How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Garrison NY

How to Pick an Esthetician College near Garrison New York

Garrison NY esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Garrison NY, the task begins to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It’s essential that the program you select not only furnishes the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin 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 relate to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a bit further about that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Garrison residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when reviewing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not always the right choice. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are offered.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Garrison NY Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Garrison NY beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a client base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s residence, 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 previously mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees

Garrison NY esthetician client with face mask There are basically two pathways offered to get esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally call for 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree usually 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 want to focus on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Garrison NY business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you go with, it’s important to make certain that it’s approved by the New York Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the next section.

Online Esthetician Schools

woman attending esthetician school online in Garrison NY Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Garrison NY students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it’s vital 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 complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Programs

Garrison NY models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Garrison residence, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue 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 even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make sure 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 measure up to their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 10524 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Garrison NY businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Garrison NY salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the New York school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of 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 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 goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to open a Garrison NY beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. So search for alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s crucial that she or he gets assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Garrison NY employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out 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 regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Garrison NY?

Perhaps you live in the Garrison New York 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.

Garrison, New York

Garrison is a hamlet in Putnam County, New York, United States. It is part of the town of Philipstown, on the east side of the Hudson River, across from the United States Military Academy at West Point. The Garrison Metro-North Railroad station serves the town. Garrison (a.k.a. Garrison's Landing) was named after 2nd Lieutenant Isaac Garrison who held a property lot on the Hudson River across from West Point and conducted a ferry service across the Hudson River between the two hamlets. Isaac and his son Beverly Garrison fought in the Battle of Fort Montgomery in 1777, were captured by the British and later set free.

For the 1969 film Hello, Dolly! starring Barbra Streisand, Garrison was the filming location for the Yonkers scenes. The Saint Basil Academy in the town served as the finish line of The Amazing Race 10 in 2006.

Garrison is home to many non-profit and cultural organizations. Manitoga is the extensive woodland gardens estate of modernist designer Russel Wright, and the location of his National Register of Historic Places listed modern style house Dragon Rock. It is operated by the non-profit Russel Wright Design Center, with tours and hiking trails. The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, founded in 1987 with its first performances at Manitoga, is now located at Boscobel, a Federal-style mansion (built 1804–1808) for the Morris States Dyckman family. Constitution Marsh is an Audubon sanctuary with walking trails and canoe tours on the Hudson River. The Hudson Highlands Land Trust promotes and assists in local conservation efforts.

Pick the Right Esthetician Vocational School near Garrison NY

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require 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 utilize that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. 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 ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Garrison NY.