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Evaluating Culinary Arts Colleges
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you wish to earn, and if you would like to enroll in a private or a public institution. Since there are numerous culinary institutions in the East Brunswick area and across the United States, you need to develop a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can begin limiting your options. A few obvious qualifiers, such as location and cost are a good place to begin. But choosing a school because it is the closest or the most affordable is not the ideal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other factors, such as reputation and accreditation that you must review as well. So below are some key areas that you will need to research for each school as you compare them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's very important that the culinary arts college you pick has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national agency. As mentioned previously, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education certified organization, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough 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 often not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools frequently have the advantage of possessing modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been open long enough to acquire an accreditation or to develop a reputation. Conversely, more established schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a lengthy history 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. Certainly there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more renowned schools usually modernize their equipment and facilities. The important lesson is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary institutes you are evaluating. Lower graduation rates are red flags that numerous students were unhappy with either the colleges or the courses and quit before graduating. They may also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to supply their job placement rates as well. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a great or exceptional reputation within the culinary arts community, as well as a wide network of professional associations. Be suspicious of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The culinary arts college that you attend should be within commuting distance of your East Brunswick home, unless you are willing to move. You may look into attending classes online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. Alternatively, maybe you have opted to attend a particular culinary college located in a different state due to its ranking and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to visit the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the area and your future living conditions. Look over the training facilities personally to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Consider also that some schools target their job placement programs within their local communities, so select a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The most effective approach to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized instruction. If the culinary program you enroll in has larger classes, you will probably receive little personal attention from the instructors. The optimal means to evaluate the interaction and communication between teachers and students is to audit some of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are pleased with the amount of attention they get in class in addition to the overall training. Also, speak with a few of the teachers and learn what their teaching approaches are together with their backgrounds and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a culinary school if you will not be able to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you select offers class scheduling that can work with your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on Saturdays or Sundays near East Brunswick NJ due to your job schedule, verify that the school you select offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the cooking program has a part-time offering. Also, ask what the make-up protocol is if you have to miss a class because of work, family or other obligations.
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