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Researching Cooking Colleges
By now you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you plan to attain, and whether or not you want to enroll in a private or a public college. Since there a large number of culinary colleges in the Waxahachie area and within the Country, you must develop a checklist of important qualifications so that you can start limiting your options. A few obvious qualifiers, for example cost and location are an excellent place to start. But choosing a school because it is the nearest or the cheapest is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other variables, such as reputation and accreditation that you should review as well. Therefore, following are some crucial areas that you need to investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the culinary program you decide on has some form of accreditation from either a local or a national agency. As previously mentioned, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged agency, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough evaluation relating to their curriculum, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive quality training, but it can also help in securing a student loan or financial aid which are generally not offered 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 acquire an accreditation or to establish a reputation. On the other hand, more established schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a lengthy history of excellence and received one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in business, the more graduates the school can reach out to for its job assistance program. Certainly there is some give and take based on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more reputable schools commonly update their equipment and facilities. The valuable lesson is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an exceptional reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, ask what the graduation rates are for the cooking programs you are reviewing. Lower graduation rates are indications that many students were dissatisfied with either the institutes or the courses and quit before graduating. They might also indicate that the teachers were not competent to teach the course of study. Ask the schools to provide their job placement rates as well. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a good or exceptional reputation within the culinary field, in addition to a wide network of professional connections. Be suspicious of any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The culinary arts institute that you enroll in should be within commuting distance of your Waxahachie home, unless you can relocate. You may look into attending college online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. Conversely, maybe you have opted to enroll in a specific culinary arts institute located in another state due to its ranking and courses offered. It would be a good idea to visit the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are satisfied with the location and your future living conditions. Look over the training facilities in person to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Keep in mind also that many schools focus their job assistance programs within their local communities, so choose a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The best method to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized training. If the culinary program you enroll in has larger classes, you will probably get little individual attention from the instructors. The optimal means 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. Find out if they are happy with the level of attention they receive in class as well as the entire course of training. Also, talk with some of the teachers and learn what their teaching styles are along with their experiences and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a culinary arts school if you will not be able to attend the classes. So make certain that the school you decide on offers class scheduling that will work with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on Saturdays or Sundays near Waxahachie TX because of your job schedule, check that the school you choose offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the culinary arts program has a part-time offering. Also, check to see what the make-up policy is if you have to miss a class because of work, family or other responsibilities.
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