I knew a few guys that went to GIT. Back in the late 80's and early 90's it was the place to be. But going to GIT or Berkeley doesn't mean it will get you into a good band. I remember when grunge hit there were ads from bands looking for guitar players that specifically stated, "NO GIT and NO pointy headstocks".
I often found that by networking yourself with other people and bands can really take you places.
As far as practicing and being a better player is concerned...well with the internet, Instructional video tapes and DVD's, tablature books, online lessons, etc etc etc, you probably could fill up your day for years on end with stuff to practice without going to any school. At this point in my life i strongly believe that some people just "have it". Those that don't can get better with practice. I mean look at Paul Gilbert or Jason Becker, those guys could shred like hell by the time they were 16. They just have talent and they probably did practice a lot at home but i bet they didn't struggle as much as most of us, having long spider fingers probably doesn't hurt either.
A lot of it is also how motivated you are. My problem was always self discipline. Can you practice for 2 hours straight without watching TV or going on the internet?
