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Evaluating Culinary Arts Programs
By now you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you want to attain, and if you would like to enroll in a private or a public institution. Since there are numerous culinary arts institutions in the College Station area and across the USA, you will want to create a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can start narrowing your options. Certain obvious qualifications, such as cost and location are an excellent place to begin. But picking a school because it is the closest or the least expensive is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other factors, such as accreditation and reputation that you need to assess as well. So below are some critical areas that you should research for every school as you compare them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's very important that the culinary arts college you choose has some form of accreditation from either a local or a national organization. As mentioned previously, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged agency, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a detailed evaluation relating to their curriculum, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help ensure that you will receive quality training, but it may also help in acquiring a student loan or financial aid which are frequently not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools often 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 develop a reputation. On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a sustained history of success and acquired one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in operation, the more graduates the school can solicit for its job placement program. Obviously there is some give and take based on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more reputable schools commonly update their equipment and facilities. The important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First off, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary colleges you are examining. Low graduation rates are signs that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the schools or the programs and quit before graduating. They may also indicate that the teachers were not competent to teach the course of study. Request that the schools furnish their job placement rates also. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a good or excellent reputation within the culinary community, in addition to a wide network of professional connections. Be wary of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The culinary school that you attend should be within commuting distance of your College Station home, unless you are able to move. You may look into attending school online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. On the other hand, perhaps you have decided to enroll in a particular culinary institute located in a different state because of its ranking and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to pay a visit to the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are comfortable with the area and your prospective living conditions. Look over the training facilities in person to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Consider also that a number of schools focus their job placement programs within their local communities, so pick a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The ideal approach to learn how to cook is with lots of one-on-one instruction. If the culinary arts program you enroll in has larger classes, you will most likely receive limited individual attention from the instructors. The optimal 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 amount of attention they receive in class as well as the entire course of training. Also, talk with a few of the instructors and determine what their teaching philosophies are along with their histories and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a cooking college if you will not be able to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you select offers class scheduling that will fit in with your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on Saturdays or Sundays near College Station TX due to your job schedule, make certain that the school you pick offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, verify that the cooking school has a part-time option. Also, check to see what the make-up protocol is if you must miss a class because of family, work or other responsibilities.
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