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Contrasting Culinary Programs
By now you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you plan to attain, and if you would like to enroll in a public or private institution. Since there are numerous cooking colleges in the Juneau area and within the USA, you will want to create a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can start limiting your choices. Some obvious qualifiers, for instance cost and location are a good place to start. But choosing a school because it is the closest or the least expensive is not the ideal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other criteria, including reputation and accreditation that you must review as well. Therefore, following are some crucial areas that you need to investigate for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your final decision.
Accreditation. It's very important that the cooking school you decide on has some form of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As aforementioned, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged agency, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough evaluation regarding their curriculum, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help establish that you will receive quality training, but it can also help in obtaining a student loan or financial aid which are generally not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools often have the benefit of possessing modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to garner an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. Conversely, more established schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a sustained history of success and received one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in business, the more graduates the school can reach out to for its job assistance program. Certainly there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more renowned schools typically modernize their equipment and facilities. The important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an exceptional reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts institutes you are evaluating. Low graduation rates are indications that numerous students were unhappy with either the institutes or the training and dropped out. They can also indicate that the instructors were not competent to teach the course of study. Request that the schools provide their job placement rates also. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a great or excellent reputation within the culinary field, as well as a large network of professional connections. Be suspicious of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The cooking college that you choose must be within driving distance of your Juneau home, unless you are able to relocate. You may consider attending classes online, but you would still have to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, perhaps you have opted to enroll in a particular culinary arts school located in a different state due to its reputation and programs offered. It would be a good idea to check out the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the location and your prospective living conditions. Inspect the training facilities in person to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Remember also that some schools focus their job assistance programs within their regional communities, so choose a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The most effective method to learn how to cook is with lots of personalized training. If the cooking institute you enroll in has larger classes, you will undoubtedly get limited personal attention from the instructors. The optimal means to assess the interaction and communication between instructors and students is to attend a few of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are happy with the amount of attention they get in class as well as the overall training. Also, talk with some of the teachers and find out what their teaching approaches are together with their backgrounds and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a cooking college if you will not be able to attend the classes. So make sure that the school you select has available class scheduling that will accommodate your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on Saturdays or Sundays near Juneau AK due to your work schedule, confirm that the school you choose offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, check that the cooking college has a part-time offering. Also, check to see what the make-up policy is if you have to miss a class because of family, work or other responsibilities.
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