baltimore MD area shops and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Almost all barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may qualify 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 expense, do not discard it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be provided in Baltimore MD.
How to Choose a Barber College in Baltimore
Enroll in the Right Baltimore Barber School
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal barber school is essential to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the information you receive from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin 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 test, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your career as a professional barber in Baltimore Maryland.