300781 Wed Aug 31 20:06:40 -0700 2005 7 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1673724 I was hoping to get some advice on cooking schools in California, specifically southern california. My friend overseas wants to come here and go to cooking school. I have found the Cordon Bleu program in Los Angeles, are there others that I can recommend to her? What is the expected cost to be for a 1 1/2 year program? Wed Aug 31 20:06:40 -0700 2005 0 hmmm.... 1 1673726 In order to help your friend help himself/herself, you'll need to do a couple of things. #1 - Get a copy of the current SHAW GUIDE for cooking schools (*current* is the important word). There's lots of information about cooking programs, both professional and avocational, including requirements, fees, tuition etc. Some are private (read: $$pricey$$) and others are public. #2 - Have your friend describe what he/she wants from a school. Will there be an immigration or visa issue? I'll probably get in some hot water with this thought, but for some reason, Southern California has not succeeded in keeping a high-quality profesional culinary program. There are some very good programs in the West and I have been out of touch with what has happened in SC in the last couple of years. Wed Aug 31 21:39:10 -0700 2005 1673724 0 Sherri 1 1673727 Here's a recent thread. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/69714#380247 Wed Aug 31 23:05:20 -0700 2005 1673724 0 lil mikey 1 1673730 AIA in San Diego is an exceptionally good program in a brand new state of the art facility. AIA = Art Institute of America. SDCI - San Diego Culinary Institute is also pretty good. Much smaller. Either program will probably run in the neighborhood of $30,000 - $40,000 a year. I believe the AIA program has the accreditation to award degrees (4-year/2 year), not sure about SDCI. At the other end of the spectrum, L.A. Trade Tech used to turn out some pretty good graduates for considerably less than $40,000 and you could get an A.A. Degree at the same time. The recommendation for Shaw Guides is excellent. They can also be found on-line. Thu Sep 01 10:00:54 -0700 2005 1673724 0 Gayla 2 1673742 The Art Institute has a branch in LA see, http://www.aila.artinstitutes.edu/ ) and OC (see, http://www.aicaoc.artinstitutes.edu/ ), too. And, I believe they all have a restaurant on site that is run and cheffed by the students. They are seasonally open, so check with your locale. Then, go there (very inexpensive for what you get) and talk to the students and staff (though they might not be able to compare, you can get an idea of them) Maybe the teachers vary in area, but it's the same organization. Also, consider going to a great place with a great chef and ask for a job. They will train sometimes, too. One event of food enthusiasts and chefs is "Chef-a-Table" by Club Culinaire of French Cuisine in various locations. See their website for more detail. You can sit at the same table with a successful LA Chef and talk about it. Another very successful school that offers Bachelor's degrees and AA degrees is CIA. It is near San Francisco and respected nationally. See, http://www.ciachef.edu/visitors/gs/ Finally, there is a very small school in Laguna Beach that is quite good, but not super widely known. Six-month program with a limited number of students. See, http://www.lagunaculinaryarts.com/pages/ProfChefProg.html Thu Sep 01 13:19:43 -0700 2005 1673730 0 kc girl 3 1673745 Greystone, the CIA campus in Napa, is for post-graduate courses. They offer advanced training in pastry, sugar, etc. and have serious entry requirements This is not a general education campus. The poster specified Southern California, so I did not include any schools or programs in the San Francisco area. I did not think to ask if the English language is an issue. The Art Institute is a for-profit business that has campuses in many US cities. Thu Sep 01 13:43:21 -0700 2005 1673742 0 Sherri 4 1673757 The AA and BA/BS programs through the CIA are indeed at the Hyde Park location in New York. Greystone also does a lot of industry specific seminars and workshops that are really terrific. I've attended a few of them, as have a couple of my subordincate managers, and all of us have been delighted with the professionalism and approachability of these classes. Many are available for continuing education credit for those needing it. I believe that Greystone is currently working with AFC on their 3 level certification program that begins at basic entry level and escalates from there. I've looked at their course outline for all 3 look to be reasonably rigorous. Like anything associated with CIA, this program isn't inexpensive either. I can't speak to the AIA branches in other cities, but I can vouch for the program here in San Diego. The exec. that runs it runs a tight ship. There degree program is accreditated by WASC, which is the organization that accredits every major college and university in the Western states (i.e. like UCLA, USC, etc). It's a tough program, but you come out of it with real skills and a 4-year degree. Thu Sep 01 18:44:45 -0700 2005 1673745 0 Gayla 1 1673865 The best school I know of in California is in San Francisco, not CCA, but Tante Maries. The class size is limited to 14 people, it is $17,000 for a six month program. At the end they will set you up with an externship at some of the best restaurants in San Francisco. Link: http://www.tantemaries.com Tue Sep 06 00:20:59 -0700 2005 1673724 0 azucar