LMcelwaney
United States of America#2General Comment
Thu, July 28, 2011
I also went to Cordon Bleu Orlando, and it was the biggest mistake I ever made. I, like you, enrolled because I was told it was prestigous and top ranking. I was proud to tell people that I was going to Le Cordon Bleu, and was going to one day open a restaurant.
But then! During my very first class, we were told that there were 3 different high-end restaurant chains that had black-listed anyone coming from this school because we were "lazy, disrespectful, and didnt know how to work in the industry". During my first few classes, the rules were very strict because they wanted to "maintain their good image". The thing is, they had no GOOD image to maintain.
In the next few months, the entire student services department was totally gone. Doesnt exist anymore. The financial aid office? Went in there and they told me "we no longer deal with financial aid on campus. Call the 1-800 number". Scheduling was done by ONE lady.
Then, in my next class, I walked in on the first day, to find a kitchen jam-packed with 67 people. So we had to deal with this for a few days until they created 2 other classes. Then in my next class, which was my baking and pastry class, same situation. And my friend had to do her baking and pastry class in a culinary kitchen because they had way too many students. Then another B and P class had the same experience. 30 people in the class, in a culinary kitchen.
One day I was walking into an office and overheard someone who was on their little tour, and I overheard the woman say that "when you enroll you will get 3 full uniforms". Why is that I wonder?? Because when I enrolled, we got 5! Hmmm.
And as for the entrance interview, theyve taken it to another level. They now have an entire office with cubicals so that the interview can be "confidential and private". but really they accept anyone who walks in and wants to give them money. I had a guy in my class that had 5 felonies on his record. And another with a felony that he said "could never be taken off his record and he wouldnt talk about". So they clearly arent concerned with who is going to their school.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. This school is a total joke, and I dont expect it to last much longer. I heard so many people saying "I should have gone to -insert cheaper school here-"
Oh, and also, I switched from the degree program to the diploma program when I found out that all of the academic classes such as math, are not transferable to other colleges. They are counted as electives because they dont meet the proper standards. So Im sure that is the real reason they got rid of the degree program. Not their excuse "we got rid of it because we are the only culinary school that offered it". Bull! If that was the case, that would give them an advantage.