Spotlight Schools Search
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
New England Culinary Institute • Montpelier, VT
Studying Culinary Arts (completion in 2000)
• 9/14/2011
"I learned a lot and received good hands on training. I went there specifically so I could get a foot in the door at a couple of restaurants in NY and it worked. I was thrilled with the whole deal."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would not only recommend the school but I would also suggest not going anywhere else. It is the best program to prepare you for the business of restaurant cooking. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | It is as highly regarded as CIA, but I their program is more intense with the student to teacher ratio and focus on classical French technique. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I believe the student to teacher ratio is still 7:1 in all classes. And they have top notch instructors and facility. I am convinced it is the best culinary program in the country. |
| Instruction | 10 | All classes were hands-on in the facilities, there were very few lectures. I believe people learn best by doing rather than listening. They have mastered that at NECI. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I think the majority of people aren't prepared so it is more difficult than it was for me. But they work you hard in the kitchens and expect you to work or study in your off time. The second year students are very competitive which adds even more strain. You are encouraged to enter national contests and get the best internships in the City. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Hands-on learning is their system and it is engrained in their culture. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | The school has very few options. You are there for two years, alternating on and off between six months of internships and classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Since you learn through working in facilities in Burlington and Montpelier they have a wide variety of restaurants. If you need extra help you can always work for them outside of class time. That would be considered a lab. It has great facilities and a well-structured program. |
| Social Life | 4 | Not much of a social life when I was there. It is a small community of students and you are working many hours in class. There were no sports to my knowledge when I attended, but perhaps now. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The career placement services is another area I have not taken advantage of. I have gotten all my jobs in the best restaurants in the early part of the decade, which started in NY with Charlie Palmer, purely based on the school. That counts for something, but as far as jobs posted at the school and that stuff I am not sure. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I picked average because I can't honestly tell you. I don't talk to anyone I went to school with and I don't hear anything from an alumni association. I just don't have the knowledge to answer fairly. |
Review your current or past school and help others make better career decisions.