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Contrasting Culinary Programs
At this point you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you plan to earn, and whether or not you want to enroll in a public or private college. Since there a large number of cooking programs in the Montgomery area and within the Country, you need to create a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can start narrowing your choices. Certain obvious qualifiers, including cost and location are an excellent place to begin. But picking a school because it is the nearest or the least expensive is not the best way to decide on your education. There are other criteria, including reputation and accreditation that you should review also. Therefore, following are some key areas that you will need to research for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your final decision.
Accreditation. It's important that the culinary institute you decide on has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national agency. As previously stated, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged organization, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a detailed review relating to their curriculum, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive exceptional training, but it may also help in securing a student loan or financial aid which are generally not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools generally have the advantage of having modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been open long enough to garner an accreditation or to establish a reputation. Conversely, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a lengthy track record of success and acquired one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in business, the more graduates the school can reach out to for its job placement program. Obviously there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more renowned schools usually update their facilities and equipment. The valuable lesson is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an exceptional reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary institutions you are reviewing. Low graduation rates are indicators that numerous students were unhappy with either the institutes or the programs and quit before graduating. They can also suggest that the teachers were not competent to teach the course of study. Request that the schools furnish their job placement rates also. If a college has a high job placement rate, it will help validate that it has a good or exceptional reputation within the cooking field, in addition to a broad network of professional connections. Be skeptical of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The cooking institute that you choose should be within commuting distance of your Montgomery home, unless you have decided to relocate. You may look into attending college online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. On the other hand, perhaps you have opted to enroll in a specific culinary institute located in another state because of its ranking and programs offered. It would be a good idea to check out the campus before enrolling, to make certain that you are satisfied with the location and your future living conditions. Look over the training facilities in person to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that a number of schools concentrate their job assistance programs within their local communities, so choose a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal approach to learn how to cook is with a lot of one-on-one instruction. If the cooking program you enroll in has larger classes, you will probably receive minimal personal attention from the teachers. The ideal way to evaluate the communication and interaction between faculty and students is to audit several of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are happy with the amount of attention they receive in class as well as the overall training. Also, speak with a couple of the instructors and find out what their teaching styles are along with their backgrounds and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a culinary arts school if you will be unable to attend the classes. So make sure that the school you decide on provides class scheduling that can accommodate your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Montgomery AL because of your job schedule, verify that the school you choose offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the culinary arts college has a part-time offering. Also, find out what the make-up protocol is if you must miss a class because of family, work or other obligations.
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