How to Choose the Best Aesthetician School Near State College Pennsylvania

Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near State College PA, the task starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's imperative that the program you pick not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your State College home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not always the ideal choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what types of training programs are offered.

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Esthetician Training Requirements

Esthetics school is an investment of time, energy, and money. Requirements vary from state to state, but the majority of states require that you complete at least 600 hours of training. Full-time school can take an average of six months to complete, and part-time school can take anywhere from 9-12 months. The primary purpose of esthetics school is to get you ready to pass the state licensing exam. They also teach basic skills that you will need to perfect through experience and sometimes additional classes, such as giving facials, body treatments, and performing waxing.  More advanced training includes learning to work with machines, such as IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and Lasers used to rejuvenate the skin and permanently remove hair.

Esthetician Job Description

Estheticians provide a wide range of beauty services to help their State College Pennsylvania clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:

• Assessing a patient’s needs
• Chemical peels
• Laser treatments
• Waxing
• Facials
• Massage of the head and neck
• Microdermabrasion

Online Esthetics Programs

Online esthetician classes are accommodating for State College PA students who are employed full-time and have family commitments 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 desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not devoting many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Below is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your State College home, together with the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician 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 comply with their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of State College PA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Every esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with State College PA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. Finally, consult the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since 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 desire is to start a State College PA 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 weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty academy provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that she or he gets help in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with State College PA employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and learn 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 as well. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an alternative until you determine what financial help may be offered.

Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in State College

Enroll in the Right State College Esthetician Program

Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is essential to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to consolidate all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in State College Pennsylvania.

 

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