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Evaluating Culinary Schools
At this point 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 private or a public institution. Since there a large number of culinary arts colleges in the Madison area and across the United States, you need to develop a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can begin limiting your options. Certain obvious qualifiers, including location and cost are a good place to begin. But choosing a school because it is the nearest or the cheapest is not the best way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other factors, such as reputation and accreditation that you should evaluate also. Therefore, following are some crucial areas that you will need to research for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate selection.
Accreditation. It's important that the culinary college you choose has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national organization. As previously mentioned, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education certified authority, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a detailed review relating to their curriculum, instructors and facilities. So not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive exceptional training, but it can also assist in acquiring a student loan or financial assistance which are frequently not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools frequently have the benefit 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. On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a sustained track record of excellence and received 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 culinary arts schools. And older, more highly regarded schools typically modernize their facilities and equipment. The valuable takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your school of choice will have an exceptional reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First off, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts institutions you are assessing. Lower graduation rates are indications that a number of students were unhappy with either the schools or the programs and dropped out. They may also signify that the instructors were not qualified to teach the course of study. Request that the schools supply their job placement rates as well. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a good or outstanding reputation within the culinary field, in addition to a broad network of professional relationships. Watch out for any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The cooking college that you enroll in should be within driving distance of your Madison home, unless you have decided to relocate. You may think about attending college online, but you would still have to travel for your externship training. Conversely, maybe you have chosen to enroll in a specific culinary school located in another state due to its prominence and courses offered. It would be a wise decision to visit the campus before enrolling, to make certain that you are comfortable with the area and your future living conditions. Look over the training facilities in person to make certain they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that a number of schools concentrate their job assistance programs within their regional communities, so choose a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal way to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized instruction. If the culinary college you enroll in has larger classes, you will undoubtedly receive little personal attention from the instructors. The best way 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. Ascertain if they are satisfied with the amount of attention they get in class in addition to the overall training. Also, speak with some of the teachers and find out what their teaching approaches are along with their backgrounds and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a cooking institute if you will not be able to attend the classes. So make certain that the school you select has available class scheduling that will accommodate your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Madison NJ because of your work schedule, confirm that the school you choose offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the cooking program has a part-time option. Also, find out what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class due to family, work or other commitments.
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