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Contrasting Culinary Schools
At this point you should have decided on the type of degree that you wish to earn, and if you want to enroll in a private or a public institute. Since there a large number of culinary institutions in the Yonkers area and across the USA, you must create a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can start narrowing your options. A few obvious qualifications, including location and cost are an excellent 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 criteria, for instance reputation and accreditation that you need to review as well. Therefore, below 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 important that the culinary arts institute you decide on has some form of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As previously mentioned, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized authority, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a comprehensive evaluation relating to their curriculum, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive exceptional training, but it may also help in obtaining a student loan or financial aid which are generally not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools often have the benefit of having 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 history of excellence and received one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in business, the more alumni the school can reach out to for its job assistance program. Naturally there is some give and take dependent on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more reputable schools usually update their facilities and equipment. The significant lesson is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts programs you are looking at. Low graduation rates are red flags that a number of students were unhappy with either the schools or the courses and dropped out. They can also signify that the instructors were not qualified to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools provide their job placement rates also. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help validate that it has a great or exceptional reputation within the culinary arts field, as well as a wide network of professional contacts. Be skeptical of any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The culinary college that you enroll in should be within commuting distance of your Yonkers home, unless you are willing 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 go to a particular culinary arts college located in a different state due to its ranking and programs offered. It would be a good idea to pay a visit to the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are satisfied with the location and your prospective living conditions. Tour the training facilities in person to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Remember also that some schools concentrate their job placement programs within their regional communities, so pick a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal approach to learn how to cook is with lots of personalized training. If the culinary arts college you enroll in has larger classes, you will undoubtedly receive little individual attention from the instructors. The ideal manner in which to evaluate the interaction and communication between faculty and students is to audit a few of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are happy with the level of attention they get in class as well as the overall training. Also, talk with a few of the teachers and determine what their teaching philosophies are along with their backgrounds and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a cooking school if you will not be able to attend the classes. So make sure that the school you pick offers class scheduling that can fit in with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Yonkers NY because of your work schedule, make certain that the school you choose offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the culinary arts institute has a part-time option. Also, find out what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class due to work, family or other commitments.
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