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Contrasting Cooking Institutes
At this point you should have decided on the type of degree that you want to earn, and if you want to enroll in a public or private institution. Since there a large number of culinary arts schools in the Parkersburg area and across the United States, you will want to develop a checklist of important qualifications so that you can begin limiting your choices. Some obvious qualifiers, such as location and cost are a good place to begin. But deciding on a school because it is the closest or the cheapest is not the best way to decide on your education. There are other factors, for instance reputation and accreditation that you need to review as well. So following are some critical areas that you need to research for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your final choice.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the culinary program you decide on has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As mentioned previously, the accrediting organization should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged organization, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a detailed review relating to their curriculum, teachers and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ensure that you will receive exceptional training, but it may also assist in securing a student loan or financial aid which are frequently not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools often have the advantage of possessing modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been open long enough to earn an accreditation or to cultivate a reputation. On the other hand, more established schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a long track record of success and received one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in business, 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 culinary schools. And older, more reputable schools commonly modernize their equipment and facilities. The valuable lesson is that in the best case scenario, your school of choice will have an exceptional reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary programs you are reviewing. Lower graduation rates are indicators that a number of students were unhappy with either the colleges or the programs and dropped out. They may also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to teach the course of study. Request that the schools furnish their job placement rates also. If a college has a high job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a good or outstanding reputation within the culinary arts community, in addition to a broad network of professional associations. Be skeptical of any school that will not provide this information.
Location. The cooking school that you choose should be within commuting distance of your Parkersburg home, unless you can relocate. You may think about attending college online, but you would still have to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, maybe you have chosen to go to a specific culinary school located in another state because of its reputation and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to check out the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are satisfied with the location and your potential living conditions. Look over the training facilities in person 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 assistance programs within their local communities, so pick a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The best way to learn how to cook is with lots of one-on-one instruction. If the culinary arts school you enroll in has larger classes, you will undoubtedly receive limited individual attention from the instructors. The optimal means to evaluate the interaction and communication between instructors and students is to attend 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 get in class in addition to the overall training. Also, talk with a couple of the teachers and find out what their teaching approaches are as well as their histories and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a culinary arts school if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you decide on offers class scheduling that will accommodate your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near Parkersburg WV because of your work schedule, make certain that the school you decide on offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, check that the culinary arts institute has a part-time alternative. Also, check to see what the make-up protocol is if you have to miss a class as a result of family, work or other responsibilities.
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