The 25k question is one only you can answer. If you train at a good FBO, with good planes and a good instructor you will be just as good a pilot as anyone at FSI. But to get the savings requires much more than cheap prices. It is up to you to ensure that you get the same quality that is guaranteed by going to FSI. This places alot of responsibility on your shoulders.
You must go to the FBO and look at the aircraft. How many do they have? Are they all the same model or similar? What is the availability? You want aircraft of the same make and model so you will not be in aircraft with different instruments, switches, etc in different locations, with the same engine so they all handle the same. You want more than 1 or 2 aircraft so if one breaks you can still do a lesson and have scheduling flexibility.
What about the instructors, are they skilled and knowledgeable? Do they have a syllabus? (if not don't even consider them) What is their availability? Does the flight school use standardized checklist? If you don't get along with your instructor can you choose another?
What about the airport, is it tower controlled or uncontrolled? Does the instructor feel comfortable in controlled airspace? An uncontrolled field is ok, and you will probably be able to solo sooner, but you want to spend as much time as possible in controlled airspace. You do not want to do your private and only have flown into a towered field once or twice. It can be intimidating if you have not done this. How is the weather? If you want to fly all year it can be hard in some parts of the country.
What about groundschools? Are you self motivated, will you study the Gleim and take the test successfully? Maybe your FBO runs a ground school. It is a good idea to have ground school out of the way before starting the training for a certificate or rating. This way you will have at least some knowledge base when in the aircraft. Some instructors do individual study with their students and this can be ok as long as you get it out of the way before you are too far along in the flying. The Sporty's or King Tapes can be good also (The Kings are pretty dorky though).
If you do your homework and there is a good FBO within reasonable distance, then this may be the way to go, especially when you go to get your private. Besides finding a good FBO, you should be able to fly a minimum of 2 times per week, 3 would be better. The rest of the time you should be reading the Airplane Flying Handbook, the POH, the FAR/AIM, and whatever else your instructor thinks you should know. If you do your part and your instructor does theirs you should have your private in less than 60 hours. I would budget for at least 50-55 hours to make sure you have enough cash to finish.
When you go to get your instrument / commercial ratings, I think that FSI is the way to go. We do all of our instrument rating in the Seminole, so it is very expensive. But, they have dual Garmin 430's, HSI, RMI, etc.. So you will be used to flying a fast (relative to a 172), complex aircraft, with the latest avionics. The work load when flying a twin IFR is alot higher than a fixed gear single. The other plus is the Frasca. They suck at first, but they make you a better instrument pilot. The Frasca is alot more unstable than an aircraft so it is harder to fly. Alot of places do sim rides as part of the hiring process and if you have never spent any time in a Frasca or other FTD, then you are in for a rude awakening.
After you complete the program you will have 55 hrs in the Seminole at a minimum, but it is not uncommon to have 70 hrs. Back when times were good, most jobs required 100 multi. You will already have at least 55, and if you do your MEI at a later date, will have 70-100.
Just a side note, but many people notice that it cost 7 to 8k for the CFI program here, and other places advertise that you can get your CFI and CFII combined for half the price. When you actually look, the other places do a 2 week ground school and 12 hours of flying. At FSI, just the CFI program includes a 4 week groundschool and 25 hours of flying, half in the Cadet and half in the Arrow. It is worth the money.
