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Evaluating Culinary Arts Schools
By now you should have made a decision regarding the type of degree that you wish to earn, and whether or not you would like to enroll in a public or private school. Since there are numerous cooking schools in the West Allis area and within the USA, you must develop a checklist of important qualifiers so that you can start limiting your options. Some obvious qualifiers, such as cost and location are an excellent place to begin. But deciding on a school because it is the nearest or the least expensive is not the best way to make a decision regarding your education. There are other criteria, for example reputation and accreditation that you need to assess as well. So below are some crucial areas that you need to investigate for each school as you compare and contrast them and make your final choice.
Accreditation. It's very important that the culinary arts institute you pick has some form of accreditation from either a local or a national agency. As mentioned previously, the accrediting agency should be a U.S. Department of Education certified organization, such as the American Culinary Federation (ACF). ACF accredited schools have successfully completed a comprehensive 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 securing a student loan or financial aid which are often not offered for non-accredited schools.
Age. Recently established schools frequently have the advantage of possessing modern facilities and equipment. However, they may not have been in operation long enough to garner an accreditation or to establish a reputation. Conversely, older schools may still be using their original, outdated equipment, but have established a long track record of excellence and obtained one or more accreditations. Also, the much more a school has been in business, the more alumni the school can solicit for its job placement program. Naturally there is some give and take based on the age of the culinary schools. And older, more renowned schools usually update their equipment and facilities. The valuable lesson is that in the best case scenario, your selected school will have an outstanding reputation, accreditation and a state-of-the-art facility with modern equipment.
Job Placement Rates. Initially, ask what the graduation rates are for the culinary arts programs you are assessing. Low graduation rates are red flags that a number of students were dissatisfied with either the institutes 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 supply their job placement rates as well. If a college has a higher job placement rate, it will help verify that it has a great or excellent reputation within the culinary arts field, in addition to a broad network of professional associations. Be wary of any school that will not supply this information.
Location. The cooking school that you attend should be within commuting distance of your West Allis residence, unless you have decided to move. You may look into attending school online, but you would still have to travel for your externship training. On the other hand, maybe you have chosen to go to a specific culinary school located in a different state due to its prominence and programs offered. It would be a good idea to pay a visit to the campus before enrolling, to make certain that you are satisfied with the location and your prospective living conditions. Look over the training facilities in person to make sure they are modern and that the equipment is state of the art. Remember also that a number of schools target their job assistance programs within their local communities, so select a location where you will enjoy working.
Class Sizes. The ideal method to learn how to cook is with lots of one-on-one training. If the cooking institute you enroll in has large classes, you will undoubtedly receive limited individual attention from the instructors. The optimal manner in which to evaluate the interaction and communication between instructors and students is to sit in on several of the classes. Ask some of the students what their experience has been. Find out if they are satisfied with the amount of attention they get in class in addition to the overall training. Also, talk with some of the instructors and learn what their teaching approaches are together with their experiences and qualifications.
Flexible Class Schedules. There is no benefit to in enrolling in a culinary arts school if you will be unable to attend the classes. So confirm that the school you pick provides class scheduling that can work with your hectic lifestyle. If you can only attend at night or on weekends near West Allis WI due to your job schedule, make sure that the school you choose offers either night or weekend classes. If you can only attend part-time, check that the culinary arts college has a part-time offering. Also, find out what the make-up policy is if you must miss a class due to family, work or other obligations.
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