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Comparing Culinary Arts Colleges
At this point you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you wish to earn, and whether or not you would like to enroll in a public or private institute. Since there a large number of cooking colleges in the Ossining area and across the Country, you will want to develop a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can start limiting your options. A few obvious qualifiers, such as location and cost are a good place to begin. But selecting a school because it is the nearest or the least expensive is not the best way to decide on your education. There are other considerations, for example reputation and accreditation that you should assess also. Therefore, following are some crucial areas that you need to investigate for each school as you compare them and make your final decision.
Accreditation. It's essential that the culinary arts school you choose has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national authority. As previously stated, 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 thorough review relating to their course of study, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ensure that you will receive quality training, but it can also help in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are frequently not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools frequently have the benefit of possessing modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been in operation 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 On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a long history of success and obtained one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has operated, the more alumni 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 renowned schools typically modernize their facilities and equipment. The significant lesson is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First off, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts institutes you are evaluating. Low graduation rates are indicators that numerous students were dissatisfied with either the schools or the courses and dropped out. They might also suggest that the instructors were not competent to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to supply their job placement rates as well. If a college has a high job placement rate, it will help affirm that it has a good or exceptional reputation within the cooking community, in addition to a wide network of professional contacts. Be suspicious of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The cooking institute that you attend must be within commuting distance of your Ossining home, unless you can relocate. You may consider attending school online, but you would still have to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, perhaps you have chosen to enroll in a particular culinary arts school located in a different state due to its ranking and programs offered. It would be a good idea to visit the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are satisfied with the location and your potential living conditions. Tour the training facilities in person to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Remember also that some schools focus their job placement programs within their regional communities, so pick a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal approach to learn how to cook is with lots of one-on-one instruction. If the culinary arts college you enroll in has large classes, you will probably get little individual attention from the instructors. The ideal manner in which to evaluate the interaction and communication between faculty and students is to audit a few of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are pleased with the amount of attention they receive in class as well as the entire course of training. Also, talk with several of the teachers and find out what their teaching philosophies are along with their experiences and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a cooking institute if you will not be able to attend the classes. So confirm that the school you choose provides class scheduling that will accommodate your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near Ossining NY due to your work schedule, check that the school you pick offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the culinary arts institute has a part-time offering. Also, ask what the make-up policy is if you have to miss a class because of family, work or other obligations.
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