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Comparing Cooking Institutes
By now you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you want to attain, and if you would like to enroll in a public or private school. Since there are numerous culinary arts institutions in the Derry area and across the United States, you need to create a checklist of important qualifiers so that you can begin limiting your options. Some obvious qualifiers, such as location and cost are a good place to begin. But deciding on a school because it is the closest or the least expensive is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other factors, including reputation and accreditation that you should evaluate also. So following are some key areas that you should investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's important that the culinary arts program you decide on has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As aforementioned, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education certified organization, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a detailed review relating to their course of study, teachers and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help establish that you will receive excellent training, but it may also assist in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are often not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools frequently 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 develop a reputation. Conversely, more established schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a sustained history of excellence and earned one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in business, the more alumni the school can reach out to for its job placement program. Certainly there is some give and take based on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more highly regarded schools commonly update their equipment and facilities. The important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your school of choice will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary programs you are assessing. Low graduation rates are indicators that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the institutes or the training and dropped out. They might also signify that the teachers were not competent to teach the course of study. Request that the schools furnish their job placement rates as well. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a great or excellent reputation within the cooking community, as well as a wide network of professional connections. Watch out for any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The cooking college that you attend must be within driving distance of your Derry residence, unless you have decided to move. You may look into attending classes online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. Conversely, maybe you have opted to go to a particular culinary arts college located in a different state due to its reputation and courses offered. It would be a wise decision to visit the campus before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the area and your potential living conditions. Look over the training facilities personally to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Consider also that many schools target their job placement programs within their local communities, so pick a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The most effective way to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized instruction. If the culinary institute you enroll in has bigger classes, you will probably get little individual attention from the instructors. The best way to evaluate the communication and interaction between teachers and students is to audit some of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are satisfied with the level of attention they get in class as well as the entire course of training. Also, speak with a few of the teachers and determine what their teaching approaches are along with their backgrounds and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a cooking school if you will not be able to attend the classes. So make certain that the school you select has available class scheduling that can accommodate your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near Derry NH because of your job schedule, make certain that the school you choose offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend part-time, check that the culinary arts institute 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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