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Contrasting Culinary Arts Programs
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you want to attain, and whether or not you would like to enroll in a public or private institution. Since there a large number of culinary schools in the West Seneca area and within the Country, you must create a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can start limiting your options. Certain obvious qualifiers, for instance location and cost are an excellent place to begin. But deciding on a school because it is the closest or the least expensive is not the best way to decide on your education. There are other considerations, such as accreditation and reputation that you should assess also. Therefore, following are some crucial areas that you will need to research for every school as you compare them and make your final choice.
Accreditation. It's essential that the cooking school you decide on has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national organization. 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 successfully completed a thorough evaluation pertaining to their curriculum, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive exceptional training, but it may also assist in obtaining a student loan or financial assistance which are often not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools generally 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 lengthy track record of excellence and obtained one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in business, the more graduates the school can reach out to for its job placement program. Obviously there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more renowned schools commonly update their facilities and equipment. The significant takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your school of choice will have an exceptional reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary colleges you are looking at. Lower graduation rates are red flags that numerous students were unhappy with either the schools or the training and quit before graduating. They can also suggest that the instructors were not competent to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools furnish their job placement rates as well. If a school has a high job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a good or excellent reputation within the culinary community, in addition to a broad network of professional relationships. Be suspicious of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The culinary arts college that you choose should be within commuting distance of your West Seneca home, unless you can relocate. You may think about attending school online, but you would still have to travel for your externship training. Conversely, maybe you have opted to enroll in a specific culinary college located in another state because of its prominence 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 future living conditions. Look over the training facilities personally to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that a number of schools focus their job placement programs within their local communities, so choose a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The most effective way to learn how to cook is with a lot of one-on-one training. If the culinary college you enroll in has large classes, you will probably receive minimal personal attention from the instructors. The optimal manner in which to assess the communication and interaction between teachers and students is to audit a few of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are happy with the level of attention they receive in class as well as the entire course of training. Also, talk with some of the instructors and determine what their teaching philosophies are as well as their experiences 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. So confirm that the school you decide on offers class scheduling that can fit in with your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on Saturdays or Sundays near West Seneca NY because of your job schedule, verify that the school you decide on offers either night or weekend 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 because of work, family or other obligations.
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