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Evaluating Culinary Arts Institutes
At this point you should have decided on the type of degree that you wish to attain, and whether or not you would like to enroll in a private or a public institution. Since there a large number of culinary arts schools in the New Braunfels area and across the Country, you will want to develop a checklist of important qualifications so that you can start narrowing down your choices. Certain obvious qualifications, including location and cost are an excellent place to start. But choosing a school because it is the closest or the cheapest is not the best way to decide on your education. There are other considerations, for example reputation and accreditation that you need to assess as well. Therefore, following are some critical areas that you should investigate for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate choice.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the cooking college you decide on has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As aforementioned, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized organization, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a thorough evaluation regarding their curriculum, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help establish that you will receive quality training, but it may also assist in securing a student loan or financial aid which are often not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools generally have the benefit of possessing modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been open long enough to garner an accreditation or to establish a reputation. Conversely, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a lengthy history of success and acquired one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has operated, the more alumni the school can reach out to for its job placement program. Naturally there is some give and take based on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more reputable schools typically update their equipment and facilities. The important lesson is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First off, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts programs you are assessing. Low graduation rates are indicators that numerous students were unhappy with either the colleges or the programs and quit before graduating. They may also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools furnish their job placement rates also. If a college has a high job placement rate, it will help validate that it has a good or excellent reputation within the cooking field, as well as a wide network of professional relationships. Be suspicious of any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The culinary college that you attend must be within driving distance of your New Braunfels home, unless you have decided to relocate. You may consider attending college online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. Conversely, perhaps you have chosen to enroll in a specific culinary arts school located in another state due to its prominence 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 future living conditions. Check the training facilities in person to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is contemporary. Consider also that many schools concentrate their job assistance programs within their local communities, so choose a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The best method to learn how to cook is with a lot of one-on-one training. If the culinary college you enroll in has larger classes, you will undoubtedly get minimal individual attention from the teachers. The ideal way to evaluate the interaction and communication between faculty and students is to sit in on several of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are satisfied with the amount of attention they receive in class in addition to the overall training. Also, talk with several of the instructors and determine what their teaching approaches are along with their histories and credentials.
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 provides class scheduling that will fit in with your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near New Braunfels TX because of your work schedule, check that the school you pick offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, verify that the culinary college has a part-time alternative. Also, check to see what the make-up policy is if you have to miss a class as a result of work, family or other responsibilities.
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