Monthly Archive for August, 2009

Benefits of Getting a Culinary Education from Community College

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on August 23, 2009
in Culinary Schools
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Community College Culinary SchoolGoing to community college for your culinary school degree can be a great career move – provided you know how to leverage your assets for the best post-graduation job. Like all education and career decisions, it’s up to you to determine how important issues like price, prestige, and preparation count.

  • In most cases, community colleges carry less prestige than their culinary counterparts like the Institute of Culinary Education, the Culinary Institute of America, or Le Cordon Bleu. These “big name” culinary colleges continually churn out top contenders in the world of cuisine, and many of the celebrity chefs we know today came from a higher-end educational facility. However, this isn’t to say that you can’t get good training at a community college. In many cases, your culinary education is only as good as the effort you put into it; for example, excelling at a community college program can be much more beneficial than struggling at one of the more expensive schools.
  • One of the best perks of community college training is the price tag. Community college culinary programs are the least expensive ones out there. Although you can almost always expect to attend classes for two years, most annual tuition costs fall at or under $3,000. Because community colleges are geared toward adult learners, there might be greater flexibility in class times for working professionals, too.
  • Community colleges also tend to be vocationally-minded, which is a benefit for any culinary student with employment on the mind. These types of educational facilities strive to give graduates the tools they need to find jobs, even if that means sacrificing a little bit of the “art” side of a culinary arts degree for the more practical applications in commercial cooking.

The most important consideration in determining where to go to culinary school is the path of your future career. Community college training is ideal for those who want to start working in entry-level kitchen positions or other commercial-type kitchens, or those who want an Associate Degree that might be applicable for cross-career opportunities.

Benefits of Private Culinary Schools

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on August 17, 2009
in Culinary Schools
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Private Culinary School EducationChoosing which culinary arts program to attend is one of the most important decisions you will make as you pursue a culinary career – and it’s not an easy decision to make. Considerations like the location of the culinary school, the cost, the length of the program, and the school’s reputation all weigh heavily in the decision-making process. However, one of the most often overlooked aspects of getting a culinary education is choosing a private versus a public culinary school.

The majority of culinary schools are private. Culinary programs from the Institute of Culinary Education, Le Cordon Bleu, and other specialized schools are considered part of a private education. That’s because they are run on a for-profit basis by a company whose business it is to make good chefs. Public culinary programs are those offered through community colleges and public universities. While they tend to be more affordable than some of the more prestigious private options, there are several reasons why a private culinary school might be a better choice for you.

  • Private culinary schools are specialized. These programs are almost always about cooking or baking, and nothing but cooking or baking. In most cases, students aren’t expected to take general education requirements that may or may not relate to the culinary field.
  • Private culinary schools are prestigious. While this isn’t always true, the most famous culinary schools are part of private programs. This is usually due to the fact that the school is able to specialize its curriculum and really concentrate on just food. Because they may have higher tuition costs, private cooking schools also tend to have more up-to-date equipment and more famous and celebrated faculty members.
  • Private culinary schools offer variability. If you’re looking at a public culinary education, you typically have to make do with what is offered at the school (usually general baking, cooking, or hospitality management). When you look to private schools, you can consider more options, including types of techniques learned, international travel opportunities, and even the ingredients you will focus on.

Of course, not every private culinary school is created equally. You will need to consider all your options and all your requirements before settling on the right one, and you should always make sure the school carries the right accreditations and certifications to operate as an institution of higher learning.

The Best Age for Going to Culinary School

Published
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on August 5, 2009
in Culinary Schools
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Best Age for Culinary SchoolMany culinary schools make it a point to target a young demographic. They may offer scholarship programs with affiliated high schools or dormitory housing for students just making their first solo forays into the world. However, culinary colleges are unique in that they draw students of virtually any age. From teenagers excited to begin their lives to adults looking to change careers or even find an enjoyable way to spend retirement, there’s no such things as the “wrong age” for entering a culinary program.

Post-High School

Students entering culinary arts schools immediately after high school have the benefits of low responsibilities on their side. Going to culinary school can be expensive, and having no fiscal responsibilities (such as a mortgage, kids, or other bills) can help in making culinary school more affordable. Younger students also tend to have more stamina and flexibility, which means you can handle the more strenuous and time-consuming aspects of culinary school that much easier.

Cooking School In Your Twenties

Most twenty-somethings in culinary programs enjoy the same benefits that new high school graduates do: more time, fewer bills, and more energy. However, they also have the added benefit of more advanced palates and a stronger sense of where they want their careers to head. You have had time to determine what type of culinary career you’d like to have (e.g., hospitality, baking, classical French, catering), so you can direct your education in the right direction from the very start.

Culinary Training at Thirty and Beyond

While the percentage of older culinary school attendees is certainly smaller, there is no age cap. Many of the culinary students in their thirties, forties, or even fifties have decided to either change careers or finally fulfill a lifelong passion. This makes them the most dedicated of the bunch, and the ones with the most emotional investment in the culinary education process. Many of these types of students also gravitate toward more specialized cooking programs (such as Thai cooking or advanced knife skills), since you can develop certain skills in a condensed format, rather than take on several years of comprehensive training.

No matter what your age, culinary school can be the type of decision that will change your life forever. You should always map out your future career path and find the cooking school that will best suit your age and your goals.