How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools College Park MD

How to Enroll In an Esthetics School near College Park Maryland

College Park MD esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near College Park MD, the task begins to find and enroll in the ideal program. It’s essential that the school you choose not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be a little bit confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit more about that in the next section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your College Park home. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when evaluating possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not always the ideal option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners College Park MD Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you go through some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only College Park MD beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many names and work in a wide variety of specialties including:

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

As earlier stated, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees

College Park MD esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two avenues offered to receive 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 require 12 to 18 months to finish, 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. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other College Park MD business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you go with, it’s essential to make sure that it’s approved by the Maryland Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the following segment.

Online Esthetician Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in College Park MD Online esthetician programs are advantageous for College Park MD students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools 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 internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the training program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Training Classes

College Park MD models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your College Park residence, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the esthetician college you pick 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 comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 20740 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many College Park MD businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent 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 demanded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with College Park MD salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. Finally, consult the Maryland 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 Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific 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 respected for that program. If your vision is to start a College Park MD beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided 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 real people. If a beauty academy furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s crucial that she or he gets help in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with College Park MD employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near College Park MD?

Perhaps you live in the College Park Maryland 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.

College Park, Maryland

The City of College Park is in Prince George's County, Maryland[5] and is about 4 miles (6.4 km) from the northeast border of Washington, D.C. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 United States Census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the National Archives at College Park, a facility of the U.S. National Archives, as well as to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Center for Weather and Climate Prediction (NCWCP).[6]

College Park was developed beginning in 1889 near the Maryland Agricultural College (later the University of Maryland) and the College Station stop of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The suburb was incorporated in 1945 and included the subdivisions of College Park, Lakeland, Berwyn, Oak Spring, Branchville, Daniel's Park, and Hollywood.

The original College Park subdivision was first plotted in 1872 by Eugene Campbell. The area remained undeveloped and was re-platted in 1889 by John O. Johnson and Samuel Curriden, Washington real estate developers. The original 125-acre (0.51 km2) tract was divided into a grid-street pattern with long, narrow building lots, with a standard lot size of 50 feet (15 m) by 200 feet (61 m). College Park developed rapidly, catering to those who were seeking to escape the crowded Washington, D.C., as well as to a rapidly expanding staff of college faculty and employees.

Pick the Right Esthetics Program near College Park MD

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is essential to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in College Park MD.