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Researching Culinary Schools
By now you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you want to earn, and whether or not you want to enroll in a private or a public institute. Since there are numerous culinary arts programs in the East Florence area and across the USA, you need to create a checklist of important qualifiers so that you can start narrowing down your choices. A few obvious qualifications, for example location and cost are a good place to begin. But selecting a school because it is the nearest or the least expensive is not the best way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other considerations, for example accreditation and reputation that you need to assess as well. Therefore, below are some critical areas that you need to research for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate selection.
Accreditation. It's essential that the cooking college you decide on has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national authority. As previously mentioned, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized authority, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a comprehensive review regarding their course of study, teachers and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive exceptional training, but it may also help in acquiring a student loan or financial assistance which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools frequently have the advantage of possessing modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been operating long enough to earn an accreditation or to develop a reputation. On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a sustained track record of success and received one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in business, the more alumni the school can solicit for its job assistance program. Certainly there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more renowned schools usually modernize their equipment and facilities. The important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First off, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary institutes you are looking at. Low graduation rates are red flags that numerous students were dissatisfied with either the institutes or the courses and dropped out. They can also signify that the instructors were not qualified to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to provide their job placement rates as well. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a good or exceptional reputation within the cooking field, as well as a broad network of professional relationships. Be wary of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The cooking institute that you choose must be within commuting distance of your East Florence home, unless you are able to relocate. You may consider attending college online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. Conversely, maybe you have chosen to attend a particular culinary school located in a different state due to its ranking and courses offered. It would be a good idea to check out the campus before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the area and your potential living conditions. Inspect the training facilities in person to make certain they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Consider also that some schools concentrate their job assistance programs within their regional communities, so select a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal method to learn how to cook is with plenty of personalized training. If the cooking school you enroll in has large classes, you will most likely receive little individual attention from the teachers. The optimal manner in which to evaluate the interaction between teachers and students is to attend a few of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are pleased with the amount of attention they receive in class in addition to the entire course of training. Also, speak with a couple of the instructors and learn what their teaching philosophies are as well as their backgrounds and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a cooking institute if you will not be able to attend the classes. So make certain that the school you pick has available class scheduling that can fit in with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on weekends near East Florence AL because of your work schedule, check that the school you pick offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, verify that the cooking institute has a part-time option. Also, find out what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class as a result of family, work or other responsibilities.
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