The Culinary Institute LeNôtre

I had an appointment at the school yesterday. I brought all my paperwork they requested. Walking in there was a dry erase board with my name on it.  It was welcoming me and a couple of other people who must have also been there to enroll.   I wanted to take a picture of my name, but didn't want to seem like a big dork. They really make you feel like you are in. They offer me  something to drink. Brian, who does a little of everything took me in to meet the Chef that goes to schools to talk to kids about becoming a Chef.  He was really nice, looked over my application and we talked about how the lady on the right was a cake decorator and later decided to enter LeNôtre.  There are 2 cakes at the school on display  that she's won competitions with.

Later I went upstairs to a financial aid lady.  Her name escapes me but she was very nice.  She tells me my estimated  amount .... only 16k of the tuition would be covered and that I would have to come up with several hundred dollars for 9 months to cover my part. I was like, there is no way I can do that.

I spoke to a gentleman with a French accent ( there are A LOT of people there with French accents, its really presh.) I explained how I assumed taking the shorter program would be more affordable.  He told me most people think that. With a longer program you're still borrowing a larger amount, but your financial aid covers more of your tuition. The out of pocket cost is less.

So I went back down stairs to talk to some admissions dude ( Why did I call the French man a gentlemen and the American man a dude?) who went over the program and how it would benefit me seeing that I want to own my own business. He said during Term 3 I would be part  of a group working on a business plan for a pretend business that includes scoping out locations, checking out demographics and doing every step I would have to do as if  we were opening up a real business. I later mentioned to him how that's the program I really wanted but went with the Diploma. I changed items, initialed changes and went back upstairs.

The FA lady reworked my estimated tuition with the change to Associate in Applied Science Degree in Baking and Pastry Arts and finished up FAFSA. I'm now responsible to pay a more realistic tuition payment for the next 19 months. FAFSA and a couple of scholarships that I qualify for should cover the rest. She said I should call by Thursday to finish up enrollment. The amount I'm borrowing is freaking me out a little.

Josselyn , the girl that showed me the school on Saturday took me to the school store to look at the baking kit they give you. I also tried on a Chefs jacket,  pants, hat.(The pants feel like pj's.) and stood next to the giant logo so she can take my picture for my ID.

I should be starting on Jan 3, 2011 and graduate on August 2, 2012 as a Chef.
I'm excited.. and a little scared.