Barbering Courses
How to Find the Right One Near Cambridge Massachusetts

Now that you have made the decision to become a barber, you must enroll in the best barber school near Cambridge MA to get your training. Since barbers are licensed in all states, the school you select should prep you to pass the licensing exam and provide the necessary training for your specialty. When you start your initial search, you might be rather confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both offer barbering programs. Since the names are for all practical purposes interchangeable and pertain to the same kind of school, there is no need to be. You will want to find a school that is within reasonable driving distance of your residence unless you can relocate for training. An additional qualification when evaluating prospective barbering schools is the cost of tuition. However, a school is not always the best choice just because it happens to have a campus near your home or is lower in cost. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. Now we will examine what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are thinking about.

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What to Ask Barber Schools

Below is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any barber college you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Cambridge MA home, as well as the cost of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a barber college. Following we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Barber College Accredited? It's important to make certain that the barber college you enroll in 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently 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 final benefit, numerous Cambridge MA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Every barber school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Cambridge MA barber shop owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And last, check with the Massachusetts school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  A number of beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example barbering. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you choose 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 vision is to launch a barber shop in Cambridge MA, then you want 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 deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Studying and perfecting barbering techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the barber courses you will be attending. Some schools have shops on campus that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a Cambridge MA barber school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. So look for alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from a barber school, it's important that he or she receives aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with local employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which Cambridge MA area shops and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  The majority of barber schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be available in Cambridge MA.

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Enroll in the Right Cambridge Barber School

Picking and enrolling in the right barber college is imperative to receive the necessary training to become a licensed practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the responses you get from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional barber in Cambridge Massachusetts.

 

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