The key to all this is that if you are really serious about an airline job in a few years you have to think about what they are going to want down the track. An airline gets so many applications every day, they need something to thin out the stack. Eventually they raise the bar and ask for more such as degrees and diplomas. As someone earlier said (cleverly) that is what they are doing now around the world. Of course that is how it is going here.
Good luck and in relation to schools there are a lot of reputable companies around. What you need however is a good instructor which unfortunately is harder to find (sorry guys) but has more to do with the supply of good training than the school itself.
Sorry if that ruffles a few feathers but as an ex instructor Ive seen close up the standards of instructors slipping.
Just find somewhere you are comfortable with the environment and staff as you have to remember, this is supposed to be fun too!!!!!!! CA