December 19, 2008, Newsletter Issue #133: Researching the Perfect Chef School

Tip of the Week

Want to learn how to become a chef? If you’re in the market for a top quality cooking school, don’t be afraid to visit the campus. While it’s usually okay to just drop by, it’s best to call ahead and make an appointment. Campuses are busy spots and a scheduled tour will help ensure that you’ve got time to ask questions and have a good look at the facilities. Have a look at the classrooms and cooking labs and as you go through the campus, ask yourself the following questions:

What’s my first impression of this place? What’s the faculty-student ratio? What credentials do the staff and faculty have? Does the campus have a residence and, if so, is it included in the tuition or is it extra? How professional do the staff, faculty, and students appear? While you’re there, ask for information on the admissions process, course and program descriptions, tuition fees, etc. It’s easy to get side-tracked and forget some of the questions you wanted to ask, so give it some thought before you go and jot down a few questions on paper if it helps. When looking for the perfect chef school, don’t just take the school’s word for their worth, ask former graduates and alumni about their experiences. Did they find work? What are they doing now? If they could give you one piece of advice about how to become a chef, what would it be?

Ultimately, you want your search for the perfect chef school to be a combination of good research and recommendations; your gut will tell you when you’ve found the perfect chef school.

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