Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Hillsborough Community College • Tampa, FL
Studying Paralegal (completion in 2012)
• 10/24/2011
"If I could do it again I would of pick a different college. I am unhappy with HCC and I wish it could have had been better."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would recommend the Law profession - it is interesting and offers great pay - but I would not recommend HCC. I would tell people to seek other schools and do their homework. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Many people say the program is great, however I do not believe so. I think it could have used a better format. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I am happy with the program, just not my school's program educational wise. I think they lacked professional teachers to teach us in certain classes. |
| Instruction | 10 | |
| How Difficult | 5 | Some classes were easy, some were semi difficult. Since I work in Law it came easier to me than most. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Some teachers are hands on some are not. I prefer not because some books that are required are way out of the spectrum of what the class information should be and is not following Florida law. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | My school offers more classes in the morning than online and at night. This is not good due to me working full time. They need to provide more classes for working people. |
| Academic Facilities | 1 | I am not impressed with my school's resources or advisers or tutors, except for one campus in Ruskin, FL, which has the best math lab. The dean of HCC needs to reevaluate who they hire to teach classes and guide the students. |
| Social Life | 5 | I do not really get into school spirit or parties. I work full time and have no time for extra activities. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I never received this from my school. All our counselors are under qualified, rude, and not helpful. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | My school is very unorganized and people are not there to learn. I would not recommend HCC to people who live in Tampa, Florida. |
The Art Institute Of Tampa • Tampa, FL
Studying Pastry (completion in 2009)
• 11/4/2011
"Poor teaching, poor program. Thank god for the internet."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | No, it was not a place I would send anyone. In fact, if not for some other programs at the Ai, the school would have to close. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | This is why I went there - it is one of the best. But alas, I knew more than they did. |
| Program Quality | 6 | I expected more but it was cookie cutter. I learned more online than I did from the Ai. |
| Instruction | 2 | It was like being instructed by a student instead of a master. Again, I learned more online. |
| How Difficult | 1 | It's cooking. You need a little chemistry and you're good. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The program needs more hands on work. It was 6 months until I touched a pot or pan, let alone cooked. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | The lack of weekend and online classes was a problem. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Now the kitchens were the most well stocked I have been in, even to this day. |
| Social Life | 6 | I am kind of a loner. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They had me a job in less than 2 weeks. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The same as any other school I have been too. |
Johnson & Wales University • North Miami, FL
Studying Culinary Arts (completion in 1999)
• 11/9/2011
"I have no complaints about my time at J&W. If I could do it all again, I would have stayed and worked on my bachelor's degree. However, full-time jobs and overtime never gave me much spare time. Now I hear that they offer a master's degree, which often tempts me to return."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Although pricey, it is a solid investment in your culinary career. If someone was serious about making a long-term commitment to the restaurant industry, I would recommend they look into the program at J&W. There are student loans available and plenty of financial aid programs to help them graduate. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | J&W has one of the best reputations in the industry, next to CIA and Le Cordon Bleu. When compared to a technical school or community college, J&W beats them all. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The program at J&W was very well planned, organized and taught. My experience there enhanced my real-world skills and gave me the "fine tuning" I needed to move up in the ranks. |
| Instruction | 9 | I would say that you get out of any instruction what you put into it. I found the instruction at J&W to be superior. All of my instructors brought their personal experience and knowledge to the table. They engaged me because I wanted to better my skills, and I found their knowledge very useful. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Personally, I found the culinary arts core classes easy, because I already worked in the industry. However, the general education (math, speech, etc.) were a bit of a challenge. I found myself having to put forth more effort with those subjects, because I had been out of high school for a while, unlike the core culinary courses, which came naturally. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I think that the culinary program at J&W was a perfect blend of both hands on and book study. We were given enough practicum experience to put to use what we read in class. Testing was all hands on, and usually for an audience of tasters (composed of other students and teachers). Since I worked in the industry at the time, I put to good use the hands-on part and brought ideas in return to class. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | When I attended J&W, there were night classes, regular day classes and weekend classes. I do not recall distance learning as an option for my degree, but they did offer it for business majors. Not until recently did I hear they expanded their available degrees beyond business. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The North Miami campus was pretty small at the time and was new to their system of schools. The campus was composed of two buildings that I believe used to be a hospital. Their library was small, yet functional. The culinary classrooms were very well designed, but the campus itself was no larger than 4 square blocks. |
| Social Life | 10 | It was a great place to socialize. There were plenty of volunteer opportunities to gain career experience/exposure within the community. The students there were from all parts of the world, which gave you a very diverse pool of friends. I do not recall much of an athletic program when I was there, but I think the Rhode Island campus had one, since it was larger. |
| Placement Services | 9 | When I graduated, they had an excellent career resource office and director. I got a job at Walt Disney World within 6 months of graduation. While it did not pay all that great, it sure did make my resume fatter. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | I do not actively participate in their alumni programs, meetings, etc., because I move a lot. I do, however, receive their alumni magazine in the mail, which keeps me informed on their happenings. From the looks of things, I would say that they are doing an excellent job on keeping everyone connected. |
Johnson & Wales • Orlando, FL
Studying Executive Chef (completion in 2005)
• 12/7/2011
"I have no complaints."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is a great place to certify your skills. Anyone who wants to cook should check them out. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | They are the best. Who has not heard of Johnson & Wales? |
| Program Quality | 8 | Very thorough program. I learned more than I needed to work successfully. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instructors were wonderful. The equipment was professional. |
| How Difficult | 6 | The subject matter was not difficult. I am very used to cooking. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I'd say it was a perfect mix. Hands on and book balanced. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I was going to school full time. Many of my fellow students were not, and they had no problems with flexibility. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | State-of-the-art equipment and excellent facilities. It was great. |
| Social Life | I did not socialize much. I am not a social person. | |
| Placement Services | 8 | These services were great. I had no problem getting a job. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | I am involved heavily with alumni activities. The program is great. |
Le Cordon Bleu • Orlando, FL
Studying Baking And Pastry (completion in 2004)
• 12/13/2011
"They taught me what I needed to learn, as far as technique is concerned. They were horrible in all other areas."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | The financial aid department will ruin their credit. It will be a hassle from day 1. The only good thing about this school is the instruction, but it is overshadowed by the bureaucratic nonsense. |
| Program Reputation | I am not sure how well they are rated. I know Le Cordon Bleu is an amazing school, but the Orlando division may not be the best. | |
| Program Quality | 3 | The classes were amazing, but the financial aid office stole half of my tuition. It was a whole legal matter to get it back. |
| Instruction | 8 | The curriculum prepared me for work, but not the environment. I learned a lot about technique, but not a lot about what to expect in the real world. |
| How Difficult | 10 | Professional chefs using old techniques. The instruction was amazing. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school used a few textbooks, but it was mainly hands on, as with most culinary schools. We walked away with lots of burns and cuts. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | They had no online options. Classes were at a set time and we did not get to choose. You showed up when they said, for the class they said. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The kitchens were amazing. The computer classroom was fine. They had older computers, but they suited our needs. The library was severely lacking. |
| Social Life | 1 | There were no social events to speak of. Any special events they put on were cooking demos for potential students that were mandatory for certain classes. |
| Placement Services | 1 | They had none to speak of. They did not provide anything at all. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | The school offered no support after graduation. There are no alumni activities. |
Le Cordon Bleu • Orlando, FL
Studying Culinary Operations (completion in 2010)
• 2/4/2012
"I feel that it was a good choice, because I like my career. I think that there are much better schools, though."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would tell people to look at all schools. It was a good school, but it may not be for everyone. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | It is a well-known school. It isn't very prestigious, though. It's more of a degree mill. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I think I was taught a lot, but there are more prestigious schools. The program was good, because I had a lot of hands-on learning. |
| Instruction | 6 | It was a little above average. Many times, I trained in real restaurants. I had a lot of hands-on learning experiences in the real world. |
| How Difficult | 4 | It wasn't difficult to learn to cook. It was a fairly easy workload; it was just difficult with the amount of time required. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a good mix. A lot was hands on. We also had to study from books. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | They are easy to work with. They allow time for family and kids as well. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | I liked all the facilities. All the newest technologies were available to the students. |
| Social Life | 2 | There were no parties or socializing done by the school. You make your own friends and socialize with them. |
| Placement Services | 5 | It was the same as any other school in its caliber. I think that it could have helped the students more. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I don't think that they offer many opportunities after school. I wish that they offered mentors who actually worked in the field. |
SCF • Venice, FL
Studying Chef (completion in 2013)
• 2/10/2012
"They were great, but they could have improved on a couple key things. However, from what I hear, they are improving everything."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Anyone who wants to be a chef but can't afford those Harvard-like cooking schools should come to SCF. They will work with anyone to make your career dream come true. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The school just started this program, so it doesn't have that great of a reputation yet. But everyone who has taken it raves about it. |
| Program Quality | 8 | It had some great programs and great teachers, but I felt that they could have updated their textbooks and equipment. |
| Instruction | 10 | I had awesome teachers who taught me so much. They even let me skip the meat section of cooking, because I am a vegetarian and work in a vegan restaurant. |
| How Difficult | 1 | I breezed through the program. The only challenging part was going to be the meat section and they let me skip it, as long as I knew all of the regulations about it. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It's cooking, so it kind of has to be hands on, to really learn your stuff! You can't just read all about it and assume you're a great cook. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I have a baby and they were extremely flexible with working everything out in my scheduling. I was thrilled with them. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The equipment and textbooks were outdated. Other than that, it was fine. |
| Social Life | 10 | I loved the school. I loved the teachers that I've had. |
| Placement Services | They do not help with job placement at all. | |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I haven't had any personal help from alumni, but some of my friends have, and they say that they are extremely helpful. They tell you the greatest and worst teachers and the best places to intern. |
Johnson & Wales • North Miami, FL
Studying Culinary Arts (completion in 1999)
• 2/21/2012
"It was a brilliant learning environment. Learning was fun and fulfilling."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It's the top-rated school in its field. Overall, they provided a great experience and education. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | We have many successful graduates, as it's one of the top culinary schools in the country. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Excellent staff and teachers, hands-on learning and very friendly environment. |
| Instruction | 10 | Knowledgeable and competent staff who are patient with hands-on teaching. |
| How Difficult | 9 | A lot of work. We had detailed studies and artistic learning. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | They have very hands on instruction. There's always an instructor there to help when you need it. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Many classes are offered at most times of the day. Night classes are offered to those who need to work. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | They have fully stocked kitchens, beautiful libraries and well-maintained books. |
| Social Life | 9 | I hear it was grand, but I didn't have much time for socializing, as I was too busy working. |
| Placement Services | 9 | They offer many great restaurant connections and benefit from a wonderful reputation for skilled graduates. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | They have an in-depth news network. Brilliantly designed interface. |
Orlando Culinary Academy • Orlando, FL
Studying Culinary Arts (completion in 2004)
• 3/3/2012
"It's a good school, but I don't think it was worth the cost."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Generally, no. If you want to cook, go beg for a menial job in a good kitchen and work your way up. Maybe if you have some corporate job that will respect you more if you have a degree, get it. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Culinary schools flood cities with inexperienced, arrogant, lazy people. You have to work hard to prove you are willing to obey, learn, and be reliable. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I learned a lot, but the only school this industry respects is the Culinary Institute of America. |
| Instruction | 9 | My teachers were knowledgeable and helpful. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Time consuming, but certainly not overwhelming. It is harder if you also work more than 40 hrs a week. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Some classes (like math) are book classes. Otherwise you are in a kitchen making something. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | AM or PM, but attendance is not flexible. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | It was well equipped, plenty of help available, also some extra activities to learn more. |
| Social Life | 8 | Some of the classes had parties that we catered, as part of the class. That was fun and the food was great. Many of us worked a lot and there weren't really other activities that I could do. I did make some good friends. |
| Placement Services | 5 | They helped me get my unpaid internship. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | As helpful as any school I've attended. |
Charlotte Technical School • Port Charlotte, FL
Studying Hospitality (completion in 2010)
• 3/27/2012
"It could have been better, but it was all I could afford. If I had the money, I would consider going to a different school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would only recommend the school if someone has a tight budget. Other culinary schools offer better education. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | They are more known for their medical programs. It is a small school, so they are not well known at all. |
| Program Quality | 4 | It is a very small school with a low budget. The certificate is not accredited. |
| Instruction | 6 | The teachers were very friendly, but they were not very experienced in the field they were teaching. |
| How Difficult | 4 | Since I love cooking and restaurants, it was not very hard for me. I didn't have a job while I was going to school, which also helped. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We spent half the time learning in the classroom and the other half in the kitchen. It was an even amount of time. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | It was a set schedule with no room for flexibility. They do let you make up classes on different days. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | They provided everything needed for me to learn. Everything was modern and not outdated. |
| Social Life | 3 | Everyone basically went to school and then went home. There were no sports teams or school spirit. |
| Placement Services | 2 | I had to find a job on my own. The school didn't help at all. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | The school is very small. Most students don't really care. |
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