We never agreed to that rule

the singing badgers:) evil badgers,

I'm going to a univeristy and getting an aviation safety management degree, and my professors have been saying that, as of now, timing should be really good for people who are going to be graduating within the next 5 to 6 years.  As previously stated... the situation can only improve from this point.

Another thing to think about is how increadibly small the aviation community really is.  The people you train with now, will be the people you work with in the next 10 years. 

This last summer I took a job at a local airport as a lineman, and I came accross 4 flight instructors that had graduated from the same flight program within the last 3 years, and had another 6 or so students at different phases of our flight program stop for gas. 

As for getting referrals, that will come with your experience and just getting out into the aviation community.  As I said, you will learn how small of a world it really is out there, SPECIALLY in aviation.  After all, only 1 in 400 people have some kind of pilots license.  Heck, just having an association with a certain flight school/university can say an aweful lot about yourself without an introduction. 

Bottom line, find a reputible flight school and get your foot in the door now.

Don't get too bummed, you'll get to the flying soon enough.    Just think of it this way... the more stuff you get out of the way now, the more attention you can give to flying later on.