As a professional recording engineer, my recommendation is to forgo those expensive programs. The only one I know of locally that is worth anything is Pyramind, but I think that this business can and should be learned mostly hands-on. At the same time, there are important things to learn in a classroom environment, too. Honestly, the only intern I've had in the past 5 years who impressed me got her education at SF City College, in their radio program. If I could have hired her on full-time, I would have. (But I did recommend her on to friends at SkySound and she got to work on Indiana Jones 4.) All this goes to show you can learn what you need in pretty much any program if you have the passion.

I think your desire to find an internship is a good one. There are a LOT of studios in the Bay Area and many seek interns. I receive many requests from people via email and snail mail, although I don't often have need for an intern. There are many ways you can connect with studios. One way is to cold call/email/snail mail them, although I think it's the least effective method. Another avenue is to find ways to connect via internet forums, such as discussion lists and boards, so folks get to know you. Yet another would be to join industry groups, such as the AES, NARAS, and GANG.

Mostly, I'd suggest getting creative about it. The best way is to make a good impression and stand out from the masses.

One last thing I'll say:

When I'm looking for someone (which I'll admit is *always*, even when I don't have the ability to hire anyone), I don't particularly care what equipment they know how to use. They need to have a basic understanding and education (and I prefer that they be a Mac user). More important to me, though, is intelligence and problem-solving ability. I can teach just about anyone to use Pro Tools. I can't teach someone to think on their feet and come up with creative solutions. In my work, I'm constantly innovating ways to make our workflow faster, more efficient, and more accurate. I am always on the lookout for folks who can do the same.