How to Find the Right Beauty School near Bunker Hill West Virginia
Once you have decided to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Bunker Hill WV, the task begins to find and enroll in the best school. It’s important that the program you select not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more about that in the next section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Bunker Hill residence. Tuition will likewise be an important aspect when reviewing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the right option. There are a number of other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding 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 courses are offered.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you go through some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Bunker Hill WV beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a client base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many 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 previously stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those performing 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 get licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees
There are basically two pathways offered to obtain cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically 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 main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you prefer to specialize in just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Bunker Hill WV business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you decide on, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s certified by the West Virginia Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the following segment.
Online Beauty Training
Online beauty schools are accommodating for Bunker Hill WV students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetology Training Courses
Below is a list of questions that you need to look into for any beauty training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Bunker Hill WV home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably 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 consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the cosmetology school you pick 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 measure up to their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 25413 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Bunker Hill WV businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each cosmetology college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Bunker Hill WV salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, 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 finally, consult the West Virginia school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your intention 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 desire is to open a hair salon in Bunker Hill WV, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes 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 provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a beauty academy, it’s crucial that she or he gets help in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Bunker Hill WV businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Most beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. 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 accessible to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an alternative until you find out what financial help may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Bunker Hill WV?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Bunker Hill WV area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Bunker Hill, West Virginia
Bunker Hill is an unincorporated community in Berkeley County, West Virginia, USA, located in the lower Shenandoah Valley on Winchester Pike (U.S. Route 11) at its junction with County Route 26 south of Martinsburg. It is the site of the confluence of Torytown Run and Mill Creek, a tributary of Opequon Creek which flows into Winchester, Virginia. According to the 2000 census, the Bunker Hill community has a population of 5,319.[1]
At Bunker Hill in 1726, Colonel Morgan Morgan (1687-1766) founded the first permanent settlement of record in the part of Virginia that became West Virginia during the American Civil War, although that cabin was destroyed in the French and Indian War. Morgan kinfolk rebuilt the cabin before the American Revolutionary War, and Tory sympathizers killed Morgan's grandson James Morgan near the cabin on what became known as Torytown Creek about four miles outside the Bunker Hill town center, on Runnymeade Street (a/k/a County Route 26 west of town). That cabin (now a small state park) was restored as a Bicentennial project in 1976, using many of its original logs. Now a historically furnished museum, it also serves as headquarters of the Morgan Cabin Committee.
The state of West Virginia erected several monuments to Morgan nearby. Near the town center and a bridge over Mill Creek is Morgan Park, which has a large monument erected to honor the first settler in 1924, as well as two historic markers. Both Morgan and George Washington are also remembered at the Morgan Chapel and Graveyard less than 2 miles from the town center, en route to the Morgan cabin.
Choose the Right Beauty Vocational School near Bunker Hill WV
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal cosmetology college is imperative to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Bunker Hill WV.
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