How to Select a Beauty College near Barren Springs Virginia
Since you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Barren Springs VA, the process begins to find and enroll in the right school. It’s essential that the school you pick not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll speak a bit further regarding that in the following section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Barren Springs home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when assessing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the ideal choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you go through some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Barren Springs VA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a customer base, open their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional names and work in a wide variety of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As already stated, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates
There are basically two avenues offered to receive cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally require 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you want to focus on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Barren Springs VA business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you decide on, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the Virginia Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming section.
Online Beauty Programs
Online cosmetology schools are convenient for Barren Springs VA students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended through a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced since many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetology Schools
Below is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any cosmetologist training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Barren Springs VA home, in addition to the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the cosmetology school you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national organization, 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 may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 24313 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Barren Springs VA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each cosmetology institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Barren Springs VA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, check with the Virginia 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? A number of 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, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to open a hair salon in Barren Springs VA, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and refining cosmetology skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from a cosmetology academy, it’s essential that he or she receives help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Barren Springs VA employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, 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 respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Most cosmetology schools provide 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 find out 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 available to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an option until you find out what financial assistance may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Barren Springs VA?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Barren Springs VA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Fishersville, Virginia
Fishersville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Augusta County, Virginia, United States. The population was 7,462 at the 2010 census, an increase of nearly fifty percent from the 4,998 reported in 2000. It is part of the Staunton–Waynesboro Micropolitan Statistical Area. Fishersville is also home to Barren Ridge Vineyards (on the Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail), winner of the 2009 Best in Show wine at the Virginia State Fair.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 4,998 people, 1,826 households, and 1,433 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 380.6 people per square mile (147.0/km2). There were 1,931 housing units at an average density of 147.0/sq mi (56.8/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.76% White, 3.98% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.
There were 1,826 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.0% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.5% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.85.
Enroll in the Right Cosmetologist Program near Barren Springs VA
Picking and enrolling in the right cosmetologist school is important 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 confident about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Barren Springs VA.
Other Beautiful Locations in Virginia
Business Results 1 - 10 of 0
