I have recently made a big decision, to apply to the Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Have any of you applied here? What should I expect from this program? I don't have much experience in the restaurant business and have been trying to find ways to further my knowledge. Any suggestions? I would love to work in a bakery part time until I leave for school. I am willing to work for pretty cheap to get experience. Also, I will have to take out loans to attend school there. Do any of you know of any scholarships or grants? I am so clueless about how to go about doing all of this stuff. Anyways, thanks in advance for any advice given.

i would recommend talking to someone who has recently graduated from a culinary program. my cousin went to le cordon bleu in san francisco and he has been disgruntled ever since. he thinks he was not fully informed about the loans, etc. and now he owes so much money i don't know how he'll ever pay it off. apparently there is a lawsuit in the beginning stages here in CA regarding their recruitment practices...not really sure although I know he is trying to hop on the bandwagon. also he is learning that even though he has a degree, he is still starting off very near the bottom and having to work his way up. hard to pay off loans when youre making 13 bucks an hour.

definitely talk to people and get as much first hand knowledge as you can. Good luck!

You say you made your decision, but did you make a well informed decision?

What is your real goal? and to accomplish that, is a culinary degree required? most culinary graduates work the line in the kitchen for years. You are in charge of nothing, just cooking the same things and sweating.

Opening your own restaurant, these days, takes a benefactor who has up to $1 million avaliable cash. Banks don't make loans for new restaurants.

You wouldn't want to get through all the hassle, end up with a ton of debt, only to find you aren't where you want to be.

Look long and hard at what kind of money you could expect as a culinary grad even from CB. When you say you're willing to work for little money now because you have no experience, it makes me wonder whether you're really familiar with the pay scale in food industries.

I was accepted to Le Cordon Blue (here in the US) and decided not to attend for different reasons. I instead went to a community college that was ACF certified. I'm very happy with my decision. I have a culinary arts degree which has baking but is not a pastry degree. (but I also plan to go into catering later on) I had a quality education for a fraction of the cost. I know Mike here on CC goes to Macomb community college in MI and they have excellent ratings for their pastry program.

Have you ever worked in a kitchen before or in a pastry business before? I would recommend working in one (most schools prefer at least 2 years work experience in the food field before entering culinary school)for a while before you decide to go to school for it and pay loads of money that will take years to pay off.
I'm not sure your reasons for wanting to go since I do not know your situation or past experiences in the field. I hate to sound discouraging because I'm trying not to be. I just want to make sure that you and others considering this field as a career understand what it's all about first. It's not easy. It's back breaking work, long hours, working nights and every holiday for little pay. However, you can make good money down the road. Like I stated earlier, I'm not saying this to be discouraging. at all. I think it's wonderful you want to go to school and are willing to move to Paris to learn the art of pastry. However, the realist in me is wondering why you decided to make this decision on the information that you provided. I've seen so many people jump on the culinary bandwagon to decide that they hate it after they spent thousands in school and are in debt. A love of baking/cooking and doing it as a career are two totally different things. I've seen many people come and go who have a true love for the field only to absolutely hate it once they started working in it for a few years.
Any person who works in the field who knows what it's about tends to be leery. Culinary is a hot field right now that's flooded (thanks to food tv shows)

I hope this didn't sound like I'm trying to squash your idea, I'm not.

I'm not sure what type of grants you can receive or scholarships since you would be going abroad for school. There are probably some out there but I just don't know of any.

my son was going to apply to the school here in san fransisco, but his uncle talked him out of it. the law suit was the main reason. he also knew of some people who attended there and are in debt up to their head and they still don't have a job. my son is now going to a community college in hawaii and is getting his associate's in culinary arts for a fraction of what he would have paid at le cordon bleu.

I am in the process of completing my degree here at the LCB in Chicago. I learned a lot, but I was also mislead by a lot of things by the school. They really hype of the type of lifestyle getting their education can get you, but once you're out in the real world, things are much, much different. I was very dissappointed at the types of jobs I was offered because I'm "only a student." Many places aren't even willing to pay, and if they do, it's not much. The main reason I wanted to come to this school was because I wanted a degree, but I wanted to come because I want to be a cake decorator. I learned after the fact that there is only 1 cake decorating class, and it's only 3 weeks long. Once I started my internship, I found out that there's still a lot I need to learn. I had a blast when I was in class, tho.

I just graduated from a pastry program at a community school; the program is accredited by the CIA. I cannot even begin to tell you how pleased I am with my education, and so happy that I didn't have to spend mega bucks by attending CIA or another culinary school. My instructor was a CIA grad, and was so incredible. I worked my butt off to graduate with a 4.0, while being a stay at home mom to my dds, but I actually landed a pastry chef position 5 months before I graduated the program.

Basically what I'm saying is that you don't have to sink yourself in deep to get a great education. Do your homework fully before you take the leap and apply. Even if you take a 2 year program at a community college and then transfer on to a bigger name school, it will give you a start and more perspective. It has been my personal experience that a lot of bakeries won't hire you if you don't have some type of prior bakery/pastry experience or education; you might want to try small cafes that are looking for kitchen help (especially around Christmastime!)

Thought you should read this,
http://www.megnut.com/2007/05/the-culinary-school-financial-trap

I went to school for audio engineering, andI worked in a Recording Studio in NYC for less than a year making about $5 per hr, with 2 small children being a single mother, and you know what, I was laid off so they could bring on a free intern instead. Working for big headed artist and producers is not easy so I did not take it that hard. And I found a job working for the Gap Inc Headquarters making 15 hr instead. And to this day I'm still paying that stupid student loan!!!! Now my husband and I dream of one day taking my outdated knowledge and build a studio of our own⦠yes one of these days.

My advise is paper does not really stand for mush these days, and actually what I learned in school was that most people in the recording industry did not get any training at all, and I think the same may be relevent to the food industry as well. Don't get stuck paying student loans 15 years from now....

If we are talking about LCB in Paris FRANCE. HELL YEAH. If you're talking about Paris TX No Run as fast as you can. LCB in the states is a franchise that's all it is.

Here's the facts. When you graduate you will make 12-14 an hour. It doesn't matter if you pay 7000, or 30,000. A Mother sauce is made only one way. There are only so many ways to make the puff.

Mike

Also, as far as loans and such...generally when you apply to a college you fill out the school's financial aid application and go online to fill out a FAFSA form (www.fafsa.ed.gov .) This is how you would obtain something like a Stafford loan; it's all offered through the government. Filling out this form is also how you would apply for governmental grants. Other than that, you have to ask your college's financial aid office or admissions office what scholarships they offer. Usually you have to write some type of essay for these, or they might be available after you've attended the school for a period of time, and they are based on your GPA.

There are also scholarship websites such as www.fastwebs.com . I never had any luck with that, but I was also not very faithful in writing essays and applying.

I don't know if LCB's financial aid process is different, but for most colleges and universities, that is how it is done.

HTH!

It was a 2 year full time program for me to finish. You don't get to pick and choose your culinary classes but it is already set up for you. they tell you what classes you are taking and what times you have to be there. I received my 2 year degree on top of the culinary certificate so I had other classes on top of the culinary classes to take also. Sounds like you had a horrid school the first time around. If you go somewhere make sure it is ACF certified. That is VERY important!

If I was you I would work in a kitchen for well over a year before making a decision. Being at home in a kitchen at your own pace and working in a restaurant/pastry business is two totally different things.

I'm married with 4 small kids so my plans have taken a back seat until my youngest is in school. I have experience but not enough I feel yet. I have 9 years experience total. Right now I am involved with the ACF and might possibly be substitute teaching culinary arts at a local vocational school teens and young adults. I run my own small baking business (I rent out a kitchen) but some bigger opportunities have presented themselves and I may take them. However, my kids are young and I can't replace my time with them so they are my #1 priority right now. My DH runs his own computer business servicing businesses so we are also focused on this since it bring home the bacon so to speak.


May I ask why do you want to specifically go to Le Cordon Blue? There are plenty of wonderful schools here in the states and France is a lot more expensive for everything (including cost of living) Do you speak fluent French and know the cooking terms they would be using in class? All there classes are in French.
If you are determined to go to a big name school then I would look into ones without the lawsuits and with a better reputation. Le Cordon Blue does have a good reputation but as much as I hate to say it has been loosing it's clout so to speak because of other issues.
Some other excellent well known schools are the CIA--which is located in NY. The French Pastry School in Chicago. The New England institute (where The ever talented Alton Brown went to school) There are many more but I just can't list them all. Go online and do some searches through Google. I researched for a long time (months) before I decided where I wanted to go. Talk to other chefs and pastry chefs and here what they have to say about the industry and what they know also. You have plenty of time and options before you decide.

I graduated from the Arizona Culinary Institute 6 years ago and I am very happy with my choice. It was exactly what I needed, but I did not plan on becoming a pasty chef when I was finished. I wanted to cook. Culinary school prepares you for everything, but if you want to focus mostly on cake decorating and baking I would skip culinary school and go to pastry school or just take as many cake decorating courses you can. There are many cake artist out there that offer classes. My biggest advice would be to work for a year before you do anything. Culinary school is expensive and you want to make sure it is what you truly want to do. It is nothing like television and the pay is usually not good. I hope this helps.

TX Blonde,
My son wants to be a chef. He loves cooking and that is his dream. He is 20.

He worked as the head cook at a locally owned Italian restaurant. He has learned all of their dishes, makes his own recipes and can cook my recipes as good as I can. (wink...he comes from a long line a really good cooks!) He wants to go to the school in Austin.

I would love for him to go but I also don't want him to be in debt. He has changed jobs so that he can make more to save for culinary school. He is going to fill in at his former job this weekend so he will be cooking all weekend and he is so excited.

I spoke to the schools myself. I talked to the Art Institute in Dallas about DS going there. The man I spoke to was used to blowing smoke up kids behinds. He didn't find this ole chick such an easy sell. I asked him about elective classes. He said they had them and then couldn't name them! I asked if they were in pulled sugar arts, etc. and he was clueless. He was also stumped when I asked him what the students could expect to make when they graduated. DUUHHHHH...no answer. I then asked him what his graduates from 5 years ago were making as an average. Again...DUUHHHHHH. I asked for references from former students and he gave me a song and dance about privacy. Give me a break. If they have a graduate that is doing well and was happy with the education they got at the AI they would have been happy to give a reference.

I told my DS that I didn't want him to come out of a school with a 50k+ debt to pay off and only be making $19k a year or so. That would make living a bit difficult.

I truly want my son to be a chef. NOTHING would make me prouder. He is an excellent cook...ask anyone that attended our DOS in Winnie, Texas and sampled his fabulous spaghetti and meatballs and bruschetta. But the fact is, I don't want him sunk before he can learn to swim.

Go to work at a local bakery. There is a young lady in our cake club that went to pastry school in Houston and now works at a bakery on the west side. She ices cakes all day and dreams of her own bakery. I sincerely hope she makes that dream come true.

Best of luck and check out the school in Houston. It is supposed to be a really good school. There are two in Austin also.

I noticed that you are located in Houston.
Have you ever considered Culinary Institute Alain & Marie LeNotre, in Houston.
You can check out their web site an see what you think.
http://www.ciaml.com/default.asp

The have an excellent program, and if I'm not mistaken, they have a program where their top students have an opportunity to continue their education overseas.
You can request information online and they will sent you a packet/DVD.

I went to cooking school in France, and for me,it was a great experience, but I had a non-culinary career until my late 30's. I went because I loved to cook. It was the 80s and I was in France. It was just "the thing" that well bred young Texas women did at that time. You should know that most, if not all of the major culinary schools are " for profit" entities as opposed to typical four year and community colleges, which operate as " non-profits", so culinary school is expensive.

I loved it and I learned a lot. When I came back, I went to regular University. If you want to come and work in a bakery for a few months, you can come to Chapel Hill. I'll hire you. We have interns all the time, and my whole staff is made up of UNC students and recent grads.

BUT, don't even think of going to culinary school if you want to be a " cake decorator". My two current pastry interns from Johnson and Wales take only two cake classes in two years. They learned more in their first wedding weekend at our store than the entire time they were at school. You'll spend a lot of time making bread and the like in pastry school.

The Art Institute Last yr during the summer I wanted to take a Pastry class. Where I go Culinary classes aren't offered in the summer. So I figured I would take an extra class, couldn't hurt right? No way A year later I still get phone calls, and mailings. I never did go. I got the used car salesman feeling from them.

Mike

Usually when you are in the field working their is someone who just does breads and someone who just does pastries. Look into local hotels -the high priced hotels--that offer on-site pastries being made or even a restaurant or bakery that offer what you are looking for. Even some hospitals have great pastry chefs. (the hospital chefs usually only cater to doctors and specialists though-so the quality of food they are eating is very high)