How to Choose the Best Barber College Near Rapid City South Dakota
Once you have made a decision to attend a barber school near Rapid City SD, the process begins to search for and enroll in the best school. It's imperative that the school you select not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be a little bit confused about the distinction 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 speak a bit more concerning that in the following segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Rapid City residence. Tuition will also be an important consideration when assessing potential barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not automatically the ideal option. There are a number of other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a 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 Colleges
Below is a series of questions that you should research for any barber college you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Rapid City SD residence, in addition to the cost 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 preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber college. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Barber School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the barber school you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in Rapid City SD for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any barber college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Rapid City SD barber shop owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the South Dakota school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example barbering. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention 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 launch a barber shop in Rapid City SD, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in barbering will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting barbering skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the barber lessons you will be attending. Some schools have shops on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a Rapid City SD barber school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a barber college, it's imperative that she or he gets support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with local businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which Rapid City SD area shops and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of barber schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Talk to 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 all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an option before you find out what financial help may be available in Rapid City SD.
How to Choose a Barber School in Rapid City
Choose in the Right Rapid City Barber School
Picking and enrolling in the ideal barber training program is essential to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, 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 proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your career as a professional barber in Rapid City South Dakota.