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Evaluating Cooking Colleges
At this point you should have made a decision regarding 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 colleges in the Mount Pleasant area and within the United States, you will want to create a checklist of important qualifications so that you can begin limiting your choices. Certain obvious qualifications, for instance cost and location are a good place to start. But selecting a school because it is the closest or the least expensive is not the best way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other variables, for instance accreditation and reputation that you should evaluate as well. So below are some critical areas that you need to investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate choice.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the culinary school you choose has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national authority. As previously mentioned, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education certified authority, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a detailed review pertaining to their course of study, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help establish that you will receive quality training, but it can also help in acquiring a student loan or financial assistance which are often not available 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 garner 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 On the other hand, more established schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a lengthy track record of excellence and earned one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in operation, the more alumni the school can reach out to for its job placement program. Obviously there is some give and take dependent on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more highly regarded schools typically modernize their facilities and equipment. The significant lesson 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 cooking institutes you are assessing. Lower graduation rates are signs that many students were unhappy with either the schools or the training and dropped out. They may also indicate that the instructors were not competent to teach the curriculum. Ask the schools to furnish their job placement rates also. If a college has a high job placement rate, it will help affirm that it has a great or exceptional reputation within the culinary arts community, as well as a large network of professional contacts. Watch out for any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The cooking school that you choose must be within commuting distance of your Mount Pleasant home, unless you are able to relocate. You may consider attending classes online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. On the other hand, maybe you have opted to attend a particular culinary arts institute located in another state because of its ranking and courses offered. It would be a good idea to check out the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are satisfied with the location and your prospective living conditions. Inspect the training facilities personally to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Consider also that some schools focus their job assistance programs within their regional communities, so select a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The best method to learn how to cook is with lots of personalized instruction. If the cooking institute you enroll in has large classes, you will undoubtedly receive limited personal attention from the instructors. The best means to evaluate the interaction between teachers 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 a few of the instructors and find out what their teaching styles are along with their histories and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a cooking program if you will not be able to attend the classes. So make sure that the school you decide on has available class scheduling that can accommodate your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Mount Pleasant TX because of your work schedule, check that the school you choose offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, check that the cooking college has a part-time alternative. Also, ask what the make-up policy is if you must miss a class due to family, work or other obligations.
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