How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Levittown PA

How to Find the Right Esthetics School near Levittown Pennsylvania

Levittown PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Levittown PA, the process starts to locate and enroll in the best program. It’s essential that the program you pick not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll speak a little bit further about that in the upcoming segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Levittown home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the ideal option. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about 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 offered.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Levittown PA Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you go through some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Levittown PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a customer base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and are employed in a wide range of specializations including:

Estheticians
Hairdressers
Hairstylists
Beauticians
Barbers
Manicurists
Nail Technicians
Makeup Artists
Hair Coloring Specialists
Electrolysis Technicians

As previously stated, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Levittown PA esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two options available to obtain esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically take 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 instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you wish to focus on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Levittown PA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you decide on, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s certified by the Pennsylvania 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 discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the following segment.

Online Esthetician Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Levittown PA Online esthetician classes are convenient for Levittown PA students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced given that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s important that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Courses

Levittown PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Levittown home, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the esthetician training program you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 19054 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Levittown PA 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? Every esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Levittown PA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. Finally, consult the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand 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 respected for that program. If your dream is to start a Levittown PA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s imperative that she or he receives help in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with Levittown PA employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify 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. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of 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 expense, do not eliminate it as an option until you determine what financial aid may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Levittown PA?

Perhaps you live in the Levittown Pennsylvania area, or have found a school that you will commute to or even relocate to attend. Either way, following is some interesting background information about the location of your new esthetician program.

Levittown, Pennsylvania

Levittown is a census-designated place (CDP) and planned community in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The population was 52,983 at the 2010 census.[2] It is 40 feet (12 m) above sea level. Though not a municipality, it is sometimes recognized as the largest suburb of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania[3] (while Upper Darby Township, Lower Merion Township, Bensalem Township, Abington Township and Bristol Township are municipalities larger in size in the three surrounding Pennsylvania counties). Starting with land purchased in 1951, it was planned and built by Levitt & Sons. The brothers Bill Levitt and architect Alfred Levitt designed its six typical houses.

The majority of the land on which it is built was purchased in 1951. Levitt and Sons only built six models of houses in Levittown, all single-family dwellings with lawns: the Levittowner, the Rancher, the Jubilee, the Pennsylvanian, the Colonial and the Country Clubber, with only modest exterior variations within each model. The homes were moderately priced and required only a low down payment. Construction of Levittown began in February 1952, soon after completion of Levittown, New York, located on Long Island. Levittown, Pennsylvania was the second "Levittown" built by William J. Levitt, who is often credited as the creator of the modern American suburb. To speed up construction, Levitt & Sons perfected a 26-step rationalized building method that was essentially an assembly line type of home building. The house remained stationary, while the construction workers moved from house to house. Each worker had one task such as pouring slabs, framing, installing electric sockets or installing washing machines. This highly regimented process enabled Levitt's workers to produce a finished house every 16 minutes. Construction of the homes commenced in 1952 and when completed in 1958, 17,311 homes were built.

What set Levittown apart from other developments at the time was that it was built as a complete community. Levitt & Sons designed neighborhoods with traffic-calming curvilinear roads, in which there were no four-way intersections. Each neighborhood had within its boundaries a site donated by Levitt & Sons for a public elementary school. Locations for churches and other public facilities were set aside on main thoroughfares such as the Levittown Parkway, likewise donated by the builder to religious groups and other organizations. Other amenities included Olympic-sized public pools, parks, "greenbelts", baseball fields and playgrounds, and a shopping center located in neighboring Tullytown borough that was considered large and modern at the time of its construction (and in fact was the largest east of the Mississippi). The first set of four sample homes were put on display in a swatch of land near the future Levittown Shop-a-Rama, and an estimated 30,000 people viewed them in that first weekend.[4]

Find the Right Esthetics Program near Levittown PA

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is essential to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Levittown PA.