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Evaluating Cooking Schools
At this point you should have decided on the type of degree that you wish to earn, and if you would like to enroll in a public or private institution. Since there are numerous culinary colleges in the Racine area and within the USA, you must develop a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can begin narrowing down your choices. Some obvious qualifiers, including location and cost are an excellent place to begin. But deciding on a school because it is the nearest or the cheapest is not the ideal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other variables, for example accreditation and reputation that you must review also. Therefore, below are some crucial areas that you should investigate for every school as you compare them and make your final selection.
Accreditation. It's very important that the cooking program you decide on has some form of accreditation from either a regional or a national agency. As mentioned previously, the accrediting authority should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized 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 ascertain that you will receive exceptional training, but it may also assist in acquiring a student loan or financial aid which are frequently not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools frequently have the advantage of having modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been open long enough to earn an accreditation or to develop a reputation. On the other hand, older schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a lengthy track record of excellence and acquired 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. Naturally there is some give and take dependent on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more highly regarded schools commonly modernize their facilities and equipment. The important takeaway 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. Initially, find out what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts programs you are evaluating. Lower graduation rates are red flags that numerous students were unhappy with either the colleges or the programs and quit before graduating. They may also indicate that the teachers were not competent to teach the curriculum. Ask the schools to supply their job placement rates as well. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help validate that it has a great or exceptional reputation within the culinary arts community, as well as a large network of professional associations. Be wary of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The cooking institute that you enroll in must be within driving distance of your Racine home, unless you can move. You may think about attending classes online, but you would still have to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, maybe you have decided to enroll in a particular culinary institute located in another state due to its reputation and courses offered. It would be a good idea to check out the facility before enrolling, to make sure that you are satisfied with the location and your potential living conditions. Tour the training facilities in person to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Remember also that some schools target their job placement programs within their regional communities, so select a location where you will satisfied working.
Class Sizes. The best way to learn how to cook is with plenty of personalized instruction. If the culinary arts school you enroll in has larger classes, you will probably get little personal attention from the instructors. The best manner in which to evaluate the communication and interaction between instructors and students is to audit several of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain 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 approaches are together with their histories and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a culinary arts college if you will be unable to attend the classes. So make sure that the school you select offers class scheduling that can work with your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on Saturdays or Sundays near Racine WI because of your job schedule, check that the school you decide on offers either weekend or night classes. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the culinary arts college has a part-time offering. Also, check to see what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class because of work, family or other responsibilities.
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