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Researching Culinary Arts Institutions
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 public or private school. Since there a large number of culinary arts institutions in the Princeton area and within the USA, you must create a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can begin limiting your choices. A few obvious qualifications, such as cost and location are a good place to begin. But choosing 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 reputation and accreditation that you must assess also. So following are some key areas that you must investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the culinary arts college you choose has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national organization. As previously mentioned, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized organization, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a thorough review pertaining to their course of study, instructors and facilities. So not only does accreditation help establish that you will receive exceptional training, but it may also help in securing a student loan or financial aid which are frequently not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools often have the benefit of having modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been open long enough to acquire an accreditation or to establish a reputation. Conversely, older schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a long history of success and obtained one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in operation, the more graduates the school can reach out to for its job placement program. Naturally there is some give and take dependent on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more renowned schools typically update their facilities and equipment. The important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your school of choice will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts schools you are reviewing. Low graduation rates are indications that numerous students were unhappy with either the institutes or the courses and quit before graduating. They can also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to provide their job placement rates as well. If a college has a high job placement rate, it will help validate that it has a good or excellent reputation within the culinary arts community, as well as a large network of professional relationships. Be skeptical of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary school that you choose should be within driving distance of your Princeton home, unless you are willing to move. You may look into attending school online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, maybe you have opted to enroll in a specific culinary arts school located in another state because of its prominence and courses offered. It would be a good idea to visit the campus before enrolling, to make certain that you are comfortable with the location and your potential living conditions. Tour the training facilities personally to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Remember also that many schools target their job assistance programs within their regional communities, so pick a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The most effective approach to learn how to cook is with lots of one-on-one instruction. If the culinary arts school you enroll in has large classes, you will most likely receive little personal attention from the teachers. The ideal manner in which to evaluate the interaction between teachers and students is to sit in on several of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are satisfied with the level of attention they receive in class in addition to the overall training. Also, speak with some of the teachers and determine what their teaching styles are as well as their histories and credentials.
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 provides class scheduling that will accommodate your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on weekends near Princeton NJ because of your work schedule, confirm that the school you select offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the culinary institute has a part-time option. Also, check to see what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class because of work, family or other commitments.
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