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Comparing Culinary Arts Institutions
At this point you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you want to attain, and whether or not you would like to enroll in a public or private institution. Since there are numerous cooking institutions in the Carlsbad area and within the United States, you must develop a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can begin narrowing down your choices. Some obvious qualifications, such as location and cost are an excellent place to begin. But picking a school because it is the closest or the cheapest is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other factors, including accreditation and reputation that you should assess also. So following are some critical areas that you should investigate for every school as you compare them and make your final choice.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the culinary arts program you decide on has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national organization. As aforementioned, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized agency, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a detailed review regarding their course of study, teachers and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive exceptional training, but it can also assist in securing a student loan or financial aid which are generally not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools frequently have the advantage 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, dated equipment, but have established a long history of success and obtained one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in business, the more alumni the school can solicit for its job placement program. Certainly there is some give and take dependent on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more highly regarded schools commonly modernize their equipment and facilities. The important lesson is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an exceptional reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts colleges you are reviewing. Low graduation rates are indicators that numerous students were dissatisfied with either the colleges or the programs and quit before graduating. They may also suggest that the instructors were not competent to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools furnish their job placement rates as well. If a school 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 connections. Be suspicious of any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The cooking institute that you enroll in should be within driving distance of your Carlsbad home, unless you are able to move. You may look into attending college online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. On the other hand, 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 good idea to pay a visit to the campus before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the area and your potential living conditions. Inspect the training facilities in person to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Remember also that many schools target their job placement programs within their local communities, so select a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The best way to learn how to cook is with lots of one-on-one training. If the culinary arts school you enroll in has large classes, you will undoubtedly receive minimal personal attention from the instructors. The optimal means to evaluate the communication and interaction between teachers and students is to attend a few of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are pleased with the amount of attention they get in class in addition to the overall training. Also, talk with a few of the instructors and determine what their teaching philosophies are as well as their experiences and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a culinary college if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore make certain that the school you pick provides class scheduling that will fit in with your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on Saturdays or Sundays near Carlsbad NM due to your job schedule, check that the school you decide on offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the culinary college has a part-time offering. Also, ask what the make-up protocol is if you must miss a class due to work, family or other responsibilities.
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