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Evaluating Culinary Arts Institutes
At this point you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you want to earn, and if you want to enroll in a private or a public school. Since there are numerous culinary programs in the Plainfield area and across the Country, you will want to create a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can begin narrowing down your choices. Certain obvious qualifiers, for example location and cost are an excellent place to start. But selecting a school because it is the closest or the most affordable is not the best way to decide on your education. There are other criteria, for instance reputation and accreditation that you should evaluate also. Therefore, below are some key areas that you should investigate for each school as you compare them and make your ultimate choice.
Accreditation. It's essential that the cooking college you choose has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national authority. As aforementioned, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education certified organization, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a thorough assessment regarding their curriculum, teachers and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive excellent training, but it can also assist in obtaining a student loan or financial assistance which are frequently not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools often have the benefit of having modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been operating long enough to acquire an accreditation or to develop a reputation. Conversely, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a sustained track record of success and acquired one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in operation, the more alumni 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 highly regarded schools usually modernize their equipment and facilities. The valuable lesson is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary programs you are evaluating. Lower graduation rates are indicators that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the institutes or the courses and dropped out. They might also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools supply their job placement rates also. If a school has a high job placement rate, it will help validate that it has a great or outstanding reputation within the culinary arts community, as well as a wide network of professional associations. Be skeptical of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The culinary institute that you enroll in must be within commuting distance of your Plainfield residence, unless you are able to move. You may consider attending college online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. Conversely, maybe you have opted to go to a specific culinary arts college located in another state due to its ranking and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to check out the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are satisfied with the area and your potential living conditions. Tour the training facilities personally to make certain they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Consider also that a number of schools concentrate their job placement programs within their regional communities, so pick a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal method to learn how to cook is with a lot of one-on-one training. If the culinary arts program you enroll in has large classes, you will undoubtedly get minimal personal attention from the instructors. The best way to assess the interaction and communication between faculty and students is to attend several of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are happy with the level of attention they get in class as well as the entire course of training. Also, talk with a couple of the teachers and determine what their teaching philosophies are together with their experiences and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a culinary institute if you will be unable to attend the classes. So confirm that the school you choose has available class scheduling that will accommodate your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Plainfield NJ due to your work schedule, check that the school you select offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, verify that the culinary arts program has a part-time alternative. Also, ask what the make-up protocol is if you must miss a class as a result of family, work or other commitments.
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