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What are the best colleges for learning how to become a pastry chef or head chef for you ?

How much did it cost? how much time did it take to learn there?

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Michael’s Answer

Hi Natalie,

According to ChefsPencil.com, here are the top colleges and universities to consider for Culinary with program duration, cost of tuition and equipment and supplies:

- Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
- Culinary Institute of America
- Institute of Culinary Education
- Kendall College School of Culinary Arts
- Culinary Institue LENOTRE
- Johnson and Wales Culinary College
- Monroe College
- Stratford University School of Culinary Arts
- Sullivan University National Center for Hospitality Studies
- Culinary Institute of Virginia

https://www.chefspencil.com/best-culinary-schools-in-america/

When reviewing colleges and universities, it is best to check the following:

- In-State vs Out of State Tuition
- Internships
- Scholarships
- Career Placement upon graduation
- Course work and offered classes
- Post-Graduate Degrees - Master and Doctoral

There will be a application fee to pay for when submitting college applications. The amount of application fee will depend on the college that you are applying to. If there are questions about the college application process, please reach out to the college's Registrar Office.

There are scholarships based on need, academic performance, school activities, sports involvement and community service. So, it will be to your advantage to seek out these types of scholarships. All of the academic staff at your high school that you interact with can write letters of recommendations for you based on what was just stated above. These recommendations can greatly help when filling out college and scholarship applications.

Scholarship applications can start to be submitted during your Junior year and will continue throughout your Senior year in high school. It is best to ask your Academic Advisor/School Counselor on the timeline process as well. Scholarship applications will have specific deadlines and requirements to meet in order to be submitted for review and consideration.

You may want to start to compile your resume/portfolio since a majority of scholarship applications will require academic grade point average (GPA), academic accomplishments, school activities (clubs, sports, etc.), community involvement (volunteer, church, etc.), academic and personal recommendations, etc. There may be essay requirements on why you are a qualified candidate to receive the scholarship, what your future goals are academically and professionally and other questions centering around who you are, your beliefs, etc.

Here are a couple of links for Culinary Scholarships:

https://scholarships360.org/scholarships/top-culinary-scholarships/

https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-major/culinary-scholarships/

Here are a couple of links for College Scholarships:

https://www.mometrix.com/blog/scholarships-for-college/

https://www.nchchonors.org/students/awards-scholarships/national-scholarships

Also, it will be best to check with the colleges and universities that you will be applying to. You can check with the School/Department of your desired major, the Campus Career Center and the Register's Office for additional information for college scholarships and grants and specific requirements for qualifications.

There should be no limit on the amount of scholarships that one can apply to. It will take time to fill out the scholarship applications and provide all of the necessary required information. Also, there should no fee and no cost to fill out and submit scholarship applications. If there is a fee or cost that is associated with a scholarship application, then please do not send this particular scholarship application in. It will be a scam and money will be lost.

Best wishes for your education and career in Culinary and becoming a future Head Chef or Pastry Chef!
Thank you comment icon When i do apply for college what do i say in the application? Do i talk about how my passions for baking led me there? Natalie
Thank you comment icon Hi Natalie, Most definitely list your passions and experiences within your college application. Another recommendation is to look for Head Chefs or Pastry Chefs on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com). You can send the chefs a message and let him or her know that you are interested in learning more about his or her professional background, work experience, education, etc. Also, reach out to chefs at the colleges and universities and that you are interested in to ask for their advice, insights, etc. Fine dining restaurants in your area can be useful resources as well. Hope this helps! Michael Torio
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Allan’s Answer

Natalie, good for you food service industry is it worthy choice for a career. My advice is to get a job in a large bakery or restaurant that has a bakery be willing to do anything in the kitchen . Your sincere interest should help you find a mentor to Guide you in your training. Along with that, there are professional programs available. The CIA has a fabulous bakery program, but it’s very expensive. There are also other colleges Johnson and Wales is one that comes to mind, Cornell University also but these are expensive. Many junior colleges around the country offer ROP programs And hands on learning. Another place to look would be a large resort that has a bakery section among its restaurants. Again, this would require securing a position somewhere in that chain. Your interest and desire will help in securing a mentor to guide you through your journey to becoming a chef/Baker. Good luck
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Kevin’s Answer

Hello Natalie! SchoolCraft College, situated in the vibrant city of Livonia, Michigan, is highly acclaimed for its exemplary culinary arts program.
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Evany’s Answer

I suggest you go to any catering school next to your place of residence, so you don't always go through the stress of moving from one traffic to another, as you may even become too exhausted to practice what you may have learnt in the institution.
Another thing is patience, you must have patience whenever you're learning something new, because you might not usually get it the first few tries, you may be disappointed but don't give up, Keep practicing.Always remember Rome wasn't built in a day
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Andrew’s Answer

The Culinary Institute of America
Johnson and Wales
I think these 2 schools are the best colleges in the USA.
Then almost each state has a culinary school of their own but the above schools are universities the local schools are not as good.
For Pastries, Chocolate Decorating or Cakes there are very specific jobs and there are schools specifically for different levels and skills for pasty chefs. I think being a pastry chef is really cool and a lot different then being a well rounded all round head chef or an executive chef as there are a big difference between the 2 and there is a huge mistake people get when intertwining the 2 positions. I think if you want to become one of the best chefs in the world you can go to school here but you need to get an apprenticeship in other countries like France, Germany, Switzerland, Asian Countries. You have to live around and taste all the different ethnic foods from around the world. You have to train your taste buds and introduce yourself to food from all over the world like South America, Australia and Japan are great places to go for a certain ethnic background.
Thank you comment icon Thanks for the advice. Natalie
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Andrew’s Answer

The Culinary Institute of America
Johnson and Wales
I think these 2 schools are the best colleges in the USA.
Then almost each state has a culinary school of their own but the above schools are universities the local schools are not as good.
For Pastries, Chocolate Decorating or Cakes there are very specific jobs and there are schools specifically for different levels and skills for pasty chefs. I think being a pastry chef is really cool and a lot different then being a well rounded all round head chef or an executive chef as there are a big difference between the 2 and there is a huge mistake people get when intertwining the 2 positions. I think if you want to become one of the best chefs in the world you can go to school here but you need to get an apprenticeship in other countries like France, Germany, Switzerland, Asian Countries. You have to live around and taste all the different ethnic foods from around the world. You have to train your taste buds and introduce yourself to food from all over the world like South America, Australia and Japan are great places to go for a certain ethnic background.
The above schools i recommended are 4 yr programs with Bachelors Degree and they also teach you business administration as well as culinary arts. they’re not cheap! I don’t know the exact amount but well over $100,000.00 but you can find great jobs with the new skills you’ll have and be making upwards of $90,000.00 after 4 or 5 years with hands on experience.
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Andrew’s Answer

Natalie
Thank you for that nice thank you card. Ya know I didn’t mention this cause I’m very new here but; if anyone here is like me I would want to be the best pastry chef in the world so you’d have to find the best pastry chef to apprentice to for very little money to learn by the best! I did this to become the chef I am today and then practiced and came up with my on repertoire of desserts that are fairly easy for me to blow out in minutes when I have so little time to focus on pastries. You have to be very focused and you have to follow a recipe and have the right stoves and heat to bake things properly. So I suggest everyone look at Albert Uster Imports on line and see what they do. Then there is the Notter School of Pastries I think in Orlando I’m not sure. But this is what you might want instead, however Johnson and Wales has a great baking and pastry course as does the Culinary Institute of America in upper New York. If you have certain questions and if you talk with your teachers maybe we can talk to the whole class through zoom or something. Ok?
any direct questions I can talk to your parents and explain the life of a pastry chef or regular French trained chef.
Thank you comment icon Hi Andrew! Thank you for your expertise! I did want to point out, we do not allow direct contact off-platform between students and professionals to preserve safety and privacy. Sharyn Grose, Admin
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