# Fci.



## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

for those who have attended FCI, i am curious to know how many students are there per class??? secondly for those of you who have attended do you regret it? ive been speaking with a few chefs i know and most tell me to not bother with school and just work your way up...


----------



## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

iconoclast;256740 said:


> for those who have attended FCI, i am curious to know how many students are there per class??? secondly for those of you who have attended do you regret it? ive been speaking with a few chefs i know and most tell me to not bother with school and just work your way up...[/quote
> 
> Regardless of what school you go to, they all teach the basics. Its up to YOU how far you want to go and how much you want to learn. Florida Culinary has a nice campus and the weather is good, unfortunatly Florida employment wise is slightly depressed and pays less then up North.:bounce:


----------



## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

i agree with what youre saying, however i am curious on average how many students per class/group, and how each person who attended feels/felt about it... i could ask one of the ppl at FCI but theyre basically sales ppl that are going to say anything for me to cough up the cash.


----------



## jtobin625 (Dec 16, 2008)

Just tour FCI. If someone says, "20 students per class" and you see that it is asses to elbows in there, you're being misinformed. But you can see it with your own eyes at least. 

And not everyone will say anything so that you will go to their school. It depends on how the school is set up. FCI has a distinguished alumni list. They don't need to "sell" anything. 

Lastly, they have a listing of graduates on their website. Specific names. I know they also have more of their well-known alumni on their pamphlets/brochure booklets. 

You can also be proactive and try to seek out some of the alumni via email or dining at their restaurants possibly on a slower night in hopes of actually meeting them to possibly ask the right questions at a more convenient time for them. 

Good luck.


----------



## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

i spoke with a friend of mine who went to J&W and another friend who went to FCI, both told me to keep doing what im doing and not bother with the schooling... if they were to do it over again they would avoid it and the costs incurred. however, i wanted to see if this was the popular consensus or just of the two ppl i know... either way you bring up some good ideas, i think ill try to reach out to some previous attendees see how it goes.


----------



## rjx (Oct 2, 2006)

At the end of next year when I (hopefully) earn my hospitality A.S. (emphasis on food and restaurant management) I would love to go to FCI. Doubt that will happen though


----------



## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

current rate is ~40k for 6months... its steep...


----------



## jtobin625 (Dec 16, 2008)

Word has it...it won't be any cheaper next year. Did you only call up to ask about costs? Or did you actually see what you are getting into for 40k?


----------



## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

i spoke with a rep, and saw video tour of the establishment and spoke with a friend of mine who went there... i havent toured the actual school yet, but i would like to in the next few weeks.


----------



## rjx (Oct 2, 2006)

Save $6,000 if you take the night classes (9 months).

If you are after French techniques, take a look at this.
Learning French Cooking : ESCF, french cooking school, Paris - France

It's about $19,500 US dollars.


----------



## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

email sent. i am 100% interested... i was looking for something exactly like that! thank you.

how did you find out about them? have you attended?


----------



## rjx (Oct 2, 2006)

I found out about the school from sfbi.com (San Francisco Baking Institute). On their site they offer an additional two week course at École Grégoire-Ferrandi.

Here are some links I found that might interest you. I am quite interested in this school too, so I thought I would try to hunt down some more info.

Link to the regular French site
École supérieure de cuisine française (ESCF - Ferrandi)

About the school
http://editions.campusfrance.org/eta...cf_ccip_en.pdf

A thread which spans 4 years, talks a little about the school
eG Forums -> ESCF Ferrandi culinary school

Blog: "Girl Cook in Paris"
About an American that is living in Paris and attends the school
Blogger: User Profile: girlcookinparis

Blog: "Feed me"
"I started this blog to write about my first trip to Europe. Without this trip, I would have never pursued my dream of becoming a cuisinière. This blog then progressed into an illustration of my life as a student at ESCF - Ferrandi in Paris. Now I am off to the real world of cuisiniers. Vive la France!"
Feed me

Another blog "A Moveable Feast"
"At the age of 40 I decided to leave a career in the IT industry behind me and turn my passion for food and cooking and sharing the results with others into my profession, to be able to run one day a little bistrot or culinary B&B. So in September 2006 I joined a one year program in one of France most prestigious and best schools for that matter, the Ecole Superieure de Cuisine Francaise - Ferrandi in Paris."
A Moveable Feast:

Umami had a seminar at the school and speaks highly of it.
"The Ecole Ferrandi, where the seminar was held, is a reputed culinary school with prestigious teachers and a diverse student body encompassing post-graduates, professionals, foreign students and those as young as 13-year olds."
UMAMI Information Center - Paris for Umami Lovers

Here is a gallery of an open house
Bill Graham : photos : Open House at ESCF Ferrandi - top French cooking school- powered by SmugMug

Some videos
YouTube - ESCF Ferrandi

If you can read French, or are willing to use the translated version of google
ecole Gregoire-Ferrandi - Google Search


----------



## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

many thanks... by far the most help ive received on this matter from anyone... i truly appreciate it... ive been researching schools from ny, to canada to europe... and this is my first time seeing this school, its almost too good to be true, the perfect price point, and exactly what im looking for... i sent them an email and received the standard response, i filled out the paperwork today... i will be mailing it out tomorrow or friday... if and when i find out more about it i will forward info to you as well if you like...


----------



## rjx (Oct 2, 2006)

I would really appreciate that. Thanks!


----------



## iconoclast (Aug 8, 2007)

no problem... thank you.


----------



## girlcookinparis (Feb 27, 2009)

Hi everyone. I just wanted to say that I attended Ferrandi in Paris - both the anglo program and the french program. I'd be happy to share my experiences with you. Just let me know. I think it's a great program & I recommend it -- it's really top notch.


----------



## rjx (Oct 2, 2006)

How were the class sizes? Did the teacher speak in English, or a combo of french and English? Can they help find a place to live? Any chance of French households willing to take in a foreign student to live with them to help keep the cost down for the student? That might sound crazy, but in order for me to live in France, I would also need to work there in order to pay for my rent, etc since it would take years for me to be able to save for the school + housing, etc. That would be such a culture shock to me that I would prefer to focus on my studies.

How are American born students accepted by the native students?

I could probably think of better questions later.

Thanks!


----------



## girlcookinparis (Feb 27, 2009)

In response to your questions (I don't know how you add a quote here,so please let me know!):


> How were the class sizes? Did the teacher speak in English, or a combo of french and English? Can they help find a place to live? Any chance of French households willing to take in a foreign student to live with them to help keep the cost down for the student? That might sound crazy, but in order for me to live in France, I would also need to work there in order to pay for my rent, etc since it would take years for me to be able to save for the school + housing, etc. That would be such a culture shock to me that I would prefer to focus on my studies.
> 
> How are American born students accepted by the native students?


For what's called the "Anglo program", the limit is about 12 students per teacher (Chef). I understand that they still run the class with half that size, if that's all that register. It's designed as an english-centric program. English is the primary language. In reality, it's a combination of english and french. Some chefs speak only french, so there are translations provided. Other chefs speak english well and not so well. It is much, much better if you understand some french before you arrive. It's challenging enough to learn the kitchen part, but there are alot of french terms used, and so you'll be more comfortable if you can speak basic french. There is a coordinator who helps with housing & setting up a bank account in France. Expect to pay around 500 euros/month for rental. Yes, it's possible to try to find a french family to rent a room from, but I don't know if the school helps with that particular arrangement or not. It's possible to work here in France as an apprentice (with a student visa) which may be a paid position. You might get a 200-300 euors/month as a stagiare. I didn't get paid anything for my stage. That can happen, too. Mine was by choice since I wanted experience at a particular restaurant. As an american, you can't work here legally without the correct work permits/visas. To work in a french kitchen, it helps to know the language, even if english is spoken a lot more today. The progam is designed for international students - so no natives in the class. Natives would go thru the french-only program.... Everyone was nice in our group. I think this answers most of your questions! Oh, one more thing, they redesigned the program since I attended. I understand now that it lasts 6 months at the school full-time & then it's a 6-month stage after wards at a restaurant. FYI.


----------

