Hello,
I'm planning on starting in October. It is actually the A&P program that got sold, not the whole academy. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong). Actually that might mean that the pilot program may get some money comming their way, but I'm not holding my breath just yet.
Sierra has a bad reputation that I feel it dosn't deserve. The admin department I will admit really sucks. I have had similar problems as you with not getting responses to calls and emails and have talked to several students with similar concerns. This is probably part of the reason they have such a bad rep. Also their facilities are kind of old, and thier planes are old as well, and are kind of lacking in that they don't have the "state-of-the-art" gadgets that some schools charge and arm and a leg to use. I've also heard complaints about the amount of time it takes to get a CFI rating, and that the whole program is too expensive.
Now I'll tell you why I chose Sierra. Once I finally got a chance to schedule a tour I liked what I say. I took my first tour about a year ago. They go through admin reps faster than J-Lo goes through husbands so its kind of hit and miss as to how good your tour goes. I was introduced to students on my tour and every student I talked to seemed to really like it there. The instruction is top notch, granted I don't speak from experience (yet), but have heard this from numerous students and CFIs. I've been told that the average private pilot from Sierra will have about the same knowlege and skill as the average commercial rated pilot from most other schools. They are extreemely thorough. The weather in the bay area is ideal for flight training. You get plenty of chances to train in actual instrument conditions in calm winds. At the same time you get plenty of good VFR weather. The weather here is also very predictable. There are rarely weather conditions that would cancel a flight. It is also comfortable weather to live in as oppoesed to the brutal wet heat from Florida. (DCA's planes do not have A/C by the way. I heard that straight from the horse's mouth.) Sierra also opperates in bravo and charlie airspace which is good experience because that is what you'll be in as a professional pilot.
Yes the facilities are old, but they can't do much about renovations. The building where they are located is in an old hotel and is a historic building. They can't legally make many changes. They do have everything a student pilot needs, just nothing fancy. The aircraft are also old, but they are safe, and they do their job. Sierra opperates at a major airport, and its not cheap to opperate there. If they had a fleet of brand new aircraft they would have to charge us so much it wouldn't be possible for the common man to train there. I'm satisfied in the fleet they have for the price I'll be paying. Yes they are expensive, again its not cheat to opperate where they do, and they are thorough in their instruction. Its kind of a trade off. Superior instruction, good experience, and good weather in exchange for not having top notch facilites or aircraft. Besides if you look closely at the prices, they are more or less in line with other large schools. I think they are actually quite a bit cheaper than FSI and I rarely hear complaints about FSI being too expensive because of the quality of the training there. I'm a lot more worried about the high cost of living out here to be honest.
The reason it takes longer to become a CFI is because they expect their CFIs to know so much. Again, they are thorough. It takes longer but you will be a better pilot, and will have better pilots training you. Also, the backlog isn't as long as it is at many schools to become employed as a CFI so it evens out.
Sorry for the long post, but I keep hearing negetive things about Sierra that I feel are un-founded, and since I'll be a student there I kind of feel the need to share what I've learned about this school. I've researched many schools and looked into the positive and negetive aspects of each and this is what I've come to know about Sierra and why I feel its the best fit for me. Keep in mind I am not a student at Sierra yet so my opinion may change. Please feel free to do more research and pick the school that best fits your needs. Since you are in the bay area feel free to PM me if you want to talk IRL. Perhaps we can get together. I also keep in touch with a CFI who might be able to answer some of your questions as well.
Good Luck!