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Contrasting Culinary Institutes
At this point you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you want to earn, and if you would like to enroll in a private or a public college. Since there a large number of cooking colleges in the East Massapequa area and across the United States, you must develop a checklist of important qualifiers so that you can begin narrowing down your options. Some obvious qualifications, such as cost and location are a good place to begin. But deciding on a school because it is the closest or the cheapest is not the best way to decide on your education. There are other factors, such as accreditation and reputation that you must evaluate also. Therefore, below are some crucial areas that you will need to research for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate selection.
Accreditation. It's essential that the culinary arts college you pick has some form of accreditation from either a local or a national agency. As mentioned previously, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education certified organization, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a detailed evaluation pertaining to their course of study, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive excellent training, but it can also help in obtaining a student loan or financial assistance which are generally not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools generally have the benefit of having modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to garner 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 earned one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in business, the more graduates the school can reach out to for its job placement program. Obviously there is some give and take dependent on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more reputable schools usually modernize their equipment and facilities. The important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First off, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary schools you are reviewing. Low graduation rates are indicators that numerous students were dissatisfied with either the colleges or the courses and quit before graduating. They can also indicate that the instructors were not competent to teach the curriculum. Ask the schools to provide 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 culinary arts community, in addition to a large network of professional relationships. Be skeptical of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The culinary arts college that you enroll in should be within commuting distance of your East Massapequa home, unless you can relocate. You may look into attending college 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 another state because of its prominence and courses offered. It would be a good idea to visit the campus before enrolling, to make certain that you are satisfied with the location 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. Remember also that some schools focus their job assistance programs within their local communities, so select a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The best way to learn how to cook is with a lot of one-on-one training. If the culinary program you enroll in has large classes, you will undoubtedly get limited personal attention from the teachers. The ideal way to assess the interaction and communication between teachers and students is to audit several of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are satisfied with the amount of attention they get in class as well as the overall training. Also, talk with some of the teachers and learn what their teaching approaches are together with their histories and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a culinary arts college if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you choose offers class scheduling that will work with your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near East Massapequa NY because of your job schedule, check that the school you choose offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the culinary arts college has a part-time option. Also, check to see what the make-up protocol is if you must miss a class because of family, work or other responsibilities.
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