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Evaluating Culinary Arts Schools
At this point you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you plan to earn, and whether or not you want to enroll in a public or private college. Since there are numerous cooking colleges in the Massapequa Park area and within the USA, you need to develop a checklist of important qualifications so that you can start narrowing down your options. Certain obvious qualifications, for example cost and location are an excellent place to begin. But deciding on 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 accreditation and reputation that you should assess as well. Therefore, below are some key areas that you must investigate for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your final choice.
Accreditation. It's very important that the cooking school you choose has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national organization. As mentioned previously, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged agency, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough assessment pertaining to their course of study, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ensure that you will receive excellent training, but it can also help in acquiring a student loan or financial aid which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools frequently have the advantage of having modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been operating long enough to garner an accreditation or to develop a reputation. Conversely, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a long history of success and obtained one or more accreditations. Also, the longer 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 highly regarded schools commonly modernize their facilities and equipment. The significant lesson is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an exceptional reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, ask what the graduation rates are for the cooking colleges you are evaluating. Lower graduation rates are indicators that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the colleges or the courses and quit before graduating. They can also signify that the teachers were not competent to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to supply their job placement rates also. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help affirm that it has a good or exceptional reputation within the culinary arts field, in addition to a wide network of professional associations. Be suspicious of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary institute that you attend must be within commuting distance of your Massapequa Park residence, unless you are willing to relocate. You may consider attending school online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, perhaps you have chosen to enroll in a specific culinary arts college located in a different state because of its ranking and programs offered. It would be a good idea to check out the campus before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the location and your potential living conditions. Look over the training facilities in person to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that some schools focus their job placement programs within their regional communities, so pick a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The best approach to learn how to cook is with a lot of one-on-one instruction. If the culinary school you enroll in has bigger classes, you will most likely get little personal attention from the teachers. The ideal way to assess the interaction between faculty and students is to sit in on a few of the classes. Ask some 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, talk with a couple of the instructors and determine what their teaching philosophies are along with their backgrounds and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a cooking institute if you will not be able to attend the classes. So confirm that the school you select offers class scheduling that can accommodate your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on Saturdays or Sundays near Massapequa Park NY due to your work schedule, make sure that the school you select offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the cooking program has a part-time alternative. Also, ask what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class because of family, work or other obligations.
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