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In the Polk Street admissions office of the California Culinary Academy, oversized posters display pictures of three of the school's graduates. The three were named "Rising Star Chefs" by the San Francisco Chronicle earlier this year, and the school is bursting with pride. The posters make effective recruiting tools — admissions representatives can point to them and tell prospective students that a CCA education is the key to gastronomic fame and glory.

Maybe CCA should have asked the three rising stars how they would feel about serving as photo advertisements for the school.

James Syhabout, who heads PlumpJack Café's kitchen, is the most measured in his evaluation of CCA — but he graduated in 1999, before the school was purchased by a large for-profit education company. "I know the school has definitely changed since I've been there," he said.

Tim Luym, who cooks at the Poleng Lounge in Nopa, said he found the school "a little deceptive." He says no one explained that many graduates of the expensive school go on to kitchen jobs that pay $10 per hour. "They don't really give you the reality of how much you'll be making," he says. "They never give you financials."

The third chef, Chris Kronner of the Slow Club in Potrero Hill, says the school does not have the best interest of the students at heart. "For me it seemed that it was more about money — it was more a body factory, and not as much about education," he says. Kronner also claims that students were pushed along toward graduation with little concern for whether or not they had actually learned anything. "As long as you pay your $50,000, they will give you a degree," he says. When his class graduated in 2003, Kronner and some of his classmates discussed putting together a lawsuit to get their money back.

CCA once had a distinguished reputation for turning out passionate and creative chefs. Many of San Francisco's restaurants are populated with its graduates, and beyond the Bay Area, people still know its name. But the academic atmosphere has changed since Career Education Corporation bought the school in 1999. In the first two years of the company's ownership, the number of culinary students increased from 442 to 1,868. By the time former student Alan Livingston enrolled in May 2005, "it had a factory feel to it," he says, and tuition for the 15-month culinary program was up to $45,000. Today, it's about $47,000.

SF Weekly spoke with more than two dozen applicants, students, and graduates of CCA, and found a pattern of serious complaints. Many former students say admissions representatives told them whatever they thought the applicants needed to hear to get them to sign on the dotted line. The students claim admissions reps said it was a prestigious school that they would be lucky to gain admission to, when it actually admits anyone eligible for a student loan. The graduates say they were misled about the terms of their loans; many have since realized that by the time they finish making payments, they'll have paid more than $100,000 for just 15 months of school. Finally, the students and graduates we spoke to were told that a CCA degree virtually guaranteed them a well-paying job at an elite restaurant. In fact, the majority went on to low-paying kitchen jobs — and many soon left the food industry entirely in search of salaries that would pay off their student debt.

Two former admissions representatives who worked at CCA confirm that students were misled. The former employees say admissions reps preyed on students' dreams of becoming celebrity chefs, and glossed over the painful economic realities of the industry. The two women describe a high-pressure sales environment where the reps were focused solely on meeting enrollment numbers, not on finding students who would benefit from the program.

CCA's parent company, Career Education Corporation, has faced similar accusations against some of its other schools — the corporation has recently been hit with eight lawsuits from disgruntled students around the country. Federal officials have begun to ask questions, too, and both the Education Department and the Justice Department have ongoing inquiries regarding Career Education. CCA has essentially gotten a free pass from the state regulators, however, as has every other for-profit college in California. The agency's enforcement program is so ineffectual, state officials are allowing it to shut down this summer while they try to create a better alternative.

The president of CCA, Ann Gibson, said in a written response that she was disappointed to hear of the students' complaints. "California Culinary Academy is proud of the Le Cordon Bleu culinary education we have provided to students over the years, and we are proud of our many happy students, graduates, and successful alumni," she wrote. Gibson wrote that students should expect to start in entry-level positions after graduation, but that their CCA training should give them an advantage as they try to climb the career ladder.

You wouldn't know it from talking to Ron Siegel, chef at the Ritz-Carlton's prestigious Dining Room restaurant and one of CCA's most famous graduates. He attended the school around 1990, and went on to win televised glory as the first American to win Iron Chef. Siegel says he doesn't want any more CCA students in his kitchen. "The last one I took from there, the person came one time, and no-showed after that," he says. "I don't need that. So I probably wouldn't take anyone from there again."

Next to the posters in CCA's bright and modern admissions office, there's a flat-screen TV that's perpetually tuned to the Food Network. Around lunchtime, there's the Barefoot Contessa. A few hours later, along comes Emeril.

The sheen of celebrity that clings to chefs these days is one of the best things CCA has going for it. People with dreams of prime time flock to CCA's admissions office, where the school's representatives know just what to do.

"They sell them this dream that they're going to have their own cooking show," says a woman who used to work as an admissions counselor, whom we'll call Emily. She asked to remain anonymous because she now works for a competing school. In 2004 she quit her CCA job and sent a whistle-blowing letter to the state regulatory agency. "You tell them, "We have this graduate who has a TV show ... and this graduate who has a show.' That's how you sell it," Emily says.

To channel leads to the admissions office, the school engages in a marketing campaign that includes ads on daytime TV, when people who are trying to figure out their lives are likely to be flipping through the channels. CCA also sends representatives out to speak at high schools, to recruit fresh-faced seniors who aren't interested in college, but have no idea what else to do. On the Web site, prospective students can fill out a survey to determine if they're a "candidate for acceptance," which channels them straight into an online enrollment process.

Jennifer D'Ambrosio also saw it all from the inside. She worked as an admissions rep in San Francisco for five months in 2004, after transferring from a Los Angeles school also owned by parent company Career Education Corporation.

D'Ambrosio says the CCA admissions office was a pressure cooker, and that the admissions representatives would go to whatever lengths necessary to meet their numbers — each rep needed 15 enrollments per month to stay in the administration's good graces. Both D'Ambrosio and Emily said that representatives believed that they would be fired if they didn't hit their numbers for a few months in a row, and they were rewarded if they did. Emily recalled getting a free dinner at the Ritz-Carlton and gift certificates to the school store for hitting her enrollment numbers. Under federal law, it's illegal for schools to pay recruiters based on the number of students they enroll, but CCA could be skirting that line.

In CCA President Gibson's written response, she denied that the school compensates its reps based on the number of enrollments, but said that their bonus policy is based on student retention and graduation rates. She wrote that she could not speculate on the circumstances surrounding the specific allegations being made, but that admissions reps were expected to deal with students with honesty and integrity.

But both former employees say they worked at CCA at a difficult time for the institution — the school had just started a new program in hospitality and restaurant management, and was trying to expand into a new building on Potrero Hill. The admissions staff apparently wasn't roping in enough students to fill those classes. During the year Emily worked there, the number of admissions reps doubled, from about 15 to more than 30. Today, there are 37 admissions reps listed on the office roster.

To close a sale, admissions reps engaged in tactics worthy of a used-car dealership, the two insiders say. Both women say the administrators were obsessed with meeting the numbers for the next start date, and admissions reps were told to pressure students who wanted to delay enrollment to start as soon as possible. They always told students that classes were filling up fast. And when the school didn't have enough students signing up for the management program, Emily alleges that her supervisor in admissions told reps to steer all their applicants to that program — by whatever means necessary. "Every student you interview today is going to hospitality and restaurant management," Emily claims her supervisor said. "Tell them that's the most marketable degree."

Finally, the admissions counselors tried to make the program seem worth its exorbitant price tag by giving students the impression that the school was selective. "We were advised to tell the students that because it's such a prestigious school, Cordon Bleu recognized, yadda yadda, you have to tell me why you should be accepted," D'Ambrosio says.

The two women claim that actually, anyone with a high school diploma who could get a loan was in. At the Los Angeles school that D'Ambrosio worked at prior to CCA, she says the admissions reps joked that all a prospective student needed for admission was the $50 application fee and a pulse. At CCA, the situation was a little different: "The admission fee was more than $50 — but you still just needed a pulse." Emily adds, "They were enrolling people who don't speak English, who tell you they have a very serious learning disability. It's like, 'Yeah, uh-huh, can you sign up for a loan? Then you're going to school.'"

The CCA graduates who now feel the most ripped-off have one thing in common: They went in to CCA with a strong desire to better themselves, and to rise in the world, but came out weighed down instead.

Abdel Lebbar, 41 years old, immigrated from Morocco 14 years ago. He was working in graphic design when the dot-com crash made the jobs in his field disappear, forcing him to make a new plan. "All my friends told me, 'Abdel, you're missing your calling. You're a great cook,'" he remembers. So in spring of 2002 he called up CCA, he says, and the admissions people told him it was the best culinary school in the West. When he went to the office for an interview, he claims the counselor who sat down with him lied to him.

"She said, 'When you graduate, you're probably going to make $45,000,'" he says. "She showed me statistics on how their students were doing. I thought, 45 to start with, that's great." He knew he'd be paying back his student loans after graduation, he says, "but I thought, 'With 45, I can manage. I can have roommates and start repaying my loans.'"

Lebbar's parents weren't in a position to help him out, and he had no savings and bad credit. But the financial aid counselor told him not to worry, and signed him up for $42,000-worth of Sallie Mae loans to cover school tuition and fees. Then he got another $15,000 loan to cover his living expenses during the program.

The enormity of what he'd done didn't hit Lebbar until after he graduated in 2004, when he started looking for work. He says that several times, when a chef saw the name CCA on his resume, her eyebrows would lift, or a smile would flit across her face. "I realized, CCA doesn't mean anything," he says bitterly. "It's one of the most expensive cooking schools in the nation — but I didn't realize, expensive doesn't equal a good reputation."

Now, he works on the management side of a catering company, and makes $15 per hour. (He stopped looking for cooking jobs several years ago, because many pay even less.) He has put his loans in forbearance several times, but in July he has to resume making monthly payments of $1,250. The money left over from his paycheck won't be enough to cover his rent, car payments, and other bills, Lebbar says. "I foresee it," he says, "I'm going to be living in my car." He has already worked out the contingency plan — his company has an on-site gym, so he'll arrive at work early to shower and shave in the locker room each day.

When Lebbar decided to go to CCA, he was full of optimism. "I wanted to better myself, I was looking for the American dream," he says. Now, with his loan balance up to $83,000, he's not looking anymore. "What is the American dream?" he asks bitterly. "Is it to be covered in debt?"

His complaints are echoed by many of the students and graduates whom SF Weekly spoke with. Looking back on the admissions process, many say the counselors pressured them or misled them. Many remember being told that an admission board would have to consider their application, and say they brought in transcripts and resumes to convince their admissions reps that they were worthy of an elite school.

Most graduates said that they had some excellent chef instructors who were devoted to their craft and dedicated to their students. But the former students also told of instructors who had no business in a classroom. Brook Gossard, who now works at Bar Tartine, remembers an instructor from France who barely spoke English, and who didn't know what a syllabus was. Another former student, Daniel (who asked that his last name not be used), remembers the teacher for his advanced wine studies class. "She said, 'I've never drunk anything in my life. I had a glass of wine on my 18th birthday and I threw up.'"

Then, there were the classmates. Serious students complain that CCA's open-door admissions policy was combined with a policy of passing everyone through to graduation, regardless of performance. They tell of students who made it to the final class without learning basic techniques, like how to julienne a vegetable (to the kitchen-averse, that means to cut it into thin strips), or how to make a consommé (a slowly simmered soup made from meat and bouillon).

The most disturbing story comes from a culinary class that graduated in August 2006. Alan Livingston recalls a student who was transferred into his class who had severe learning or mental disabilities; it was clear to everyone that he didn't belong in school. Livingston remembers one day in their baking and pastry class, when each student brought their finished product to the front of the room for critique. "He made a peanut butter and jelly pizza ... it's hard to describe," he says.

Another student from Livingston's class confirmed the account of the troubled student, and added that in the last class, the student got yelled at because he literally couldn't figure out how to boil water. Both say they thought it was outrageous that the student was passed through to graduation without learning basic skills. "Someone should have said, 'Stop, save your money,'" says Livingston. "I thought it was very unethical."

CCA also uses its career services as a selling point; the course catalog brags about the school's active job-placement assistance and its "industry connections" at the finest resorts and restaurants. What that translates to, say graduates, is career counselors who hand you lists of places where their students have gotten jobs in the past. When Sarah, who also asked that her last name be omitted, went to career services at the beginning of the school year to inquire about part-time work, the counselor suggested a job at the Gap. "I actually left crying," she says. Meanwhile, of the 11 people who finished the restaurant management class with her husband Daniel in 2006, three went to work at Starbucks afterward, two as baristas.

Many graduates believe that CCA is flooding the Bay Area market with graduates who aren't properly trained and who bring down the reputation of the school, thus damaging the job prospects of all graduates. "I've gone to interviews and had people raise their eyebrows and say, "I have my own opinions about CCA,'" says Jennifer Browning. She remembers specifically interviewing at the Café Cacao at the Scharffen Berger chocolate factory in Berkeley, and seeing the pastry chef's interest wane when she saw CCA on Browning's resume. Browning didn't get the job.

Graduates say their first loan payment statements made their jaws drop. Former student Ross Johnson says the financial aid counselor who set up his loans told him that his monthly loan payments were likely to be about $300 a month. When he got his first statement six months after graduation, the monthly charge was $1,100. He has six loans from Sallie Mae, four with interest rates above 13 percent — one with the staggering rate of 19.8 percent.

Johnson worked a few restaurant jobs after graduation, including a stint as the sous chef at Nordstrom's Bistro Café. But with his total debt up to about $88,000, he had to give up on low-paying cooking work and search for a better salary. Now he's making decent money — he makes $20 per hour installing beer kegs and cleaning taps.

CCA President Gibson wrote that she was prohibited by federal privacy regulations from commenting on individual students, or their complaints. However, she wrote that it's CCA policy to give students "a realistic understanding of the realities of the industry." She wrote that advancement in the culinary field requires not only the skills learned in culinary school, but also "a strong work ethic, a commitment to excellence," and several other attributes. Regarding student loans, Gibson stressed that CCA helps students get all the federal and state aid they're eligible for before turning to private lenders. It's school policy to inform students that private loans generally carry higher interest rates than federal student loans, she wrote.

Finally, Gibson denied the general allegation that the school puts its own financial interests ahead of the students' welfare. "Providing a valuable service and managing a well-run, profitable business are not mutually exclusive events," she wrote.

The admissions reps often work a bit about the Culinary Academy's distinguished history into their sales pitch. CCA was founded in San Francisco in 1977, which makes it one of the oldest culinary schools in the West.

The school had immediate cachet: Both James Beard and M.F.K. Fisher, two demigods of American cuisine, spoke at the first graduation ceremony. Back then, CCA had stricter admission standards that required applicants to have some experience in the restaurant industry — so they knew what they were getting into. The school grew steadily until the late '90s, when it embarked on an ambitious expansion plan. It created three satellite campuses in California to teach basic cooking skills, and also bought property in New Orleans, planning to spend $18 million on a large campus there.

But it soon became clear that the school had bitten off more than it could chew. By 1999 the school was in default on its San Francisco tax payments, and the annual report warned investors that bankruptcy was a looming possibility. A group of unhappy shareholders called a halt to the school's expansion schemes, and started talking profits. They brought in Career Education Corporation, a young but rapidly expanding company in the for-profit education business.

Career Education was a favorite of Wall Street investors. In 1995 it had revenues of about $19 million; by 1999 revenues were up to about $217 million, according to annual reports. It grew through a decade-long buying spree, snapping up small or struggling schools and rapidly expanding their programs and enrollment. CCA was a typical acquisition. Career Education had already bought six culinary schools, and considered them a profitable and growing sector.

The corporation paid about $31 million for CCA, then quickly nixed the New Orleans deal and shut down the satellite campuses. It steered a course toward the high end: The company had already secured a deal with Le Cordon Bleu, the elite Parisian cooking school, which allows CEC to use the name to boost its brand at all its culinary schools. In 2006 alone, the company paid royalties of $14.4 million for that privilege.

In essence, the company was buying its credentials, claims Emily, the former admissions representative. "CEC bought the Culinary Academy, and the Culinary Academy had a really good reputation," she says. "They bought the rubber stamp of Le Cordon Bleu. They put those two together, and they just marketed them like wild."

The company now owns 16 culinary schools around the country, but CCA, with its 30-year history, is its crown jewel. Some former professors say the purchase benefited the school, because it brought an influx of capital that allowed the school to upgrade the kitchens and facilities. Some also say that the formerly independent school was disorganized, and that the corporate takeover helped students by introducing a standardized curriculum.

But the school changed in other ways as well. In 2003 it launched an 11-month program of hospitality and restaurant management. The culinary program, which had previously offered day and evening class schedules with seven hours of instruction each, switched to a schedule of three shorter classes each day. Career Education leased an empty building in Potrero Hill in anticipation of the influx of new students. Yet in 2005 the school laid off 23 associate chefs, who students said helped the chef instructors provide one-on-one instruction in the crowded kitchens.

Meanwhile, tuition and fees sneaked upward for all three programs that the school offers: the culinary arts and the restaurant management degree programs, and a baking and pastry certificate program. The culinary program's rise in total price was most dramatic: It went from about $36,000 in 2002 to a high of $48,251 earlier this year. The price just dropped about $1,000, but only because the school is eliminating its student dining facilities.

CCA isn't the only game in town. The City College of San Francisco offers a two-year culinary program that has students in school for eight hours a day, five days a week. At that program's end, the students have earned an Associate in Science degree, which means if they transfer to a four-year university, they're halfway through. In contrast, CCA awards students an Associate's Degree in Occupational Studies, the same degree that massage therapists get. The credits earned at CCA can't be transferred to any other institution.

Edward Hamilton, head of the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Studies department at City College, is proud that his program has a reputation for turning out work-ready students. And while he says that CCA also produces "reputable and qualified" students, he doesn't think they're any better than his. "Our students and their students compete for the same jobs," he says.

The total price for the two-year program at City College, including tools and uniforms? About $2,200.

In California, for-profit schools are regulated by the state's Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education, a watchdog agency that is universally derided for its lax enforcement, and which legislators are allowing to shut down this summer as they put together legislation to create a new, reformed agency (see sidebar). However, the Bureau does have a few explicit requirements for information that must be given to prospective students. Each applicant must be given a copy of the school's "completion rates," or the number of students who finish the program, as well as the school's "placement rates," defined as graduates who are working full time in the industry within six months of graduation.

CCA graduates who kept their application material show that they did receive this information — but the statistics they were given are highly questionable, if not outright fraudulent.

A page from a 2003-2004 catalog insert states that of 601 culinary students who graduated the year before, 98.5 percent had full-time jobs in their field. That's the information that convinced Sarah to sign up. She didn't question the numbers until after graduation. Sarah is now selling knives to try to pay off her student loans, and says that only two people from her class of 16 are still cooking. "We all feel like we can't afford to cook!" she says.

That high figure must have seemed like a stretch to the school, too. In the 2005 catalog that students received, a 2003 figure of 98 percent is covered by a stapled-in page that drops the placement rate down to 89 percent. Today, the school's materials claim an 81 percent placement rate. Graduates say the new figure might be accurate — if the school is including every Starbucks barista in its count of positive outcomes.

The complaints and allegations against CCA should sound familiar to its parent company, Career Education Corporation. Over the past few years, the company has been hit with a succession of student lawsuits, and federal investigations are underway. All take issue with admissions policies and question the truthfulness of admissions representatives.

In 2005 people began asking questions about the company's business model, and investigating how it made such spectacular profits. A 60 Minutes report on the company aired that year, and blasted several of its schools for lying to students, and providing a shoddy education. The TV team sent an undercover reporter to apply for a medical assistant training program, and showed that an admissions counselor was willing to enroll an applicant who couldn't pass the entrance exam and who had both a history of drug use and a fear of blood.

Through 2005 and 2006, former students from eight different Career Education Corporation schools filed lawsuits. All but one of the suits against the company are still pending; a case in Missouri was settled out of court in May with an undisclosed payment to the former students. While the education programs in question range widely — from medical billing to photography — the allegations in each case are strikingly similar. Each suit accuses a school of intentional misrepresentations and consumer fraud, and most specifically mention false statements regarding admission criteria and student job-placement rates. Career Education has denied the allegations made in the lawsuits.

In November 2006 the federal Education Department told Career Education that it would conduct program reviews at 10 of its schools — including the California Culinary Academy. In these program reviews, the department looks at a school's compliance with rules governing the federal student aid programs. An Education Department spokeswoman confirmed that the review is in progress at CCA, but said she can't comment until it's completed.

Meanwhile, a Justice Department investigation is believed to be underway in Washington, D.C. According to Career Education's most recent annual report, the Department's Civil Division wrote to the company in May 2006 asking for certain documents. Specifically, according to the annual report, the feds are interested in information given to prospective students regarding job-placement rates and the costs of attending school, and also want details on how admissions personnel were compensated. A spokesman said the Justice Department had "absolutely no comment" on the matter.

All this has made investors somewhat queasy. A report by a financial analyst for Bank of America did note that Career Education claims to have turned over a new leaf: The company has a crop of new executives to replace those tainted by the recent lawsuits and inquiries, and placed new directors of compliance at each school (although the position is currently vacant at CCA). However, the report questioned whether the company's commitment to "learning outcomes" had improved and noted that the ratio of admissions representatives to career counselors throughout the company is still 15 to one.

None of the CCA students we spoke with knew much about Career Education or its legal troubles. But almost all of them say they wished they had done more research on CCA and studied the terms of their loans more carefully. Several say they have thought about taking legal action, but don't know where to start. Their outrage has found various outlets. Some graduates have resorted to posting diatribes on Yelp.com and other online review sites, trying to warn off potential students. Former student Matthew Jarvis, the manager at Zazil restaurant in the Westfield Mall, has another idea: "I've sometimes thought about going to the school on my days off with a picket sign: 'Don't go to school here, come ask me why.'"

Write Your Comment show comments (84)

  1. Funny how so many people say it is the military recruiter that is preying on young people. At least their promise becomes a reality. I have known many friends that enlisted in the Army's Culinary Arts program and moved on to become chefs (one is even stationed on Air Force One). Sad how so many young lives are destroyed going $50,000 or more in debt at such a young age. That explains more to me of the CNN/Money magazine story a year ago about high suicide rates over Staudent Loans. Looks like the truth is finally coming out. Thanks for the great investigative reporting.

    Comment by Mark — June 6, 2007 @ 04:19PM

  2. Thank you for exposing the truth on CCA. The pain of debt, low income, and an unforgivingly difficult job has hit many myself included. We needed a voice. What now will come for thoughs of us with sally mae loans now that it too has been bought out. I had put the school in the back of my mind, I'm sick to my stomach after reading the article. We have all been dupt.

    Comment by Tamara — June 6, 2007 @ 06:26PM

  3. In relation to reading "Burnt Chefs" I felt that yes the point was made about how CCA can/is decieving when it comes to recruiting but you have failed to mention beyond the administrators smoke and mirror's. You fail to recognize the Chef intructors who help and guide students through these merky waters, helping them realise their mistake in the loans and the so called "Fame" they were promised.Alot of the Chef instrutors not only help students get part time jobs but also help in meeting connections,getting us to make our own decisions and building confidence in the industry. As a current student i feel insulted and hurt that this articule didn't really do much but make the currently enrolled students look like idiots instead of victims. Also it makes the instrutors look like undermining money lurkers who don't care about the well being of the students but just getting a pay check. I am proud to be a CCA student under the circumstances and don't appreciate the slander about the school or instrutors that i respect and care about greatly.

    Comment by Jessica — June 6, 2007 @ 09:31PM

  4. I too have been wronged by the CCA promised all these same things, and then told about all these loan companies, I was approved by Dollar Tree, and signed the paper work, but somehow the school had changed it to Sally Mae and all their private loans. I went from having a 0% interest rate while in school to paying WHILE attending school. My payments started 3 weeks after I enrolled in college. I have fought the school long and hard while attending, and received no help. I am looking to take legal action. I do not know where to go though. If anyone has any information please contact me. I for one, signed up for the B&P class and when I moved from Maine to San Francisco to go to this college, they had enrolled me wrongly into the Culinary Arts program, told me I had to pay the difference for their mistake, and Also that the 5 day trial period didn't apply. How messed up is that? This school is horrible. I know a lot of the chefs, and they had wished that they could talk to the students first, to tell them how this place is horrible. I wish I had the knowledge i had before i went there... I would have definitely gone to NECI (New England Culinary Institute) Which now I know is definitely a better college. I regret going to the CCA 100% I feel I am owed my money back. I learned nothing, and have yet to get a job. The job placement they promise also doesn't work. I have found getting a job without putting my college education on my resume works best. That is a sad thing. Very sad.

    Comment by Jared Neil — June 7, 2007 @ 12:43AM

  5. I am former admissions rep. and I confirm virtualy very allegation that was made against CCA. I worked just about a year and recently left to get out of that diploma mill. Reps. in many cases are just as hard pressed to find a job out of college, or pay bills in expensive Bay Area rental markets. CEC schools and CCA are considered the most high pressure educational sales institutions in the country. It is rue that in many cases students are nrolled who we know will never attain top chefs jobs that they can make a career of, but we rationalize it by saying college isn't for everyone, accelerated training is beneficial; but not everyoe is going to be Emeril, Bobby Flay, or even Rachel Ray. Yes, there are success stories, but most pre-date the Corportae Takeover several years ago. The Corportae beast that run the school and company have one concern-"Are the shareholders happy", that is all.

    They have no care for the students or their lives after graduation. There are qaulity chefs and qaulity students, but they could have gone anywhere and had similar outcomes. Le Cordon Bleu is ruse to lure students in and have them think they are really connected to the famous French culinarry school in Paris. It would be appealing if there were not 20-30 students in some morning and afternoon classes. There is no way that most students can effecively learn and retain information in what is supposed to be a hands on learning environment.

    I would like to apoligize to any student that feels any distressed in anyway. I know that some will be happy with there education and that receiving some type of training was a positive for them, but they didn't have to pay 50-80k when you tack on interest payments for a non-transferable AA, that's not really a traditional AA. Current reps. and former reps. owe their past students an apology and to future students the truth about the school, the corporate investigations, and most importantly the financial burden after garduation. It is my hope that current and former reps will have the courage to write or speak up about what they truly know is wrong, high pressure sales to many people in difficult circumstances without many options in life.

    There is so much more that can be said about CCA from the high pressure sales training reps. receive, particularly how to tap into the "hot buttons" that attract students, how to deflect inquisitive questions about salaries, and ultimately overcoming "objections". It's true sales psychology that some reps have mastered and are awarded handsomely. Those that cannot are shown the door through management pressure to get it together or get out. Others get burned out and turned off by what they really know is bad and immoral business. Recently, CCA has lost over two dozen employees within the last three months-admissions representatives and financial aid counselors. Many left because of bad management and a "blame the rep" attitude when things get bad.

    It is time to close CCA or make it a non-profit business, that is solely dedicated to attracting top qaulity students rather taking in impulsive desperate students with few options. The reality is there are plenty of options ranging from community colleges, to other culinary schools that have actual admissions standards. Unfortunately, most students that walk through the door do not do their research and most representatives certainly don't inform them of their options, which is why we are called representatives and not counselors.

    Comment by Marc — June 7, 2007 @ 01:23AM

  6. Sorry about those early morning type-os. It was late. My edited corrections.

    I am former admissions rep. and I confirm virtualy every allegation that was made against CCA. I worked just about a year and recently left to get out of that diploma mill. Reps. in many cases are just as hard pressed to find a job out of college, or pay bills in expensive Bay Area rental markets. CEC schools and CCA are considered the most high pressure educational sales institutions in the country. It is true that in many cases students are enrolled who we know will never attain top chefs jobs that they can make a career out of, but we rationalize it by saying college isn't for everyone, accelerated training is beneficial; but not everyone is going to be Emeril, Bobby Flay, or even Rachel Ray. Yes, there are success stories, but most pre-date the Corportae Takeover several years ago. The Corportae beast that run the school and company have one concern-"Are the shareholders happy", that is all.

    They have no care for the students or their lives after graduation. There are qaulity chefs and qaulity students, but they could have gone anywhere and had similar outcomes. Le Cordon Bleu is a ruse to lure students in and have them think they are really connected to the famous French culinarry school in Paris. It would be appealing if there were not 20-36 students in some morning and afternoon classes. There is no way that most students can effecively learn and retain information in what is supposed to be a hands on learning environment.

    I would like to apoligize to any student that feels distressed in anyway. I know that some will be happy with there education and that receiving some type of training was a positive for them, but they didn't have to pay 50-80k when you tack on interest payments for a non-transferable AA, that's not even a traditional AA that you can transfer units toward a college degree. Current reps. and former reps. owe their past students an apology; and to future students the truth about the school regarding the corporate investigations, and most importantly the financial burden after garduation. It is my hope that current and former reps will have the courage to write or speak up about what they truly know is wrong, which is the high pressure sales to many people in difficult circumstances who don't have many options in life.

    There is so much more that can be said about CCA from the high pressure sales training reps. receive, particularly how to tap into the "hot buttons" that attract students, how to deflect inquisitive questions about salaries, and ultimately overcoming "objections". It's true sales psychology that some reps have mastered and are awarded handsomely. Those that cannot are shown the door through management pressure to get it together or get out. Others get burned out and turned off by what they really know is bad and immoral business. Recently, CCA has lost over two dozen employees within the last three months-admissions representatives and financial aid counselors. Many left because of bad management and a "blame the rep" attitude when things get bad.

    It is time to close CCA or make it a non-profit business, that is solely dedicated to attracting top qaulity students rather taking in impulsive desperate students with few options. The reality is there are plenty of options ranging from community colleges, to other culinary schools that have actual admissions standards. Unfortunately, most students that walk through the door do not do their research and most representatives certainly don't inform them of their options, which is why we are called representatives and not counselors.

    Comment by Marc — June 7, 2007 @ 09:15AM

  7. I thought long a hard about how to respond to this article. Frankly, it made me really mad that someone would publish something like this, when ALL of their sources are from people who hate the school or were fired for one reason or another. How many actual ACTIVE students were asked about the school? As far as the Ritz goes, if they hate us so much, why do they recruit from us? They're here at ever career fair and they keep signing us up. I know of a couple people working for the Ritz Carlton in various areas that are CCA grads and are doing just fine! Why did the article talk about the Chefs that go above and beyond the call of their job to make time for EVERY single student in their class? And as for having a virtual one-to-one ration of students to instructors, frankly, I don't know a single student who would want that. In the real world, you won't have your Chef standing over your shoulder telling you what to do every step of the way. We don't either. But if we need them, they're their in a heartbeat. Admissions? Frankly, this is what you get for talking to people that were let go THREE years ago. My Admissions rep didn't treat this like a used car dealership. She told me the truth, and steered me towards Anthony Bourdain's book, which is essentially a tell-all about the cooking world! She said read it, and if you still think that this is a good idea, and this is still what you want, then we can talk. A student with a learning disability, huh? Should I take this as the SF Weekly advocating REFUSAL of entrance because you have a learning problem? What would you have them do? Get sued for not letting him come here, or get abused by this rag for letting him try and learn? This article is pretty pathetic, frankly. Sadly, it's really been a hurtful chunk of refuse that has caused many students to feel down about themselves and their abilities. But I was happy to hear a lot of the students in my class, after reading the article that our instructor talked about with us after we read it, say, "What a bunch of crap!" Congrats to you, SF Weekly. You've really hurt a lot of people with a piece that has very, very little basis in what's actually happening at this school right now. I hope that's what you wanted. OH! And you write an article accusing people of bad recruiting practices and impropriety, I think that is' really bad form to have a link at the bottom of the same page that says, "SF WEEKLY IS HIRING...click here to learn more!" Really...that's just...not right. Ick.

    Comment by John Abbott — June 7, 2007 @ 01:11PM

  8. I am a CURRENT Admissions Representative at the California Culinary Academy and I can tell you - what we tell students is that it's up to YOU: you can get a $500 education or a million dollar education - just like ANY OTHER SCHOOL, what you put into it is what you get out of it! I can't speak for any other person, but I do know that we have students doing externships at places like French Laundry and at the Food Network, so clearly, the opportunities are out there for motivated, career-minded students.
    Personally, I work with High School Seniors and their families and I bend over backwards to be sure that I give students a realistic vision of all their future possibilities. And if I was in this for the numbers, I probably wouldn't be personally mentoring many students, inspiring some to persevere and get their GED's, helping others to achieve the future they want, despite learning disabilities, overcoming the challenges of being a foster care youth, offering encouragement to those who have alarmingly low self esteem - EVEN IF THEY DON'T ATTEND SCHOOL HERE. Frankly, I am insulted by the Weekly's article - I fully support Free Speech and their right to print it, but I certainly don't recall myself or any other of my CURRENT colleagues having been contacted by any reporters to give a more factual, balanced, or unbiased report.

    Comment by Sarah Issersohn — June 7, 2007 @ 03:56PM

  9. Dear Ms. Eliza Strickland,

    It appears you have definitely done your research regarding our admissions process at the California Culinary Academy but apparently you have overlooked one source…me! I am highly offended by your one sided, disgruntled employee and student story. I pride myself on finding students that truly want to be here. Everyone deserves an opportunity to follow their dreams. Who am I or you to tell someone not to invest in an education? My job as an admissions representative and human being with a conscience is to provide potential students with all of the information to make an educated decision on whether or not the California Culinary Academy is for them. You have portrayed my department, and essentially me, as a cold and heartless person who is trying to swindle people out of money. Every interview I have given has been with the intention of having the best interest of the student in mind. You allude to the idea that we “promise” students jobs at top notch restaurants. If you would have done some research and spoken to me, you would have realized that I specifically tell students that “the world is their oyster.” Students can create their own destiny. By being punctual to class, studying, practicing, establishing a relationship with their highly experienced chef instructors, taking advantage of our extensive culinary library, and career services center will only get them closer to whatever dream it is that they have. I tell all of my students “Do not expect a job to land on your lap, in the culinary world you will have to earn your stripes.” If this not an appropriate and realistic attitude to take please let me know. In your article you plowed through statistics and testimonials but you not once mentioned how to remedy the situation or how it has changed. You searched high and low for unsatisfied students and employees but what about the happy ones? I have been here this entire time waiting for someone to ask me for my opinion which clearly is to follow your dreams regardless of what people say!

    Dina Perez
    Admissions Representative
    California Culinary Academy

    To all of the students attending CCA or enrolled future students…and especially my students…do not feel down in any way shape or form. People are always looking for someone or something to pick on and CCA just happens to be it right now. You have all made decisions to go to school and should be proud of yourselves. I don’t feel that I owe an apology to anyone as everything I have said to MY students, to my knowledge, has been the truth. I would never work anywhere or be a part of something that I am not proud of and I am proud to work for CCA and for my students.

    Comment by Dina — June 7, 2007 @ 03:57PM

  10. Hey SF Weekly, the Chronicle called and they want their typerwriter back......Jimen Nitaly!!!(Richard Pryor quote) It's amazing and shameful the way you characterize admissions representatives at the Ca Culinary Academy. As a proud admissions representative, I go above and beyond for students. I can't believe you guys call this hard hitting journalism. I liked it better when you paper would tell us where the best bars, restaraunts, shows and nude beaches were in the Bay Area. Please, stick to subjects like when the next P-Funk or Bootsy Collins concert is taking place......Hard Hitting Journalism. Not!!!! The only good that I got out of your article is the lining of my bird cage. Have at it Pollie!!!To quote Donny Osmond and the Osmond Brothers.. One Bad Apple (representative) Don't Spoil the Whole Bunch!!!!

    Comment by Admission 4life — June 7, 2007 @ 05:20PM

  11. THE BOTTOM LINE IS READ BEFORE YOU SIGN ANYTHING.A ADMISSIONS ADVISOR CAN'T MAKE YOU DO ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YOU DON'T WANT TO DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Comment by HAPPY HAPPY — June 7, 2007 @ 06:01PM

  12. To the admissions rep and current students, I think you missed the point of the article.

    I have the up-most respect for the Chef instructors there (well, except for 2 or 3) as well as the MAYBE 20% percent of the students in my class. The rest of my class were filled with druggy losers, slackers, rich kids that didn't want to go to a REAL college so they thought this was was easy out, and people that haven't even touched a knife before. Put it this way, the 20% of my class that did well, all had prior experience in the kitchen. Do the math. The gist of the article is spot-on; It's about the money, bottom line. Why else would you recruit from high-school? Why else would you let anyone in? When I flew up there for my admission's "interview", I thought the school was real tough to get in and that they had STANDARDS of admissions, like ALL colleges. Sadly, it took the first day of class to realize i was wrong.

    Comment by Tam To — June 7, 2007 @ 06:38PM

  13. Thank you for the article. I was scheduled to start classes in the Baking and Pastry Arts program on August 13. I will definitely cancel my enrollment and consider SF City College or Laney College that has a retail baking and pastry arts program. I am now an Archaeological Technician, but I wanted to change my career to something I enjoyed. Since I already have a mountain of debt from my undergraduate education, I rather enroll in a school that gives me more training without the expense. I feel deceived and became suspicious when they started pushing co-signers on me and asking if my relatives had any property,etc. I am so fortunate that all of this information was brought to light before I made a horrible mistake.

    Comment by Alison C. Sims — June 7, 2007 @ 07:49PM

  14. Mmmm...no, I really don't think that I missed the point of the article. The SF Weekly would apparently take the stand that schools shouldn't make a profit off of students that are attending. If that's the case, why wasn't Harvard, Yale, Brown, USC, and all the Ivy Leaguers included in here? Do you believe that they are there strictly for the betterment of Mankind? I mean, really, if their argument is with the company that bought out the CCA, than make THEM the target of the article. The CCA was just a victim of this article, not a subject. Oh, and honestly, as for rich kids, druggies, and various other idiots in class with us while only 20% of the students are really worth the time...WELCOME TO COLLEGE! Come on...UC Santa Cruz, anyone? Do you have any idea what the statistics are for people that actually use the degree that they get from college? It's just a sad fact of life! Before I came here, I worked with a bunch of people in an office that graduated from Cal State LA, USC, UCLA, Devry, and UNLV. And then there was me, with no degree and going to school at night. Please explain to me how their respective schools actually put them in a situate to be working on the same level as myself? You can't, because they did the same thing that the CCA students working at Starbucks and selling Knives door to door did...they didn't put everything they had in to it. It's just a fact of life. If you want to be mad at the CEC, great. Their is obviously something unsettling about them. But the CCA didn't do this to people. Let's stop pretending that their the Devil You Know.

    Comment by John Abbott — June 8, 2007 @ 06:11AM

  15. Thank you for writing this article. I have been researching schools for Baking and Pastry education for some time and while exploring the admissions process at CCA I observed a lot of these high pressure tactics which ultimately turned me off to the school. I can see how they may work for some, however, as a career changer (high tech) I am not so naive about inflated dreams. The classes did indeed seem "factory" like and the student to teacher ratio is way off. I moved on and decided on the San Francisco Baking Institute for my education as their classes are truly hands on, well focused and there is a no-pressure admissions process. I hope this article has opened the eyes of other prospective students looking for a quality education.

    Comment by William — June 8, 2007 @ 10:36AM

  16. This article resonates with me on so many levels, and the posted comments all have it about half right, regardless of whether they're pro- or anti- CEC.

    I've been on both sides of this situation. I worked as a rep for just over a year for another "for-profit school", ITT Tech. Now I'm working on a master's degree in photography at Academy of Art University. Both schools without a doubt fit the very definition of "diploma-mills". Working for ITT Tech was by far the worst, most miserable time of my life. The environment and structure described by the former CEC reps sounds EXACTLY like the environment and structure at ITT Tech. I worked my ass off for dead leads, constant intimidation and threats to terminate me if I didn't meet my numbers. I wasn't informed that the three reps before me in my lone high school recruiter position had quit in the previous 6 months, one of them with a nervous breakdown and onother one after successfully suing the school for trying to cover up the harrassment she'd received by trying to delete intimidating emails sent to her. Their first settlement offer after being caught: offering her a reinstatement into her previous position. She held out for more, and the school director and recruitment manager who'd been caught didn't even receive any punishment.

    My time at AAU has been a mixed bag. I researched a lot of different programs all over the country, from small two-year Associate of Art programs to master's programs. City College does have a great photography program and I've heard good things about the instructors and facilities. However, my future plans include non-profit administration and education, so a master's degree makes more sense. I did look at San Francisco Art Institute's program, which is very prestigious and much more selective, but seemed a bit limited in scope in a photographic industry that has become very fragmented, requiring successful photographers to be more versatile and live in commercial as well as fine art worlds. I'm generally pretty happy with my education at AAU, but it really is frustrating that the school just lets anyone in. Several of my classes have seemed remedial, and the constant increases in enrollment has left the department scrambling to NOT keep up since I started the program two years ago. I have one year left, and I'm already over $100k in debt, even though I have been working for most of that time for about 25 hours/week at $16/hour. (Ironically, I work for a non-profit organization that provides college scholarships for VERY carefully-screened underprivileged SFUSD high school graduates). I have adopted a similar attitude espoused by some of the admissions reps and students of CEC schools quoted in the article and the response posts: I try to get everything out of the resources available to me from AAU. The question that everyone should be asking, though, is "Is it worth the debt?" The answer is a resounding "NO!" No one should have to take on this much debt -- not even students pursuing law or medicine degrees. Face it, though -- we live in a country that lives, eats, breathes and craps debt. This brings us to the very center of the issue of the cost of college, ANY college:

    It costs so much because of the loans available to cover it.

    I think that most people still think college costs are driven by market forces, just like anything else we can "purchase" in a capitalist economy. Sure, there is some price-adjustment based on competition between educational providers, but the real driving force is the amount of available credit, and there's plenty to go around. The federal loans provide the most inflation-fodder -- they'll support almost anyone for almost any amount without batting an eye. Trust me, every college -- whether private, public or corporate -- hires people who are very adept at knowing EXACTLY how to squeeze every dime out of the dozens of federal, semi-private (federal "preferred" lenders) and private lenders that they can. Not only that, but I'm sure even the top-level vendors and service providers for these institutions (textbook companies, food services, parking and security contractors, etc.) also follow the financial aid landscape very closely. When the index of available funds per student rises for any reason, it's hard to know who pushes the costs higher first -- the school or the vendors. But you can be sure that the school will point with a crocodile tear to the vendor costs when tuition and fees increase. Is it any concidence that when the PLUS or "parent" loan became available to me last spring semester my tuition also went up? No surprise at all. It's also interesting to note that the PLUS loan was previously available only to undergrads with a parent as co-signer. They must have realized the huge market they were missing out on, because I was offered the same loan without a cosigner. Suckers...

    I speak from a lifetime of experience, not just from my ITT Tech and AAU experiences. My father just retired from his professorship of 35 years in a small, private liberal arts college, where I got my bachelor's degree and was an admissions rep in the late '90s. My grandfather was a lifelong college professor and administrator, and most of my aunts, uncles and cousins hold or have held similar positions all over the U.S. and Canada. I grew up with this issue and I've seen it change so much in my lifetime.

    Wanna know how much it's changed, from paying for education to the realities of life afterward? When my grandfather started college in the mid-30's, the Depression still had a grip on America. He got a small scholarship for college, but his family had a small farm nearby, and he paid for his freshman year by bringing a few horse-drawn carts full of apples to the college's kitchen from his family's orchard. From his sophomore year to graduation, he survived by keeping the family's best milk cow at school and selling eight bottles of milk every morning for 10 cents apiece. After graduation, he married my grandmother, got a job in a small town as a teacher, and immediately built a beautiful, 2-story house that still stands today. All of that without incurring any debt, and without my grandmother working. Those days are LONG gone, baby. We're in a new kind of Depression...

    Comment by Shane — June 8, 2007 @ 12:36PM

  17. Where to begin...Well, for all of you out there that are "disgusted" by this article, I don't understand you. You obviously are missing the point of the article. YES, there are CCA grads that "make it" in the culinary industry, YES, there are instructors that are top-notch, YES, there are some sales reps that truly put it out there for you and let you know what you are getting into...but, the school as a whole....NO!! It's all about "how much money can I get from you", and "what little can I give back"!!

    I for one am a recent graduate from CCA. About 6 weeks into my training, it was apparent to me that the school will let ANYone with money into the school and that everything that was promised to me seemed a little far fetched.

    I was really really lucky when it came to my instructors. I think that 90% of them are incredible chefs and I am honored to have trained under them...however, there are several reasons as to why I am upset with CCA. Like the pressure that was put on me to ENROLL NOW!! For starters, NO ONE that I spoke with over the phone before enrollment would give me any insite into the education I would receive as well as financial responsibilities I'd endure. No one told me that the certificate that I would receive upon graduation is just as "impressive" as going to a community college for $2000 and receiving a degree in massage therepy...not that there's anything wrong with massage therepy. My point is, I had to write a paper and go through SEVERAL interviews and jump through SEVERAL hoops to get "accepted" into CCA. Upon being accepted, I was SO proud and happy for myself. I felt like I was about to go to one the most prestigious schools in the country and that they don't let just ANYONE into CCA and that I could really do something with my life in an industry that I love...WOW, was I wrong!!!

    If CCA is SO impressive, I want to know why my class had 30+ students in it. Talk about NO time for "one on one" training. I want to know why I had to work SO hard to get in (I'm not blowing smoke, but I already had an impressive resume and feel that I'm an intelligent young woman) and I was in a classroom where 75% of the students were losers, drunks, druggies, useless, brain-dead, disrespectful to instructors AND other classmates, a DANGER in the classroom, rich spoiled brats that didn't care where they were because "daddy" was paying for everything and a HUGE disruption to me and the other small handful of students actually wanting to learn and benefit from the program.

    As far as where our money goes...The tuition that I was paying was more expensive than the previous classes the semester before us. Yet, our tools were much cheaper quality (My Chef knife was just that, a brand called "Chef Knife"...I could've picked one up at Target for $8.99 and saved $1000)! Our Uniforms...what a joke! We paid the SAME amount of money that students in classes before us had paid, yet our names were not embroidered on our jackets. Hum...instead, the gave us 3 little name tags. Total price to replace all three...$15. Where'd the rest of my money go? When I asked to get reimbursed for NOT having my name embroidered, I got the run around, OR no response at all. I was also issued HRM shoes!! They said that they RAN OUT of chef shoes in my size and that they'd get them to me soon. Did I EVER see Chef shoes...No, I had to go out and pay over $100 for a pair on my own. Also, on a few different occasions, I went to the current Executive Chef to make my complaints about these "dead-beat" fellow students and wanted to know HOW they got into the same class as me and what was being done about REMOVING them! Well, that was also a joke! I have NEVER in my life heard such a "double talker" answering what would seem like a simple question that should get a simple answer. I was told in a nutshell: "we do have entrance exams now just for that reason.", "as far as the other students, we can't kick them out...they paid to be in the class too". WOW!! It was at that time that it dawned on me. CCA doesn't care about it's integrity, CCA doesn't care about ME! CCA doesn't care if I go from graduation to the French Laundry or a stint at Burger King, CCA doesn't care about MUCH, unless you got the money, baby!! I spoke with a chef on campus about this new "entrance exam". He laughed out loud. He said that YES, CCA is starting to test students upon being accepted...He also said that the student could take it several times, fail and STILL get in. Amazing!

    I was actually lucky with the Externship I got after my campus schooling was over. However, I spoke to SEVERAl classmates that not only were MISERABLE in their externship, but were treated like DIRT from the very 1st second they walked into the kithcen. Why? Well, because they were from CCA. Enough said. The sad thing is, these fellow students that were telling me this, were some of the most talented and hard working students on CCA campus.

    It's a shame that it would be better for me to take my CCA accomplishments off of my resume. I worked really really hard, mostly "A's" in all classes and had Honors in several of my classes. And who was sitting all around me at graduation? A very very small handful of winners and a WHOLE auditorium FULL of "F" making losers...I don't understand.

    I do not feel like I got the full training that I deserved for $48K...oh wait, it's now up to $60K. Making $10/hr in a kitchen for the next several years while paying Hundreds and Hundreds of dollars a month while slowly going deeper into a debt that I don't see how I can get out of is NOT appealing to me. I signed my name on the dotted line and will work hard to pay off my student loans. It's a shame that it's going to take me 20 years and several more thousands of dollars in interest to pay off. Maybe when I'm 53, I can "start" living the good life...HA!

    Comment by Charlotte — June 8, 2007 @ 01:04PM

  18. I believe CCA President Gibson is mistaken in her denial of compensating admissions reps. As a former CCA Admissions Representative, I specifically remember getting a balloon and candy bar as a reward for every appointment booked during a phone-a-thon.

    Comment by FRESH — June 8, 2007 @ 01:28PM

  19. I also am a former Admissions Rep., and I wish that I could say that I truly believe in the admissions process there at CCA, and that I had a rewarding career at CCA, but in all honesty, it just isn't the truth. I went into it wholehearted, and came out with only 1/2 of a heart. Since CEC bought the CCA, it truly has been a sad story and has led to its demise. Many chef instructors(including the previous Head Chef Instructor) have been screwed, the sales team (aka: admissions reps) have been screwed, and, in fact, the previous vice-president and president were fired. Ms. Gibson has been president of the school for a VERY, VERY, VERY brief time, and has to respond in some positive manner to keep her job. But, the bottom line is that there is a MAJOR structural problem.

    You do NOT have to search high and low for unsatisfied students since the CEC takeover. It's a fact. Ms. Strickland certainly didn't have to go out of her way to find them. If you are a rep there currently, you know that's it's a hoax and that students are lied to every day. COME ON! It's sad, and, NO, not all schools are like this. Granted, you get what you want out of a school, but the CCA does not follow typical guidelines.

    Comment by Former Rep — June 8, 2007 @ 01:44PM

  20. To the “former admissions representative”

    You are making some bold statements! Are you sure they are factual? As far as the current reps, which I am, knowing that it’s a “hoax” …not everyone is like you. It sounds like you are dealing with some personal guilt and trying to loop everyone into your category. Sorry, no guilt trip here. And for future reference if you are going to mud sling…reveal yourself.

    I find all of the commentary that I have read to be beneficial. It is good to air out dirty laundry and any hurt feelings. I don’t doubt some of the things that people are saying but…did anyone hold a gun to anyone’s head and force them to come in and sign on the dotted line or to attend school? The answer should be NO or else we have an entirely separate issue on our hands.

    The point of the matter is, yes, there are hurt feelings on all ends no matter how you slice or dice the situation. A great point was made about the “loser/druggy/rich kid crowd.” Yes, I agree, welcome to reality, that exists everywhere. Anywhere you go in the world, including the 130 thousand plus dollar private school that I graduated from has the same mixed crowd of good, mediocre, and bad. There will always be people who “make it” and those who “just can’t cut it.” Who am I to decide which potential student will and which will not? Isn’t that being called judgmental or discriminatory? In my eyes education is never a lost investment and everyone deserves the opportunity.

    I have been hearing a lot of complaining but no one has come forth and given constructive criticism or suggestions for change. CCA is in my eyes a historical diamond in the culinary world. It is a pity having to listen to the abuse the school is taking. What can be done to turn the negative attitude toward the school around? What needs to be changed or done?

    Comment by Dina — June 8, 2007 @ 02:46PM

  21. First I would like to say you should get the whole story before you decide to publish something. There are many great chefs who have graduated from the CCA. My name is Adam and I currently go to the CCA. I do have hopes of becoming an award winning chef some day, but I know that I’m not going to step out of school and make six figures in my first year. The fact of the matter is that school is just that “school”. It’s not a guarantee of fortunes. If you decide to show up to half your classes and fall asleep in the rest of them you will be stuck making 10 dollars an hour for the rest of your life. I have known many to graduate the CCA, some with very well paid, very respectable jobs. If you’re not willing to put effort in to what your do then why do it? If we get mad at the CCA for not fulfilling “dreams” as you put it, then all other schools who preach that we can be what ever we want when we grow should be shut down. Going with that we should get rid of all collages or privet schools, where you pay to learn. Do all Harvard alumni work exactly where they want, and make millions doing it? I think not! It is not the CCA that is at fault. If the people who are having there dreams smashed really want to do something with them selves they would stop complaining and actually do something… like some work? I bet that the people who spoke in this article weren’t the ones with the best grades or the ones who showed up everyday. They probably though, I’m going to take easy way out. Anyways I’m off my tangent. I do think the SF Weekly need to do another article about all the successful graduates from the CCA. Maybe that will help people make the right judgments.

    Comment by Adam — June 8, 2007 @ 03:17PM

  22. As a former admissions rep, I agree that it is the student's responsibilty to be aware of what their money, $50,000, is getting them. If you were paying that for a car, wouldn't you test drive a few, and weigh them against one another before buying. HOWEVER, as admissions reps we were very aware that our "target audience", as the school officials liked to call them, were not that savvy. After all, our commercials aired during Jerry Springer, Maury Pauvich, Montel... and our students needed co-signers for THEIR co-signers on to get a school loan. Also, this is the same school that encouraged a representative to enroll a homeless woman who was high and reeked of booze during her "interview". I know this case to be true because I witnessed it firsthand. It was and still is, a despicable place. Ms. Gibson is well aware of that. She will be regretting this step in career shortly, if not allready.

    Comment by j — June 8, 2007 @ 03:42PM

  23. As a former admissions rep, I agree that it is the student's responsibilty to be aware of what their money, $50,000, is getting them. If you were paying that for a car, wouldn't you test drive a few, and weigh them against one another before buying. HOWEVER, as admissions reps we were very aware that our "target audience", as the school officials liked to call them, were not that savvy. After all, our commercials aired during Jerry Springer, Maury Pauvich, Montel... and our students needed co-signers for THEIR co-signers on to get a school loan. Also, this is the same school that encouraged a representative to enroll a homeless woman who was high and reeked of booze during her "interview". I know this case to be true because I witnessed it firsthand. It was and still is, a despicable place. Ms. Gibson is well aware of that. She will be regretting this step in career shortly, if not allready.

    Comment by j — June 8, 2007 @ 03:42PM

  24. As a former admissions rep, I agree that it is the student's responsibilty to be aware of what their money, $50,000, is getting them. If you were paying that for a car, wouldn't you test drive a few, and weigh them against one another before buying. HOWEVER, as admissions reps we were very aware that our "target audience", as the school officials liked to call them, were not that savvy. After all, our commercials aired during Jerry Springer, Maury Pauvich, Montel... and our students needed co-signers for THEIR co-signers on to get a school loan. Also, this is the same school that encouraged a representative to enroll a homeless woman who was high and reeked of booze during her "interview". I know this case to be true because I witnessed it firsthand. It was and still is, a despicable place. Ms. Gibson is well aware of that. She will be regretting this step in career shortly, if not allready.

    Comment by j — June 8, 2007 @ 03:42PM

  25. Before I begin my rave on the latest article attacking the culinary industry by second rate culinary students having high expectations on their nonchalant attitude toward their classes I would like to say that Ms. Eliza Strickland should report both sides of the story and research the exact statistics on the students coming out of culinary school and compare with the grades and attendance. I firmly believe that in order to achieve you have to consistently attend and appropriately take part in the learning environment.

    My name is Jamie and I am currently a student at the California Culinary Academy. While I too aspire to be a successful chef one day I am prepared to work my way up the industry ladder. I was never promised to be financially successful or even stable, that is not why I am here. I am here because I have the passion to learn and create amazing dishes that would be pleasing to the senses, for the true passion of the industry.

    I would like to start out by commenting about one sentence in the beginning of the article which states: “The third chef, Chris Kronner of the Slow Club in Potrero Hill, says the school does not have the best interest of the students at heart.” This is interesting because my boss, before moving to the housing department worked in the Career Services department where he would spend his days making phone calls getting former students jobs. Even before students leave the school the chefs will jump to the opportunity to help you. Maybe it was that Chris Kronner never had to ask for help but I believe that it is common knowledge that if you ask for help it can be received and without asking you forfeit the chance of ever knowing.

    While I agree the Admissions Representatives will say anything to get the students to “sign on the dotted line” that does not say anything about the chef’s talent providing valuable knowledge to the students but rather the morality level of the sales industry itself. If you wanted to start attacking the school for its well found talent in the sales department, why not go after Ford, Chevrolet or any number of companies selling higher priced items for a smaller long term value. With this education we are receiving inestimable information that will live on in our notes years after we have finished school.

    As far as any illusions to the school cheating their students, it is up to the student to get the education they want out of what the school provides.

    While an Admissions Representative sold me on the school and promised he would be there on my orientation day and through out my whole school etcetera I do not see the school in a different light because he told me lies. If anything I appreciate him getting me here and opening the door on a new career for myself. What I am trying to say is just because one department is bad don’t dismiss the whole company.

    As far as the comments made about the student debt, there is always going to be student loans that need to be paid off years after school has been completed.

    In conclusion I would like the see the reporters at the SF Weekly write a contrasting article about the graduates and current students that appreciate the school and the education they provide.

    Comment by Jamie — June 8, 2007 @ 04:58PM

  26. It's not just the admissions process that is off...the placement office is no better.

    I was contacted by CCA to see about placing students from the management program into an externship (required for graduation). I took a chance on a young, inexperienced graduating student and placed him in a junior management position at a large well-known, busy, successful restaurant in SF.

    He lasted two weeks and opted to pull a no call / no show. Two days later he called crying, begging for his job back so that he could graduate.