The problem here is that no matter who tells you what, if the immigration official at the U.S. port of entry doesn't like your face, he will interpret things as he/she wishes.
So, the school has to be in SEVIS, whose list used to appear as a PDF here
http://www.ice.gov/graphics/sevis/pd...vedSchools.pdf
but is offline now for some reason. It can then issue an I-20, and then you apply for an M-1 visa. That's what the immigration orangutan will be looking for.