Ah, in that case, housing prices in Seattle aren't going to be a shocker for you. In fact, if that is your price range, you can also find a nice studio in the heart of downtown Seattle. It's where I live, albeit frugally. If you can find a place near Pike Place Market, you'll be close to not only superb restaurants there and in the Belltown area, but grocery shopping will be stupidly easy, seasonal and abundant from both the year 'round vendors and the local farmers who set up stands.
One thing you'll have to look into is residency. I think people who haven't lived in the state for a certain amount of time before admission get charged out of state tuition rates. Not sure how much time that is, but the website or a call to the office should answer that.
As for having enough kitchens and equipment, in a word, yes. There are four kitchens with plenty of equipment, and you'll never lack for pots, pans and utensils, something some people bemoan when it's their turn in the dish pit... seriously though, equipment is not a worry.
There is a school library as well. It's not dedicated to just culinary, but what they've got for culinary is good, including the required texts for students who can't afford to buy their own. If you want more, definitely check out the newly constructed Seattle Public Library downtown, the culinary/cookbook section is huge. Between the two of those, you'd be set. Computer labs are also available and open until 10pm on weekdays, shorter hours on weekends.
As far as time spent cooking goes, you won't do very much of it for 1st quarter. The 1st quarter is the heaviest in terms of homework assignments and theory/book learning. But afternoons will be devoted to making stock and knife skills. All that you produce in 1st quarter will be used by 2nd quarter, so basically, 1st quarter are prep cooks for 2nd quarter's quantity cookery. You're looking at around 10 hours per week of hands-on time here.
For 2nd - 4th quarter and summer quarter, cooking time (prep, service, cleanup, labs) is around 20 - 24 hours a week. The program runs on a 4 day weekly schedule from 8am - 2:30pm, and service to the public is lunch from 11:15am - 1pm. The schedule was designed to allow people to hold full time jobs while going to school at the same time, and a significant part of the student body will be people who are already working in kitchens.
During your 5th and final quarter, you'd be mostly working on your Chef of the Day project and management classes. There is some kitchen time here, mostly in the form of recipe testing for your COD (personally I spent a lot of time doing testing for mine, both in school and at home), and rotating in as teaching assistants for the pastry students who have to fulfill basic culinary in their curriculum. This quarter is a lot of work too.
If you still want more cooking time, again remember there's plenty of volunteer and paid opportunities too, it doesn't have to stop when class is over. One of the instructors teaches evening classes open to the foodie public, and volunteering as her assistant is always an option every week. Then there are the various community fundraisers and banquets which are held, as well as area chefs in need of emergency help. You'll get news of these from the instructors, or posted at the office.
One last thing, we all get the basics in bread and pastry but if you find you want to pursue the black arts of pastry
after finishing with culinary, you can do that and skip 1st quarter pastry. This would be a total of 10 quarters of school for both certifications. Add an additional quarter or two for an Associates of Applied Science (or transfer in past college credit for the AAS if you have it available).
Also, the shaw guides and other guides will say that the average student:teacher ratio is 18:1. This is not true for 1st quarter, where it's more like 30:1. But, the attrition rate is high, so by the time you hit 2nd or 3rd quarter, it will be 18:1 give or take a few.
Let me know if I can answer anything else or clarify things further. One thing is for certain though, it's definitely not necessary to spend tons of money for a great education.
Pat
