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Researching Cooking Schools
By now you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you want to attain, and whether or not you want to enroll in a private or a public school. Since there are numerous culinary arts schools in the Corpus Christi area and within the Country, you need to create a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can begin narrowing your choices. A few obvious qualifications, for instance location and cost are a good place to begin. But choosing a school because it is the nearest or the most affordable is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other considerations, for instance accreditation and reputation that you should assess as well. Therefore, following are some key areas that you will need to investigate for each school as you compare them and make your final decision.
Accreditation. It's very important that the culinary arts institute you choose has some form of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As previously stated, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged organization, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough review pertaining to their course of study, instructors and facilities. So not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive exceptional training, but it may also assist in acquiring a student loan or financial assistance which are generally not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools often have the advantage of possessing modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been in operation 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 On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a long history of success and acquired one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in operation, the more alumni the school can solicit 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 important lesson is that in the best case scenario, your school of choice will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, ask what the graduation rates are for the cooking colleges you are evaluating. Lower graduation rates are indicators that numerous students were unhappy with either the colleges or the programs and quit before graduating. They may also signify that the teachers were not competent to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to furnish their job placement rates as well. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a good or exceptional reputation within the culinary arts field, as well as a wide network of professional relationships. Be wary of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary institute that you attend should be within commuting distance of your Corpus Christi home, unless you have decided to move. You may consider attending classes online, but you would still have to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, maybe you have chosen to attend a particular culinary arts college located in a different state because of its ranking and courses offered. It would be a wise decision to visit the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are comfortable with the location and your prospective living conditions. Look over the training facilities personally to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Remember also that a number of schools focus their job placement programs within their local communities, so choose a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The ideal approach to learn how to cook is with plenty of one-on-one training. If the culinary institute you enroll in has larger classes, you will undoubtedly get limited personal attention from the teachers. The best 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 happy with the amount of attention they get in class in addition to the entire course of training. Also, speak with some of the instructors and find out what their teaching philosophies are as well as their histories and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a culinary arts college if you will not be able to attend the classes. So make certain that the school you pick has available class scheduling that will accommodate your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on weekends near Corpus Christi 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, check that the culinary college has a part-time alternative. Also, check to see what the make-up protocol is if you must miss a class due to family, work or other obligations.
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