At my school, International Skin Beauty Academy, I often talk with prospective students about our school and what they are looking for in an esthetics school. Like many I have talked with, the decision on what esthetics school I should attend was not easy. I live in the Chicagoland area and, lucky for us, there are quite a few schools to choose from including: ISBA, Universal Spa Training Academy, University of Aesthetics, G Skin & Beauty, Tricoci University, Pivot Point, and Cosmetology Spa Academy to name a few.
1) A Day Time Course between the hrs of 9-3 with Ability to Pick My Kids up from School.
2) Good Amount of Clinical / Practical Time.
3) High State Board Passing Rate
I figured I'd research each school and then visit and get a good feel for the school. Easy peezy. It wasn't. There is so much more to it. For me, I wanted to make sure I made the right decision because I knew I would be in school for at least 6 months if not longer. In Illinois you need to have a minimum of 6 months in school and 750 hours to finish. When it came to researching the schools, I had not a clue other than the basics of what to compare. Luckily, I made the right decision choosing ISBA, but I look back and realize I should have asked a lot more questions when comparing programs. What's that saying, "Hindsight is 20/20? So, Here is My Hindsight when Choosing an Esthetics School. I have included questions I would ask when deciding and comparing esthetic schools.
1. Esthetics School Dynamics & Culture
I think how a school conducts classes is an important part of the school research often over-looked. Each school is very different in how they conduct classes. When enrolling in an esthetics program you want to find out how the school operates and runs on a daily basis. For example, you want to find out the teacher to student ratio for both theory and for practical hands-on clinic days. The more students per teacher, the less attention you are given. You also want to find out about advancement in the program and also the opposite, if you are struggling, what do they do to help you? You want to know this all ahead of time so there are no surprises and that your needs are met either way. Here are some questions to ask before signing on the dotted line:
- What is your student to teacher ratio for hands-on practical days?
- How do you track a student's progress
for theory class?
- How do you track a student's progress
for Practical class?
- How do you advance in practical hands
on class at your school? Do you test, get evaluated? If so, how
often? With this question, you just want to make sure you don't fall
through the cracks.
- Do you regularly test / evaluate
students practical/hands-on skills? If so, when?
- What if I am falling behind and not
learning a facial as quickly as other students? What happens?
- Does your school take clients?
- Do students get to work on clients at
your school? If so, when does that happen?
2. State Board Passing Rate
This is important. Some school's have a high passing rate of 90% or higher and others are much lower. You need to pass the state board to work so you need a school with excellent teacher instruction that is able to help you understand the material.
This is important. Some school's have a high passing rate of 90% or higher and others are much lower. You need to pass the state board to work so you need a school with excellent teacher instruction that is able to help you understand the material.
Questions to ask:
- What is your school's average state
board exam score?
- How do you prepare students to pass
the state board?
- What is an average week like in
regards to theory (Is there homework due each week, Is there a test each week
on Mondays, etc.)
- How else do you learn the material?
3. Class Times and Days
There are both full-time and part-time esthetics programs depending on the school. You want to make sure you pick the best one for you and that you are able to get there in time for class. At my school, if you are 1 minute late, you do not get your hours for the day. If you are not a morning person and tend to sleep in, don't choose a day program as attendance is mandatory. You can't just miss days. If you miss, you miss part of the 750 hr program. Also, many schools charge a student a hefty fee for each unexcused absence in a month.
Questions to ask:
- What is your illness policy?
- What if I miss 1 or more days in a
month?
- Are there unexcused absence fees?
- Can I make-up a class I missed? (For
example, absent Monday day, make up Tuesday night)
4. Enrollment Policies
There are two different enrollment
policies depending on the school - open enrollment and set date
enrollment. Open enrollment means new people are starting all the time
and there are varying levels of students in the classroom and practical class at
all times. Open enrollment can get tricky in both theory class and in
clinic/practical class because of the big difference in knowledge and
skills. If a school has open enrollment, it is not a deal breaker but you
should be prepared to ask them how they handle open enrollment in both the
classroom and practical. For example, do they have more than one
instructor leading the classes? Set enrollment is when a group of student all
start together at the same time.
- What is the school's enrollment
policy?
- Do they have open enrollment or do
they have set course start dates when all new student start together?
5. Tuition & Expenses
There can be big cost differences between schools but sometimes the numbers are not apples to apples. Make sure when comparing the costs of schools that you factor in ALL costs to go there. For example school A may be slightly more tuition but includes a student product kit at no cost while school B charges you and extra $1,500.00 for a product kit. My school had a higher tuition but had product included which then made it much lower than some other schools. Also, if you are paying in full, ask for a discount! Almost all schools will reduce the cost based on paying in full. Just make sure you know all the financial obligations for each school before comparing.
6. Do what is Right for
You.
Listen to Yourself. If some place does not feel comfortable, don't go there. If a school feels right and they meet your needs, you just may be on your way to being an esthetician!
Listen to Yourself. If some place does not feel comfortable, don't go there. If a school feels right and they meet your needs, you just may be on your way to being an esthetician!
Finally, one other additional thing to keep in mind when starting an esthetics program:
Learning is a Two Way Street
Be ready to put your self out there at esthetics school. Be ready to go outside your comfort zone, to try new things on a daily basis. It is hard to do this. Prepare yourself. Don't hide from the experience. You are there to learn, to be the best you can be and that means practice. Avoid always being the "client" for the other students. Choose to lead! Put yourself out there and challenge yourself. If you feel you are behind, step up to the plate. Attend extra classes, stay after class to learn. Ultimately succeeding is in your hands.
Be ready to put your self out there at esthetics school. Be ready to go outside your comfort zone, to try new things on a daily basis. It is hard to do this. Prepare yourself. Don't hide from the experience. You are there to learn, to be the best you can be and that means practice. Avoid always being the "client" for the other students. Choose to lead! Put yourself out there and challenge yourself. If you feel you are behind, step up to the plate. Attend extra classes, stay after class to learn. Ultimately succeeding is in your hands.
All the best!
Karen
