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Evaluating Culinary Programs
At this point you should have decided on the type of degree that you want to attain, and if you would like to enroll in a public or private college. Since there a large number of culinary institutions in the Wylie area and within the United States, you will want to create a checklist of important qualifiers so that you can start limiting your options. Some obvious qualifiers, for example location and cost are an excellent place to begin. 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 factors, for instance accreditation and reputation that you must assess as well. So following are some critical areas that you will need to investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate selection.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the culinary program you select has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national authority. As mentioned previously, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education certified authority, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a thorough evaluation regarding their course of study, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help establish that you will receive excellent training, but it may also help in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are generally not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools often have the advantage of having modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been open long enough to garner an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a long history of success and obtained one or more accreditations.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 assistance program. Certainly there is some give and take dependent on the age of the cooking schools. And older, more reputable schools usually modernize their equipment and facilities. The valuable takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your school of choice will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary programs you are assessing. Lower graduation rates are indications that a number of students were unhappy with either the colleges or the training and dropped out. They may also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to teach the curriculum. Request that the schools provide their job placement rates also. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a great or exceptional reputation within the cooking community, in addition to a wide network of professional associations. Watch out for any school that will not furnish this information.
Location. The culinary arts institute that you choose should be within driving distance of your Wylie home, unless you have decided to relocate. You may consider attending classes online, but you would still need to travel for your externship training. Alternatively, perhaps you have opted to attend a specific culinary arts college located in another state due to its prominence and courses offered. It would be a good idea to pay a visit to the campus before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the area and your prospective living conditions. Check the training facilities personally to make certain they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Keep in mind also that some schools concentrate their job placement programs within their regional communities, so pick a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal way to learn how to cook is with lots of one-on-one training. If the cooking program you enroll in has larger classes, you will most likely receive limited individual attention from the instructors. The best means to evaluate the communication and interaction between instructors and students is to sit in on a few of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are satisfied with the level of attention they get in class as well as the entire course of training. Also, speak with a couple of the teachers and determine what their teaching styles are together with their experiences and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a culinary arts program if you will not be able to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you select has available class scheduling that can fit in with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near Wylie TX because of your job schedule, make certain that the school you choose offers either weekend or evening classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, verify that the cooking college has a part-time offering. Also, check to see what the make-up policy is if you have to miss a class because of family, work or other responsibilities.
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