<p>I have been interested in culinary arts for a LONG time now, and I have always wanted to take that interest and turn it into a career....I had considered applying to the Culinary Institute of America, but because my parents really really didnt like the idea...I didnt. Now I've been accepted to a liberal arts college (honors college of Florida ATlantic University) and I don't know what to do! I so badly want to cook...but I dont know what in the world I'm supposed to do. I'm probably going to just get my bachelors degree in like english or biology or something and just keep that as something i can fall back on in case the whole CIA thing doesnt work out. Any advice? I'm falling apart here! MAJOR CRISIS!</p>
<p>Is it too late to apply to CIA? My brother graduated a few years ago from Pennsylvania culinary institute, and he's doing well and enjoying it very much. If you are positive you don't want to do anything else, you should definitely talk to your parents about this. Maybe take a gap year? I'm not sure what specific advice I can offer. I hope this helped a little bit.</p>
<p>Maybe you should look at Johnson and Wales University, where you can get a four year degree in culinary. Would that make your parents happier- that it is a four year bachelor's degree? There are two or three campuses- one in Rhode Island, one in South Carolina, not sure about the third.</p>
<p>getting a college degree on top of culinary school is not the worst thing you could do.</p>
<p>plus, who knows, you might change your mind, and it's much better to have a college degree and a culinary degree if you do.</p>
<p>college is fun, too, and it will be nice to be at college doing the same thing all your friends from home are, and to be on the same schedule as everyone.</p>
<p>I don't think you have anything to lose by giving FAU a try for a year. Think how you can use it to your advantage toward a career in culinary arts, catering, or restaurant management. Take several language courses. Some business courses. Perhaps you can get a part-time job in a restaurant and see how that business and lifestyle operates up close before deciding to make it a career. See if there's a study abroad program and maybe you can spend a semester in France or Italy, observing the catering or restaurant business there. Get a college degree and see some of the world before you make a be-all, end-all decision about whether cooking is your future career. During that first year, if it really looks like staying in college is making you miserable and it's going to be a waste of money, you can approach your parents about transferring to a culinary program. Take a deep breath. You're going to college, not prison. You can give it a try and make a change later.</p>
<p>There is no point in going to a culinary school. If you want to be a good chef, just call Ben Andrew. He is a world renowned 12 year-old pastry cook.</p>
<p>I have a friend whose brother started off at UWash, spent a year there, and then applied to CIA and he is now doing very well there. It's definitely possible to do the same thing! I'm sure you can apply to culinary school after a year of college, if you still want to go that direction with your life.</p>
<p>yea BA---he makes the best strawberry shortcake--- its just so hard to make- sugar, eggs, milk, strawberrys, heavy cream and more sugar mix it all up and u get it! wow he needed to go to culinary school for that</p>
<p>follow your dreams - dont live with what ifs</p>
<p>thanks for all of your advice!!! It really helped a lot. I have NO idea what I'm going to do with my life- so I'll start in college. Like you said, jazzymom, i've got nothing to lose just by trying (hey, it's cheap enough anyways!) I think I'll just go ahead and get a degree in something fairly lucrative like pre-med, that way I'll have something that I can easily fall back on should I decide that I don't actually want to make my passion my career. I'll probably, at the very least, do some study abroad or internship to satisfy my desire to bake :D jyankees, what kind of a job does your brother have if you dont mind me asking? And what did he study? culinary arts or baking/pastry arts or management etc?</p>
<p>Johnson and Wales have moved their Charleston, SC to Charlotte, NC....Beautiful new facilities--amidst the thousands of bankers you see walking around in uptown Charlotte are lots of people in white w/ various colored neck-kerchiefs! They offer bachelors degrees in other things besides culinary arts---you may check into their requirements---With their bachelors program, they may have general requirements that you could transfer your credits from Florida Atlantic. </p>
<p>My sister-in-law went through their program (when it was still in Charleston) and loved it. She worked as a pastry chef in S.C. (In Charleston, also spent time on Hilton Head). For family purposes, they returned to our small home town in central Illinois. She took over the local bakery (which had been selling the same greasy donuts for about 50 years), and tried to branch out. Unfortunately, most of the customer base preferred the greasy donuts (they were REALLY tasty, btw!) to her fancy cakes. She worked her butt off, and finally gave it up. (Not much profit in 50-cent donuts). She now drives a school bus :) , and bakes most of the wedding cakes in the county. She really is an accomplished baker---I often wonder what would have happened had they stayed in the Charleston area (or someplace more metropolitan)....</p>
<p>Anyway, good luck missybear. You know that you are building a strong base w/ the honors program--and at the right price!</p>
<p>My brother is a line chef at Per Se in New York City. He studied culinary arts, and he's worked at 4 different restaurants in the past 3-4 years, each one better than the previous. If you're passionate about it, it can be a very good career to get into. If you have any more questions, you can PM me or post them here</p>
<p>Start out with your FLA college and then transfer to CIA or another culinary arts program. Many will accept your college credits cause you have to take some basic college courses(like Engl., Acct, French, etc) along with the culinary offerings.
A relative is a Master Pastry Chef and was an instructor for many years at CIA from where he graduated. The best recommendation he gives to people thinking of entering the profession is to start working in a restuarant, diner, bakery, etc. and get a real view of what the career demands.
Consequently many students enrolled in culinary arts programs are older than traditional age college students. Nothing beats exposure to the field to decide if it's really something you want to pursue.</p>
<p>A young man from our church went to Johnson&Wales and did the 2 year culinary degree. He is now just 21 years old and is the director of food services at a large oceanside Christian conference center in our state.</p>
<p>
[quote]
OP writes: I think I'll just go ahead and get a degree in something fairly lucrative like pre-med, that way I'll have something that I can easily fall back on should I decide that I don't actually want to make my passion my career.
[/quote]
Wrong, and wrong. There is no such thing as a "pre-med degree". Pre-med is a label you apply to yourself and indicates you are planning on satisfying the requirements for admission to med school (calculus, biology, etc). You can take these classes with any major, from anthropology to zoology. Furthermore med schools are very difficult to get into; these days probably less than 1/2 of those who apply get into even one school, and this in itself over-estimates the odds because there are lots more people out there who looked at their grades or MCAT scores and decided it wasn't even worth applying.</p>
<p>I'm going to fly against the grain here and say if you want to work in a kitchen, then do it!! Read a book by those actually in the business like "Kitchen Confidential" by Bourdain and you'll see most people in it are not college educated. You don't need to go to college to get into the business, you need to get a job and go from there. Get a job, get some roomates and move out, and you're on your way. Even if you decide to go to college, nothing is stopping you now from pursuing what you love part-time during school and full-time during summers.</p>
<p>Here's a good article about culinary schools & earning prospects:
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/08/us/08default.html?ex=1336363200&en=3baa42b5f683015b&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink%5B/url%5D">http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/08/us/08default.html?ex=1336363200&en=3baa42b5f683015b&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink</a></p>
<p>The basic message: don't go into substantial debt -- the training is good, but most of the jobs don't pay all that well.</p>
<p>mikemac, the college i'm going to has a liberal arts degree with your choice of concentration. one of the concentrations is titled 'pre-med.' sorry for the confusion :)</p>
<p>I recommend going to college for a semester and see where you stand. I recommend getting a degree in business or hospitality management...if you want to be a chef you might need to know how to market towards customers.</p>