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Researching Culinary Institutions
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you wish to earn, and if you would like to enroll in a private or a public school. Since there a large number of cooking programs in the North Bay Shore area and within the USA, you need to create a checklist of important qualifiers so that you can begin limiting your choices. Some obvious qualifiers, for example location and cost are a good place to start. But picking a school because it is the nearest or the least expensive is not the optimal way to decide on your education. There are other considerations, for instance accreditation and reputation that you need to evaluate as well. Therefore, following are some critical areas that you will need to investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's essential that the culinary arts program you select has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national authority. As mentioned previously, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged authority, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a comprehensive evaluation pertaining to their course of study, instructors and facilities. So not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive excellent training, but it may also help in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are frequently 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 garner an accreditation or to develop 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 On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a lengthy track record of excellence and obtained one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in operation, the more graduates the school can reach out to for its job placement program. Obviously there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more reputable schools typically update their facilities and equipment. The important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts colleges you are looking at. Low graduation rates are red flags that many students were dissatisfied with either the colleges or the courses and quit before graduating. They might also signify that the teachers were not competent to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to supply their job placement rates as well. If a school has a high job placement rate, it will help affirm that it has a good or excellent reputation within the culinary community, in addition to a wide network of professional associations. Be suspicious of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The cooking school that you choose must be within commuting distance of your North Bay Shore residence, unless you can relocate. You may consider attending college online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. Alternatively, maybe you have decided to enroll in a particular culinary institute located in another state because of its ranking and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to check out the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the location and your prospective living conditions. Check the training facilities personally to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Consider also that many schools focus their job assistance programs within their local communities, so pick a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The most effective way to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized instruction. If the culinary institute you enroll in has larger classes, you will probably get minimal personal attention from the instructors. The ideal means to assess the interaction between teachers 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 receive in class as well as the entire course of training. Also, talk with some of the teachers and find out what their teaching styles are together with their backgrounds and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a cooking college if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you decide on has available class scheduling that can work with your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on Saturdays or Sundays near North Bay Shore NY due to your work schedule, confirm that the school you select offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm that the culinary arts program has a part-time alternative. Also, find out what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class because of work, family or other obligations.
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