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Evaluating Culinary Arts Schools
At this point you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you wish to earn, and if you would like to enroll in a private or a public institute. Since there a large number of culinary institutions in the Eastchester area and across the Country, you must develop a checklist of important qualifiers so that you can begin narrowing your choices. A few obvious qualifiers, such as cost and location are a good place to start. But selecting a school because it is the nearest or the least expensive is not the ideal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other variables, such as reputation and accreditation that you need to review also. Therefore, following are some key areas that you should research for each school as you compare them and make your ultimate decision.
Accreditation. It's essential that the cooking program you decide on has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national agency. As previously mentioned, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education certified agency, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a comprehensive assessment relating to their curriculum, teachers and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive exceptional training, but it may also assist in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are often not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools generally have the benefit of possessing modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been operating long enough to acquire an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. Conversely, more established schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a sustained track record of excellence and received one or more accreditations.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 assistance program. Certainly there is some give and take based on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more renowned schools typically update their equipment and facilities. The valuable lesson is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, find out what the graduation rates are for the cooking institutes you are looking at. Lower graduation rates are signs that a number of students were unhappy with either the colleges or the courses and quit before graduating. They can also suggest that the instructors were not competent to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools supply their job placement rates as well. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a great or exceptional reputation within the culinary arts field, as well as a broad network of professional connections. Be skeptical of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The cooking school that you enroll in must be within commuting distance of your Eastchester home, unless you are able to relocate. You may look into attending college online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, perhaps you have decided to enroll in a specific culinary college located in another state because of its prominence and courses offered. It would be a good idea to visit the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are comfortable with the area and your prospective living conditions. Look over the training facilities personally to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that a number of schools focus their job assistance programs within their local communities, so pick a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The most effective method to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized training. If the culinary arts program you enroll in has larger classes, you will probably receive limited personal attention from the instructors. The optimal way to assess the communication and interaction between instructors and students is to sit in on some of the classes. Ask a couple 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 overall training. Also, speak with some of the instructors and determine what their teaching styles are together with their experiences and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a cooking college if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you decide on has available class scheduling that will fit in with your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Eastchester NY because of your job schedule, verify that the school you pick offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend part-time, check that the cooking program 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 obligations.
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