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Comparing Culinary Arts Colleges
At this point you should have decided on the type of degree that you plan to attain, and whether or not you want to enroll in a public or private college. Since there a large number of culinary schools in the Texas City area and across the Country, you will want to develop a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can start limiting your options. Some obvious qualifications, such as location and cost are a good place to begin. But deciding on a school because it is the nearest or the least expensive is not the best way to decide on your education. There are other considerations, such as reputation and accreditation that you need to review as well. Therefore, below are some key areas that you will need to investigate for every school as you compare them and make your ultimate selection.
Accreditation. It's important that the cooking school you decide on has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national organization. As mentioned previously, the accrediting organization 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 assessment pertaining to their curriculum, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help establish that you will receive exceptional training, but it can also assist in acquiring a student loan or financial assistance which are generally not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools frequently have the benefit of having modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to acquire an accreditation or to develop a reputation. On the other hand, more established schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a sustained track record of excellence and received one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has operated, the more alumni 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 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, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary programs you are looking at. Lower graduation rates are red flags that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the schools or the programs and quit before graduating. They can 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 college has a high job placement rate, it will help affirm that it has a great or exceptional reputation within the cooking field, as well as a broad network of professional connections. Be suspicious of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary arts school that you attend should be within driving distance of your Texas City home, unless you are able to relocate. You may look into attending college online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. Conversely, maybe you have decided to enroll in a specific culinary school located in another state due to its reputation and courses offered. It would be a good idea to pay a visit to the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are comfortable with the location and your prospective living conditions. Look over the training facilities personally to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that some schools focus their job placement programs within their regional communities, so choose a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The ideal approach to learn how to cook is with lots of personalized instruction. If the culinary institute you enroll in has bigger classes, you will most likely get limited personal attention from the teachers. The best manner in which to evaluate the interaction between faculty and students is to sit in on some of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are happy with the amount of attention they get in class in addition to the entire course of training. Also, speak with several of the teachers and determine what their teaching philosophies are as well as their backgrounds and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a cooking college if you will not be able to attend the classes. Therefore confirm that the school you choose offers class scheduling that can fit in with your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on weekends near Texas City TX due to your job schedule, confirm that the school you decide on offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the culinary school has a part-time offering. Also, check to see what the make-up policy is if you must miss a class due to work, family or other obligations.
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