“I got so much out of my time at the CIA. The lessons I learned—I still use every day," says CIA pastry arts alum Kamal Grant.

"At the CIA it’s all about your attitude. Life is 10 percent situation & 90 percent attitude. I ...loved it the whole time.

Celebrity Chef Amanda Freitag '89, a CIA graduate, got her TV start on Iron Chef America. She's a cookbook author & judge on the Food Network show Chopped.

World-renowned Chef Thomas Keller talks about the high quality of education that CIA students receive at the world's premier culinary college. He believes the college prepares students to take on the kinds of challenges that they might face at his restaurants The French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery, and Ad Hoc.

Denis Callinan is executive chef for The College of William and Mary. Read about his education at the CIA and careers in large production kitchens.

“The CIA...is the Ivy League of culinary schools...I wanted to be taught by the crème de la crème. It opened doors for me in so many ways.

After graduating from the CIA, Prateek wanted to train under one of America’s top chefs before returning home, so he worked for Thomas Keller at The French Laundry in Yountville, CA and then Per Se in New York City. This opportunity was open to him because of his personal dedication and his CIA education.

"There are multiple reasons why I chose CIA; it has also been a dream of mine. I was also extremely impressed with all the success stories of the alumni.

"I asked chefs that I knew where I should go to college...all said that the CIA is the best culinary school in the U.S., perhaps the world.

A variation on the chewy drop cookie version, these are perfect for any cut-out cookie project you tackle. This Valentine’s Day, use a heart shaped cookie cutter to create a batch of these for the one you love.

"I looked at every school up & down the east coast but didn’t find anything that compared to the CIA."—Dr. Julia Nordgren.

"The CIA is clearly the best culinary school in the country."—Cory Christopherson, culinary arts management student.