Nick,
You've got some really good advice from the guys on this forum. I am going to reiterate some of the same. Number one, work hard in all of your academics and strive to really excel and understand things of a mechanical nature. I can remember well being in your shoes and wanting to fly. I built model airplanes often, even radio controlled ones, learning about flight control surfaces and how an aircraft flies. I crashed model airplanes, but love the hobby and still fly them. I also read almost every issue of FLYING magazine and joined up AOPA because it was a very informative publication and often has articles on basic flying skills and techniques. EAA is another organization that has an EXCELLENT monthly publication on the "mechanical end" of flying. One guy wrote to never compare yourself to your friends as far as them buying car and spending their money on other "extraneous things." That's also fantastic advice too. I got a job scooping ice-cream at a local ice-cream store before the age of 16 so that I could earn up money to pay for flying lessons in highschool. Basically, my entire 2 week's check would go toward paying off my flying account/lessons at the local airport. I was able to solo at 16 and get a Private Pilot Certificate at age 17. I would bet that MANY of the other folks on this board did something very similar in highschool. Another option might be to get a job refueling airplanes...just a thought. It was great to fly when others were still just driving...of course it was a different story trying to get my friend's parents' permission to go with me. And one last comment here, LIVE A CLEAN LIFE. Absolutely NO DRUGS. There's zero tolerance for this sort of lifestyle or behavior in any part of aviation. Demonstrate your maturity, live a life a maturity, and develop a track record of success. Everything else will start to come naturally. Aviators are a unique group of people, we set the bar a bit higher on personal integrity, skill, and leadership compared to the average "joe" on the street. It's because of discipline and hard work that we're able to achieve this.
COLLEGE IS A MUST in my opinion, and most everyone else's opinion on this board too. I went to Embry-Riddle and had a great time flying airplanes AND getting a degree at the same time. I agree that the downside is that it might be a tad expensive...but you'll start to learn that nothing in aviation is cheap. DON'T be discouraged though. An area where you might also want to look into is the Air National Guard, while you're attending college. One of my buddies did this while he was in college, it gave him a tiny bit of extra coin (served one weekend a month during drill), and was able to position himself for a competitive interview flying F16's when he finished up his degree. He now flies F-16's for the Guard. Once you get that slot, you'll start finding opportunities opening up left and right. I would recommend getting a job IN THE FLYING SQUADRON though, as opposed to doing an external job though...just a small piece of advice. This allows you to meet the pilots on a regular basis, and them to get to know you. But I don't want to diverge too much from your original question with details.
KEEP FLYING as often as you can. Once you earn one certification, the next step will be your instrument rating....all those magazines you've been reading will help you understand what that's all about. After your instrument ticket, go for your Commercial Certificate. After that, I'd recommend a CFI and CFII. This is a culmination of EVERYTHING that you've learned about flying, regulations, airspace, weather, and aerodynamics. This could very well be the toughest checkride that you'll take...only because you still have very little experience and you have to rely on your academics and understanding of what you've learned to be successful. You have very limited experience to look back on for examples. After this, you'll be able to start earning a limited amount of money to help offset the cost of your flying. I earned my CFI as part of my last course at Embry-Riddle. I instructed for about six months before going into Air Force.
I chose to go military for additional flight training. I could have gone civilian, but I wanted very much to fly fighters, serve my country, and get the best training in the world. I was fortunate enough to be at the top of my class when I gaduated....something that I'll attribute DIRECTLY to my strong civilian flight background that I had been working on since highschool. I also considered the Marines too. I believe that the Marines offer fantastic opportunity to develop yourself personally, be elite, and offer challenging leadership opportunities. I opted against this because I didn't want to be elite and experience challeging leadership opportunities flying ROTOR wings...a considerable concern in the USMC flight program. You can count on almost 2/3 of the guys flying rotor wing. If this is for you...THEN GO FOR IT! You can't beat 'em for camerderie, esprit-de-corps, and discipline.
After my stint in the Air Force...almost 9 years, I left to go with the airlines. It takes a bit longer to get to the airlines if you go military, but the training is fantastic, and is substantially cheaper if you don't mind spending the best years of your life serving your country as an officer and aviator. A personal choice that I will never live to regret. My resume now includes combat experience, and reflections of opportunity living in many different places in the world. Although civilians also are top notch aviators (especially in their exposure to very specific and focused training regiments in advanced regional jet equipment), many of my non military friends are envious of the opportunities that I've had serving in the military. Again, a personal choice.
And now we come full circle....I'm back on the street after getting to the airlines. I'm STILL learning about aviation...namely how volatile the industry is. You can be on the street with little or no warning we're finding. Always try and be in a position to experience set backs...it's part of being a professional aviator. Have a back up plan...if you can. My back up plan is....hmmmm...well, ahhhh.... hmmmm....well I haven't gotten that far yet. Like I said, I'm still learning. Ha, ha... Maybe I'll go work on my R/C airplanes for a while as I try and develop a game plan.
Best wishes!!