That's an interesting link. I didn't know anything about the legal problems, but I recently moved to the Portland area and considered enrolling in WCI's patisserie & baking program last fall. I talked to a rep pretty extensively, visited the school, filled out the application, and was thisclose to actually going. But something about it just didn't feel right to me (and that was as much a personal thing as it was about the school), so I decided not to do it
( ... )
On the flip side, I have recently graduated from the WCI's patisserie and baking program, and I found the experience to be a very rewarding - from classroom to externship. Without a doubt, it's not a cheap experience (the AOS program cost me 35K), but I did learn valuable skills. Within two weeks of graduation, I was snapped up as a head baker for a reputable and large national company (in one of their new bakeries in the Pacific Northwest).
I haven't heard about any legal problems at the school. My suggestion would be to contact the WCI and be perfectly candid about your concerns. After all, it is YOUR life and YOUR money. I can understand why you wouldn't want to play the odds with it.
There is another culinary institute in Portland: the Oregon Culinary Institute. I considered going there as well, but the LCB certification seems to hold more weight in the work market -- which helped me make my final decision.
To any aspiring culinary/patisserie/garde manger student, I would instead recommend attending the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) instead of Le Cordon Bleu. Why? Having worked at a Le Cordon Bleu, I know that the faculty's interest stops when you are matriculated as a student. You are also not given any transferable credit to any other institution and your certificate, which costs about as much as the average law degree basically buys you a line cook job (which you can get anyways). If you wanted to attend any culinary school at all... please go to the CIA, they are marked by tradition, excellence, and success. In fact, Cat Cora of Iron Chef America was educated there as well as many other well regarded chefs.
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I haven't heard about any legal problems at the school. My suggestion would be to contact the WCI and be perfectly candid about your concerns. After all, it is YOUR life and YOUR money. I can understand why you wouldn't want to play the odds with it.
There is another culinary institute in Portland: the Oregon Culinary Institute. I considered going there as well, but the LCB certification seems to hold more weight in the work market -- which helped me make my final decision.
Good luck in whatever decision you make!
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Why? Having worked at a Le Cordon Bleu, I know that the faculty's interest stops when you are matriculated as a student. You are also not given any transferable credit to any other institution and your certificate, which costs about as much as the average law degree basically buys you a line cook job (which you can get anyways).
If you wanted to attend any culinary school at all... please go to the CIA, they are marked by tradition, excellence, and success. In fact, Cat Cora of Iron Chef America was educated there as well as many other well regarded chefs.
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