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Evaluating Culinary Institutes
At this point you should have decided on the type of degree that you wish to earn, and whether or not you would like to enroll in a private or a public college. Since there a large number of cooking schools in the Albuquerque area and across the Country, you need to create a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can start limiting your options. Some obvious qualifiers, such as cost and location are a good place to start. But deciding on a school because it is the closest or the most affordable is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other criteria, such as reputation and accreditation that you should review also. Therefore, following are some critical areas that you must investigate for each school as you compare them and make your ultimate choice.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the culinary arts program you pick has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As mentioned previously, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized organization, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a thorough assessment regarding their course of study, instructors and facilities. So not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive excellent training, but it may also assist in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are generally not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools generally have the advantage of having modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been open long enough to garner an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. Conversely, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a sustained history of success and obtained one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in business, the more alumni the school can solicit for its job assistance program. Certainly there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more reputable schools usually update their facilities and equipment. The significant lesson is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, find out what the graduation rates are for the cooking institutions you are looking at. Low graduation rates are indications that numerous students were unhappy with either the colleges or the programs and dropped out. They might also signify that the teachers were not competent to teach the curriculum. Ask the schools to supply their job placement rates as well. If a college has a high job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a great or exceptional reputation within the cooking field, as well as a broad network of professional associations. Watch out for any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The culinary college that you enroll in must be within driving distance of your Albuquerque home, unless you are willing to move. You may consider attending classes online, but you would still have to travel for your externship training. Conversely, maybe you have decided to go to a specific culinary arts institute located in a different state because of its ranking and courses offered. It would be a wise decision to visit the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are satisfied with the area and your potential living conditions. Inspect the training facilities in person to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that some schools focus their job placement programs within their regional communities, so pick a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The ideal way to learn how to cook is with plenty of one-on-one training. If the culinary arts college you enroll in has large classes, you will undoubtedly receive minimal personal attention from the teachers. The best manner in which to evaluate the communication and interaction between teachers and students is to sit in on some of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are pleased with the level of attention they get in class in addition to the overall training. Also, talk with some of the teachers and learn what their teaching styles are along with their backgrounds and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a cooking college if you will be unable to attend the classes. So make sure that the school you select has available class scheduling that will accommodate your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near Albuquerque NM due to your work schedule, make certain that the school you pick offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend part-time, check that the culinary arts institute has a part-time offering. Also, find out what the make-up protocol is if you need to miss a class due to family, work or other responsibilities.
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