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Comparing Cooking Colleges
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you want to earn, and if you want to enroll in a public or private school. Since there are numerous culinary programs in the Bethlehem area and within the United States, you need to develop a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can start limiting your choices. A few obvious qualifications, for instance location and cost are a good place to begin. But picking a school because it is the nearest or the most affordable is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other variables, for example accreditation and reputation that you need to assess also. So following are some crucial areas that you must research for each school as you compare them and make your ultimate choice.
Accreditation. It's essential that the cooking institute you choose has some form of accreditation from either a local or a national organization. As aforementioned, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized organization, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough assessment regarding their course of study, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive excellent training, but it may also help in securing a student loan or financial aid which are generally not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools frequently have the advantage of having modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been operating long enough to acquire an accreditation or to establish a reputation. On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a lengthy history of success and earned one or more accreditations.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 longer a school has operated, the more alumni the school can solicit for its job placement program. Naturally there is some give and take based on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more renowned schools typically update their facilities and equipment. The significant lesson is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First off, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts programs you are reviewing. Lower graduation rates are indicators that numerous students were dissatisfied with either the institutes or the programs and dropped out. They might also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to furnish their job placement rates as well. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a great or excellent reputation within the cooking field, as well as a broad network of professional contacts. Be wary of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The cooking school that you choose must be within commuting distance of your Bethlehem residence, unless you are able to relocate. You may consider attending classes online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. Alternatively, maybe you have opted to go to a particular culinary arts college located in a different state due to its prominence and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to visit the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the area and your potential living conditions. Look over the training facilities personally to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Consider also that many schools concentrate their job placement programs within their local communities, so select a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The best method to learn how to cook is with lots of one-on-one instruction. If the cooking college you enroll in has bigger classes, you will probably receive limited personal attention from the instructors. The optimal manner in which to evaluate the interaction and communication between instructors and students is to audit some of the classes. Ask some 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 entire course of training. Also, talk with a few of the instructors and determine what their teaching approaches are together with their histories and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a cooking college if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you choose provides class scheduling that can fit in with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near Bethlehem NY because of your job schedule, check that the school you select offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the culinary arts school has a part-time offering. Also, check to see what the make-up policy is if you must miss a class because of family, work or other commitments.
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