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Evaluating Culinary Institutions
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you plan to earn, and if you want to enroll in a private or a public school. Since there are numerous culinary colleges in the Rutherford area and within the United States, you will want to develop a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can start limiting your options. Certain obvious qualifiers, for example location and cost are a good place to begin. But selecting a school because it is the closest or the least expensive is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other criteria, such as reputation and accreditation that you must evaluate as well. Therefore, below are some critical areas that you must investigate for each school as you compare them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's very important that the culinary school you pick has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national agency. As previously stated, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education certified authority, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a comprehensive review regarding their course of study, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help establish that you will receive excellent training, but it may also assist in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools frequently have the benefit of having modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to earn an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. On the other hand, more established schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a lengthy track record of success and earned one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has operated, the more graduates the school can solicit for its job assistance program. Certainly there is some give and take dependent on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more reputable schools usually modernize their facilities and equipment. The important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts schools you are examining. Low graduation rates are indications that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the institutes or the courses and quit before graduating. They can also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools provide their job placement rates as well. If a college has a high job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a good or excellent reputation within the culinary community, in addition to a large network of professional associations. Watch out for any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary arts institute that you enroll in should be within driving distance of your Rutherford residence, unless you have decided to move. You may think about attending college online, but you would still have to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, perhaps you have opted to go to a particular culinary arts school located in a different state due to its reputation and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to check out the campus before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the area and your future living conditions. Inspect the training facilities in person to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Keep in mind also that a number of schools focus their job assistance programs within their local communities, so select a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal way to learn how to cook is with plenty of personalized instruction. If the culinary program you enroll in has large classes, you will most likely receive limited personal attention from the teachers. The best means to evaluate the communication and interaction between instructors and students is to audit several of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are satisfied with the amount of attention they get in class as well as the overall training. Also, speak with a couple of the instructors and determine what their teaching approaches are together with their histories and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a culinary arts program if you will not be able to attend the classes. So make sure that the school you choose has available class scheduling that can work with your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Rutherford NJ due to your work schedule, check that the school you decide on offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the culinary program has a part-time alternative. Also, check to see what the make-up protocol is if you have to miss a class as a result of work, family or other responsibilities.
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