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Comparing Culinary Colleges
At this point you should have decided on the type of degree that you wish to earn, and whether or not you want to enroll in a public or private school. Since there a large number of culinary schools in the Brighton area and across the Country, you will want to create a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can start narrowing your options. Some obvious qualifiers, such as location and cost are a good place to start. But choosing a school because it is the nearest or the cheapest is not the ideal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other considerations, for example accreditation and reputation that you must assess as well. So following are some crucial areas that you must research for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your final decision.
Accreditation. It's very important that the cooking program you choose has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national authority. As aforementioned, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized organization, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough evaluation relating to their curriculum, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive quality training, but it can also help in acquiring a student loan or financial aid which are often not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools generally have the benefit of having modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been operating long enough to acquire an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. Conversely, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a lengthy track record of success and received one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has operated, the more alumni the school can solicit for its job assistance program. Certainly there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more renowned schools commonly update their facilities and equipment. The important lesson is that in the best case scenario, your school of choice will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the cooking programs you are evaluating. Lower graduation rates are indications that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the institutes or the programs and quit before graduating. They may also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to teach the curriculum. 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 culinary arts community, as well as a wide network of professional relationships. Watch out for any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The cooking institute that you attend must be within driving distance of your Brighton residence, unless you can move. You may consider attending college online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. Conversely, maybe you have decided to attend a specific culinary arts college located in another state because of its prominence and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to pay a visit to the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are satisfied with the location and your prospective living conditions. Inspect the training facilities personally to make certain they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Consider also that a number of schools focus their job assistance programs within their local communities, so choose a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The most effective way to learn how to cook is with a lot of one-on-one instruction. If the cooking program you enroll in has bigger classes, you will undoubtedly get limited personal attention from the instructors. The ideal way to evaluate the interaction between faculty and students is to attend a few 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, speak with some of the teachers and determine what their teaching approaches are along with their experiences and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a cooking school if you will be unable to attend the classes. So confirm that the school you decide on provides class scheduling that will fit in with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Brighton NY because of your job schedule, verify that the school you choose offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, check that the cooking institute has a part-time option. Also, check to see what the make-up policy is if you must miss a class due to work, family or other responsibilities.
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