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Contrasting Cooking Institutes
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you plan to attain, and whether or not you want to enroll in a public or private college. Since there are numerous culinary institutions in the Dix Hills area and across the USA, you will want to create a checklist of important qualifications so that you can begin limiting your options. A few obvious qualifiers, for instance location and cost are an excellent place to start. But deciding on a school because it is the closest or the most affordable is not the best way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other factors, for example reputation and accreditation that you need to review as well. Therefore, following are some crucial areas that you need to investigate for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate choice.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the culinary arts program you choose has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national organization. As mentioned previously, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education certified authority, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a detailed evaluation regarding their curriculum, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive exceptional training, but it can also help in securing a student loan or financial aid which are often not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools often have the advantage of possessing modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to garner an accreditation or to establish a reputation. On the other hand, more established schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a lengthy track record of success and obtained one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in operation, the more alumni the school can reach out to for its job assistance program. Obviously there is some give and take dependent on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more highly regarded schools typically update their equipment and facilities. The significant lesson is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the cooking colleges you are reviewing. Lower graduation rates are indications that many students were dissatisfied with either the colleges or the courses and dropped out. They might also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to provide their job placement rates as well. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help validate that it has a good or outstanding reputation within the culinary field, in addition to a broad network of professional contacts. Be wary of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The culinary arts institute that you attend must be within commuting distance of your Dix Hills home, unless you are willing to move. You may think about attending college online, but you would still have to travel for your externship training. Alternatively, maybe you have opted to go to a particular culinary school located in a different state due to its ranking and programs offered. It would be a good idea to pay a visit to the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are comfortable with the location and your prospective living conditions. Check 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 many schools focus their job assistance programs within their regional communities, so select a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The ideal way to learn how to cook is with lots of one-on-one instruction. If the cooking school you enroll in has large classes, you will most likely receive minimal personal attention from the instructors. The ideal way to assess the interaction between instructors and students is to sit in on several of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are satisfied with the level of attention they get in class as well as the overall training. Also, talk with several of the instructors and find out what their teaching approaches are as well as their experiences and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a culinary arts school if you will not be able to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you choose has available class scheduling that will accommodate your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near Dix Hills NY because of your job schedule, verify that the school you select offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the cooking institute has a part-time alternative. Also, ask what the make-up policy is if you must miss a class because of work, family or other obligations.
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