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Contrasting Culinary Arts Programs
At this point you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you plan to attain, and if you would like to enroll in a private or a public institute. Since there are numerous culinary institutions in the Lake Ronkonkoma area and within the USA, you must create a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can start narrowing your options. Certain obvious qualifications, such as cost and location are a good place to start. But picking a school because it is the closest or the least expensive is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other criteria, for instance reputation and accreditation that you must assess also. So below are some key areas that you will need to investigate for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's very important that the cooking school you pick has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As aforementioned, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged organization, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a comprehensive assessment regarding their course of study, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive excellent training, but it can also help in obtaining a student loan or financial aid which are generally not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools generally have the advantage of having modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been operating long enough to earn 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 sustained track record of excellence and earned one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in business, the more graduates the school can solicit for its job placement program. Certainly there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more highly regarded schools commonly update their equipment and facilities. The valuable takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your school of choice will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the cooking institutes you are examining. Low graduation rates are indications that numerous students were unhappy with either the institutes or the training and quit before graduating. They can also suggest that the instructors were not competent to teach the course of study. Request that the schools furnish their job placement rates as well. If a college has a high job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a great or excellent reputation within the culinary arts field, in addition to a wide network of professional contacts. Be suspicious of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary college that you choose should be within driving distance of your Lake Ronkonkoma home, unless you have decided to relocate. You may look into attending school online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. Alternatively, maybe you have opted to go to a specific culinary institute located in a different state because of its ranking and programs offered. It would be a good idea to pay a visit to the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are satisfied with the location and your future living conditions. Inspect the training facilities personally to make certain they are modern and that the equipment is contemporary. Consider also that a number of schools target their job placement programs within their regional communities, so select a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal approach to learn how to cook is with plenty of personalized training. If the culinary school you enroll in has larger classes, you will most likely get limited personal attention from the instructors. The ideal way to assess the interaction and communication between instructors and students is to audit some of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are pleased with the level of attention they receive in class as well as the overall training. Also, speak with several of the instructors and find out what their teaching philosophies are along with their histories and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a culinary arts school if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you select provides class scheduling that can accommodate your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on weekends near Lake Ronkonkoma NY because of your job schedule, check that the school you select offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend part-time, check that the culinary institute has a part-time offering. Also, find out what the make-up policy is if you must miss a class because of work, family or other responsibilities.
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