10 Questions to Ask Before Enrolling in an Esthetician School

Shopping around for the right esthetics school?

Maybe returning to school for a career change has been a dream of yours for some time now. Maybe your job seems to be going nowhere.

Perhaps you want the education you need to develop a good career— one with opportunities that can grow in the years ahead.

Now you’re considering enrolling in an esthetician school. You want to learn the spa and salon industry skills. You also want the business training certification you need to open your own business.

Define Your School Priority List

Before you begin comparing schools, you should consider your priorities for an esthetician school.

Write a list of your priorities.

• Does your school need to be near public transportation?
• How close do you want it to be to your home or job?
• What programs do you want it to offer? What are your requirements? What are your “wish list” courses?
• Are there enough instructors on staff to assure you will receive individual attention?
• Is there a small pupil to teacher ratio?
• What do you expect in the way of faculty training and the school’s technology and equipment?
• Do you need a variety of class scheduling options to accommodate your work schedule or are you flexible?

These are not the questions you are going to ask the schools-not yet.

You’re asking yourself these questions to make a list of what is most important to you. They’ll help you prepare to tour the schools, both online and in person.

Tour the Schools Online and in Person

Many of your answers lie on each schools’ website. Read through the sites and answer as many of the questions as you can, with your priority list in hand to check off and write notes on.

When you tour the campus, be sure to ask questions like:

1. Is this school accredited, and if so, by whom?
2. Are the owners onsite and involved in the day-to-day operations?
3. What skills and techniques are taught in each program you offer?
4. What are the qualifications and experience levels of your instructors?
5. What is your absentee or leave of absence policy after classes start?
6. What financing options and payments are accepted? And what financial aid is available?
7. What are your school’s graduation and job placement rates?
8. Do you offer test preparation materials to help your students study for the state licensing exam?
9. Do you offer job placement services and assistance to your graduates when they complete their studies?
10. What career opportunities (besides salon work) will I have with my new training?

When all your questions have been answered, review all your notes.

Read over your list of priorities. See how many of these you can accommodate with one local school.

Make an educated choice of the best program to give you the training you need. You also need it at a cost you can handle, with a schedule that works for you.