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Evaluating Culinary Arts Programs
At this point you should have decided on the type of degree that you plan to earn, and if you want to enroll in a public or private school. Since there a large number of cooking institutions in the Rio Rancho area and within the Country, you will want to create a checklist of important qualifiers so that you can begin narrowing down your choices. Certain obvious qualifications, for example location and cost are an excellent place to start. But deciding on a school because it is the nearest or the most affordable is not the optimal way to decide on your education. There are other factors, such as accreditation and reputation that you should evaluate as well. So below are some key areas that you need to research for every school as you compare them and make your ultimate decision.
Accreditation. It's essential that the culinary institute you pick has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national authority. As previously mentioned, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education certified agency, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a comprehensive review regarding their curriculum, instructors and facilities. So not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive exceptional training, but it can also help in obtaining a student loan or financial aid which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools often have the advantage of having modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been open long enough to garner 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 On the other hand, more established schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a long track record of success and acquired one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has operated, the more graduates the school can solicit for its job placement program. Naturally there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more highly regarded schools commonly modernize their equipment and facilities. The valuable lesson is that in the best case scenario, your selected 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 programs you are examining. Low graduation rates are red flags that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the schools or the programs and dropped out. They may also indicate that the teachers were not competent to teach the course of study. Request that the schools furnish their job placement rates as well. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help affirm that it has a good or exceptional reputation within the culinary community, as well as a wide network of professional associations. Watch out for any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The culinary institute that you choose must be within driving distance of your Rio Rancho residence, unless you can move. You may look into attending classes online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, maybe you have decided to enroll in a particular culinary arts institute located in another state due to its ranking and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to check out the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are comfortable with the location and your future living conditions. Look over the training facilities personally to make certain they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that some schools concentrate their job placement programs within their regional communities, so select a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The best approach to learn how to cook is with lots of personalized instruction. If the culinary program you enroll in has bigger classes, you will undoubtedly get minimal individual attention from the teachers. The optimal manner in which to evaluate the interaction between faculty and students is to audit some of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are satisfied with the amount of attention they receive in class in addition to the entire course of training. Also, talk with several of the instructors and find out what their teaching approaches are together with their experiences and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a culinary 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 fit in with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near Rio Rancho NM because of your job schedule, confirm that the school you pick offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, check that the culinary institute has a part-time alternative. Also, ask what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class because of family, work or other responsibilities.
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