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This is our
actual school building with lots of free parking right at the door. Our facility
is safe, well lit, and conveniently located on the North edge of Eau
Claire, Wisconsin.
There are many restaurants nearby as well as a
doctors office, pharmacy, and health club--not that you will have a lot of
free time to explore but amenities and many fun things to do abound in
historic Eau Claire, and the surrounding Chippewa Valley.
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 How long does the
program take?--I don't want to be away from my family for longer than I have
to...
As many of our
students have been from out-of-town, and out of state, they have requested
we design a program that takes as few days as possible. We have
created an intensive program that still meets the State standards.
As per State law, our program is a "clock hour" program which means that the
actual assigned instructional time (i.e. 450 hours) is required. Because
we customize our programs for each student, including the number of hours per
day spent on campus, the total duration of the program as in number of days may
vary for each student. Our 600 hour training exceeds the minimum 450 hour requirement of the state by offering
and extra 150 hours
of training. By extending our school days and expanding
content we are helping our students be more successful in practice after
graduation. We also
offer a basic 450 hour program for students who choose not to exceed the
standards. We also have a minimal program of 325 hour designed for
students who do not have to fulfill Wisconsin State licensure requirements. In general, the
600 hour program takes about 75 8-hour in-class days, or sixty 10-hour in class days.
According to State requirements, training can not take less than 11 weeks nor more
then 30 weeks to complete 450 clock hours.
Students may determine what days and times
will work for their schedule if they elect the e-Learning option. If you
would like to elect our weekend training program, you can
be on your way to a new career and not leave your day job! If you
have special needs contact us
via e-mail to see what could be arranged.
We
are committed to working hard to make quality electrology training accessible to
ALL students with an interest to train.
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How big are the
classes? I don't want to be lost in a crowd...
To preserve
the integrity of the educational program we limit the number of students per session.
Small class sizes help each student become a
superior electrologist, not just an acceptable one.
Because many of our
students have little to no background in electrology, and some have been
out of school for many years, we ensure that each student receives
the utmost amount of personal attention from our staff regardless of if
they choose the e-Learning program or the traditional program.
If you
would like a very individualized program with the most personal attention
delivered right to you and you prefer to
work at your own pace we suggest you select the e-learning option as the
traditional program, like all traditional classroom delivery programs, must progress on schedule
whether you are ready or not.
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Who
teaches the classes?
Our
program is also unusual in that all
classes are taught in very small groups (never more than 6) by highly qualified State Licensed Electrology
Instructors who all have undergone intensive specialist training in teaching
methods for adult students. Unlike other
programs that are designed and or taught by individuals without training in the
best methods to help adult students succeed, or are based on inherited or
purchased curriculum; our program stands out as comprehensive and
engaging--learning should be fun and relevant. We
can assure you there isn't any other electrology program like ours anywhere.
This program is specifically created this program to train electrologists that are business
savvy and technically superior while cutting out the busy work and wasted
time. 100% of
students trained by River Rock have passed their state board exams and the
national Certified Professional Electrologist (CPE) exam since 2005.
We believe that graduation from our program should mean
something. Not everyone is accepted and not everyone graduates from our program.
Those who have a passion for hair removal and electrolysis and put forth their
best efforts graduate from our program and succeed in practice.
We preserve the integrity and prestige of our training and our
graduates are recognized as having superior training. It is our
mission to provide graduates with the training and the tools they need to
succeed and feel that they should get what they paid for: EXCELLENT
training--not just an empty bank account, hours lost, and a business that
never takes off or closes quickly.
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If I'm accepted,
what supplies do I need for school?
Each student needs:
A great attitude and a sense of
humor. We will provide use of a
white long-sleeve lab coat but if you require a special fit or unusual size
contact us ahead of time or your are welcome to
bring your own. You will also need to wear comfortable professional
dress with closed toe shoes.
As we are concerned about your long term health
and proper healthy body mechanics, we do not use ergonomically devastating
magnifying lamps or reader glasses-type magnifiers. We want to be sure you can
work as long as you want to without injuring your body and visualizing as
comfortably and accurately as possible.
We do require the student to provide their own
Orascopes (surgical loupes for magnification).
We strongly encourage students to arrange to be fitted for their custom
scopes at least 5 weeks BEFORE classes begin so they can start from day one with
their opticals. With your 50%
student discount these will cost on average $900 (Orascoptic
offers several zero interest payment plans). As this is a tool you will need
to work on your own after graduation just like your own personal epilator is, we
do not provide these for students. As they are custom fitted to your face
measurements, you will visualize accurately only if you have your own pair
rather than trying to
borrow a pair. They feature a 45 day after receipt return policy so if you
decide they are not for you they can be returned.
If you are willing to
sign a waiver, you are welcome to attempt classes without Orascopes using other
cheapie visualization methods. It's not that you can't do electrolysis
without them, it's more that you won't want to once you have them!
Orascopes give you a huge
fixed working distance so you aren't smothering your client AND aren't harming your
body. Combine the aforementioned with no eye strain make for a very, very long career.
All
other supplies are provided by the school at NO additional charge including
ALL consumables, supplies, and books.
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I'm from out of
town, do you have any leads on housing for me?
We maintain a
list of private homes and apartments. It also lists local motels that students have
gotten discounted long-term room rates from. You might also want to
try bargain sites such as
www.priceline.com to see if deals are offered. Once you are on
target for your practical we will send housing leads to you.
While we cannot totally arrange for student
housing we sure do our absolute best to assist you so that you have a safe and
welcoming place to call your home-away-from-home.
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What are the
entrance requirements?
According to
Wisconsin State Regulations, applicants must have a high school diploma or
GED or must be at least 18 years of age and able to pass an ability to
benefit test. They must disclose if they have ever been convicted of
a crime.
RREI requires that students have a demonstratable interest
in the profession, initiative and a willingness to learn with basic
academic ability, and the manual dexterity and eyesight this meticulous
field requires.
Each state has its own requirements that may differ greatly from
Wisconsin's.
Does
your state require licensing to be an electrologist?
Click
here to find out.
We would add
that successful students are mature, self-motivating, have excellent
study skills and a SENSE OF HUMOR.
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I am from the local area, will you still
train me?
Of course! While we are always looking for superior employees, you must understand
that by agreeing to train you does not mean you are guaranteed a job with us.
When we hire someone they must have the personality fit for the Institute in
addition to having the best of the best of the best skill level.
We believe the world should be overpopulated with electrologists and
welcome friendly competition as it benefits everyone.
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The program sure
sounds exactly like what I'm looking for but how much does it cost?
The total cost for our 600 hour
program is $9,121 and includes all of your textbooks, supplies and student kit.
We do not charge any additional fees for
designing a custom program for out-of-state-students if they need 600 hours of
training or less. The application and enrollment package fee is $25. The total cost
for the 600 hour program is
$9,121.
We do offer discounts for groups or family members and
a referral program. Call for details.
We do still offer a 450 hour basic
program as well.
This program's total cost is $6,997. You
would qualify for Wisconsin State Electrologist Licensure Board exams if you successfully complete
this program. The shortest
program we offer is 325 hours. This program is designed for those
students from unlicensed states who need to prepare for the national
certification tests offered by the American Electrology Association (CPE
Examination) or the Society for Clinical and Medical Hair Removal (CCE
Exam). The total cost for 325 hours of
training is $4,550.
If you only require the
theory portion of training (for example to earn enough hours to apply
for board exams) the cost is $2,500.
If you
wish to do comprehensive preparation for one of the national written exams
such as the CPE exam, the cost for 150 hours of preparation is $1,500.
If you wish to do a quick 50 hour CPE
preparation/review the cost is $500. Contact us for
details on test preparation programs.
If you require additional hours to satisfy your state requirements we will
adjust the tuition accordingly.
We offer discounts for groups
of candidates or family members who plan to train together and
a referral program. Please contact us for details. You may download
an
Institute
application form here.
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We
utilize state-of-the-art epilators from Dectro capable of doing all
modalities of electrolysis and fully stocked treatment rooms.
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What
type of equipment do we train on?
We utilize a variety of equipment depending on the modality or type of
lessons we are studying. We employ state-of-the-art epilators
featuring the
Apilus Senior II capable of performing all three modalities--you won't find antique equipment here! We
utilize dry heat sterilizers and ultrasonic cleaners in addition to our
ergonomically advantageous treatment and operator chairs.
If
you have a particular epilator you know you will be working on after graduation,
you will bring it with you and we will customize your training utilizing your
machine ensuring you are ready to work effectively right after graduation.
Our graduates are knowledgeable and are able to skillfully work
with any machine after graduation including completely manual and computerized
machines. Think of this skill like driving a car, once you know how to
drive, you can operate any model of car you will just have to become familiar
with its particulars.
If you plan to use a
specific epilator we are happy to train you on it so you'll be ready to
start work as soon as possible after graduation. We will work with you to
ensure your training is relevant to your particular needs and situation. To see our equipment
specifications
click here.
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Austa Clark Memorial Grant Program
for former
or current public or private school teachers.
Hildegard Hodges Memorial Grant Program for nurses, doctors, dentists or
those employed in other allied health professions.
Ripple Effect
Professional Pool Renewal Grant for candidates who will be joining and
existing electrology practice.
The Institute Patriots Grant Program for those who have served in the
military or are dependents of those who serve our nation in the Armed
Forces.
Becky Wintrone Memorial Grant Program
designed to make training more affordable for working mothers.
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Do you offer any
types of financial aid?
Due to recent changes in Federal legislation,
Sallie Mae and most other sources no longer offer student loans for non-degree
programs such as career and technical training that does not lead to a 2 or 4
year degree.
However, you may want to check with
your local bank and credit unions to see what they have to offer.
Your bank or credit union may need the following information about
career and technical training such as ours; we are a Wisconsin state licensed
electrology school, we do not have Federal Department of Education
recognized accreditation (we do not offer 2 or 4 year degree programs) and
we operate on a clock hour basis to prepare students for professional
licensure.
We offer several grant programs
to assist with
tuition costs. See the column at left or visit our
course documents
page to download applications and read the requirements for our grants.
Grants never need to be repaid
as they are scholarship awards so your tuition is reduced accordingly.
Each grant has its own requirements please read the application forms for
more info.
Some of our graduates report that
they were able to secure special financing for a lump sum amount from their
credit card companies. We do accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover and you
can certainly charge your tuition. Contact their customer service
to inquire about special financing offers.
Also be sure to check MBNA for their loan
offerings:
http://www.mbna.com/loans/money_4college.html
they often have great rates.
Capital One
has several loan
offerings:
http://www.capitalone.com/personalloans/?linkid=WWW_1208_PERS_A1070BFBFCFB8DFBEE142DF0_HOME_H1_16_T_PL1
they often have great rates. We recommend you check with your local bank
and credit unions to see what options maybe available to you.
Wells Fargo also offers a personal loan
and a line of credit that might work for you:
https://www.wellsfargo.com/personal_credit/ for more information.
We recommend you check with your local bank
and credit unions to see what options maybe available to you. One of our
local credit unions is the Royal Credit
Union and they also offer a variety of funding options such as home
equity lines of credit and signature and personal loan options. You
can visit them at www.rcu.org for more
info.
 Discover
Financial services the backer of the Discover card is also offering a new
student loan program you may want to look into, click the Discover logo
for more information.
We offer the
Austa Clark Memorial Grant Program for former public or private school
teachers, and the
Hildegard Hodges Memorial Grant Program for former nurses or allied health
professionals. If you are a military service person or dependent you may
be eligible for the
the Institute Patriots Grant Program.
If you will be working for an existing electrology practice
after graduation or replacing an existing electrologist (for example if you are going to
take over your mother's electrology practice as she is retiring) we also offer
the
Ripple Effect
Professional Pool Renewal Grant.
Grants vary in amount. Awards are
determined on need, merit as judged by the essay requirement, and
availability in the scholarship fund. They never need to be repaid
as they are scholarship awards.
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What do I need to
do to get started?
Download
an
application form. Complete your
application and submit it no later than 4 weeks
before the start of the next class session for the traditional program
along with your application and enrollment
package fee ($25).
If you are interested in
e-Learning then submit your
application
at any time. If interested in the fully onsite program contact us to
determine availability. If accepted you will be notified and sent an enrollment agreement.
If you want to be considered for transfer credit, be sure to include
current copies of all transcripts and other documentation along with your
application.
Once accepted, complete the Student Contract and return it with your tuition deposit (1/2 of the tuition due) before the start of the next class session,
or before online training begins for the e-Learning program. When your
student contract and deposit is received, your position in class is
confirmed. The remainder of tuition is due the first day of class
onsite for the traditional program or online work for e-Learning. Click
here for an
Application for Admission
form you can print out at home then fill out and send in.
It is
in PDF form so you will need
Adobe
Acrobat Reader, a free program you can click here to download.
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When can I
begin!?
The
Class
Schedules
and general schedule information
for all onsite traditional programs and e-Learning can be
accessed here.
Please note that our e-Learning option is conducted with open
enrollment, that means you can start the theory at any time and all
practicals
are individually scheduled so the course schedule does not apply to your
application status. Click
here for an
Application for Admission
form
you can print out at home then fill out and send in.
It is
in PDF form so you will need Adobe
Acrobat Reader, a free program you can click here to download.
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This is our Wall of Fame featuring some of our
graduates and their businesses.
We
are equipped with notebook computers and DVD players for student use.
Our building has wireless internet connectivity--bring your laptop if you
have one!
Wondering if e-Learning is right for
you?
Consider taking one or more of the
self-assessments below to determine if you are ready for online
learning. The links below will take you offsite to the quizzes:
Quiz #1
A light-hearted, but valuable self test
Quiz #2
A
bit shorter, but useful too
We've found
that adults can read a chapter and complete homework at home in their
living room just as easily as in a classroom.
Remember
at RREI, you always have the option of joining a traditional class if
you find e-Learning doesn't fit your needs.
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I'm
skeptical about doing e-Learning I've heard online learning doesn't "work"
how is it possible to learn without sitting in a classroom?
By
2006, nearly 3.5 million students were participating in on-line
learning at institutions of higher education in the United States
according to the
Sloan Consortium. Many
higher education, for-profit institutions, now offer online
classes. Online education is rapidly increasing, and online
doctoral programs have even developed at leading research
universities says author Hebert, D. G. (2007) in his article “Five
Challenges and Solutions in Online Music Teacher Education".
For those of you who haven't taken any of the modern e-Learning
classes or aren't computer whizzes the idea of online learning can
be almost unimaginable. Many picture lonely days with a pen
and paper at the kitchen table like old fashioned correspondence
courses with no one around to help you. With modern
technology however, it is not like that at all. With a
little patience it is easy for a VERY novice computer user to be
comfortable quickly and actually have fun!
In
many ways, however, the two kinds of learning experiences aren't
so different. Remember we are only doing the theory part
online--that would be like the lectures and homework you would do
in a traditional class. All the experiential learning
like labs and hands-on portions you are going to do when you come
to campus. Just like you would at a brick-and-mortar
class, you have the ability to peruse a lesson and go over the
resources and review the a syllabus for a guide. You'll study
textbooks, write papers, take exams, and engage in lively debates
with other students, all guided by your live teacher. You'll network with
graduates and future colleagues. So how does distance
education differ from that of students enrolled in campus-based
classes?
Time
is money as the old adage goes, "And the more time you spend in a
classroom, the less time you'll have for working or spending time
with your family. It's much easier to fit online courses--which
usually let you schedule your own lessons--into your agenda...
Another plus to online training is that you can work at your
own pace. In a classroom, the pace is dictated by the trainer
and, to a lesser extent, the other students taking the course. If
you're already familiar with part of the training, you can spend
the time you'd normally spend in a classroom going over material
you already know on something more challenging."
Jul 1, 2005; DeRouen
According to US News and World Report 10/15/2001
edition, author Margaret Loftus, shows us that "there are individuals who
actually prefer to interact with teachers and fellow students online.
In a real (traditional) classroom, a few students may dominate the
discussions, and shy individuals don't stand a chance. By
contrast, both the pushy and shy can easily speak up online. And because
E-students tend to reflect more before participating, their viewpoints
often contain more logic and coherence than those expressed in
campus-based classrooms. Says Mahony, "People are extremely open; they're
not overprotective of themselves." Just like anywhere else on the Web,
says Syracuse's DeRossi, "the whole faceless thing helps people [reveal]
problems that they wouldn't tell their best friend."
With instant messaging, conference calls, and e-mail
you have access to your teacher virtually 24/7 not just during class.
You have the ability to master the material rather then just get through
it because you will work at your own pace. You will receive more
personal one-on-one attention because you won't get lost in a group,
your instructor spends time working just with you whenever you need it.
With really fun games and interesting interactive activities you won't
be bored and drift off during class. Our scheduling tools help
you stay on time and on target--a nice advantage for those who tend to
procrastinate!
E-learning allows our students to come to campus
much better prepared so they feel less stressed out. They don't
get thrown in to doing treatments and seeing clients before they even know
what the concepts are and get overwhelmed. This makes e-Learning
much less stressful then trying to be immersed in learning everything all
at once like many traditional programs do.
Testimonials
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What about this Multiple
Needle thing? Is it a modality I should know?
Multiple needle electrolysis
was developed by Henry Kree in 1916 as a way to help speed up the
galvanic electrolysis--the only method (also called modality) of
electro-epilation at that time; he wanted to speed it up because it took up to six minutes PER hair.
The probes (also called needles) hang from wires suspended from a rack
above the client. Thus if you were doing face work you would have 16
needles suspended over your face. It is definitely not a common
method nationwide but you'd still see it occasionally. You should
understand can get
GREAT results with any modality as long as you are a skilled operator.
Multiple Needle (MLN) is NOT a modality.
MLN is
an old-fashioned technique or machine for delivering a modality. It is generally
used for delivering the galvanic modality because most modern Blend
applications are 4-25 seconds so the multiple insertion time would be
rather wasted and not a time saver. Galvanic on the multiple needle
machines takes between 2-6+ minutes per hair of current delivery.
Thermolysis the third modality and is a much faster delivery, sometimes a
fraction of a second so it wouldn't make sense to deliver it with this
method. Much like a mini-van is a type of vehicle not the only way
to get the kids to school and if you can drive a Honda you'd get the hang
of a Ford pretty easily.
As all manufacturers have CEASED production of multiple needle
machines with the exception of one very small manufacturer; students are
obviously
extremely limited as to what modern multiple
needle (MLN) machines are available on the market and as such; we do not
typically train on the multiple needle technique of galvanic any longer
since they generally will not be using that older technology in actual
practice. We do utilize the more modern single needle galvanic techniques.
If you plan to use a particular
multiple needle capable machine
(or any other epilator) we are happy to train you on it so you'll be ready to
start work as soon as possible after graduation. We will work with you to
ensure your training is relevant to your particular needs and situation. To see our equipment
specifications
click here.
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I'm
not a computer whiz, how much do I need to know to do online learning?
This is an important question! For online theory
work you need access to a computer that has a windows operating system
(like XP, or Vista, etcetera--if you only have MAC access call the
Institute to see what compatibility issues you would face). You need
speakers or headphones so you can hear sound. You
also need a high speed internet connection such as DSL or cable internet
access. You will need Microsoft Word, the word processing program
from the Microsoft Office suite of program, it
comes preinstalled on many computers. If you don't have Word, we can
also work with you to utilize free programs such as OpenOffice.
The skills you would need are the ability to send
and receive e-mail and to open and save files to your computer. You
need to be able to follow written and oral directions carefully.
For all the rest we
have excellent tutorials to guide you in learning and can help you each
step of the way. We have had
students who were using their very first computer and were in their 50's
but with patience, a great sense of humor, and a willingness to learn they
did great in our e-Learning program. Remember we have live
instructors available to assist you if you have questions or need help.
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I'm
in my 50's+ and haven't been in school for years is it too late to start a
career in electrolysis?
Goodness
no! We have had successful students from 18 years old right out of
high school to people in their 60's after a full career and home life who
have wanted to try something new! The average electrologist comes to
the profession 35-45 years old with a strong history of work experience,
often in the business world, teaching, cosmetology, or allied health such
as nursing. Age is never an impediment to the desire to work hard
and learn something new.
Even if it has been forever since you were
in school you will find that in a few lessons you are right back in the swing
of things. Some would even say it is easier to do school now with all that life experience to assist you even more.
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I'm
a male, how come when I look online at all the sites I only see ladies in
the field--will you train me?
While the field today is dominated by females, many of the "experts" in
the field are men. Michael Bono, Fino Gior, Wisconsin's own Dr.
James Shuster, and Arthur Hinkel all helped to define the field as we know
it and are male.
There are definitely practicing male electrologists
so you would not be alone in the field it is rather like nursing and
dental hygiene, it just happens that many of the technicians are female.
We are happy to train male students and have done so successfully.
Your gender or gender identity is not an issue for us at the Institute.
We welcome all students.
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I'm
already a licensed nurse/dental hygienist/cosmetologists/massage
therapist, do I have to retake all the basics--has human anatomy really
changed in the last 10 years?
Unlike some programs, we have carefully calculated the actual hours and
crafted resulting time appropriate lessons for each of the required
subject areas. Instead of just covering a textbook and claiming to
do all studies simultaneously, we have broken each area into specific
lessons and activities.
Thus for each student we can evaluate their prior
training and match those items that apply to state requirements and offer
you transfer credit for them. This reduces your training hours as well as
your tuition for the program--we don't expect you to pay for hours you
aren't contracted for.
Courses must be a very close match to state
requirements, have adequate documentation of completion such as a
transcript and hourly breakdown of the training, and current verifiable
contact information for the training facility. We will still cover
the basic information for these areas so your knowledge is refreshed and
updated, but you would not be responsible for the ancillary materials and
lessons someone without prior training would be.
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What's with the owl at school?
 It
has been said that every school needs an owl.
 This
is our Athena. As one of our staff members is afraid of owls, we
started dressing her to make her more palatable and a tradition was born.
 The
owl is accepted as a universal symbol for wisdom and knowledge and as such
makes an excellent symbol and emblem for a center of learning. It must be
remembered that the owl was the symbol of Athena, who was not only the
goddess of wisdom, but was also the goddess of arts, science, and other
skills including warfare.
The owl has exceptional vision and sense of hearing. Also known as the
Night Eagle, it symbolizes wisdom and the ever important ability to
visualized amazingly well and focus clearly despite darkness. A
skill all electrologists aspire to.
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