How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Prospect Park PA

How to Enroll In an Esthetician College near Prospect Park Pennsylvania

Prospect Park PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Prospect Park PA, the process begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It’s important that the program you select not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further about that in the upcoming segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Prospect Park home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when reviewing 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 a number of other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning 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.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Prospect Park PA Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So naturally 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 actually a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you take some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Prospect Park PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional names and work in a wide variety of specializations including:

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

As already mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees

Prospect Park PA esthetician client with face mask There are basically two avenues 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 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 instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you want to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Prospect Park PA business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you go with, it’s important to make sure that it’s certified by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next section.

Online Esthetician Schools

woman attending esthetician school online in Prospect Park PA Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Prospect Park PA students who are working full time and have family responsibilities 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 attended via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced since many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s imperative that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Classes

Prospect Park PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Prospect Park home, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn 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 even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the esthetician college you choose 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 19076 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Prospect Park PA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Prospect Park PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, 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. Finally, check with the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to start a Prospect Park PA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So search for alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s crucial that he or she gets aid in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Prospect Park PA employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded 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. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option until you determine what financial aid may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Prospect Park PA?

Perhaps you live in the Prospect Park 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.

Prospect Park, Pennsylvania

Prospect Park is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,454 at the 2010 census,[3] down from 6,594 at the 2000 census. It originated as a bedroom community of Philadelphia. It is located within 10 miles (16 km) of Center City, Philadelphia, with convenient rail access (SEPTA, and connection to Amtrak).

In 1874, John Cochran of Chester purchased 103 acres from Joshua Pierson with the intention of dividing the property into lots and selling them.[4] These properties formed the current community of Prospect Park.

Prospect Hill Baptist Church in Prospect Park claims a prominent role in instituting the phrase "In God We Trust" on United States coins and currency. A former pastor, Mark R. Watkinson, felt that the Civil War was going to leave the country with a bad name, "brother fighting brother in a civil war", and wrote a letter to Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury, suggesting "God, Liberty, Law," be put on the coins. Chase referred the matter to James B. Longacre, Mint Engraver. A committee later settled on "In God We Trust", and the words first appeared on a 2-cent coin. A plaque on the outside of the church announces the birthplace of the phrase.

Select the Right Esthetics School near Prospect Park PA

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician program is essential to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Prospect Park PA.