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Comparing Culinary Arts Institutes
At this point you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you want to earn, and whether or not you want to enroll in a public or private institute. Since there a large number of cooking schools in the Glen Cove area and across the USA, you need to develop a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can start narrowing down your choices. Some obvious qualifications, for example location and cost are an excellent place to start. But selecting a school because it is the closest or the least expensive is not the optimal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other variables, for instance accreditation and reputation that you must evaluate also. So below are some crucial areas that you will need to investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's important that the culinary arts program you choose has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national agency. As previously stated, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged organization, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough assessment regarding their course of study, instructors and facilities. So not only does accreditation help ensure that you will receive excellent training, but it can also assist in acquiring a student loan or financial assistance which are often not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools frequently have the advantage of possessing modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been open long enough to acquire an accreditation or to establish a reputation. Conversely, more established schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a sustained history of success and received one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has operated, the more graduates the school can reach out to for its job assistance program. Obviously there is some give and take dependent on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more renowned schools commonly modernize their equipment and facilities. The important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an exceptional reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts institutions you are looking at. Low graduation rates are red flags that a number of students were unhappy with either the institutes or the courses and dropped out. They may 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 school has a high job placement rate, it will help validate that it has a good or excellent reputation within the culinary arts community, as well as a large network of professional associations. Watch out for any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary college that you enroll in should be within commuting distance of your Glen Cove residence, unless you have decided to relocate. You may look into attending classes online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. On the other hand, maybe you have chosen to go to a particular culinary institute located in a different state due to its prominence and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to pay a visit to the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are comfortable with the location and your potential living conditions. Tour the training facilities in person to make certain they are modern and that the equipment is contemporary. Consider also that many schools focus their job placement programs within their regional communities, so select a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The best way to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized instruction. If the cooking program you enroll in has larger classes, you will undoubtedly receive limited personal attention from the teachers. The ideal means to evaluate the communication and interaction between faculty and students is to audit several of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are pleased with the amount of attention they get in class as well as the entire course of training. Also, talk with some of the teachers and learn what their teaching styles are as well as their backgrounds and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a culinary college if you will not be able to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you decide on provides class scheduling that will work with your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Glen Cove NY because of your job schedule, confirm that the school you pick offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the cooking college has a part-time offering. Also, find out what the make-up protocol is if you must miss a class because of family, work or other responsibilities.
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