SB,
Most individuals use Sallie Mae’s Smart Loan Option that ATP has partnered with for financing, but you may choose whoever you would like to. I used Sallie Mae and then refinanced after being hired at a regional airline and making consistent pay to show a W-2 if need.
As per the title “Best ATP to attend,” the BEST location to attend is the one that is most convenient for YOU. Someone may be lucky and have family that lives near 3 locations while someone may need to relocate to somewhere that ATP provides housing… everyone’s situation is different. We cannot (I stress), cannot tell you which location is the best for you. In fact, I like Adam’s analogy when it comes to “the best” because he brings up food as an example, and I love food too.
Sporty’s Study Buddy App is a good test prep software for the Private Pilot - Airplane (PAR) written. After you complete your PAR, you will want to use Sheppard Air (yes - it’s very trusted and worth the money) for every written thereafter. I wrote up a quite FAQ on the writtens, ATP does not require any to be completed prior to entry, but every little head start counts! Writtens are good for 24 calendar months, so you can start too early and they will expire, use the time wisely. Once you score 3 consecutive 90%+ scores on the test prep, get an endorsement and take the actual exam. I think Sporty’s you can pay a few extra dollars and get the endorsement, I personally do not know how to do that with them - I would find an instructor and build a relationship with them to see if they would sign you off.
Brady