Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Chefs
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Northern Virginia Community College, Tidewater Community College, J Sargeant Reynolds Community College, and Virginia Western Community College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Northern Virginia Community College, Tidewater Community College, and J Sargeant Reynolds Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Virginia Western Community College, Dabney S Lancaster Community College, Tidewater Community College, and J Sargeant Reynolds Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Stratford University, Northern Virginia Community College, and Tidewater Community College.
Spotlight Schools Search
Spotlight Virginia Schools Related to This Career
- Locations: Arlington, Virginia Beach
- Programs: 12 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Certificate, Diploma
Culinary Institute of Virginia
- Locations: Norfolk
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate
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Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Sweet Briar College • Sweet Briar, VA
Studying Culinary Arts (completion in 2006)
• 10/14/2011
"This wasn't the best experience in the world, but the knowledge was invaluable. The friends that I made and the techniques I learned from the Chefs will last a lifetime."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would recommend my school only to someone who wants a very broad knowledge base of the Culinary Arts. If you are looking to specialize in a particular cuisine, I would recommend going elsewhere. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | The program is fairly well known in this area. It isn't the best program by any means, but it definitely is the most practical for those who live in my area. |
| Program Quality | 3 | I really didn't learn a great deal at Sweet Briar. Most of my cooking comes from natural talent and improvisation, with a tiny bit of luck. |
| Instruction | 3 | There was a lot of room for improvement in regards to the faculty that worked with us. The course was well laid out but the delivery was hard to take in. |
| How Difficult | 6 | It wasn't too difficult, but at the same time the work load was heavy. The instructors were demanding as well, and this made it slightly more difficult. Luckily, a lot of it was group work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Virtually all of the work that meant anything was hands-on. You can't learn to clean and cut a chicken without a knife. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The classes were fairly flexible and had multiple sections available. The individual cooking tests were held anytime in the week that suited each individual (depending on the availability of the instructors). |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | As for mass media outlets and technological advantages, the facility was sorely lacking, but the Chefs and the respective sous chefs were just as passionate about teaching as we were about learning. They also maintained a very well-stocked kitchen space and several new editions of textbooks. |
| Social Life | 6 | We were encouraged to work with the other cooks in order to feed off each other, so to speak. This allowed more room for improvisation and fresh directions. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The college gave me a job working in the cafeteria after I graduated. This has proven to be very helpful as jobs are hard to come by. |
Old Dominion University • Norfolk, VA
Studying Physical Health (completion in 2014)
• 11/24/2011
"Although my school works very hard to provide a social and educational atmosphere, I feel that they can do better. "
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | There are other schools that I would recommend to others. It depends on the financial aspect and other factors leading to the decision of recommendation. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | My school's current reputation of the program is not well known. It only has an influence on areas around the school. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Although my school provides a variety of programs that could improve and help with my major, it lacks the specific knowledge that I require. |
| Instruction | 7 | I learned a lot of things while I started working part time. The knowledge that I learned in school was useful, but not essential. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The programs are fairly simple and straightforward. Most of the materials just require times to remember. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My school provides more of a book learning style. Hands-on experiences are rare. This is why I feel that things I learned while working are much more valuable. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The class schedule flexibility is horrible. Certain classes are only offered in one semester, but not the other. Most class time slots are conflicting, which creates a great deal of problems. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | There are a variety of academic facilities and resources around the campus. Tutors and study groups are organized for many courses. The professors' office hours are planned out throughout the semester. |
| Social Life | 7 | The social experience at my school is great. There are many organized events throughout the semester. Many games are played in the school. In addition, parties are generally hosted every weekend. |
| Placement Services | 8 | My school's job placement and career services assistance is great. The Career Management Center helps students locate jobs and prepares students for resumes and interviews. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | My school's alumni network is fairly large. The large network makes it very hard to organize. A lot of information is given out to students; however, most of the students just ignore them, since it's way too much. |
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