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Evaluating Culinary Colleges
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you plan to attain, and whether or not you want to enroll in a public or private institute. Since there are numerous cooking institutions in the West Memphis area and within the Country, you need to develop a checklist of important qualifiers so that you can start narrowing down your options. Some obvious qualifiers, for example cost and location are a good place to begin. But choosing a school because it is the nearest or the most affordable is not the ideal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other considerations, for instance reputation and accreditation that you need to assess as well. So following are some crucial areas that you will need to investigate for each school as you compare them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the culinary institute you select has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national agency. As mentioned previously, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged agency, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough review regarding their course of study, teachers and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive exceptional training, but it may also assist in obtaining a student loan or financial assistance which are often not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools often have the advantage of having modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to garner an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. Conversely, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a long track record of success and acquired one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has operated, the more alumni the school can reach out to for its job placement program. Naturally there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more renowned schools usually update their facilities and equipment. The valuable lesson is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an exceptional 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 culinary programs you are looking at. Lower graduation rates are indications that many students were dissatisfied with either the schools or the programs and quit before graduating. They can also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to teach the course of study. Request that the schools provide their job placement rates as well. If a school has a high job placement rate, it will help affirm that it has a good or outstanding reputation within the culinary arts field, in addition to a broad network of professional relationships. Be suspicious of any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The cooking college that you enroll in must be within commuting distance of your West Memphis home, unless you are able to move. You may think about attending classes online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. Conversely, maybe you have chosen to attend a particular culinary arts college located in a different state due to its ranking and courses offered. It would be a wise decision to check out the campus 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. Consider also that a number of schools focus their job placement programs within their local communities, so choose a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The best approach to learn how to cook is with lots of one-on-one instruction. If the cooking college you enroll in has larger classes, you will probably get little individual attention from the instructors. The best means to assess the interaction between teachers and students is to attend several of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are pleased with the level of attention they get in class as well as the overall training. Also, speak with some of the instructors and determine what their teaching styles are together with their histories and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a cooking school if you will not be able to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you choose offers class scheduling that will work with your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on weekends near West Memphis AR because of your job schedule, make certain that the school you decide on offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the culinary college has a part-time option. Also, check to see what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class due to family, work or other obligations.
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