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Contrasting Cooking Institutes
By now 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 college. Since there a large number of culinary programs in the Watertown area and across the United States, you need to create a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can begin narrowing down your options. Certain obvious qualifiers, such as cost and location are a good place to begin. But selecting a school because it is the nearest or the most affordable is not the optimal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other factors, for example reputation and accreditation that you should evaluate as well. Therefore, below are some key areas that you must research for every school as you compare them and make your ultimate choice.
Accreditation. It's very important that the culinary arts program you decide on has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national organization. As previously stated, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized agency, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough assessment pertaining to their curriculum, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive exceptional training, but it may also help in acquiring a student loan or financial aid which are often not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools generally have the benefit of having modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been operating long enough to acquire an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a long track record of success and acquired one or more accreditations. Also, the much more 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 schools. And older, more renowned schools usually update their equipment and facilities. The significant lesson is that in the best case scenario, your school of choice will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary institutes you are assessing. Low graduation rates are signs that many students were unhappy with either the colleges or the programs and quit before graduating. They might also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools provide their job placement rates as well. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a great or outstanding reputation within the cooking community, in addition to a large network of professional contacts. Watch out for any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary institute that you choose should be within commuting distance of your Watertown home, unless you can relocate. You may think about attending classes online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. Alternatively, perhaps you have decided to enroll in a particular culinary arts school located in another state due to its ranking and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to check out the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are satisfied with the location and your future living conditions. Check the training facilities personally to make certain they are modern and that the equipment is contemporary. Remember also that some schools concentrate their job placement programs within their regional communities, so choose a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The best approach to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized training. If the culinary college you enroll in has large classes, you will undoubtedly get minimal personal attention from the instructors. The ideal way to assess the interaction between instructors and students is to audit a few of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are pleased with the level of attention they receive in class in addition to the entire course of training. Also, speak with a few of the teachers and determine what their teaching philosophies are together with their backgrounds and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a cooking program if you will not be able to attend the classes. Therefore make certain that the school you decide on provides class scheduling that will accommodate your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near Watertown NY due to your work schedule, make sure that the school you decide on offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the cooking program has a part-time offering. Also, ask what the make-up policy is if you must miss a class due to work, family or other commitments.
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