How did you choose your flight school, and what would you check differently now?

Choosing an ATO is one of the biggest financial decisions in a pilot's life, and most people make it with less research than they would put into buying a car. Things that consistently matter more than the brochure suggests: aircraft availability per student (ask how many students share each aircraft), instructor turnover, what happens to your money if the school goes under (pay in stages if you possibly can), realistic completion timelines rather than advertised ones, and hidden costs: landing fees, exam resit fees, accommodation, checkride aircraft rental. We built a free calculator that helps you compare the real all-in cost of schools rather than the headline price: https://skystudyatpl.com/flight-training-cost-calculator But numbers only get you halfway, which is where this thread comes in. If you have trained, or are training now: how did you pick your school, what turned out to matter, and what would you check differently with hindsight? School names are welcome as long as you stick to your own factual experience.