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Evaluating Cooking Colleges
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you want to attain, and whether or not you would like to enroll in a private or a public school. Since there are numerous cooking schools in the Clovis area and within the USA, you must develop a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can start narrowing down your options. Certain obvious qualifications, for instance cost and location are a good place to start. But selecting a school because it is the nearest or the cheapest is not the best way to decide on your education. There are other criteria, for example reputation and accreditation that you should evaluate also. So following are some critical areas that you should research for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's essential that the culinary arts program you select has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national organization. As previously mentioned, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized authority, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a comprehensive evaluation relating to their course of study, instructors and facilities. So not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive excellent training, but it can also help in acquiring a student loan or financial assistance which are often not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools often have the advantage of having modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been open long enough to acquire an accreditation or to develop a reputation. On the other hand, more established schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a long track record of excellence and earned one or more accreditations.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 based on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more renowned schools usually modernize their facilities and equipment. The significant takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First off, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary schools you are assessing. Lower graduation rates are red flags that many students were dissatisfied with either the institutes or the programs and quit before graduating. They can also signify that the instructors were not qualified to teach the curriculum. Ask the schools to furnish their job placement rates also. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help validate that it has a great or outstanding reputation within the culinary field, as well as a wide network of professional relationships. Be suspicious of any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The culinary institute that you enroll in should be within driving distance of your Clovis residence, unless you have decided to move. You may consider attending classes online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. On the other hand, maybe you have opted to attend a particular culinary arts school located in a different state because of its reputation and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to check out the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the area and your prospective living conditions. Inspect the training facilities in person to make certain they are modern and that the equipment is contemporary. Keep in mind also that a number of schools target their job placement programs within their regional communities, so choose a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal approach to learn how to cook is with lots of personalized instruction. If the cooking college you enroll in has bigger classes, you will undoubtedly receive little individual attention from the instructors. The ideal manner in which to assess the interaction and communication between faculty and students is to audit 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, speak with several of the teachers and learn what their teaching approaches are along with their experiences and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a culinary arts college if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore confirm that the school you pick offers class scheduling that can accommodate your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on weekends near Clovis NM due to your job schedule, make sure that the school you choose offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the culinary arts college has a part-time option. Also, find out what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class because of family, work or other commitments.
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