How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Newville PA

How to Select an Esthetician School near Newville Pennsylvania

Newville PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Newville PA, the process starts to locate and enroll in the right program. It’s essential that the school you choose not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be a little bit unclear 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 further concerning that in the upcoming segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Newville home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the right choice. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in 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 Newville PA Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really 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 go through some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Newville PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional names and work in a wide variety of specializations 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 a few states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees and Certificates

Newville PA esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two options offered to get esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally take 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you prefer to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Newville 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. Whichever type of program you choose, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s recognized by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, including 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 Classes

woman attending esthetician school online in Newville PA Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Newville PA students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended through a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced since many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not spending many hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the training program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Programs

Newville PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Newville home, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the esthetician college you choose 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 17241 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Newville PA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Newville PA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And finally, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your ambition 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 vision is to launch a Newville PA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s crucial that he or she receives aid in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Newville PA businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Almost all esthetician schools offer 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 learn 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 accessible to students too. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an alternative before you determine what financial help may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Newville PA?

Perhaps you live in the Newville 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.

Newville, Pennsylvania

Newville is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States, west of Carlisle. The population was 1,326 at the 2010 census.[3] It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Newville is located in west-central Cumberland County at 40°10′11″N 77°24′7″W / 40.16972°N 77.40194°W / 40.16972; -77.40194 (40.169614, −77.402029),[4] on the west side of Big Spring Creek, a tributary of Conodoguinet Creek and part of the Susquehanna River watershed. The borough is bordered on the north and west by North Newton Township and on the south and east by West Pennsboro Township.

Pennsylvania Route 641 passes through the borough as Main Street, leading west 9 miles (14 km) to Newburg and east 11 miles (18 km) to Carlisle, the county seat. Pennsylvania Route 233 (High Street) crosses PA 641 at the center of town and leads north 16 miles (26 km) to Landisburg and southeast 5 miles (8 km) to Interstate 81 near Dickinson. Pennsylvania Route 533 leads southwest from Newville 11 miles (18 km) to Shippensburg.

Pick the Right Esthetician Vocational School near Newville PA

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to collect all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Newville PA.