How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Sassamansville PA

How to Choose an Esthetics College near Sassamansville Pennsylvania

Sassamansville PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Sassamansville PA, the process begins to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It’s important that the school you pick not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more concerning that in the next section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Sassamansville residence. Tuition will likewise 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 automatically the right option. There are several other factors that you should evaluate 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 within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are available.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Sassamansville PA Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can be almost anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you undergo some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Sassamansville PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a clientele, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and work in a wide range of specialties 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 a few states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees and Certificates

Sassamansville PA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two options offered to obtain esthetician 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 normally 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 trained in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you want to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Sassamansville PA business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you go with, it’s essential to make sure that it’s recognized by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming section.

Online Esthetician Schools

woman attending esthetician school online in Sassamansville PA Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Sassamansville PA students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced because many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Classes

Sassamansville PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a list of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Sassamansville home, together with the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly 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 reduced 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 school. Below we have collected several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 19472 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Sassamansville PA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Sassamansville PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And finally, consult 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 Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you enroll in a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to open a Sassamansville PA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct 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 require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s important that she or he gets support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Sassamansville PA businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an option before you determine what financial assistance may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Sassamansville PA?

Perhaps you live in the Sassamansville 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.

Douglass Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 15.4 square miles (40 km2), all of it land. It is drained by the Schuylkill River via the Perkiomen Creek. Its villages include Congo, Englesville (also in Berks County,) Gilbertsville, Niantic, and Sassamansville (also in New Hanover Township.)

As of the 2010 census, the township was 96.0% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.1% Asian, and 1.2% were two or more races. 1.8% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[4]

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 9,104 people, 3,211 households, and 2,552 families residing in the township. The population density was 593.4 people per square mile (229.1/km2). There were 3,292 housing units at an average density of 214.6/sq mi (82.9/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 97.77% White, 0.77% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.47% of the population.

Select the Right Esthetics Vocational School near Sassamansville PA

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Sassamansville PA.