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What to Ask Aesthetician Schools
Following is a series of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Port Chester home, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional 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 determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Port Chester NY 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 Great Reputation? Each esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Port Chester NY salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the New York school licensing authority to see 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, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since 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 vision is to launch a Port Chester NY beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that she or he gets support in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Port Chester NY businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at 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 affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you learn what financial assistance may be available.