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Evaluating Culinary Colleges
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you wish to attain, and if you would like to enroll in a public or private college. Since there a large number of cooking institutions in the Greenville area and across the United States, you must create a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can begin limiting your choices. A few obvious qualifications, for example cost and location are an excellent place to begin. But choosing a school because it is the nearest or the least expensive is not the best way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other factors, including accreditation and reputation that you must evaluate as well. Therefore, below are some key areas that you need to research for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate choice.
Accreditation. It's important that the culinary arts program you pick has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national organization. As previously stated, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education certified organization, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough review pertaining to their curriculum, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive exceptional training, but it can also assist in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are generally not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools often have the benefit of possessing modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been operating long enough to acquire an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. On the other hand, more established schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a sustained track record of success and earned one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in business, the more graduates the school can reach out to for its job assistance program. Certainly 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 significant takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an exceptional reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First off, find out what the graduation rates are for the cooking institutes you are examining. Low graduation rates are indicators that a number of students were unhappy with either the institutes or the training and quit before graduating. They may also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to teach the curriculum. Ask the schools to supply their job placement rates as well. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a good or excellent reputation within the culinary arts field, in addition to a large network of professional relationships. Be skeptical of any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The culinary institute that you attend must be within commuting distance of your Greenville residence, unless you can move. You may think about attending school online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, maybe you have chosen to attend a specific culinary arts school located in another state because of its ranking and programs offered. It would be a good idea to pay a visit to the campus before enrolling, to make sure that you are satisfied with the location and your future living conditions. Inspect the training facilities in person to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Consider also that some schools target their job placement programs within their regional communities, so choose a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The most effective way to learn how to cook is with lots of personalized training. If the culinary arts college you enroll in has bigger classes, you will undoubtedly receive minimal personal attention from the teachers. The ideal manner in which to evaluate the interaction and communication between teachers and students is to audit several 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 couple of the teachers and determine what their teaching philosophies are along with their backgrounds and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a culinary arts school if you will not be able to attend the classes. So make sure that the school you pick has available class scheduling that will work with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near Greenville TX due to your job schedule, verify that the school you choose offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the culinary institute has a part-time offering. Also, find out what the make-up policy is if you have to miss a class due to family, work or other obligations.
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