How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Sayre PA

How to Choose an Esthetics School near Sayre Pennsylvania

Sayre 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 Sayre PA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It’s important that the program you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a little bit more regarding that in the following segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Sayre home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the ideal choice. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are offered.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Sayre PA Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you undergo some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Sayre PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a clientele, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional names and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:

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

As already stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Sayre PA esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two options offered to obtain 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 typically call for 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Sayre 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 opt for, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.

Online Esthetician Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Sayre PA Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Sayre PA students who are working full time and have family responsibilities 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 via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are often fast paced since many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s important that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Courses

Sayre PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Sayre home, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the esthetician school 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 18840 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Sayre PA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Sayre PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total 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, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you enroll in a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to open a Sayre PA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes 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 program offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So look for other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s crucial that she or he gets support in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with Sayre PA employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Talk to 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 available to students also. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an option before you learn what financial help may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Sayre PA?

Perhaps you live in the Sayre 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.

Sayre, Pennsylvania

Sayre is the largest borough in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Elmira, New York. In the past, various iron products were made there. In 1900, 5,243 people lived there; in 1910, 6,426 people lived there, and in 1940, 7,569 persons made their homes in Sayre. The population was 5,587 at the 2010 census.[3]

Sayre is part of the Penn-York Valley ("The Valley"), a group of four contiguous communities in New York and Pennsylvania: Waverly, New York; South Waverly, Pennsylvania; Sayre; Athens, Pennsylvania, and smaller surrounding communities with a combined population near 35,000. Sayre is the principal city of the Sayre, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area.

In May 1870, a Waverly banker named Howard Elmer, along with Charles Anthony and James Fritcher, bought the Pine Plains area between Waverly and Athens. Elmer convinced Asa Packer to locate a new railroad repair facility on the Pine Plains for the expanding Lehigh Valley Railroad, which was making a push north to connect to the Erie Railroad at Waverly. Robert Heysham Sayre, president of the Pennsylvania and New York Railroad, helped cement the deal. The town was named in his honor. Sayre was incorporated on January 27, 1891.

Find the Right Esthetics Program near Sayre PA

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Sayre PA.