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Comparing Culinary Colleges
At this point you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you plan to earn, and if you want to enroll in a private or a public institute. Since there are numerous culinary arts colleges in the Prosper area and within the Country, you need to create a checklist of important qualifications so that you can start narrowing your options. A few obvious qualifiers, including location and cost are a good place to begin. But choosing 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 considerations, including reputation and accreditation that you need to evaluate as well. Therefore, below are some crucial areas that you should investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate selection.
Accreditation. It's important that the culinary arts school you pick has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national agency. As mentioned previously, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education certified authority, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a comprehensive review pertaining to their course of study, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help establish that you will receive exceptional training, but it can also help in obtaining a student loan or financial aid which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools frequently have the benefit of having modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been open long enough to acquire an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. On the other hand, more established schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a long track record of excellence and acquired one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in business, the more graduates the school can solicit for its job placement program. Certainly there is some give and take dependent on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more highly regarded schools usually modernize their equipment and facilities. The significant takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, find out what the graduation rates are for the cooking programs you are reviewing. Low graduation rates are red flags that a number of students were unhappy with either the schools or the courses and quit before graduating. They might also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools supply their job placement rates also. If a school has a high job placement rate, it will help validate that it has a great or exceptional reputation within the cooking community, in addition to a wide network of professional contacts. Be wary of any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The cooking college that you attend should be within driving distance of your Prosper home, unless you are able to move. You may think about attending classes online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. Alternatively, perhaps you have chosen to enroll in a specific culinary arts college located in a different state because of its ranking and programs 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 area and your prospective living conditions. Inspect the training facilities personally to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Consider also that many schools focus their job placement programs within their regional communities, so select a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal approach to learn how to cook is with lots of one-on-one instruction. If the culinary arts college you enroll in has bigger classes, you will probably receive minimal individual attention from the instructors. The optimal means to evaluate the communication and interaction between faculty and students is to sit in on several of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain 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 teachers and learn what their teaching philosophies are along with their histories and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a culinary arts institute if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore confirm that the school you choose provides class scheduling that will work with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on weekends near Prosper TX because of your work schedule, make certain that the school you decide on offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the culinary college has a part-time alternative. Also, check to see what the make-up policy is if you must miss a class because of work, family or other commitments.
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