How to Pick a Cosmetologist School near Story Wyoming
Once you have decided to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Story WY, the task starts to find and enroll in the best school. It’s imperative that the school you choose not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a bit further about that in the following section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Story residence. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not always the ideal option. There are several other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning 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 training programs are available.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more attractive with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described 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 look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you take some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Story WY beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As already stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Certificates and Degrees
There are essentially two avenues available to get 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 generally require 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you want to concentrate 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 Story WY business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you go with, it’s important to make certain that it’s certified by the Wyoming Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming section.
Online Beauty Programs
Online beauty classes are convenient for Story WY students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Beauty Training Courses
Following is a series of questions that you should look into for any beauty training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Story WY residence, together with the expense of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue 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 should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the cosmetology training program you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified 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 may also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 82842 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Story WY businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any cosmetologist school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Story WY salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the Wyoming school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden 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 well regarded for that program. If your desire is to launch a hair salon in Story WY, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So search for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a beauty academy, it’s important that he or she gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develope relationships with Story WY businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn 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 offered to students also. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you learn what financial help may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Story WY?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Story WY area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Story, Wyoming
The region around Story was part of the history of the American Frontier and the Old West, and of the conflicts between early settlers and the Plains Indians. The historic Bozeman Trail passed nearby in the mid-1860s, and Fort Phil Kearny, now a State Historic Site, lies just 5 miles south of town. Fort Sheridan was just to the north, near what is now the city of Sheridan.
Fort Phil Kearny, known to the Plains Indians as the "hated post on the Little Piney", played an important role in Red Cloud's War (1866-1868), and the area around the fort was the site of the Fetterman massacre and the Wagon Box Fight.[4] The Fetterman Fight (with 81 men killed on the U.S. side) was the worst military defeat suffered by the U.S. Army on the Great Plains, until the Battle of the Little Bighorn ten years later.[5]
The 1866 Fetterman Fight marked a key victory of the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians over soldiers of the United States Army, and the 1867 Wagon Box Fight involved Lakota Sioux and soldiers from nearby Fort Phil Kearny.[6] Fort Phil Kearny, including the nearby sites of the Fetterman engagement and the Wagon Box Fight, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960.[7]
Select the Right Cosmetology School near Story WY
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal cosmetologist program is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, 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 ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Story WY.
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