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Evaluating Cooking Programs

At this point 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 public or private college. Since there a large number of cooking colleges in the San Tan Valley area and within the United States, you must develop a checklist of important qualifications so that you can begin limiting your options. Some obvious qualifications, for example cost and location are a good place to begin. But picking a school because it is the closest or the cheapest is not the ideal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other criteria, for instance accreditation and reputation that you must assess as well. Therefore, following are some crucial areas that you must research for each school as you compare them and make your final selection.

Accreditation.  It's imperative that the culinary arts school you decide on has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national organization. As aforementioned, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized authority, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a detailed review pertaining to their course of study, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help establish that you will receive quality training, but it may also help in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are often not available 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 establish a reputation. On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a sustained history of success and earned one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has operated, the more graduates the school can solicit for its job assistance program. Certainly there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more highly regarded schools commonly modernize their equipment and facilities. The important lesson is that in the best case scenario, your school of choice will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with modern equipment.

Job Placement Rates.  Initially, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary colleges you are looking at. Lower graduation rates are indicators that many students were unhappy with either the institutes or the courses and quit before graduating. They might also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools provide their job placement rates as well. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a great or outstanding reputation within the culinary arts field, in addition to a wide network of professional relationships. Be suspicious of any school that will not provide this information.

Location.  The cooking institute that you attend must be within driving distance of your San Tan Valley residence, unless you have decided to relocate. You may look into attending college online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. Alternatively, maybe you have decided to enroll in a specific culinary college located in a different state because of its reputation and programs offered. It would be a good idea to pay a visit to the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are satisfied with the area and your prospective living conditions. Tour the training facilities in person to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Remember also that some schools target their job placement programs within their regional communities, so choose a location where you will be happy working.

Class Sizes.  The ideal way to learn how to cook is with lots of personalized instruction. If the culinary arts college you enroll in has larger classes, you will probably receive minimal personal attention from the teachers. The optimal way to assess the interaction and communication between teachers and students is to audit several of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are happy with the level of attention they get in class in addition to the entire course of training. Also, talk with some of the instructors and find out what their teaching philosophies are along with their backgrounds and credentials.

Flexible Class Schedules.  There is no sense in enrolling in a cooking college if you will be unable to attend the classes. So confirm that the school you select provides class scheduling that will work with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near San Tan Valley AZ because of your job schedule, make sure that the school you decide on offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the culinary arts school has a part-time alternative. Also, find out what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class due to family, work or other commitments.

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