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Evaluating Culinary Institutes
At this point you should have decided on the type of degree that you want to attain, and if you would like to enroll in a public or private school. Since there a large number of culinary arts institutions in the Selden area and within the USA, you must create a checklist of important qualifications so that you can start narrowing down your choices. Some obvious qualifiers, such as location and cost are an excellent place to start. But picking a school because it is the closest or the cheapest is not the optimal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other criteria, for instance reputation and accreditation that you need to review also. Therefore, following are some key areas that you must investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate choice.
Accreditation. It's essential that the culinary arts program you choose has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national agency. As aforementioned, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized authority, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a comprehensive evaluation pertaining to their curriculum, instructors and facilities. So not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive quality training, but it may also help in acquiring a student loan or financial aid which are often not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools often have the benefit of possessing modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been open long enough to acquire an accreditation or to develop a reputation. Conversely, older schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a sustained track record of success and received 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 assistance program. Certainly there is some give and take dependent on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more renowned schools usually update their facilities and equipment. The valuable 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 cooking schools you are looking at. Low graduation rates are signs that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the institutes or the programs and quit before graduating. They might also suggest that the teachers were not competent to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to provide 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 outstanding reputation within the cooking field, in addition to a large network of professional associations. Be suspicious of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary college that you enroll in must be within commuting distance of your Selden home, unless you have decided to relocate. You may consider attending classes online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. On the other hand, perhaps you have opted to attend a particular culinary school located in another state because of its prominence 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. Inspect the training facilities personally to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that some schools focus their job assistance programs within their local communities, so choose a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The best method to learn how to cook is with lots of one-on-one training. If the culinary school you enroll in has bigger classes, you will most likely get minimal individual attention from the instructors. The optimal manner in which to assess the communication and interaction between teachers and students is to sit in on several of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are satisfied with the level of attention they get in class in addition to the entire course of training. Also, talk with a few of the teachers and learn what their teaching philosophies are along with their histories and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a culinary arts program if you will be unable to attend the classes. So make certain that the school you decide on provides class scheduling that can fit in with your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on Saturdays or Sundays near Selden NY due to your work schedule, make sure that the school you decide on offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend part-time, verify that the cooking college has a part-time alternative. Also, find out what the make-up protocol is if you must miss a class due to work, family or other obligations.
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