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Comparing Culinary Arts Colleges
At this point you should have decided on the type of degree that you wish to earn, and if you want to enroll in a private or a public institute. Since there a large number of cooking colleges in the Far Rockaway area and within the Country, you must develop a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can start narrowing your options. Certain obvious qualifications, including cost and location are a good place to start. But picking a school because it is the closest or the cheapest is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other criteria, for instance accreditation and reputation that you must evaluate as well. Therefore, following are some crucial areas that you need to research for every school as you compare them and make your ultimate decision.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the culinary program you select has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national authority. As previously stated, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education certified agency, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a detailed assessment pertaining to their course of study, teachers and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive excellent training, but it may also assist in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are generally not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools generally have the advantage of having modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been operating long enough to acquire an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a lengthy track record of success and received one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in operation, the more graduates the school can solicit for its job assistance program. Naturally there is some give and take dependent on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more renowned schools usually modernize their equipment and facilities. The significant lesson is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary programs you are looking at. Low graduation rates are indications that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the institutes or the training and quit before graduating. They may also suggest that the instructors were not competent to teach the course of study. Request that the schools provide their job placement rates also. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a great or exceptional reputation within the cooking field, in addition to a broad network of professional relationships. Watch out for any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary college that you enroll in should be within driving distance of your Far Rockaway home, unless you can move. You may think about attending classes online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. Conversely, maybe you have decided to enroll in a specific culinary arts school located in a different state due to its reputation and courses offered. It would be a wise decision to check out the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are comfortable with the location and your future living conditions. Check the training facilities personally to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Keep in mind also that a number of schools focus their job assistance programs within their regional communities, so pick 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 school you enroll in has larger classes, you will most likely receive little personal attention from the instructors. The optimal manner in which to evaluate the communication and interaction between teachers 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 happy with the amount of attention they receive in class as well as the entire course of training. Also, talk with some of the teachers and learn what their teaching philosophies are along with their backgrounds and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a culinary arts college if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore confirm that the school you select has available class scheduling that can work with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on weekends near Far Rockaway NY because of your work schedule, make sure that the school you choose offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, verify that the culinary college has a part-time alternative. Also, find out what the make-up protocol is if you need to miss a class as a result of family, work or other commitments.
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