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Researching Cooking Institutions
By now you should have decided on the type of degree that you plan to attain, and if you want to enroll in a private or a public school. Since there a large number of culinary arts colleges in the Wichita Falls area and across the USA, you need to develop a checklist of important qualifications so that you can begin limiting your options. Certain obvious qualifications, including location and cost are an excellent place to start. But selecting a school because it is the closest or the cheapest is not the best way to decide on your education. There are other criteria, for example reputation and accreditation that you must assess also. Therefore, following are some critical 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 institute you select has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national agency. As mentioned previously, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized agency, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough evaluation regarding their course of study, teachers and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help establish that you will receive exceptional training, but it can also help in acquiring a student loan or financial aid which are often not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools frequently have the benefit of having modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been open long enough to garner an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. On the other hand, more established schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a long history of excellence and earned one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has operated, the more alumni the school can reach out to for its job placement program. Certainly there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more highly regarded schools usually modernize their equipment and facilities. The significant lesson is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts colleges you are looking at. Low graduation rates are indications that a number of students were unhappy with either the schools or the courses and quit before graduating. They can also signify that the teachers were not competent to teach the course of study. Request that the schools furnish their job placement rates also. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a great or outstanding reputation within the cooking field, as well as a large network of professional connections. Watch out for any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary arts school that you enroll in must be within driving distance of your Wichita Falls residence, unless you have decided to move. You may think about attending college online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. On the other hand, maybe you have decided to enroll in a specific culinary school located in another state because of its ranking and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to check out the campus before enrolling, to make certain that you are satisfied with the area and your future living conditions. Inspect the training facilities in person to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that many schools target their job assistance programs within their regional communities, so choose a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The best method to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized training. If the cooking school you enroll in has large classes, you will most likely get limited personal attention from the teachers. The best way to assess the interaction between teachers 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 overall training. Also, talk with some of the teachers and learn what their teaching philosophies are along with their experiences and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a culinary school if you will not be able to attend the classes. Therefore make certain that the school you select has available class scheduling that will work with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on Saturdays or Sundays near Wichita Falls TX because of your work schedule, make sure that the school you pick offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, check that the culinary arts institute has a part-time offering. Also, find out what the make-up protocol is if you have to miss a class because of family, work or other obligations.
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