Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Chantilly VA

How to Choose a Cosmetologist School near Chantilly Virginia

nail technicians training at Chantilly VA beauty school Now that you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Chantilly VA, the task starts to locate and enroll in the best school. It’s essential that the school you choose not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be somewhat confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll talk a little bit further regarding that in the upcoming segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Chantilly residence. Tuition will likewise be an important aspect when reviewing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not always the best option. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are available.

Defining Cosmetology

Chantilly VA makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you take some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Chantilly VA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by 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 mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees

Chantilly VA hairdresser cutting hair There are essentially two avenues offered to receive cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually call for 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 offered if you want to focus on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Chantilly VA business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you decide on, it’s important to make sure that it’s certified by the Virginia Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming section.

Online Cosmetologist Classes

student attending cosmetology school online in Chantilly VA Online beauty classes are convenient for Chantilly VA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced since many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it’s important that the training program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Cosmetologist Schools

Questions to ask Chantilly VA beauty schools Below is a series of questions that you need to look into for any beauty training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Chantilly VA home, together with the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the cosmetology college you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 20151 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Chantilly VA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any beauty college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Chantilly VA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And last, contact 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 Specialty? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you decide on 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 well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to open a hair salon in Chantilly 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 provide the training you need.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty academy furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So try to find other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s imperative that he or she receives aid in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Chantilly VA employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? Most cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be available.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Chantilly VA?

If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Chantilly VA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.

Chantilly, Virginia

Chantilly is a census-designated place (CDP) in western Fairfax County, Virginia, United States.[3][4] The population was 23,039 at the 2010 census.[5] Chantilly is named after an early-19th-century mansion and farm, which in turn took the name of an 18th-century plantation that was located in Westmoreland County, Virginia.[6] The name "Chantilly" originated in France with the Château de Chantilly,[7][8] about 25 miles north of Paris.

Located in the Northern Virginia portion of the Washington metropolitan area, Chantilly sits approximately 25 miles (40 km) west of Washington, D.C., via Interstate 66 and U.S. Route 50. It is located between Centreville to the south, Herndon and Reston to the north and northeast, respectively, and Fairfax 7 miles (11 km) to the southeast. U.S. Route 50 and Virginia State Route 28 intersect in Chantilly, and these highways provide access to the Dulles/Reston/Tysons Corner technology corridor and other major employment centers in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Chantilly was home to a number of colonial plantations in the 1700s, including the Sully Plantation (now the Sully Historic Site) built by Richard Bland Lee I. Other plantations included George Richard Lee Turberville's "Leeton Grove"[9] (originally a 5,000+ acre plantation, the main house of which still stands at 4619 Walney Rd.), the John Hutchison Farm, and the Chantilly Plantation, after which Chantilly is named. Cornelia Lee Turberville Stuart, who was born at Leeton and was the daughter of George Richard Lee Turberville and Henrietta Lee, inherited a portion of Leeton in 1817 from her father. Stuart and her husband Charles Calvert Stuart, whom she had married in 1816, constructed the Chantilly Plantation and named it after the Westmoreland County plantation owned by her grandfather, Richard Henry Lee, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. During the Civil War, federal troops destroyed by fire the Chantilly Plantation manor house. One building remains, a stone house across Route 50 from the Greenbriar Shopping Center. While it is not clear what this stone house was used for, most historical evidence suggests it was probably a plantation overseer's quarters during the antebellum period, and a tavern or boarding house following the war. After the war, Cornelia Stuart, who had become deeply in debt, sold her 1,064-acre (431 ha) Chantilly estate. The advertisement for the sale referenced several "tenements", one of which was the Stone House.

Pick the Right Beauty Program near Chantilly VA

Chantilly VA barber blow drying client's hair Choosing and enrolling in the right beauty school is important to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Chantilly VA.