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Evaluating Culinary Arts Colleges
By now you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you wish to earn, and whether or not you want to enroll in a private or a public institution. Since there are numerous cooking colleges in the Ocean area and within the Country, you must develop a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can begin limiting your options. Some obvious qualifications, for instance cost and location are an excellent place to begin. But selecting a school because it is the nearest or the cheapest is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other criteria, including accreditation and reputation that you must evaluate as well. Therefore, following are some key areas that you will need to investigate for every school as you compare them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the culinary college you pick has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national agency. As previously stated, 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 assessment pertaining to their curriculum, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help ensure that you will receive exceptional training, but it can also assist in obtaining a student loan or financial assistance which are generally not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools often have the advantage of possessing modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to acquire an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. Conversely, older schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a long history of excellence and acquired one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in business, 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 reputable schools usually modernize their equipment and facilities. The significant takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an excellent 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 cooking colleges you are looking at. Low graduation rates are indications that numerous students were unhappy with either the institutes or the courses and quit before graduating. They may also signify that the teachers were not competent to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools provide their job placement rates as well. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a good or excellent reputation within the cooking community, in addition to a broad network of professional associations. Be suspicious of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The cooking school that you choose must be within commuting distance of your Ocean residence, unless you are able to move. You may think about attending college online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. Alternatively, perhaps you have opted to attend a specific culinary arts college located in a different state because of its prominence and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to check out the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the location and your future living conditions. Tour the training facilities in person to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Remember also that many schools target their job placement programs within their local communities, so choose a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The most effective way to learn how to cook is with plenty of personalized instruction. If the culinary arts college you enroll in has large classes, you will most likely receive limited personal attention from the teachers. The ideal way to assess the communication and interaction between instructors and students is to sit in on a few of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are happy with the level of attention they receive in class as well as the entire course of training. Also, speak with a few of the instructors and determine what their teaching approaches are along with their experiences and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a culinary arts college if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore 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 Saturdays or Sundays near Ocean NJ because of your job schedule, make sure that the school you choose offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the culinary institute has a part-time alternative. Also, find out what the make-up protocol is if you must miss a class because of family, work or other responsibilities.
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