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Comparing Cooking 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 college. Since there a large number of culinary institutions in the Ithaca area and within the USA, you must develop a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can begin narrowing your options. A few obvious qualifiers, for example location and cost are an excellent place to begin. But selecting a school because it is the nearest or the cheapest is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other criteria, such as accreditation and reputation that you must evaluate as well. Therefore, following are some key areas that you will need to investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate selection.
Accreditation. It's very important that the cooking college you decide on has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national organization. As previously mentioned, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education certified authority, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a comprehensive evaluation pertaining to their course of study, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ensure that you will receive quality training, but it may also help in obtaining a student loan or financial assistance which are generally not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools generally have the benefit of having modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been open long enough to earn an accreditation or to develop a reputation. On the other hand, more established schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a lengthy history of excellence and earned one or more accreditations. Also, the much more 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 dependent on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more renowned schools commonly update their facilities and equipment. The important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts colleges you are looking at. Lower graduation rates are signs that a number of students were unhappy with either the schools or the courses and quit before graduating. They can also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to teach the curriculum. Ask the schools to furnish their job placement rates also. If a school has a high job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a great or exceptional reputation within the cooking community, in addition to a large network of professional connections. Be skeptical of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The cooking institute that you attend must be within commuting distance of your Ithaca home, unless you are able to relocate. You may look into attending school online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. On the other hand, maybe you have opted to enroll in a particular culinary school located in a different state due to its prominence and programs offered. It would be a good idea to check out the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the area and your prospective living conditions. Check the training facilities in person to make certain they are modern and that the equipment is contemporary. Remember also that many schools concentrate their job placement programs within their local communities, so pick a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal way to learn how to cook is with a lot of one-on-one instruction. If the culinary institute you enroll in has bigger classes, you will most likely receive limited individual attention from the instructors. The optimal manner in which to evaluate the interaction and communication between instructors and students is to sit in on several of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are satisfied with the amount of attention they get in class as well as the overall training. Also, speak with several of the teachers and find out what their teaching philosophies are along with their backgrounds and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a cooking college if you will be unable to attend the classes. So confirm that the school you pick offers class scheduling that will fit in with your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on weekends near Ithaca NY due to your job schedule, confirm that the school you select offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the culinary arts institute has a part-time option. Also, check to see what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class because of family, work or other responsibilities.
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