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Evaluating Culinary Arts Institutes
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you plan to earn, and if you want to enroll in a private or a public school. Since there are numerous culinary institutions in the Rockville Centre area and across the United States, you must develop a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can start narrowing down your choices. Certain obvious qualifications, such as location and cost are a good place to begin. But selecting a school because it is the nearest or the most affordable is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other considerations, including reputation and accreditation that you need to assess as well. So following are some crucial areas that you must investigate for every school as you compare them and make your ultimate decision.
Accreditation. It's very important that the cooking school you select has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national agency. As aforementioned, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized authority, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a comprehensive evaluation regarding their course of study, teachers and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive excellent training, but it can also assist in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are often not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools often have the benefit of possessing modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to earn an accreditation or to develop a reputation. Conversely, more established schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a long history of excellence and acquired one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in business, the more alumni the school can solicit for its job placement program. Obviously there is some give and take dependent on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more renowned schools commonly modernize their facilities and equipment. The important 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 modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary institutions you are evaluating. Low graduation rates are indications that many students were dissatisfied with either the institutes or the training and quit before graduating. They may also suggest that the teachers were not competent to teach the curriculum. Ask the schools to provide their job placement rates also. If a college has a high job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a good or outstanding reputation within the culinary arts field, as well as a broad network of professional contacts. Watch out for any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary arts college that you attend should be within driving distance of your Rockville Centre residence, unless you are able to relocate. You may consider attending school online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. Conversely, maybe you have chosen to go to a particular culinary arts school located in another state because of its reputation and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to visit the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are satisfied with the location and your potential living conditions. Look over the training facilities in person to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Remember also that a number of schools focus their job placement programs within their regional communities, so choose a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The best method to learn how to cook is with a lot of one-on-one instruction. If the culinary arts school you enroll in has larger classes, you will probably receive minimal individual attention from the instructors. The best manner in which to assess the communication and interaction between instructors and students is to attend a few of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are satisfied with the amount of attention they get in class as well as the overall training. Also, speak with several of the instructors and determine what their teaching styles are along with their histories and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a culinary school if you will not be able to attend the classes. Therefore confirm that the school you pick provides class scheduling that can fit in with your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near Rockville Centre NY due to your work schedule, make sure that the school you choose offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the culinary college has a part-time option. Also, find out what the make-up policy is if you must miss a class due to work, family or other responsibilities.
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