How to Apply to Culinary School

If you have a lifelong love affair with food, or if you're interested in improving your career options beyond being a prep or line cook, you may want to apply to culinary school. Since admission to culinary school can be competitive, you can give yourself an edge by gaining some rudimentary kitchen skills before applying.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Finish high school and take an entry-level job working in a kitchen. Most often, this will involve you starting out as a prep cook.
2. Work hard and win the favor of your supervisors. It's also a good idea to amass varied references by working in kitchens that prepare a variety of different foods.
3. Visit the various culinary schools in your area. You'll want to find out what kind of reputation each school has with employers. Tour the facilities, noting class sizes and the teaching styles of the various instructors.
4. Have a specialization in mind. This will help you narrow your list of options. Generally, you can focus your education on restaurant management, culinary arts, baking or other specializations.
5. Request information from the school. Find out how many people apply each year on average and how many spaces are in the program. This will also help familiarize you with the different application procedures you're certain to encounter at these schools.
6. Figure out how to finance your education. Does the school offer bursaries or financial aid? What kind of student loans or scholarships are available? Have your financing in place before you apply, or you may be asked to give up your spot in the program to somebody who can pay for it.
7. Get references from known and respected career-oriented kitchen managers, cooks and chefs. Reputable culinary schools almost always ask applicants to provide the names of several people who can attest to your ability and professionalism.
8. Complete the application as directed. Send it to the school by registered post or courier, and call the school to make sure it was received. Don't wait until the last minute; if you miss the deadline, you'll be out of luck.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have at least 1 to 2 years' experience working in a restaurant kitchen, you'll put yourself ahead of your competition for spots in most programs. High-end programs may actually require significant professional experience, which you should be aware of before you apply.

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