hey, you live in washington too! I can probably help you!
There are several schools to choose from. Alot of the auto programs have a long waiting list, especially the manufacturer specific programs.
I'm in Ford "ASSET" which is a top of the line school at renton technical college and is the nearest one to you (unless you want to drive to portland). And when you enter the program, the teacher will sign you up with a dealer ship and you will work co-operatively (3 months in school, 3 months applying what you learned w/a technician as a mentor). This programs gets the student both fully ASE certified and Ford Master certified, which also depends on how hard you work.
You can also go into a Chrysler Program at Shoreline community college, and there's also a General motors i think also at shoreline.
Other programs here in Renton are 2 General automotive classes, both of which are So-so programs and there's another called ITEC which i was in for a year that's structured like ASSET, but you can work anywhere you want. The experience you gain through the class is really only considered to be "valid" by most employers if you're working in the automotive field while you're in school and co-op classes like ITEC (independant technicians education coalition) and ASSET are considered high on industry training coarses.
So in general your best bet is to find a place you really want to work and to go to one of those schools while you're in there gaining experience and certifications.
Basically from what i hear, if you have like 6 years under your belt all certifications and training you can go anywhere you want.
GOOD LUCK! I wish you well in your schooling.
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Mustang Parts Specialties ripped me off, it could happen to you as well.
'84 Mustang 5.0 LX
my LX
'89 Mustang GT
my GT