[SoCalAprch]

Stay at IWA. Florida blew when I was going through a couple years ago when I went through there on my X country phase. I thought IWA and RAL were the best locations. Obviously things may have changed and it does depend on the people there. I just liked RAL because it was small and the white shirts rarely ever came in. More laid back approach, "What time do you want to fly?" instead of "be here at 8am then sit around and study until we fly." Still structured and finished everything in 90 days but wasn't run like some of the third reich locations.

My daily grind at ATP RAL: come in around 10, sim or fly, throw around the football, go fly, eat something, throw around the football, study a bit, go have a beer. Rinse and repeat... 90 days best time of my life.

Also pick a place that doesn't have a chief pilot. Just my two cents and everyones different, some people like having some guy breathing down your neck because you came in a little later on sunday.