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Contrasting Culinary Schools
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you want to earn, and if you want to enroll in a public or private institute. Since there a large number of culinary arts programs in the Southold area and within the USA, you will want to develop a checklist of important qualifications so that you can start limiting your choices. A few obvious qualifiers, such as location and cost are an excellent place to start. But selecting 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 considerations, for instance accreditation and reputation that you need to evaluate also. Therefore, below are some critical areas that you will need to investigate for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate selection.
Accreditation. It's important that the culinary arts college you choose has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national agency. As previously mentioned, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education certified agency, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a detailed evaluation regarding their curriculum, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive quality training, but it may also help in securing a student loan or financial aid which are frequently not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools generally have the benefit of having modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to acquire an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a lengthy track record of success and acquired 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. Obviously there is some give and take based on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more renowned schools commonly modernize their facilities and equipment. The significant lesson is that in the best case scenario, your school of choice will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts colleges you are assessing. Low graduation rates are indicators that numerous students were dissatisfied with either the institutes or the programs and quit before graduating. They might also signify that the teachers were not competent to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools provide their job placement rates as well. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a great or excellent reputation within the cooking community, as well as a wide network of professional relationships. Be suspicious of any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The cooking institute that you enroll in must be within commuting distance of your Southold home, unless you are able to relocate. You may look into attending school online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, perhaps you have opted to go to a specific culinary arts college located in a different state due to its ranking and courses offered. It would be a wise decision to pay a visit to the campus before enrolling, to make certain that you are comfortable with the location and your potential living conditions. Check the training facilities in person to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that some schools target their job assistance programs within their regional communities, so select 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 training. If the culinary college you enroll in has bigger classes, you will probably get minimal individual attention from the teachers. The ideal means to evaluate the interaction and communication between faculty and students is to attend a few of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are happy with the amount of attention they get in class in addition to the entire course of training. Also, talk with some of the instructors and learn what their teaching approaches are as well as their backgrounds and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a cooking institute if you will not be able to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you choose has available class scheduling that can fit in with your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near Southold NY due to your job schedule, confirm that the school you select offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the cooking program has a part-time option. Also, ask what the make-up policy is if you have to miss a class because of work, family or other commitments.
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