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FAQs
- Who can attend the French Pastry School? Do I need to have a culinary background?
- What is the difference between L’Art de la Pâtisserie and L’Art du Gâteau?
- Will I learn to make wedding cakes in the 24-week L’Art de la Pâtisserie program?
- In the L'Art de la Patisserie program, how much time is spent in the kitchen, and how much time in the classroom?
- What does a typical day at The French Pastry School look like?
- How many students in a class?
- What are the total tuition costs?
- Do you have to share equipment with other students?
- Can I work while attending The French Pastry School?
- Does The French Pastry School offer career counseling?
- If I’ve already graduated from a full-time program, do I have to reapply for another?
- Where should I stay when I attend a Guest Chef Master Class or plan to visit the school?
- Where do I park when visiting the school?
- Who can attend the French Pastry School? Do I need to have a culinary background?
There are no background requirements for becoming a great pastry chef. That fact is reflected in the diverse group that makes up our student body: some have culinary experience; over half are career changers. We have admitted lawyers, actors, cooks, police officers, students, bus drivers, chefs, consultants, and homemakers. We mold your raw talent and drive. Your selection is driven by your desire to learn the venerable art of French pastry with some of the finest chefs in the world.
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- What is the difference between L’Art de la Pâtisserie and L’Art du Gâteau?
L’Art de la Pâtisserie is a 24-week full-time certificate program teaching a diversified pastry curriculum encompassing all areas of pastry, baking, and confectionery arts. Subjects taught include breads and breakfast pastries; petits fours and mini pastries; French cakes and tarts; ice cream and sorbet; plated desserts; wedding and specialty cakes; chocolate and sugar candies; and chocolate and sugar decoration. L’Art du Gâteau is a 16-week full-time certificate program that focuses specifically and more intensely on the art of cake baking, decorating, and other aspects of cake art and enterprise. In this program, students learn wedding, celebration, and specialty cake baking and assembly; recipe creation with taste and texture profile methods; gumpaste work and piping techniques; French buttercream frosting and rolled fondant cake covering; chocolate decoration for cakes; miniature pastries; pastillage and pressed sugar; pulled and blown sugar; mold making methods; airbrushing skills; figurine modeling and 3-D sculpted cakes. See Our Programs for more detailed information on each program.
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- Will I learn to make wedding/special occasion cakes in the 24-week L’Art de la Pâtisserie program?
Yes. You will bake sponge cake from scratch, create fillings such as buttercream, assemble the components, and decorate celebration cakes with a variety of mediums. You’ll learn rolled fondant and buttercream covering methods, gumpaste decoration techniques, and royal icing piping to add the finishing touches to your multi-tiered wedding and specialty cakes.
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- In the full-time programs, how much time is spent in the kitchen, and how much time in the classroom?
Over 90% of any full-time certificate program is spent in the kitchen. We believe in teaching most of the theory in the kitchen, where the chefs demonstrate, tell stories and show you examples of success and failure.
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- What does a typical day at The French Pastry School look like?
The class begins with mise en place, a French term meaning to prepare for cooking. You will scale ingredients for the day; then, the first demonstration begins, after which you go back to your station and make product for the day. The Chef Instructor and Chef Assistant are always on hand to help you. During the six hour class you may observe up to 2-3 demonstrations and make a range of products.
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- How many students in a class?
We have no more than 18 students in a class, which allows you to form a close relationship with the chefs in a focused environment.
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- What are the total tuition costs?
Tuition, books and course materials, three full uniforms, complete professional pastry tool kit, all premium ingredients, and use of state-of-the-art equipment. There are no additional fees upon registration confirmation. The application/program petition fee is applied toward the total tuition payment. Admissions are conducted on a rolling basis, and classes fill quickly, so it is in your best interest to apply early to ensure your space in the desired session. Total tuition for the L’Art de la Pâtisserie is $22,000 and the total tuition for the L’Art du Gâteau is $16,000.
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- Do you have to share equipment with other students?
Our students work in pairs. Each pair has a Kitchen Aid mixer, Spring induction stove and a range of small equipment. We have no shortage of equipment to produce your pastries. Our teaching kitchens and educational facilities are expertly designed specifically for the art, science, technique and method dedicated to the pastry profession. We offer our instructors great autonomy in their use of top-of-the-line ingredients as they share their knowledge with our students who, in turn, have the rare ability to practice the craft without limitation.
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- Can I work while attending the French Pastry School?
While we encourage working during the program to gain experience in the field, all students must assess their individual capacity for extra physical and/or mental activity. Students must ensure that working will not negatively impact their performance as students.
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- Does The French Pastry School offer career counseling?
The faculty, career counselor, and administrative team build relationships with each student and offer in-depth assistance with career planning. We partner with our students to target employers, provide introductions, or offer advice to start a business. Even after you leave, these relationships continue as we provide counsel and advice. Using our network and experience to assist our students and help them reach their aspirations is important to us.
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- If I’ve already graduated from a full-time program, do I have to reapply for another?
Yes, alumni must petition for their new program of choice. The application process does differ for alumni; please see Enroll Now for details on the process.
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- Where should I stay when I attend a Guest Chef Master Class or plan to visit the school?
The French Pastry School is located in downtown Chicago. There are many hotels to choose from. We have located a few for you.
Best Western River North, at 125 W. Ohio St. #800-727-0800. Ask for Reservations and mention you are visiting The French Pastry School. They offer visiting FPS students/visitors the rate from $95 - $129 a night including free parking, free full American breakfast and free wireless internet. The Best Western River North is about 1.5 miles from the school. These rates are dependent on room availability.
Holiday Inn – Chicago Mart Plaza, 350 N. Orleans St., #312-836-5000. The Holiday Inn is about one mile from the school. Ask for Reservations and request The French Pastry School Rate. Depending on availability, they’ll offer you a 20% discount on current room rates. You may also email your reservation request to ptorres@martplaza.com.
Hotel 71 – 71 East Wacker, #312.346.7100. Depending on availability, Hotel 71 offers visiting French Pastry School students a rate of $154 - $269 per night for single or double occupancy rooms. A convenient location, about one mile from the school, with great views of the city and Chicago River, this hotel offers many luxurious amenities.
Chicago Metro Crowne Plaza – 733 W. Madison, Chicago, IL, 60661,
#312-829-5000. The Crowne Plaza offers visiting students and guests to The French Pastry School a discounted rate of $159/night. To reserve a room, click here.
Club Quarters, 111 W. Adams Street, #312 214-6400. Search for rates at this hotel, located just a couple blocks away from the school, online through Hotels.com, Travelocity, or Expedia. Their rates start at $84 per night. You may reserve a room ONLY through the internet in order to get their special club rate.
- Where do I park when visiting the school?
The French Pastry School, located at 226 West Jackson Boulevard, on the northeast corner of Jackson and Franklin in the City Colleges of Chicago building, is conveniently situated near a parking garage that provides a discount to our visitors.
Traders Self-Park at 326 South Wells Street is less than a block from the school. There are entrances to this garage from Wells (just south of Jackson), Van Buren (in between Wells and Franklin) and Franklin (just south of Jackson). See map. Day-long parking is normally $18 to $23 per day, but with the school discount, visitors pay $12 a day (up to 12-hour period) and $5 on evenings and weekends (after 3:00pm M-F and all day weekends). Contact us to learn how to obtain the required pass for your discount.
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