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Contrasting Culinary Institutions
At this point you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you plan to earn, and whether or not you want to enroll in a public or private college. Since there are numerous culinary arts colleges in the Superior area and across the United States, you will want to create a checklist of essential qualifications so that you can start narrowing down your options. Certain obvious qualifiers, such as location and cost are an excellent place to start. But picking a school because it is the closest or the least expensive is not the ideal way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other factors, including reputation and accreditation that you need to assess also. Therefore, below are some crucial areas that you need to investigate for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your final decision.
Accreditation. It's important that the cooking program you decide on has some type of accreditation from either a local or a national authority. As mentioned previously, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education recognized agency, for example the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have passed a detailed assessment relating to their curriculum, teachers and facilities. So not only does accreditation help ensure that you will receive quality training, but it may also assist in securing a student loan or financial assistance which are often not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools generally have the advantage of having modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to earn an accreditation or to develop a reputation. Conversely, more established schools may still be using their original, dated equipment, but have established a long history of excellence and acquired 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. Naturally there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary arts schools. And older, more renowned schools usually modernize their equipment and facilities. The valuable lesson is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary institutes you are reviewing. Lower graduation rates are red flags that a number of students were unhappy with either the institutes or the training and quit before graduating. They can also signify that the teachers were not competent to teach the curriculum. Ask the schools to furnish their job placement rates as well. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a good or excellent reputation within the cooking field, in addition to a wide network of professional connections. Be skeptical of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary school that you attend should be within commuting distance of your Superior home, unless you are willing to move. You may look into attending college online, but you would still have to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, perhaps you have chosen to go to a particular culinary arts institute located in another state because of its reputation and programs offered. It would be a wise decision to check out the campus before enrolling, to make sure that you are comfortable with the area and your prospective living conditions. Look over the training facilities in person to make certain they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Remember also that some schools focus their job placement programs within their regional communities, so pick a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The best approach to learn how to cook is with lots of personalized instruction. If the culinary arts institute you enroll in has larger classes, you will undoubtedly receive minimal individual attention from the teachers. The best manner in which to evaluate the interaction and communication between teachers and students is to sit in on several of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are pleased with the level of attention they receive in class as well as the overall training. Also, talk with a few of the teachers and determine what their teaching approaches are as well as their backgrounds and credentials.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a culinary school if you will not be able to attend the classes. So confirm that the school you decide on has available class scheduling that will accommodate your active lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on Saturdays or Sundays near Superior WI because of your work schedule, make certain 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 program has a part-time offering. Also, find out what the make-up policy is if you need to miss a class as a result of family, work or other commitments.
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