How to Choose a Cosmetology College near Olive Hill Kentucky
Since you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Olive Hill KY, the process begins to find and enroll in the best school. It’s essential that the program you pick not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be a little bit confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a bit more about that in the next segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Olive Hill home. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when assessing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the best choice. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are offered.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Olive Hill KY beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional names and work in a wide variety of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- 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 some states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Degrees
There are essentially two pathways available to get cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally take 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to specialize in just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Olive Hill KY business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you opt for, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming section.
Online Beauty Training
Online beauty classes are convenient for Olive Hill KY students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced because many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s important that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetologist Programs
Below is a list of questions that you should investigate for any cosmetology training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Olive Hill KY home, as well as the expense of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want 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 even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the cosmetology training program you select 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 necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 41164 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Olive Hill KY businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any cosmetologist institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed 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 connections with Olive Hill KY salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, 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 last, check with the Kentucky 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 Focus? Some beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to start a hair salon in Olive Hill KY, then you need 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 the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining cosmetology skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s important that she or he gets support in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid develope relationships with Olive Hill KY employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an option until you determine what financial aid may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Olive Hill KY?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Olive Hill KY area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Olive Hill, Kentucky
Olive Hill began as a rural trading post established by the Henderson brothers in the first part of the 19th century. Although Olive Hill was allegedly named by Elias P. Davis for his friend Thomas Oliver, there is no evidence to support this popular contention. In 1881, the town was moved from a hillside location to the current location in the Tygarts Creek valley, where the Elizabethtown, Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad had laid tracks. The hillside location become known as Old Olive Hill and now serves as the city's residential area. On March 24, 1884, Olive Hill incorporated as a city and served as the county seat of the short-lived Beckham County from February 9 to April 29, 1904.[5]
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway served Olive Hill and many other places on the railroad's Lexington Subdivision (running from Ashland to Lexington). The C&O merged into the Chessie System, which CSX Transportation later bought out, and after that CSX pulled up the railroad in the mid 1980s. Olive Hill retained and restored a passenger depot as well as a caboose ("John Hop Brown" Memorial Park).[6] Olive Hill's racial history is not one that makes for pleasant reading. According to George C. Wright in his A History of Blacks in Kentucky, volume 2, "In the small community of Olive Hill in 1917, several hundred white laborers at the brick-making General Refractories Company threatened to strike unless recently employed blacks were dismissed. After first refusing to meet with the leaders of the disgruntled workers, the company managers acceded to their demand and fired all the black workers(p.14)." Perhaps this is one of the reasons the 2010 census shows only .17% percentage of African Americans residing in the city.
Olive Hill is located in western Carter County at 38°18′4″N 83°10′27″W / 38.30111°N 83.17417°W / 38.30111; -83.17417 (38.301007, -83.174091),[7] primarily on the north side of Tygarts Creek, a tributary of the Ohio River. U.S. Route 60 passes through the city, leading east 14 miles (23 km) to Grayson, the Carter County seat, and west 18 miles (29 km) to Morehead. Interstate 64 passes 3 miles (5 km) north of Olive Hill, leading east 44 miles (71 km) to Huntington, West Virginia, and west 84 miles (135 km) to Lexington.
Find the Right Cosmetologist Training Program near Olive Hill KY
Picking and enrolling in the right cosmetology school is imperative to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to consolidate all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this article, 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 exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Olive Hill KY.
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