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Researching Cooking Programs
At this point you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you plan to attain, and whether or not you would like to enroll in a private or a public institution. Since there are numerous culinary arts programs in the Mequon area and across the United States, you must create a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can begin narrowing your choices. Certain obvious qualifiers, such as location and cost are a good place to begin. But choosing a school because it is the nearest or the most affordable is not the optimal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other factors, for instance accreditation and reputation that you need to review as well. Therefore, following are some key areas that you need to investigate for every school as you compare and contrast them and make your ultimate choice.
Accreditation. It's important that the cooking program you pick has some form of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As previously mentioned, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized organization, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a thorough evaluation pertaining to their course of study, instructors and facilities. Therefore not only does accreditation help establish that you will receive excellent training, but it can also assist in acquiring a student loan or financial assistance which are often not available for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools often have the benefit of possessing modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been open long enough to garner an accreditation or to develop a reputation. On the other hand, more established schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a long track record of success and received one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has operated, the more alumni the school can solicit for its job placement program. Obviously there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more reputable schools commonly update their equipment and facilities. The significant lesson is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the cooking institutes you are looking at. Low graduation rates are indicators that many students were unhappy with either the schools or the programs and quit before graduating. They may also indicate that the instructors were not competent to teach the curriculum. 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 cooking field, as well as a large network of professional relationships. Be suspicious of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary arts college that you enroll in should be within commuting distance of your Mequon residence, unless you are able to move. You may think about attending school online, but you would still have to travel for your externship program. Conversely, perhaps you have opted to enroll in a particular culinary arts institute located in another state due to its reputation and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to visit 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. Consider also that many schools focus 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 culinary school you enroll in has bigger classes, you will probably receive little individual attention from the teachers. The optimal means to evaluate the interaction and communication between teachers and students is to audit some 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, speak with some of the instructors and learn what their teaching approaches are together with their histories and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no point in enrolling in a culinary program if you will not be able to attend the classes. So make certain that the school you decide on provides class scheduling that will accommodate your busy lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Mequon WI due to your job schedule, check that the school you decide on offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, verify that the cooking program has a part-time offering. Also, check to see what the make-up protocol is if you need to miss a class as a result of family, work or other obligations.
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