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Comparing Culinary Arts Programs
By now you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you plan to attain, and if you want to enroll in a private or a public school. Since there a large number of cooking colleges in the Sahuarita area and within the Country, you must create a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can begin narrowing your options. Certain obvious qualifications, for example cost and location are an excellent place to begin. But picking a school because it is the nearest or the cheapest is not the best way to decide on your education. There are other considerations, for instance 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 them and make your final decision.
Accreditation. It's important that the culinary school you select has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national organization. As previously stated, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized agency, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough assessment relating to their curriculum, teachers and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive excellent training, but it can also assist in acquiring a student loan or financial aid which are generally not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools often have the benefit of having modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to acquire an accreditation or to develop a reputation. Conversely, older schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a long track record of excellence and earned one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has operated, the more graduates the school can solicit for its job placement program. Naturally there is some give and take dependent on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more reputable schools typically modernize their equipment and facilities. The valuable lesson is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an excellent 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 cooking institutes you are looking at. Lower graduation rates are signs that many students were unhappy with either the schools or the training and quit before graduating. They can also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to teach the course of study. Request that the schools supply their job placement rates also. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a good or outstanding reputation within the cooking community, in addition to a broad network of professional contacts. Be suspicious of any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The culinary arts college that you enroll in should be within driving distance of your Sahuarita home, unless you are willing to move. You may think about attending college online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. Conversely, maybe you have opted to attend a particular culinary arts school located in a different state due to its prominence and courses offered. It would be a wise decision to check out the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are satisfied with the area and your potential living conditions. Look over the training facilities in person to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Remember also that a number of schools focus their job assistance programs within their local communities, so choose a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal way to learn how to cook is with a lot of one-on-one instruction. If the culinary arts program you enroll in has larger classes, you will most likely receive minimal personal attention from the teachers. The best means to assess the interaction and communication between teachers and students is to audit several of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are pleased with the amount of attention they receive in class in addition to the overall training. Also, talk with several of the teachers and learn what their teaching philosophies are together with their backgrounds and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a culinary school if you will be unable to attend the classes. So make sure that the school you choose provides class scheduling that can fit in with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Sahuarita AZ because of your job schedule, confirm that the school you select offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the culinary program has a part-time option. Also, find out what the make-up protocol is if you have to miss a class as a result of family, work or other responsibilities.
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