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Contrasting Culinary Institutes
By now you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you plan to earn, and if you would like to enroll in a public or private institution. Since there are numerous culinary arts institutions in the Universal City area and across the Country, you must develop a checklist of important qualifications so that you can start narrowing down your options. A few obvious qualifications, for example cost and location are a good place to start. But selecting a school because it is the nearest or the most affordable is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other criteria, including accreditation and reputation that you must assess also. So following are some key areas that you must investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate choice.
Accreditation. It's important that the culinary arts program you pick has some form of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As previously mentioned, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged authority, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a detailed review pertaining to their curriculum, teachers and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help establish that you will receive exceptional training, but it may also help in securing a student loan or financial aid which are frequently not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools often have the benefit of possessing modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to earn 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 long history of success and received one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has operated, the more alumni the school can solicit for its job placement program. Obviously there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more reputable schools usually update their equipment and facilities. The valuable takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an exceptional reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First off, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary institutions you are reviewing. Lower graduation rates are indicators that numerous students were unhappy with either the institutes or the programs and quit before graduating. They may also indicate that the teachers were not competent to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools provide their job placement rates also. If a school has a high job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a good or outstanding reputation within the cooking field, as well as a wide network of professional connections. Watch out for any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The cooking college that you enroll in should be within commuting distance of your Universal City residence, unless you can relocate. You may think about attending classes online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. Alternatively, perhaps you have decided to attend a particular culinary arts college located in a different state due to its ranking and courses offered. It would be a good idea to check out the campus before enrolling, to make certain that you are satisfied with the location and your potential living conditions. Tour the training facilities in person to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that a number of schools focus their job assistance programs within their regional communities, so choose a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The best approach to learn how to cook is with plenty of personalized training. If the culinary institute you enroll in has bigger classes, you will undoubtedly get limited personal attention from the instructors. The best way to evaluate the interaction and communication between instructors and students is to sit in on a few of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are happy with the level of attention they receive in class in addition to the overall training. Also, speak with some of the teachers and determine what their teaching styles are along with their backgrounds 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. So make certain that the school you choose provides class scheduling that can fit in with your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Universal City TX because of your job schedule, check that the school you pick offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm that the cooking institute has a part-time alternative. Also, find out what the make-up policy is if you must miss a class due to work, family or other commitments.
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