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Evaluating Culinary Colleges
At this point you should have decided on the type of degree that you want to earn, and if you would like to enroll in a private or a public school. Since there a large number of culinary institutions in the Green Bay area and across the United States, you must develop a checklist of important qualifications so that you can begin narrowing your options. Certain obvious qualifiers, such as location and cost are a good place to begin. But selecting a school because it is the closest or the cheapest is not the optimal way to decide on your education. There are other factors, including accreditation and reputation that you should assess as well. Therefore, following are some key areas that you need to research for each school as you compare them and make your final decision.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the culinary institute you select has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As previously stated, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized organization, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a detailed evaluation regarding their course of study, teachers and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help ascertain that you will receive exceptional training, but it can also help in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are frequently not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools frequently have the benefit of possessing modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been operating long enough to acquire an accreditation or to establish a reputation. On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a sustained history of success and received one or more accreditations.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. 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 important takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary colleges you are assessing. Low graduation rates are indicators that numerous students were dissatisfied with either the schools or the programs and dropped out. They can also suggest that the instructors were not competent to teach the course of study. Request that the schools provide their job placement rates as well. If a college has a high job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a great or outstanding reputation within the cooking field, in addition to a broad network of professional connections. Watch out for any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary institute that you enroll in must be within driving distance of your Green Bay residence, unless you can move. You may think about attending classes online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. Alternatively, maybe you have decided to enroll in a particular culinary arts institute located in another state because of its prominence and courses offered. It would be a wise decision to pay a visit to the facility before enrolling, to make certain that you are comfortable with the location and your future living conditions. Inspect the training facilities personally to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Keep in mind also that a number of schools focus their job placement programs within their regional communities, so pick a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The best way to learn how to cook is with lots of personalized training. If the cooking institute you enroll in has large classes, you will probably receive limited individual attention from the instructors. The best means to assess the interaction and communication between teachers and students is to audit several of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are pleased with the level of attention they get in class in addition to the entire course of training. Also, talk with a few of the teachers and determine what their teaching philosophies are as well as their backgrounds and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a culinary program if you will be unable to attend the classes. So confirm that the school you choose provides class scheduling that can work with your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on weekends near Green Bay WI due to your work schedule, check that the school you choose offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the culinary arts institute has a part-time alternative. Also, find out what the make-up protocol is if you have to miss a class due to work, family or other responsibilities.
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