Okay, so here's my story.
I got a letter yesterday. I've been accepted to graduate school to study English Lit.
I don't think I want to go. I'm almost certain I don't want to go.
I want to go to culinary school.
I went to a name-brand undergraduate univeristy. I did not do exceptionally well. The only reason I could possibly have been accepted to graduate school was that I went to a name-brand university. It counts.
Also, I'm fairly convinced that the education I received really was better. I've certainly been more challenged than many of my high school friends who went to the local public school.
For these reasons, its pretty important to me to go to a name-brand culinary school. I was told that when applying for an undergraduate education names really don't matter as much as people make out, which is true, but doesn't mean that names don't matter at all.
One of my problems, however, is that I don't really know which culinary schools are the name brands. I've been looking at lots of them, but beyond J&W and CIA, I don't know what to make of them. I certainly don't want to spend two years in Rhode Island (just a random personal predjustice), but perhaps Denver and Virgina are contenders (does it matter wich campus one attends?).
The CIA looks great, and Devotay's previous posts have me looking seriously at New England Culinary Institute. So, that's three potentials. Are there really no others? Some of the more famous NYC schools are vaugely interesting, but seem to grant certificates, and I'm rather intent on getting an associates.
Places like IUP are far less expensive, but don't seem to have name recognition in the culinary world, even though the rest of the university is quite respectable in academic circles. Other places, like Atlantic Culinary Academy and Culinard have very snappy brochures and impressive rhetoric, but is it to be beleived? And what, exactly, is the deal with Le Cordon Bleu "Programs," which seem to be in effect at regional schools across the country?
Furthermore, does my acedemic experience in school selection not translate to the culinary world, which is still a little medeaval in a lot of ways -- apprenticeship, for example? Also, I'm planning on doing like I did for college -- apply to three or four and see what turns up. Is this how it's supposed to work? Or should I set my sights on just one and work like heck to get in there?
I'm sorry for venting like this, and anyone responding gets much props for patience. I'm really pretty lost, though. I simply don't know any other culinarians who can tell me how things really work. My University guidence department actually laughed at me when I told them I'd rather go to culinary school than graduate school.
worried, confused, and thankful,
P
I got a letter yesterday. I've been accepted to graduate school to study English Lit.
I don't think I want to go. I'm almost certain I don't want to go.
I want to go to culinary school.
I went to a name-brand undergraduate univeristy. I did not do exceptionally well. The only reason I could possibly have been accepted to graduate school was that I went to a name-brand university. It counts.
Also, I'm fairly convinced that the education I received really was better. I've certainly been more challenged than many of my high school friends who went to the local public school.
For these reasons, its pretty important to me to go to a name-brand culinary school. I was told that when applying for an undergraduate education names really don't matter as much as people make out, which is true, but doesn't mean that names don't matter at all.
One of my problems, however, is that I don't really know which culinary schools are the name brands. I've been looking at lots of them, but beyond J&W and CIA, I don't know what to make of them. I certainly don't want to spend two years in Rhode Island (just a random personal predjustice), but perhaps Denver and Virgina are contenders (does it matter wich campus one attends?).
The CIA looks great, and Devotay's previous posts have me looking seriously at New England Culinary Institute. So, that's three potentials. Are there really no others? Some of the more famous NYC schools are vaugely interesting, but seem to grant certificates, and I'm rather intent on getting an associates.
Places like IUP are far less expensive, but don't seem to have name recognition in the culinary world, even though the rest of the university is quite respectable in academic circles. Other places, like Atlantic Culinary Academy and Culinard have very snappy brochures and impressive rhetoric, but is it to be beleived? And what, exactly, is the deal with Le Cordon Bleu "Programs," which seem to be in effect at regional schools across the country?
Furthermore, does my acedemic experience in school selection not translate to the culinary world, which is still a little medeaval in a lot of ways -- apprenticeship, for example? Also, I'm planning on doing like I did for college -- apply to three or four and see what turns up. Is this how it's supposed to work? Or should I set my sights on just one and work like heck to get in there?
I'm sorry for venting like this, and anyone responding gets much props for patience. I'm really pretty lost, though. I simply don't know any other culinarians who can tell me how things really work. My University guidence department actually laughed at me when I told them I'd rather go to culinary school than graduate school.
worried, confused, and thankful,
P
