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Evaluating Culinary Arts Schools
By now you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you wish to earn, and whether or not you want to enroll in a public or private college. Since there a large number of culinary schools in the Watauga area and across the United States, you need to create a checklist of important qualifiers so that you can start narrowing your options. A few obvious qualifications, including cost and location are a good place to start. But picking a school because it is the closest or the least expensive is not the best way to decide on your education. There are other variables, for instance accreditation and reputation that you should evaluate also. So following are some critical areas that you need to research for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your final decision.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the culinary arts institute you select has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national authority. As previously mentioned, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged organization, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed 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 assistance which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools often have the advantage of having modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been operating long enough to garner 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 lengthy history of success and obtained one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has operated, the more graduates the school can solicit for its job placement program. Obviously there is some give and take dependent on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more highly regarded schools commonly update their facilities and equipment. The valuable lesson is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. First, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts institutions you are looking at. Low graduation rates are indications that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the schools or the courses and quit before graduating. They might also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to provide their job placement rates also. If a school has a higher job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a great or excellent reputation within the culinary arts community, as well as a broad network of professional associations. Watch out for any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The cooking college that you enroll in should be within driving distance of your Watauga residence, unless you are able to relocate. You may look into attending classes online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. Conversely, maybe you have opted to enroll in a particular culinary arts college located in a different state because of its ranking and courses offered. It would be a good idea to check out the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are comfortable with the location and your prospective living conditions. Tour the training facilities in person to make certain they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Consider also that some schools concentrate their job placement programs within their local communities, so choose a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal way to learn how to cook is with plenty of one-on-one instruction. If the cooking college you enroll in has large classes, you will probably get little individual attention from the teachers. The best means to assess the communication and interaction between teachers and students is to attend a few of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are happy with the amount of attention they get in class as well as the entire course of training. Also, talk with some of the teachers and find out what their teaching styles are as well as their histories and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a culinary college if you will not be able to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you decide on offers class scheduling that will accommodate your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Watauga TX because of your job schedule, check that the school you select offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm that the culinary program has a part-time option. Also, check to see what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class as a result of work, family or other obligations.
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