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Evaluating Culinary Arts Colleges
By now you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you wish to attain, and whether or not you would like to enroll in a public or private institute. Since there are numerous culinary schools in the The Woodlands area and across the Country, you need to develop a checklist of important qualifiers so that you can start narrowing your choices. Certain obvious qualifiers, for instance location and cost are an excellent place to begin. But selecting a school because it is the closest or the cheapest is not the ideal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other criteria, for example accreditation and reputation that you need to evaluate also. So following are some crucial areas that you must research for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your final decision.
Accreditation. It's essential that the culinary arts college you decide on has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As aforementioned, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education certified agency, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a comprehensive evaluation pertaining to their course of study, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive excellent training, but it may also assist in securing a student loan or financial aid which are generally not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools generally have the advantage of possessing modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to garner an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. Conversely, more established schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a sustained history of success and received one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in business, the more graduates the school can solicit for its job assistance program. Naturally there is some give and take dependent on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more reputable schools usually update their facilities and equipment. The important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your school of choice will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts institutions you are looking at. Lower graduation rates are signs that numerous students were dissatisfied with either the colleges or the courses and dropped out. They may also indicate that the instructors were not competent to teach the course of study. Request that the schools provide their job placement rates also. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a great or exceptional reputation within the culinary field, in addition to a large network of professional relationships. Be skeptical of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The cooking school that you enroll in should be within commuting distance of your The Woodlands home, unless you can move. You may look into attending school online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. Alternatively, perhaps you have decided to enroll in a particular culinary institute located in another state due to its prominence and courses offered. It would be a good idea to visit the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are satisfied with the location and your potential living conditions. Check the training facilities personally to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Remember also that some schools focus their job placement programs within their local communities, so pick a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The best way to learn how to cook is with lots of one-on-one training. If the culinary school you enroll in has larger classes, you will most likely get little personal attention from the instructors. The best way to evaluate the communication and interaction between faculty and students is to audit several of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are pleased with the amount of attention they receive in class as well as the overall training. Also, speak with a couple of the teachers and determine what their teaching styles are along with their experiences and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a culinary arts institute if you will not be able to attend the classes. So confirm that the school you pick offers class scheduling that can accommodate your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near The Woodlands TX because of your job schedule, make certain that the school you select offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the culinary institute has a part-time option. Also, find out what the make-up protocol is if you have to miss a class due to work, family or other responsibilities.
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