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Researching Culinary Programs
At this point you should have decided on the type of degree that you want to earn, and if you want to enroll in a private or a public institute. Since there are numerous cooking schools in the Houston area and across the USA, you need to develop a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can start limiting your choices. A few obvious qualifications, including cost and location are an excellent place to begin. But picking a school because it is the closest or the cheapest is not the optimal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other factors, such as accreditation and reputation that you should assess as well. Therefore, below are some crucial areas that you should investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the cooking institute you choose has some form of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As mentioned previously, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education certified organization, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough review relating to their curriculum, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive quality training, but it can also assist in securing a student loan or financial aid which are frequently not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools often have the benefit of possessing modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been open 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 On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a lengthy track record of excellence and earned one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in business, the more alumni the school can solicit for its job placement program. Obviously there is some give and take dependent on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more renowned schools usually update their equipment and facilities. The important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your school of choice will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, ask what the graduation rates are for the cooking programs you are looking at. Low graduation rates are indicators that a number of students were unhappy with either the institutes or the programs and quit before graduating. They might also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to teach the course of study. Request that the schools provide their job placement rates also. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help validate that it has a great or outstanding reputation within the cooking community, in addition to a wide network of professional relationships. Be skeptical of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The culinary institute that you enroll in should be within commuting distance of your Houston 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 attend a particular culinary college located in a different state because of its ranking and courses offered. It would be a wise decision to pay a visit to the campus before enrolling, to make certain that you are comfortable with the location and your potential living conditions. Check the training facilities in person to make certain they are modern and that the equipment is contemporary. Remember also that many schools concentrate their job assistance programs within their regional communities, so select a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The ideal approach to learn how to cook is with plenty of personalized instruction. If the culinary college you enroll in has larger classes, you will probably get little individual attention from the teachers. The ideal means to assess the interaction between instructors and students is to audit several of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are happy with the amount of attention they receive in class as well as the entire course of training. Also, speak with a couple of the instructors and find out what their teaching approaches are together with their histories and qualifications.
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. Therefore make sure that the school you decide on has available class scheduling that can fit in with your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on Saturdays or Sundays near Houston TX due to your job schedule, make sure that the school you pick offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the cooking college has a part-time alternative. Also, check to see what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class because of family, work or other obligations.
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