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Contrasting Culinary Arts Colleges
At this point you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you plan to earn, and if you want to enroll in a public or private institution. Since there are numerous culinary colleges in the Cortlandt area and across the United States, you must develop a checklist of important qualifications so that you can start narrowing down your options. A few obvious qualifiers, for instance cost and location are an excellent place to begin. But selecting a school because it is the nearest or the cheapest is not the optimal way to decide on your education. There are other factors, including reputation and accreditation that you need to evaluate also. So following are some crucial areas that you must research for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's important that the cooking institute you select has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national agency. As previously mentioned, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged agency, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a thorough assessment regarding their curriculum, instructors and facilities. So not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive exceptional training, but it can also assist in securing a student loan or financial aid which are often not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools generally have the benefit of having modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been operating long enough to earn an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. Conversely, more established schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a long track record of success and obtained one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in business, the more alumni the school can reach out to for its job placement program. Certainly there is some give and take dependent on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more reputable schools usually update their equipment and facilities. The significant takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an exceptional reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First off, ask what the graduation rates are for the cooking programs you are examining. Low graduation rates are indications that a number of students were unhappy with either the institutes or the courses and quit before graduating. They may also signify that the teachers were not qualified to teach the curriculum. Ask the schools to furnish their job placement rates also. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help affirm that it has a great or outstanding reputation within the cooking community, in addition to a large network of professional connections. Be wary of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The cooking institute that you attend should be within driving distance of your Cortlandt residence, unless you are willing to move. You may look into attending college online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. Conversely, perhaps you have chosen to enroll in a specific culinary institute located in a different state due to its prominence and courses offered. It would be a good idea to check out the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are satisfied with the location and your potential living conditions. Tour the training facilities in person to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Consider also that some schools target their job assistance programs within their local communities, so select a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The best approach to learn how to cook is with a lot of one-on-one training. If the cooking institute you enroll in has larger classes, you will probably receive little individual attention from the teachers. The best way to assess the interaction and communication between instructors 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 pleased with the amount of attention they receive in class in addition to the entire course of training. Also, speak with several of the teachers and determine what their teaching approaches are together with their experiences and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a cooking institute if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore make certain that the school you choose offers class scheduling that can fit in with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on weekends near Cortlandt NY due to your work schedule, make sure that the school you select offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the culinary college has a part-time option. Also, find out what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class due to work, family or other responsibilities.
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