If you would like to earn a hospitality degree specializing in culinary arts, you can get an advantage in high school well before you start to turn in college applications. Most high schools have their own unique culinary arts or home economics classes that students have the choice to enroll in as their elective. Not only will they learn their way around a residential kitchen and how to develop some much needed domestic skills, they will also learn if they have a passion and a talent that could be used in a professional kitchen.
While high school is about prepping for students for success in college, it is also designed to prepare students for adulthood. In some ways, taking the appropriate amount of culinary arts coursework in high school can do both. Not only can it help you for the days when you parents no longer cook for you, it can also help you land a seat in a competitive culinary school of your choice. Read on, and find out how it can give you a unique kind of advantage.
Learning the Basics Will Help You Put More Focus on Mastery
If you study for a degree or certificate in culinary arts, you will learn a wide variety of skills from how to prepare food safely to how to control the costs. Since there is such variety of information you will need to learn to become a creative and talented chef, knowing the basics can give you an advantage. By taking a high school course that teaches you about different utensils, pans, and cooking techniques, you can skate through introductory coursework in college and put more of a focus on the complex content or skills that take a lot of practice.
Qualify for More Scholarships Specific to the Field
The cost of any type of professional training, whether it be a vocational certificate program or a degree program, is on the rise. To give you an idea of just how much it could cost to become a culinary arts grad, popular schools charge between $52,920 and $105,840 for up to 4 years of studies. Since the cost is so high, any aide that you can receive will make some difference.
If you have shown your passion for culinary arts in high school and you have shown your commitment to education with a good academic record, you can apply for field specific scholarships to culinary school. This will help pay for a portion of the cost to attend school, or in unique cases where you are applying for national awards, then entire cost of attendance. This is why it is so very important to take your high school studies seriously when you plan on going straight to college.
Do not forget that admission to some culinary programs is highly competitive. If you have a scholarship that will pay for you to attend the best schools in the nation, you need to be sure that you gain entry. You can highlight your experience in high school, show off old projects, and ultimately show that you are ready for the curriculum. While only about 25% of high school students choose to take culinary classes, taking them can be wise if you have a future in the field and desire to earn a hospitality degree.