I'm finishing up my CFI at one of those $7000 places. I have rented in the past from the $3000 places. There are huge differences. While more expensive, I don't have to worry about the radios in the aircraft working properly, and parts being maintained. The $3000 place had a couple aircraft that had virtually non-existient radios, and required a portable intercom (costing you more of your hard-earned money) if you wanted to communicate without shouting. Little things like this added up and I got sick of guessing engine RPM on a tach that was placarded "reads 200rpm low" and never stabilized. It's nice having aircraft with GPS and modern, working radios available and I have no problem justifying the extra expense. Even their older 172s are very well maintained.

Quality instruction is another factor. See what kind of resources they have. Nice simulators will help with your instrument rating. These are usually less expensive than an aircraft and allow you to learn procedures as well as hitting "the pause" button to clarify situations or set up specific scenarios. Not something you can do in the airplane. Certification requirements can also add costs. Is the program certified under part 141 guidelines or is it a part 61 program? Part 141 schools have an approved sylabus and in many cases these greatly reduce time requirements for certain ratings, like the commercial. Under part 61 you'll need to log 250 hours total and do many hours of cross country flying to get the rating. Part 141 only has a few cross country requirements and no total time requirement. In the long run it may be much less exspensive to persue a more expensive part 141 program than a part 61 program.

Check into a flight school very carefully before throwing that kind of money down. It's a huge investment. Have a friend who is already rated go with you and inspect the maintenance logs on the aircraft. These should be readily available and somebody who has gone through their private should know what inspections are required and where to find them in a logbook. If they refuse access to these (which is not legal) walk out and never return.

I went the aviation degree route. At the time it was the only way I could afford to persue my dream of flying. To be honest, it still is While I agree with many of the comments about diversifying, I went to a school where much of the core curriculm had a business focus and I could go back to school for a year and get a second degree in management or marketing if I choose to do so later down the road.

You're asking a ton of questions, which is great. It's not easy, and it won't get any easier. I'm just finishing up the chapter that you are just beginning. The questions don't stop, and you'll often wonder if you've taken the right path for yourself. This fourm is a help that I wish I had six years ago when I started looking at schools. Don't stop asking questions and arm yourself with as much info as you can before making a decision. Don't just take the words from a school recruiter as the end. Talk to students, customers, graduates, anybody that you can because they'll give you the real take, not the advertising spin.

I've gotten this thread way beyond any real pilot's attention span. Feel free to IM me with any questions. My screenname is the same on AIM and Yahoo as my screen name here.