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Evaluating Cooking Colleges
By now you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you want to earn, and whether or not you would like to enroll in a public or private school. Since there a large number of culinary arts schools in the Massapequa area and across the Country, you must create a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can start limiting your choices. A few obvious qualifications, such as cost and location are a good place to start. But choosing a school because it is the closest or the least expensive is not the best way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other considerations, for example reputation and accreditation that you need to assess as well. So below are some crucial areas that you should research for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate choice.
Accreditation. It's essential that the cooking program you choose has some form of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As previously mentioned, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged organization, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a detailed assessment relating to their course of study, instructors and facilities. So not only does accreditation help establish that you will receive exceptional training, but it may also help in securing a student loan or financial aid which are frequently not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools generally have the benefit of possessing modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been open long enough to earn an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. Conversely, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a long track record of excellence and obtained one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in business, the more alumni the school can solicit for its job assistance program. Naturally there is some give and take dependent on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more renowned schools typically modernize their equipment and facilities. The significant takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary schools you are looking at. Low graduation rates are red flags that a number of students were unhappy with either the institutes or the programs and dropped out. They can also suggest that the instructors were not competent to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to provide their job placement rates also. If a school has a high job placement rate, it will help affirm that it has a good or outstanding reputation within the culinary arts field, in addition to a broad network of professional relationships. Watch out for any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary college that you attend should be within commuting distance of your Massapequa home, unless you have decided to move. You may consider attending school online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. On the other hand, perhaps you have opted to go to a particular culinary college located in another state due to its ranking and courses offered. It would be a good idea to check out the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are satisfied with the area and your future living conditions. Inspect the training facilities personally to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Consider also that a number of schools concentrate their job placement programs within their local communities, so pick a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The ideal way to learn how to cook is with plenty of personalized instruction. If the cooking institute you enroll in has bigger classes, you will probably get little individual attention from the instructors. The best way to assess the interaction and communication between faculty and students is to sit in on some of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are happy with the amount of attention they get in class as well as the overall training. Also, speak with a couple of the teachers and determine what their teaching approaches are together with their experiences 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 will accommodate your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near Massapequa NY due to your job schedule, make sure that the school you choose offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, verify that the culinary arts institute has a part-time option. Also, check to see what the make-up protocol is if you have to miss a class because of work, family or other commitments.
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