Cooking for Scholarships

Video Link

16th Annual Culinary Arts Competition

Saturday, March 2,2013

Sharpen your knives, and get ready to raise some dough!

Paul Smith’s College Hospitality, Resort, and Culinary Management Division will host its annual Cooking for Scholarships competition on Saturday, March 2, 2013. Participants have an opportunity to demonstrate their acquired cooking skills and compete for scholarship funds, culinary tools, and cookbooks. The competition includes Culinary Arts and Baking contests with more than $24,000 in scholarships and prizes awarded!

If you are a talented high school senior or transfer student with less than 30 credits interested in pursuing your education at Paul Smith’s College then we encourage you to join the competition! Applicants must be pursuing Culinary Arts or Baking degrees.

• Application and Deadline Information
• Applicant Requirements
• Scholarship and Other Awards
• Culinary Arts Competition Information
• Baking Competition Information
• Questions/Contact Information

Application and Deadline Information

All applications must be completed and submitted by Friday, February 15, 2013. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

To apply, download the application packet and submit all materials to:
Office of Admissions
Paul Smith’s College
PO Box 265, Routes 86 & 30
Paul Smiths, New York 12970
Or FAX to:
Office of Admissions (518) 327-6016

The Culinary Arts competition will be limited to 20 students, and the Baking competition is limited to 10 students. Accepted entrants will be notified by the Admissions Office the last week of February.

Applicant Requirements

All applicants must meet the following requirements to be considered:

• Currently enrollment as a high school senior, or a transfer student from another college with less than 30 transferring credits.
• Be accepted into one of the Culinary Arts and Service Management BPS, Culinary Arts AAS or Baking & Pastry Arts AAS degree programs at Paul Smiths College.
  You may apply for admission to Paul Smith’s College via our online application. If you have applied for admission but are unsure of your admissions status, please contact the Admissions Office at 800.421.2605
• Must have prior culinary experience. Experience is defined as enrollment in a BOCES, Technical Center, or Culinary Program in High School or at least one full year of culinary experience in a non-fast food operation.
• All entrants must have a minimum cumulative grade average of C/75/2.0.
• All entrants must submit a complete competition application

Scholarship and Other Awards

Culinary Arts Competition:

• First Place - $7,000 Grand Prize Culinary Arts Scholarship*
• Second Place - $4,000 Culinary Par Excellence Achievement Scholarship*
• Third Place - $1,000 Apprenticeship Scholarship*
• Fourth thru Seventh Place – Mercer Culinary Cutlery Kit

Baking Competition:

• First Place - $7,000 Grand Prize Baking Scholarship*
• Second Place - $4,000 Baking Par Excellence Achievement Scholarship*
• Third Place - $1,000 Apprenticeship Scholarship*
• Fourth and Fifth Place – Mercer Baking & Pastry Tool Kit

Scholarship Award Policies:

• Talent and merit scholarships can be combined; however scholarships, may not exceed the total cost of education.
• Scholarship winners must be granted regular admission for full-time study to Paul Smith’s College.
• For winners that are enrolled in a two-year program, the duration of the scholarship will be two- years. For winners enrolled in a four-year program, the duration of the scholarship will be four-years.
• Winners must apply for financial aid.
• Winners must maintain satisfactory academic progress as described in the Paul Smith’s College catalog.

Culinary Arts Competition Information

Entrants in the Culinary Arts competition will be expected to complete the following:

1. A brief written exam, testing knowledge of common culinary terms.
2. Entrants will be presented with a list of ingredients. From these ingredients, they will have 30 minutes to plan a menu and 3 hours to complete the following:
   
   One entrée portion consisting of protein, sauce, starch and vegetable.
3. Entrants will perform a demonstration of the following mise en place: (See attached study guide)
   1. Vegetable Cuts (4-5 pieces of the following):
      Brunoise
      Small dice
      Medium dice
      Large dice
      Julienne
      Batonnet
   2. 1 pint béchamel, veloute or tomato sauce
4. Entrants will be judged and graded based on the following:
   1. Mise en Place
   2. Sanitation
   3. Attitude
   4. Grace Under Fire
   5. Organizational Skills/Efficiency
   6. Cooking Technique
   7. Workmanship Quality
   8. Product Presentation
   9. Temperature/Textures
   10. Use of Raw Materials
   11. Taste
5. Entrants will be judged by a panel of chefs. Upon plate presentation, each student will be critiqued by the chef instructors involved in the competition. After each participant’s plate presentation, they will be required to work with Paul Smith’s culinary students for kitchen clean-up.
6. Announcement of scholarships and other recognitions will be made during an awards reception in the Pine Room of the Joan Weill Student Center following the competition. Family members, instructors, and students are invited to attend the ceremony.
7. Notification of the results will be sent to the entrant’s Culinary Instructor and/or local newspaper following the competition.
8. Participants are not allowed to bring recipes into the production area. Thirty minutes prior to the competition participants will be informed of their assigned protein source.
9. Participants are expected to bring their own knives. All other equipment will be provided.
10. All entrants must come in complete, clean, pressed chef’s whites or chef coat/black plants, proper non-slip shoes, and must be properly groomed (hair confined under chef’s toque, no beards, jewelry, or excessive make-up).

Protein Source - will be provided on competition day.

Note: The above listed items for production are the only allowed ingredients.

Baking Competition Information

Entrants in the Baking competition will be expected to complete the following:

1. A brief written exam, testing knowledge of common culinary terms.
2. All entrants will have 3 hours to complete, prepare, and demonstrate the following:
   1. Caramelize apples
   2. Poach a pear
   3. Decorate and finish a 9" dessert cake
   4. Demonstrate piping skills using 8 different templates
   5. Roll out, cut and bake cookies from short paste dough (provided) - 1 dozen
3. Entrants will be judged and graded based on the following:*
   1. Mise en Place
   2. Sanitation
   3. Attitude
   4. Grace Under Fire
   5. Organizational Skills/Efficiency
   6. Cooking Technique
   7. Workmanship Quality
   8. Product Presentation
   9. Temperature/Textures
   10. Use of Raw Materials
   11. Taste
4. Entrants will be judged by a panel of chefs. Upon plate presentation, each student will be critiqued by the chef instructors involved in the competition. After each participant’s plate presentation, they will be required to work with Paul Smith’s culinary students for kitchen clean-up.
5. Announcement of scholarships and other recognitions will be made during an awards presentation in the Pine Room of the Joan Weill Student Center following the competition. Family members, instructors, and students are invited to attend the ceremony.
6. Participants are not allowed to bring recipes into the production area.
7. Entrants for the baking competition will have tools provided for them.
8. All entrants must come in complete, clean, pressed chef’s whites or chef coat/black plants, proper non-slip shoes, and must be properly groomed (hair confined under chef’s toque, no beards, jewelry, or excessive make-up).

Contact Information

If you have questions, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@paulsmiths.edu or 800.421.2605.