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Researching Cooking Institutions
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you want to attain, and whether or not you want to enroll in a public or private college. Since there are numerous cooking institutions in the Egg Harbor area and across the United States, you need to develop a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can begin narrowing down your options. A few obvious qualifications, for example cost and location are a good place to begin. But choosing a school because it is the closest or the most affordable is not the optimal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other criteria, for example accreditation and reputation that you must evaluate as well. Therefore, below are some key areas that you will need to investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your final decision.
Accreditation. It's essential that the culinary institute you select has some form of accreditation from either a local or a national organization. As mentioned previously, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged agency, 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 ensure that you will receive exceptional training, but it may also assist in obtaining a student loan or financial aid which are generally not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools generally have the benefit of having modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been open long enough to garner an accreditation or to establish a reputation. On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a lengthy history of excellence and received one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in business, the more graduates the school can reach out to for its job assistance program. Certainly there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more renowned schools commonly 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 modern facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary colleges you are examining. Low graduation rates are red flags that many students were unhappy with either the colleges or the programs and dropped out. They might also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to teach the course of study. Request that the schools supply their job placement rates also. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a good or outstanding reputation within the cooking field, as well as a large network of professional connections. Watch out for any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The cooking school that you choose must be within commuting distance of your Egg Harbor home, unless you can relocate. You may consider attending college online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, perhaps you have decided to enroll in a particular culinary arts institute located in a different state because of its prominence and programs offered. It would be a good idea to pay a visit to the campus before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the location and your prospective living conditions. Tour the training facilities personally to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Remember also that many schools target their job placement programs within their regional communities, so choose a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The most effective way to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized instruction. If the cooking school you enroll in has bigger classes, you will most likely get limited personal attention from the teachers. The optimal means to assess the interaction and communication between teachers and students is to attend a few of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are happy with the amount of attention they receive in class as well as the overall training. Also, talk with some of the instructors and learn what their teaching philosophies are together with their histories and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a culinary arts college if you will be unable to attend the classes. So make sure that the school you choose offers class scheduling that will accommodate your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Egg Harbor NJ due to your job schedule, confirm that the school you decide on offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the culinary arts school has a part-time offering. Also, find out what the make-up protocol is if you must miss a class due to family, work or other obligations.
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