The job of Chef requires a great deal more than just being the best cook in the kitchen. A chef must manage and motivate a staff, must manage the profit and loss of the operation, must design menus, participate in marketing, and many many other things. While a good school will help to prepare you with skills in each of these areas, no school can provide you with a substitute for the experience of working in a busy kitchen with hungry, paying diners waiting for their meals.