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Contrasting Culinary Institutions
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you plan to attain, and whether or not you want to enroll in a public or private school. Since there a large number of culinary arts schools in the Lockport area and within the United States, you will want to create a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can start limiting your options. A few obvious qualifiers, for example location and cost are a good place to begin. 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, including accreditation and reputation that you must assess also. So below are some critical areas that you must research for each school as you compare them and make your final choice.
Accreditation. It's very important that the culinary arts program you decide on has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national authority. As aforementioned, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized organization, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough evaluation relating to their curriculum, instructors and facilities. So not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive excellent training, but it may also assist in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are often not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools generally have the benefit of possessing 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 On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a lengthy track record of excellence and acquired one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in operation, the more alumni the school can solicit 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 modernize their equipment and facilities. The valuable takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First off, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary schools you are evaluating. Low graduation rates are signs that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the colleges or the courses and quit before graduating. They might also signify that the instructors were not competent to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to provide 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 outstanding reputation within the culinary community, in addition to a wide network of professional contacts. Be wary of any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The culinary college that you attend should be within commuting distance of your Lockport residence, unless you have decided to move. You may consider attending college online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. On the other hand, perhaps you have chosen to attend a particular culinary institute located in another state because of its ranking 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 area and your prospective living conditions. Check the training facilities in person to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Remember also that some schools concentrate their job placement programs within their local communities, so choose a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The most effective way to learn how to cook is with a lot of one-on-one instruction. If the culinary arts program you enroll in has bigger classes, you will most likely get limited individual attention from the teachers. The ideal means to evaluate the communication and interaction between instructors and students is to sit in on a few 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 as well as the overall training. Also, speak with a couple of the teachers and learn what their teaching approaches are together with their backgrounds and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a culinary program if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you choose offers class scheduling that can accommodate your active lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on weekends near Lockport NY because of your work schedule, confirm that the school you choose offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, check that the culinary institute has a part-time offering. Also, find out what the make-up protocol is if you have to miss a class as a result of family, work or other responsibilities.
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