Coming from a current UND student, I can say that many of my classmates struggle from a lot of the aforementioned problems (inability to think critically, lack of real-world experience, etc.). I did my private pilot training in a 61 environment and I’m very glad that I was able to get that kind of experience. I’ve done the rest of my training (instrument-CFI) at UND and there is a very significant difference in how things are taught. The strict rules and regulations put in place are used to limit the possibility of incidents/accidents, but as others have already mentioned, they DO NOT let students think for themselves. The typical scenarios of training are molded into situations where the student is always comfortable and it’s almost never something unfamiliar to them. This has proven to be very detrimental in how they learn, especially when it’s taught from a private pilot level, up to CFI/II. I will definitely agree the guaranteed instructor gig is very controversial because these problems get passed down to students, allowing this mindset to continue. Ideally, I would like to get my time in a different environment that exposes me to real situations, instead of the usual TCO requirements that are given to us. To be fair, the resources available to us, like highly advanced avionics, simulators, and training software are very useful and I feel lucky to have them, but it’s arguable if these actually outweigh the cons associated with large aviation schools. My personal advice, go with the part 61 experience, as I think this will be the most enjoyable route and I think if you find the right school/instructor you will have a great time.