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Evaluating Culinary Arts Colleges
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you plan to attain, and whether or not you want to enroll in a private or a public college. Since there are numerous culinary arts schools in the Amarillo area and across the Country, you will want to develop a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can begin narrowing your options. Certain obvious qualifiers, for example cost and location are a good place to begin. But selecting a school because it is the nearest or the cheapest is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other criteria, for instance accreditation and reputation that you must review also. Therefore, below are some crucial areas that you need to investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your final decision.
Accreditation. It's essential that the culinary arts school you choose has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national authority. As aforementioned, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged organization, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a comprehensive assessment regarding their curriculum, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ensure that you will receive quality training, but it can also assist in obtaining a student loan or financial aid which are generally not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools generally have the advantage of having modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been open long enough to garner an accreditation or to develop a reputation. On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a lengthy track record of success and acquired one or more accreditations.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 placement program. Naturally there is some give and take dependent on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more reputable schools typically modernize their equipment and facilities. The important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary programs you are examining. Low graduation rates are indications that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the colleges or the programs and quit before graduating. They can also signify that the instructors were not competent to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools supply their job placement rates also. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a good or excellent reputation within the cooking field, in addition to a large network of professional associations. Watch out for any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The cooking college that you choose should be within driving distance of your Amarillo residence, unless you are able to relocate. You may look into attending school online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. Conversely, maybe you have chosen to enroll in a specific culinary arts school located in another state because of its reputation and courses offered. It would be a wise decision to pay a visit to the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the location and your future living conditions. Check the training facilities in person to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Remember also that many schools target their job placement programs within their regional communities, so select a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The most effective way to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized instruction. If the culinary arts school you enroll in has larger classes, you will undoubtedly receive little individual attention from the teachers. The optimal means to assess the interaction between instructors and students is to sit in on 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 in addition to the overall training. Also, talk with some of the teachers and determine what their teaching philosophies are along with their backgrounds and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a culinary arts institute if you will not be able to attend the classes. Therefore make certain that the school you decide on offers class scheduling that can fit in with your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on weekends near Amarillo TX because of your job schedule, verify that the school you select offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the cooking program has a part-time alternative. Also, ask what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class as a result of family, work or other obligations.
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