# ESCF Ferrandi Cuisine Program - February 2011



## bardi

Hello,
Has anyone applied for the ESCF Ferrandi cuisine program for the February 2011 term? I applied at the end of September and I'm very anxious to hear back.

Please let me know,

Thanks,

p.s I started a Facebook group, hoping to get some more info from applicants or ex-culinary students. As of now I'm the only member!!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=165496780134248


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## laroux84

i was doing some research on culinary schools with a concentration in Baking and Pastry and Ferrandi comes highly recommended! I am applying for sept 2011 too, just waiting on my recommendation. There is a guy on chef talk who says he is in the program and apparently it sucks. Now whether its true or not, i dont know. I wanna go to ferrandi because of french pastry skills then i would like to open up my own little cake shop


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## thelae

Hi Bardi,

I tried to join your group today in FB  Someone need to approve me as it is closed group.

I'm in for Patisserie program in February 2011.


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## saranovaa

Hello,

I am applying for the September slot as well. I haven't submitted anything yet, but I am working on it. I would like to concentrate in Pastry. Does anyone have advice about housing or finding apartments (if I were accepted)? I have no professional culinary background so any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## spagetti07

Hi there!

I've just been accepted into the Professional French Pastry & Bread Baking program at ESCF Ferrandi for September 2011 semester. Is there any only who also got accepted and will be attending the course in September?? Hope to cu guys there in September 2011.

Cheers!


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## theunknowncook

FYI:

It would behoove you to see Chocolat's *posts* in *this thread*!


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## shopgirl

Congratulations! I applied for the course as well, but have yet to hear from them....  

Did they email you?


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## ericka1584

I wish! I am still waiting on my freakin passport. Grrr!  Hopefully, I will get everything in before the sept session is full.  Does anyone how many spots are left for cuisine?


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## feebs

Hi Spagetti07 - I'll also be attending the Sept 11 session of ESCF's pastry program.


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## mashav

Hi I'm also attending ESCF's Sep 11 session but in the culinary program.


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## shopgirl

hi feebs and mashav,

i was wondering when you guys got your acceptance letters? i think i might not have gotten in  ....


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## cait

Hi! I am also attending the September 11 session of the pastry program


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## mashav

I got an email with the letter and it's supposed to be sent by post as well. In the meantime they're waiting for me to pass the first payment. I guess you could be on a waiting list couz they're waiting till the end of April for people to pay.. am I right?

Didn't anyone here apply for the culinary program?

what are your plans regarding an apartment etc?


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## spagetti07

Hi feebs & cait - Congratulations!! I will cu guys at the school or we can arrange to meet before then. I'm planning to be in Paris to find suitable apartment to stay or share with other students (hopefully from the same class). I talked to Stephanie about the list of accommodation she will send to us in the upcoming weeks. But still haven't heard back from her on this. So right now I'm looking for an apartment to stay during my course via some online website. When do you plan to be in Paris? I am planning to be there a week earlier in August before the start date of the Pastry course.
Feel free to email or add me on FB. 
Btw, where are you guys from? I'm from Thailand.


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## spagetti07

@Mashav Congratulation to you too!! Hope to see you in Paris in Aug'11. Have you already plan when you will be in Paris?? Probably we can all arrange to meet and introduce each other before our classes start. For housing, I'm looking for a studio room in an apartment in a little bit out of Paris (20-30 mins travel by Train) as I read many online posts and blogs and they are said to be mug cheaper cost than staying right in Paris. Let me know if you plan to be there early, so we all get to meet each other (a small gathering) then.

(sorry I just read your post and realized you were inviting me to be added to your FB. I have added you now so we can have a chat.)

@TheUnknowCook I've read many posts and feedback & reviews from many blogs and personal comment online before choosing to apply to ESCF Ferrandi. But you an never know the truth or judging it until you there yourself. So once I started my course, I will then be able to share my thought and experiences with you and others. Thanks for your comment on this.


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## mashav

I will be happy to meet with you guys before beginning of the course.

I see everyone here are pastry students! what about some culinary people?

On the housing - I would probably prefer finding a smaller place in the city center so I can be close to everything, though I know it is more expensive. And anyway, I understand that living in Tel-Aviv (where I'm from) costs about the same so what the hack? 

I have tuns of questions still yet to be answered, some of them I sent to Stephanie and waiting for a response from her. Did any of you got some answers along the applications process that can be helpful to others as well?


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## spagetti07

Mashav - Nice chatting with you on FB. It's good to get to know someone who is going in the same direction (destination) at least. ^_^


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## spagetti07

For your questions, I'd suggest you email and call Stephanie and confirm to her that you will be joining in their culinary class in September 2011. If she doesn't response, just give her a call during her working hours.

About the housing, I used to ask her and she said she will be sending me a list of housing accommodation in the upcoming weeks (as it has already been almost a month now). So I think I will just email her again to ask her about this since I'd need to find a temporary housing upon applying for the student visa to show them that I've got everything organized (for at least 2-3 months) prior to arriving in Paris. I will also ask the local French consulate if I'd require to have proof of 3 months accommodation or would 1 month would do it when applying for the visa. Will share with you on this later. Although not sure if this might be varies depending on each country's requirement or not.

Does anyone here have any suggestion for a good accommodation listing that we could find a temporary or permanent apartment in either Paris or Suburban in English??

@feebs @Cait Have you guys already confirmed your offer of place in Pastry course? Where are you come from??



spagetti07 said:


> Mashav - Nice chatting with you on FB. It's good to get to know someone who is going in the same direction (destination) at least. ^_^


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## feebs

I'm from HK.  Going to send my confirmation tomorrow, and yes it would be great to catch up with other students before the program starts.  Hoping to be there one or two weeks before the first day.


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## cait

Hi! I am planning to mail my confirmation in tomorrow.  I am also planning to move a couple of weeks prior to the start date, and would love to meet up.  I am from the United States and it seems as though I have to provide plans for housing in order to apply for my Visa.  I have been looking at several websites in order to find a long term apartment within the city, but will most likely wait for Stephanie to send us suggestions on where to look (which will hopefully be soon!).  I am a bit nervous about finding a place, primarily because I am unsure of the specifics of renting an studio in Paris, i.e. which costs you should make sure are included or what area is a safe one to live in. 

I hope everyone is having/had a great day/night


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## zemsbg

Hi everyone !!!

I just turned in my application today in person as i am living in Paris all ready !!

I talked with stephany and she said there where still about 3 or 4 spots open for the cuisine programme.

Last week I met somepeople from the february program they were loving it there so all good 

I moved here in January but as i couldnt get into the february program i started working in a bistro here in Paris, the Consulting Chef is one of the most famous chefs here in france he said that Ferrandi is by far the leading school in France together with a school in Strasbourg ...

Everybody else i meet that work in a kitchen say the same thing, So i guess Ferrandi is the place to be !!!

As for the people looking for housing, you should really wait for stephany to help you guys out, looking on your own can be really troublesome as French people are really distrusting and housing in Paris is VERY expensive !! a small 15 square meter studio can go from 800€ to 1500€ a month :O

If you wanna look for something try this website http://www.pap.fr/ ...

I wont be in Paris in August as i will take a short vacation before starting on the 31st ... but i am here the rest of the time so if any of you come in early we can get in touch !!!

Also if you need something info on Paris and if i can be of any help give me a shout !!!

Hope to meet your all,

Zé


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## shopgirl

Hi everyone, i've just been informed that I've been accepted to the pastry school!! i'm so happy!!! i was so sure that I wouldn't get it after seeing that you guys have been accepted so early. 
Coincidentally, i will be in Paris in May for a holiday so i will get a chance to speak to Stephanie and hopefully be loaded with more information about lodging and share this news with everyone. 

Congratulations to all!

btw, i'm from Singapore


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## zemsbg

I've just been accepted to the september cuisine  program !!! It took 3 days ... wow !!!! I wanst expecting an answer untill may ... and this morning i got an email from Michel Mouisel and Stephany ... So i guess i'll see some of you the 31st of August !!!

@shopgirl ... I'm all ready in Paris if you wanna meet it would be great !!! 

See ya !!


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## shopgirl

@ze, i would love to meet up! shall i contact you via email? or you could contact me at [email protected]  see you soon!


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## spagetti07

@shopgirl @Cait @feebs and @Zemsbg 
Congratulations to you all!!

I'm currently looking for studio/ 1bdrm apartment in Paris via Several website and found many great and nice places both in and around Paris. Although most of them are quite expensive especially in the city center. Anyway, I was advised by some of my friends that if you look for a housing a bit outside of Paris, the cost would be cheaper with nicer room and sometimes more spacious than what you would get at the similar rates in the city itself. 
Anyway, I am currently looking for a 1 bdrm apartment outside the city center and most of them seemed to be occupies until July/Aug. 

At the moment I'm only looking for a short term place to stay upon my arrival in order to inquire for the housing document which we would be required when applying for a student visa. Has anyone been applying for student visa and got a housing for August yet?

Btw, I'm so glad we are able to touch base with other students who will be in Sep'11 classes (both Pastry & Culinary) here. If anyone has any updates from Stephanie, as I believed she is currently on her vacation until 26 April, please do share with us the housing information and more. Hope to see you guys in August before the school starts!

Cheers!
Claire

PS. @shopgirl @Cait @feebs and @Zemsbg Are you guys spewing French or have studied French before you will go to Paris??


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## ericka1584

I just checked my email and saw that I've been accepted to Sept Culinary!  I am currently in Chicago and want to start my visa app, but need to get proof of residency (as we all do). At first I was thinking about doing a home-stay program for a while just to get my paperwork. And then once I'm in Paris it will be easier to find a more suitable studio/apartment once I am a little more familiar with everything.  I guess I'll wait for the housing info from Stephanie before I make up my mind.  It would be cool to have a roommate from the program if anyone is still looking!  I'm just so excited, I want to get everything done right away, guess I'll just have to be patient although Sept will be here before we know it!


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## feebs

I studied french a long time ago so am relearning it now.  Understand you'll be fine if you don't speak it at the beginning but you'll be expected to pick it up as you go, so best to start now if you have some time!


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## cait

I am currently trying to learn French.  @Feebs I agree that it is best to start now in preparation.

@spagetti07 I also have to find housing in order to apply for my student visa.  I have been looking at a couple of websites, but honestly am hesitant about agreeing to a lease without really knowing where to look. That being said I really want to apply for my visa asap so I can't wait too much longer to find somewhere. If you don't mind me asking, what resources are you using for your search?


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## shopgirl

i've been studying french at university, but will still need to brush up on it! 

have yet to find any place to stay either. is anyone open to sharing a house/apartments? i understand that apartments in the center of Paris would be smaller so perhaps sharing then wouldn't be very feasible


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## spagetti07

Hi! Cait,

I've been googling through the websites that were recommended by other people on several websites that relating to Paris Housing and Accommodation posts. My favourite one are:

Parisattitude.com
Parisapartment.com
http://sublet.lodgis.com/en/paris (this site provides many good options and variety of housing per your preferred locations which produced pretty good housing source)
Pap.fr (since I wasn't able to read French yet, so I haven't really looked into this one but saw many people recommended to check out the housing accommodation on this website)
Appartranger.com
Parisstay.com

I'm still finding a temporary place to stay during my first arrival in Paris. May be we could arrange to meet up in August when we are there and look for the appropriate housing resources for more permanent as it would be a good idea to visit and check out the actual places first prior to make a decision for a more permanent stay during our courses.

How about you? When are you planning to arrive in Paris? Is this your first time going to France? Mine is and I'm very excited about the course, the housing, the culture, people, food, school, and everyone who will be attending the same class in Sep'11.


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## ericka1584

@spagetti07

I looked briefly at parisattitude.com.  The studios were small and $$$.  the larger 2bd were decently priced and can be shared comfortably.  Though I wouldn't mind a studio if in walking distance to ESCF.  That way, can also save on transportation cost even if rent is more expensive.  Finding a roomie would be ideal. I guess we are all waiting on the list from Stephanie for more info.


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## ericka1584

@cait

where are you from in the US? i'm in chicago and can't wait for paris!!

I took french through Advanced Placement in high school.  i don't remember much but i found a course online frenchclasses.com and things are coming back quickly.  inexpensive and it is helping already!


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## ericka1584

Last thing (i'm clearly bored at work)...

Does anyone want to Skype? (i'm a dork who just discovered it and now i skype my mom who lives 20mins away!)

Has anyone read Feed Me, a blog by Joan Pan.  She completed Cuisine at ESCF a few years ago and has a blog about school (mostly).  I thought it was pretty cool to get a look inside, made me hungry mostly.


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## zemsbg

I'm Portuguese and as such i don't have Visa problems since I'm a member of the EU.

I could help out with the housing, point you to the right websites look somestuff up for you guys, but honestly even if i do live here, Stephanie as a whole lot of experience dealing with this kind of procedures, so just hang in there and I'm sure she will help you out.

I don't know how much you guys know of stephanie but I met her all ready 3 or 4 times and she is an amazing person she as been an incredible helper, it is always very nice to meet and to talk to her. The first time I showed uo at ESCF i had no apointment no nothing I even showed up with some Cordon Bleu papers in my hand ahaha, but she was very welcoming, talked to me, showed me around as a prospective student for the february course. I dind't get to enroll in february as intended but when i was finally able to enroll for the september program i again showed up unannounced and she remembered me and again was very very welcoming.

I delivered my papers and the 150€ check and 3 days later i had a reply, amazing.

I all ready told you guys I'm working in a bistro so as to get some money and to re-learn french and it's going amazing, it's not a place where i'm learning a lot but it definetly is a place where i am working A LOT so i'm getting some nice kitchen introduction ahaha !!

I learned French in high school for about 3 years, i never paid much attention to it, but it helped a lot getting into it and know i don't embarass myself that often 

Even so i'm thinking about doing some course as i would like to re-learn how to wright it properly, and if you are considering some french course you have AF which is very expensive then you have the sorborne it's definitly the best and also the "mairies" give french courses.

@shopgirl yes, my email is [email protected]

and @ericka1584 who is very bored at work ahahaha my skype is zemariasadabagomes

!!!

I'm going to Ferrandi next tuesday so if you need anything just ask !!!


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## ab6788

Hi everyone,

Firstly, congratulations to everyone accepted for this fall! I've been looking for a way to get in touch with people attending ESCF in September and luckily, found this website! I am currently working in New York and will be attending for Culinary in September. I know close to no French (but am taking some classes starting in May) and am also looking for a place to stay in Paris. I've been working through my visa documents as well and trying to figure out if I can complete my visa without knowing for sure where I'm going to live. 

My plan was to move to Paris in the beginning of August and stay with a friend of mine for a few weeks until I can find a place of my own. I figure it would be easier finding a place once I am in Paris than trying to do so online. This will be my first time going to France (except when I was about 4, which I do not remember) and I'm very excited/nervous about it. From what I gather so far, it seems that the majority of the people on this forum are females...any males so far other than myself? =) 

Also, I would be open to a roommate since all of the housing in Paris I've seen so far seems so expensive (although I suppose nothing can be worse than New York...)

I look forward to meeting all of you!


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## spagetti07

@erika  yes, the housing in Paris, expecially right in the city are very expensive and fairly small in size. I'm actually looking for a 1 bdrm apartment rather than a studio. I've been looking around for several apartments online and found a few interesting and nice ones along the way. But I'd prefer to take a look at it before signing on a long-term plan as you mentioned earlier. Anyway, I'm also open for having a roommate which in that case we can find a bigger apartment to share and practice my Pastry skills during the weekend or holidays

.


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## spagetti07

@erika my skype is: spagetti071. Speak soon!

@ab6788 Congrats to you too! Good luck and see you in Paris.


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## spagetti07

@zemsbg Since I've never been to Paris or France nor have I ever visited the school myself, would you mind taking photo within the school and around the area and share with us. I'd love to see how the school looks like and how large their facilities is as I've only saw the photo of the school's frontier and kitchen from some of those interesting bloggers' sites. Hope it's not too much trouble for you. Thank you in advance!


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## ericka1584

@spagetti07 Hi!  I'm bored at work (again) and saw you were online!

btw you can find my on fb Ericka Marshall (invite open to all!)


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## ericka1584

@ab6788 Good point about the female ratio!  Must be nice to already know someone living in Paris.  I am only getting contact info for friends of friends. Oh well, at least we'll all have each other!


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## zemsbg

@spagetti07 I'll do that  

The School is at the 7eme arrondisement of Paris ... which is to say the left bank of the river, right in the center of paris ...

2 minutes walk from the school is the Grand Epicerie de Paris ... it's one of my favourite places in Paris ... The most amazing gourmet supermarket in Paris probably ...

There are a lot of traiteurs, good ones ... Joel Robuchon's Atellier is in the vicinity as well ... As is the Luxembourg Garden, the Senat and the Saint Sulpice church which puts Notre Dame to shame ... i think 

There are 3 or 4 metro stations that you can and there is a Velib station nearby also ...

The School is a closed building ... you enter through a garage into a huge patio ... Right and Left you have multiple kitchens, ateliers ... but most of classes are in the upper floors i think ... There is a school restaurant ... a very good one i should say ...

But i'll take pictures and upload them tuesday ...


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## cait

@spagetti07 I am planning to arrive in Paris the beginning of August. I will most likely do the same thing you are in terms of finding temporary housing and then looking for somewhere more permanent once there. If you still decide to do that then I would def be up for meeting and searching around for places! I have only been to France once, and it was only for a couple of days.

@ericka1584 I am from Texas. I don't have skype yet, but am planning to download it on my computer soon.

@ab6788 Congrats! I am also trying to figure out if I do in fact have to be able to show where I plan to live in order to apply for my visa. From the CampusFrance website (does your consulate make you provide documents from CampusFrance also?) it looks like I might, but it isn't exactly clear.

@zemsbg Thank you so much for agreeing to give us an inside look into the school! It will be neat to see it and get an idea of where we will be spending so much of our time 

By the way, my email is [email protected] or you can find me on fb Caitie Gantt


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## feebs

I'll be in Paris for a week in May and will be meeting Stephanie and hopefully looking in on a class while I'm there (@zemsbg - completely agree, Stephanie is very helpful!). 

Will also look at some places while I'm there but could be too early to get a place so it will probably be just a chance to check out which districts are good to live in.  I'm open to sharing a place too as it should give us more options especially if we want to live in the city.  By the way, as students we should be eligible for a small housing reimbursement from the government.

@spaghetti07 - not sure if we'll need to practice too much after school as I heard from other students there will be plenty of practice during class!


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## ab6788

Hi Cait,

From what I read, you're from Texas? I'm applying for my visa in New York and at least on the form, it asks for an address where I'll be living...I'm not too sure what the exact policy is about this. I'm going to call the consulate sometime this week and find out if they really need that or not. Have you submitted your application yet?

-Anu


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## jamiedays

Congratulations to everyone who has been accepted at the school! It must be so exciting for you all.

Just a question, what is the email address you've been contacting Stephanie through? I've emailed her twice in the past 2 weeks and have not heard back from her. It seems no one has any troubles keeping in contact with her, so she's either ignoring my emails , or she hasn't been getting them.

I'm so interested in this program but i'm not comfortable applying without first speaking to someone at the school. It would be great if you guys can give me her email address  thanks!


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## ab6788

Hi Jamie,

Her e-mail address is [email protected]. If you've e-mailed her any time since the 15th, don't worry. I received an automated e-mail a few days ago saying she was out of the office from April 15th-April 26th. Hope this helps!


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## jamiedays

Thank you so much ab6788! I'll try that email and hopefully i'll hear back from her soon


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## zemsbg

@jamiedays ... the school as been closed for easter vacation ...

Btw her direct phone number ate the school is 0033149541809 ... but she might not answer since sometimes she is not in the office ...


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## zemsbg

So i have the Pictures ... not many since I was in a hurry ...

And i talked to stephanie and she said that the housing information should be emailed to everyone next monday ... she was working on it !!


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## zemsbg




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## zemsbg

I tried to upload the photos but its being held for moderation ... lol 

anyway i talked to stephanie today and she said that the housing detail should be sent monday, maximum ... don't expect miracles ... Paris IS expensive ...

i'll try to put the pictures on Picassa later ...

or Facebook ...

I'll put the link here soon as possible ...

Not many pictures thougth since i didnt have much time !!


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## ericka1584

@zemsbg thank you for taking those pics. they make me feel a few steps closer to being there myself in sept!


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## bottomlesstummy

Hi everyone, I'm Emily and I'm currently living in Toronto, Canada and I'll be attending the pastry program for sept 2011. Nice to meet you all and thanks for those pictures zemsbg! I'm planning to home-stay since it seems to be the cheapest option (630 Euros/month). I found the information on this link, has anyone heard of this company? http://www.homestay-in-paris.com/ I'm also open to sharing an apartment if we can work it out. Anyways, I'm planning to go to paris in mid-August and I'd love to chat and get to know some of you before the class starts! You can find me on fb (Emily Shih, Univ of Toronto network).


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## feebs

Does anyone know if the Facebook page for Ferrandi students/ex-culinary students was ever started?  Should we start one for the Sept intake - could be easier to get timely updates!

@bottomlesstummy - I'm also from Toronto but living in HK right now.  Have you started to the visa process yet?


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## bottomlesstummy

@Feebs, nice to meet you! Are you going to be back in Toronto before you head to Paris? I've just started the VISA application and I'm working on the CampusFrance form. As most people have mentioned, you can't complete the application without confirming your housing arrangements for the first 3 months. I'm waiting to hear back from Stephanie but I'll likely be going with the home-stay option for at least the first 1-3 months. I'm looking forward to hearing about your visit in May!

There is a fb page for the Feb 2011 session which I've joined. I can't remember the exact name of the page but I'll let you know later since I can't use fb at work.


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## bottomlesstummy

@feebs, the fb group i joined is called ESCF-Ferrandi Anglo 2011, mostly used by the students in the Feb 2011 session.


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## ericka1584

@bottomlesstummy 

I looked at homestay-in-paris.com as well as sarahomestay.com and paris-homestay.com

homestay-in-paris registration fee is $198 and is 630 euro/month or $934/month includes light breakfast and access to the kitchen, no dinners included in this price. Im pretty sure i'm gonna choose this one.

sarahomestay registration fee is $150 and is $1,242/month with breakfast and access to kitchen.  No way!!

paris-homestay has the cheapest registration fee of only $103 and cheapest per/month fee of 600 euro or $890 BUT there is also a one time fee of 650 euro or $934 so not the best option either.

i'm not sure if we can alter/cancel these accommodations after getting a visa.  3 months a long time, i'd rather spend that time in my own apartment or with a roommate!


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## feebs

Thanks Emily.  I'll probably start the visa process mid May.  Was thinking to leave the address field blank but I'll get Stephanie's advice when I see her.

Will be back in Toronto before school - maybe we can meet then before school starts if you're still there!


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## bottomlesstummy

@ericka1584

Thanks for posting the homestay info, that's really helpful. I'm going to check with some of the homestay contacts that Stephanie listed in the e-mail and if they don't work out, i'm also going to go with homestay-in-paris.

@feebs

I will be in Toronto until mid-August, let me know when you're back!


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## spagetti07

Hi guys,

Unfortunately, I'm unable to make it to Paris and start the course this year (after already being accepted to the school) due to family matters. I'm very disappointed! But will try to find my way out to make it to become a Pastry Chef one way or another. So I had to give up my place to the next available person instead.

@zemsbg Thanks for sharing photo from the school and the places nearby. Wish I could be there to see it myself and meet all of you in person.

@feebs @cait @ericka1584 @Mashav @bottomlesstummy

@jamiedays  Good luck with your application.

For everyone else, if any of you want to apply and follow your dream to becoming a chef, I have never been to ESCF Ferrandi, but I did a lot of online research and believed that it's one of the best place that will guide you through and encourage you to be one of the best Pastry/Culinary Chef in the world. So good luck everybody who already got or getting the chance!!

Anyway, it was nice meeting you all here. Hopefully, our career path would come across and I would be meeting you guys, who would becoming many best chefs, in the future. Would be great if you could keep in touch as I'd love to know how the training will be for you all.

All the best!!

xoxo

Claire ^_~


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## ericka1584

@spagettii07

so sorry to hear that you won't be in Paris this fall, but I hope your family is ok and that you find a way to fulfill you dream.  Now that you know you want to be a pastry chef nothing else will do!  I think we all are realize the importance of having a dream and making it come true.  I wish you all the luck!


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## ab6788

Hi everyone,

Has anyone completed the visa process and figured out whether or not they need to have a permanent address to fill out the form? It asks for where I will be living, but I still have no idea since it's months away...


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## cait

@ab6788  I just recently sent in my paperwork to Campus France.  I did not send in information about a permanent place of residence with that part of the process, so hopefully they do not need it.  My search for an apartment is in full force, but I am not having much luck yet.  I am almost positive that when I go to the French consulate to apply for my visa I will need to have a permanent address. 

I was wondering, has anyone had luck finding an apartment yet?  What arrondissement is everyone searching in?


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## feebs

@ab6788 @Cait - just got back from Paris/visiting the school and had a chance to ask Stephanie about the visa/permanent address situation.  When I mentioned I hadn't yet submitted my campus france app, she mentioned I should get it in right away.  Only recently have they started asking for a perm address so she said we could try to submit with that spot blank.

@Cait - about housing I was there and still didn't have much luck with the apartment situation.  It's really a full time job and too early for alot of landlords to commit to August/mid August yet.  I'm hoping more apartments start to free up in June/July.


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## mashav

Hi everyone

please join our Facebook group at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_165496780134248

or look for the group called: ESCF-Ferrandi Anglo 2011

I'm adding links and docs relevant there and hope we can revive it again 

btw, can someone explain what is that campus france you're talking about?


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## spagetti07

Hi Ericka...Thank you so much! Hope our lives cross path one day. I'm looking forward to reading everybody's blogging about your excitement, adventures and life in Paris. Good luck to you all!!


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## shopgirl

hi everyone, am currently still in paris...and i do agree that sourcing for an appartment is a lot of trouble!! but am still hoping that things will work out well.

yes - i'd like to know what is campus france too!

mashav - i saw the link that you sent in with regards to opening a bank account in paris...i just opened an account with HSBC yesterday with a Mrs Messandi. she is very nice and was very helpful with all my questions about opening an account in paris. i'm not sure about the seniors' experience with HSBC but it seems that ESCF's partnership with Mrs Messandi is new and she's resourceful.

am truly excited about august and looking forward to meeting everyone!


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## lilyyy

Hi everyone!

I'm so glad I randomly came across this site and found a lot of ppl on the same boat with me I'm attending the Ferrandi's pastry program in sept 2011 and is going through the same process ie, visa, housing etc,everyone else is going through. I'm currently living in eastern Canada and I'm very excited about the upcoming adventure in Pairs! Feel free to add me on facebook (lily yuan; waterloo network) and I look forward in meeting everyone!


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## lilyyy

@shopgirl, hey,,Campus France is this program students have to register with (in Canada at least) before they can go to the interview for VISA application.


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## shopgirl

@lily, thanks for clearing it up!  see you in august!


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## bottomlesstummy

For those of you who are applying for a VISA in Canada, I just did my CampusFrance interview this week. If you're wondering, it was a quick 15 minute interview where you are asked questions about all the documents you submitted (when you finished school, your current job, why you're going to ferrandi, when you plan to be in paris...etc.). After the interview, it was suggested that we mail in (Canadians applying for student visa only) our VISA documents once we have everything. She said the turnaround time for reviewing your VISA application is usually approx. 3 weeks after receiving all documents. Now onto the housing situation...


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## ashash

Hi,

I am going to apply for a culinary school in France next year- Did anyone have trouble with visa's? I understand you have to apply first for the school, then for the visa but I am worried because you have to pay a deposit for the school without knowing if you can get a visa.?


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## ltison

Hi there, 

I applied for the Pastry Bilingual Program starting in Feb 2012. I went to France last week to go and see how the school looks and I'm very impressed with everything! 

Can anyone tell me how they find the course? And is there anyone else who has also applied for next year? 

I'm quite nervous about going all the way to France..(I'm a South African)...:/ 

Help!


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## brit09

I am accepted for the pastry program feb 2012. Still deciding if it is the best option.  Anyone else out there going for Feb 2012?? Would love to meet you!


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## ltison

Hi there! I've also been accepted for the same course! And I'm also still deciding if it is the best option. Do you perhaps have facebook?


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## brit09

Yes! Brittany Campbell - San Diego State Network and you? What are the deciding factors for you??


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## ltison

I'm Leilani Tison - Port Elizabeth, South Africa! I've decided to go! I think it's a once in a life time opportunity!! So i'm taking the big step! You?? (nice to meet you by the way!)


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## brit09

Congrats! Nice to meet you too! Have an email? We can chat about it! I will have to decide by Friday ekk! Nice to know someone else is going too.


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## ltison

Thanks... My e-mail: [email protected]... Would love to chat a bit! Feel free to inbox me...!I can't seem to find you on Facebook? Will try again tho...


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## peter45

Hello,

Message for Bottomlesstummy.

I know the website http://www.homestay-in-paris.com.

I stayed 2 months in 2011 in a host family that this website found for me.

Excellent service, nice host family, very close to Ferrandi Cuisine School.

I recommend you their service.

Soory for my poor level in English , I am from Belgium !


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