How to Select a Cosmetology School near Laurel Springs North Carolina
Since you have decided to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Laurel Springs NC, the task starts to find and enroll in the ideal school. It’s important that the program you choose not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit further about that in the following segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Laurel Springs residence. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when reviewing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the right option. There are various other considerations that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are offered.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So naturally 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 actually a cosmetic can 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 take some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Laurel Springs NC beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own residences 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 earlier mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Degrees
There are basically two options available to get cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you wish to specialize in just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Laurel Springs NC business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you go with, it’s important to make certain that it’s recognized by the North Carolina Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the following section.
Online Cosmetology Courses
Online cosmetology programs are convenient for Laurel Springs NC students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s important that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Beauty Trade Schools
Below is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any beauty training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Laurel Springs NC home, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely 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 preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the cosmetology school you select 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 quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 28644 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Laurel Springs NC employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any cosmetologist institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Laurel Springs NC salon owners or managers, or any person 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 considered. And last, check with the North Carolina 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? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to start a hair salon in Laurel Springs NC, 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 the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and refining cosmetology skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. So search for other schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s imperative that he or she gets assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid develope relationships with Laurel Springs NC businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, 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 regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and find out 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 fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an alternative before you learn what financial aid may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Laurel Springs NC?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Laurel Springs NC area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
North Carolina Highway 88
North Carolina Highway 88 (NC 88) is a 41.3-mile-long (66.5 km) primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Primarily in the High Country, it runs from the Tennessee state line near Trade east to NC 18 in Laurel Springs.
NC 88 starts at the terminus of Tennessee State Route 67 at the Tennessee state line (at a location called State Line Gap), just 1.6 miles (2.6 km) from U.S. Route 421 (US 421). The road follows the Hoskin Fork through its brief stay in Watauga County into Ashe County where it meets up with the North Fork New River at Sutherland Road. Until Warrensville, the highway is constantly curving along the banks of the Hoskin Fork and North Fork New River, though there is not much elevation change.[1]
From Warrensville, the highway goes southeast through the community of Smethport and into town of Jefferson. Going through the downtown area, it connects with US 221 and then NC 16 east of town. Continuing southeast, it passes the South Fork New River then going east to Laurel Springs in Alleghany County where it ends at a Y-intersection with NC 18 (in front of the U.S. Post Office of Laurel Springs). If travelers continue south on NC 18, for two miles (3.2 km), they will reach the Blue Ridge Parkway. The second half of NC 88, from Jefferson to Laurel Springs, is less curvy compared to the first half and functions as an alternative to US 221 towards Galax, Virginia.[1]
Choose the Right Cosmetology Program near Laurel Springs NC
Locating and enrolling in the right beauty college is imperative to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address 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 choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Laurel Springs NC.
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