[jyl]

Couple of questions come to mind.

How much relationship does a good "aviation program" at a school have to actually flying?

Is the aviation program more focused on aerospace engineering, and if so, how interested are you in the engineering versus the flying? Over the next 10+ years does US aerospace look like a growing industry with lots of opportunities?

If the aviation program is really focused on the flying, how much do you actually need a college degree to be a pilot (and be employed as such)? If the answer is "not much", would you rather get a degree in something totally different as an alternative in case you lose interest in flying?

Have you looked into the financial attractiveness of a pilot's career? What's the typical earnings, lifestyle, and career path of a major carrier pilot, a regional carrier pilot, a corporate pilot, military pilot, etc? What are the odds of success vs washout? What's the supply of new pilots vs the demand for new pilots?

Why do you want to go to school in SoCal, or the Western US? Weather, lifestyle, comfort/familiarity, cost?

I'm not suggesting anything, just asking logical questions.