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Researching Cooking Colleges
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you want to earn, and if you would like to enroll in a public or private institution. Since there a large number of culinary arts programs in the Astoria area and across the Country, you need to create a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can start narrowing your options. Certain obvious qualifiers, such as cost and location are an excellent place to start. But selecting a school because it is the closest or the least expensive is not the best way to decide on your education. There are other variables, for example accreditation and reputation that you need to evaluate also. So following are some crucial areas that you will need to research for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate selection.
Accreditation. It's important that the culinary arts institute you pick has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national authority. As previously stated, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized agency, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough assessment regarding their curriculum, instructors and facilities. So not only does accreditation help ensure that you will receive quality training, but it may also assist in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are frequently not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools generally have the benefit of possessing modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been open long enough to garner an accreditation or to develop a reputation. Conversely, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a lengthy history of success and earned one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in operation, 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 highly regarded schools usually update their equipment and facilities. The significant takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an exceptional 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 institutes you are assessing. Low graduation rates are indications that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the institutes or the courses and dropped out. They may also signify that the instructors were not qualified to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to supply their job placement rates also. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help affirm that it has a great or excellent reputation within the culinary community, in addition to a large network of professional contacts. Watch out for any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The cooking institute that you choose should be within driving distance of your Astoria residence, unless you are willing to move. You may look into attending classes online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. On the other hand, maybe you have opted to attend a particular culinary arts college located in a different state because of its prominence and courses offered. It would be a good idea to pay a visit to the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the area and your future living conditions. Tour the training facilities in person to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is contemporary. Keep in mind also that many schools target their job assistance programs within their local communities, so choose a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The ideal method to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized instruction. If the culinary school you enroll in has bigger classes, you will probably get limited individual attention from the instructors. The best manner in which to assess the interaction 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 happy with the level of attention they receive in class in addition to the overall training. Also, talk with a few of the teachers and learn what their teaching approaches are as well as their histories and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a cooking program if you will not be able to attend the classes. So confirm that the school you choose has available class scheduling that can work with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Astoria NY because of your work schedule, make sure that the school you choose offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, verify that the culinary program has a part-time option. 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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