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Contrasting Culinary Arts Programs
At this point you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you wish to earn, and whether or not you want to enroll in a private or a public college. Since there a large number of culinary arts programs in the Wausau area and across the USA, you will want to develop a checklist of essential qualifiers so that you can start limiting your choices. Certain obvious qualifications, for example location and cost are a good place to begin. But deciding on a school because it is the closest or the least expensive is not the ideal way to decide on your education. There are other criteria, such as accreditation and reputation that you should evaluate as well. Therefore, following are some critical areas that you will need to investigate for each school as you compare them and make your ultimate decision.
Accreditation. It's imperative that the culinary program you select has some type of accreditation from either a regional or a national organization. As mentioned previously, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged authority, for instance the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a thorough review pertaining to their curriculum, instructors and facilities. So not only does accreditation help confirm that you will receive exceptional training, but it can also help in obtaining a student loan or financial assistance which are often not accessible for non-accredited schools.
Age. Newer schools generally have the benefit of possessing modern equipment and facilities. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to acquire an accreditation or to develop a reputation. Conversely, more established schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a lengthy history of excellence and acquired one or more accreditations. Also, the longer a school has been in operation, the more graduates the school can reach out to for its job placement program. Obviously there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more renowned schools commonly update their equipment and facilities. The valuable takeaway is that in the best case scenario, your chosen school will have an excellent reputation, accreditation and a modern facility with newer equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, find out what the graduation rates are for the cooking colleges you are assessing. Lower graduation rates are indicators that numerous students were unhappy with either the institutes or the courses and quit before graduating. They can also signify that the teachers were not qualified to teach the curriculum. Ask the schools to supply their job placement rates also. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help confirm that it has a great or exceptional reputation within the cooking community, as well as a large network of professional connections. Watch out for any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The culinary school that you choose must be within commuting distance of your Wausau home, unless you are able to relocate. You may think about attending school online, but you would still need to travel for your externship program. Alternatively, maybe you have opted to enroll in a particular culinary school located in a different state because of its ranking and courses offered. It would be a wise decision to pay a visit to the campus before enrolling, to make certain that you are satisfied with the area and your future living conditions. Inspect the training facilities personally to make sure they are up to date and that the equipment is contemporary. Remember also that many schools concentrate their job placement programs within their regional communities, so choose a location where you will be happy working.
Class Sizes. The best method to learn how to cook is with a lot of personalized training. If the culinary program you enroll in has large classes, you will undoubtedly get limited individual attention from the instructors. The ideal means to assess the communication and interaction between teachers and students is to sit in on some of the classes. Ask a couple of the students what their experience has been. Ascertain if they are pleased with the amount of attention they receive in class in addition to the overall training. Also, speak with several of the teachers and find out what their teaching philosophies are as well as their histories and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no sense in enrolling in a culinary program if you will be unable to attend the classes. Therefore make sure that the school you pick has available class scheduling that will fit in with your active lifestyle. If you can only attend in the evening or on weekends near Wausau WI because of your job schedule, confirm that the school you choose offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the culinary college has a part-time offering. 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 commitments.
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