How to Find the Right Esthetician School near Harrisonburg Virginia
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Harrisonburg VA, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It’s imperative that the program you choose not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather confused about the distinction 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 little bit more concerning 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 Harrisonburg home. Tuition will likewise be a critical factor when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the ideal choice. There are a number of other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review 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.
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Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human body look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So naturally 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 basically a cosmetic can be 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 take some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Harrisonburg VA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a client base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and are employed in a wide variety of specializations including:
- Estheticians
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Electrolysis Technicians
As earlier stated, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
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Esthetician Degrees and Certificates
There are essentially two pathways offered to receive esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree usually 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 prefer to concentrate on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Harrisonburg VA business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you choose, it’s important to make sure that it’s certified by the Virginia Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming segment.
Online Esthetics Programs
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Harrisonburg VA students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are often fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Training Programs
Below is a list of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Harrisonburg home, as well as the expense of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options 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 compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the esthetician school you select 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 comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in 22801 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Harrisonburg VA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Harrisonburg VA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And finally, consult the Virginia school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to open a Harrisonburg VA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach 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 need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore search for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s imperative that she or he receives assistance in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Harrisonburg VA businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify 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 as well. 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 assistance may be available.
Guide to Accredited Esthetician Programs Harrisonburg Virginia
Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Guide to Accredited Esthetician Programs and wanting more information on the topic Esthetician Beauty Schools. However, if you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Harrisonburg VA.
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Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is also the county seat of the surrounding Rockingham County,[8] although the two are separate jurisdictions. As of the 2010 census, the population was 48,914,[9] with a census-estimated 2016 population of 53,078.[10] The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Harrisonburg with Rockingham County for statistical purposes into the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a 2011 estimated population of 126,562.[11]
Harrisonburg is home to James Madison University (JMU), a public research university with an enrollment of over 20,000 students,[12] and Eastern Mennonite University (EMU), a private, Mennonite-affiliated liberal arts university. Although the city has no historical association with President James Madison, JMU was nonetheless named in his honor as Madison College in 1938 and renamed as James Madison University in 1977.[13] EMU largely owes it existence to the sizable Mennonite population in the Shenandoah Valley, to which many Pennsylvania Dutch settlers arrived beginning in the mid-18th century in search of rich, unsettled farmland.[14]
The city has become a bastion of ethnic and linguistic diversity in recent years. Over 1,900 refugees have been settled in Harrisonburg since 2002.[15] As of 2014, Hispanics or Latinos of any race comprise 19% of the city's population.[16]Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS) students speak 55 languages in addition to English, with Spanish, Arabic, and Kurdish being the most common languages spoken.[17] Over one-third of HCPS students are English as a second language (ESL) learners.[18]Language learning software company Rosetta Stone was founded in Harrisonburg in 1992,[19] and the multilingual "Welcome Your Neighbors" yard sign originated in Harrisonburg in 2016.[15]
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