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Researching Cooking Colleges
At this point you should have decided on the type of degree that you wish to attain, and if you want to enroll in a private or a public school. Since there are numerous cooking colleges in the Port Chester area and across the USA, you will want to develop a checklist of important qualifications so that you can start narrowing your choices. A few obvious qualifications, for example location and cost are a good place to start. But deciding on a school because it is the nearest or the least expensive is not the best way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other criteria, for instance accreditation and reputation that you should review as well. So below are some crucial areas that you must research for every school as you compare them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the culinary arts program you pick has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national organization. As previously mentioned, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged authority, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a comprehensive assessment relating to their course of study, instructors and facilities. So not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive excellent training, but it can also help in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are frequently not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools frequently have the benefit of having modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to acquire 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 On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a sustained track record of success and received one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has operated, 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 cooking schools. And older, more renowned schools commonly update their equipment and facilities. 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. Initially, find out what the graduation rates are for the cooking institutes you are examining. Low graduation rates are indications that numerous students were dissatisfied with either the schools or the training and quit before graduating. They might also suggest that the teachers were not competent to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to supply their job placement rates also. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a great or excellent reputation within the culinary community, as well as a broad network of professional connections. Watch out for any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The culinary institute that you choose must be within commuting distance of your Port Chester residence, unless you have decided to move. You may consider attending classes online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. Alternatively, maybe you have chosen to go to a specific culinary school located in a different state due to its prominence and courses offered. It would be a wise decision to visit the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the location and your prospective living conditions. Inspect the training facilities personally to make certain they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that a number of schools focus their job assistance programs within their regional communities, so select a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal method to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized instruction. If the culinary program you enroll in has large classes, you will undoubtedly get limited personal attention from the teachers. The optimal means to evaluate the communication and interaction between teachers and students is to audit some of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are pleased with the amount of attention they receive in class in addition to the entire course of training. Also, talk with a few of the instructors and determine what their teaching approaches are together with their experiences and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a culinary arts institute if you will be unable to attend the classes. So confirm that the school you select provides class scheduling that can work with your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Port Chester NY due to your work schedule, make sure that the school you select offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, check that the culinary arts school has a part-time option. Also, find out what the make-up protocol is if you have to miss a class because of work, family or other responsibilities.
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