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Researching Cooking Institutions
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 private or a public institution. Since there a large number of culinary arts schools in the El Dorado area and across the United States, you must create a checklist of important qualifiers so that you can begin narrowing down your choices. 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 least expensive is not the ideal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other criteria, such as accreditation and reputation that you need to evaluate as well. Therefore, following are some crucial areas that you need to investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your final decision.
Accreditation. It's very important that the culinary college you choose has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national organization. As aforementioned, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education certified agency, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a comprehensive review pertaining to their course of study, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive quality training, but it may also help in obtaining a student loan or financial assistance which are frequently not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools frequently have the advantage of having modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to garner an accreditation or to develop a reputation. Conversely, more established schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a long track record of success and received one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has operated, the more graduates the school can reach out to for its job placement program. Certainly there is some give and take dependent on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more highly regarded schools usually update their equipment and facilities. The important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, find out what the graduation rates are for the cooking institutes you are evaluating. Low graduation rates are signs that many students were unhappy with either the colleges or the training and dropped out. They may also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools provide their job placement rates as well. If a school has a high job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a great or excellent reputation within the culinary arts community, in addition to a large network of professional connections. Be suspicious of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The culinary school that you attend must be within commuting distance of your El Dorado residence, unless you are willing to relocate. You may look into attending college online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. Conversely, perhaps you have decided to attend a specific culinary arts college located in a different state because of its ranking and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to visit the campus before enrolling, to make sure that you are satisfied with the location and your future living conditions. Tour the training facilities personally to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Keep in mind also that many schools concentrate their job assistance programs within their regional communities, so pick a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The best way to learn how to cook is with plenty of one-on-one training. If the cooking program you enroll in has bigger classes, you will most likely get limited individual attention from the teachers. The ideal manner in which to assess the communication and interaction 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 level of attention they get in class as well as the overall training. Also, speak with a couple of the instructors and find out what their teaching styles are as well as their histories and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a cooking institute if you will not be able to attend the classes. So make sure that the school you choose has available class scheduling that can accommodate your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near El Dorado AR due to your work schedule, make sure that the school you decide on offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend part-time, verify that the culinary arts institute has a part-time option. Also, ask what the make-up protocol is if you need to miss a class because of family, work or other obligations.
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